In recent years, there has been a dramatic drop in the percentage of Instagram profiles that don’t employ the usage of fake growth methods. The internet is replete with articles extolling the virtues of the follow-unfollow strategy for expanding one’s audience. This can be done manually, although it’s a lengthy process, or with the help of external software. These applications state that their method guarantees rapid and risk-free audience growth.
But is it really worth it to try to attract more people in this way? How many new fans will this grey hat strategy win you, and what repercussions may it have? In this article, we will discuss the Instagram follow/unfollow strategy and explain how it works.
The Instagram Follower/Unfollower Dialogue: How Does It Work?
This method is just what it sounds like. You search for accounts that seem relevant to your expertise and start following them. They’ll be alerted, check out your profile, and likely follow you back, if not for the substance then at least for the politeness. After a few days or a week, you decide to stop following such accounts. And, presto, several hundred Instagram followers in a matter of weeks, most of whom you have successfully unfollowed without their knowledge.
We’ve already established that you have the option of doing a manual search for relevant Instagram individuals or making use of dedicated software. Several applications claim to be able to locate your most loyal followers by analysing your specialty, account age, and assumed follow-unfollow boundaries. These external tools may scour hashtags and locations for potential customers, as well as identify influencers whose followers might also be a good fit for your brand.
Is there a particular need for Instagram expansion tools?
The idea that more followers means a more credible creator or greater popularity is still widely held. Having more people view your material increases the likelihood that a brand will come across it. Indeed, many new writers and artists believe this to be the case.
It’s no surprise that the majority of micro- and nano-influencers employ the follow-unfollow strategy on Instagram. You may improve your follower-to-following ratio by following fewer people and subsequently unfollowing them. Tempting, right?
Nope, not quite.
In 2023, why following and unfollowing Insta pages is pointless
These are five reasons you should not use this hack:
You have broken both the Community Guidelines and the Terms of Service
Instagram has become increasingly stringent over time in response to users who artificially raise their profiles via the use of various hacks.
Instagram bot and third-party tool growth can be detected by the platform’s algorithms. They may suspend your account for a few hours or days if this occurs. You risk having your Instagram account deleted if Instagram discovers that you are actively engaging in the follower unfollow strategy.
There is a risk to your good name
In order to increase your Instagram following, the worst thing you can do is follow a bunch of people and then immediately unfollow them. To show their courtesy, most individuals will follow you back if you follow a large number of them. Only to realise many days later that you stopped following them. You’ll have a reputation as someone who prioritises quantity above quality.
Using the Instagram follow/unfollow strategy is a certain way to upset people and damage your reputation in exchange for a few extra followers. Connecting with your target market is essential if you want to use Instagram to grow your business. Don’t just add them as followers if you want them as potential customers.
The wrong kind of people are drawn to you
The Instagram strategy of following and unfollowing might even backfire. Finding potential new followers using hashtags utilising a third-party approach might help you gain more people. Yet, the use of hashtags does not guarantee a consistent following.
There are certain hashtags that people use in the heat of the moment, only to promptly forget about afterwards. These folks will never be interested in what you have to say and will stop following you after a while even if you produce excellent material.
Discover accounts sharing your interests and niches, then follow them, comment, and like their posts. This is a great approach to gain a legion of new fans. Take part in the content created by influencers you believe may be interested in establishing a connection with you.
The percentage of people who actually click on to a website will go down
The frustrating side effect of the follow-unfollow strategy on Instagram is a drop in engagement. Real people will engage with your material by clicking “like,” leaving comments, and sharing it with others. There’s a good chance that the majority of the individuals that followed you back will have little interest in what you have to say. Instagram following and unfollowing will increase your audience by the hundreds in a matter of weeks, but it will also reduce your engagement rate accordingly.
The interaction rate might plummet if too many of a platform’s followers are fakes or bots.
The Instagram follow/unfollow approach is an example of a “grey hat” tactic that you should avoid. You may be doing more useful things with your time than following and unfollowing individuals on social media. Maintaining an authentic connection with your audience will keep them engaged.
Your profile can be made invisible
Your Instagram account will be lost in the shuffle if you use any follow/unfollow strategy. The Instagram follow unfollow technique reduces engagement for influencers with a smaller number of followers. Less discussion and approval will result from an artificially exaggerated low-quality audience. You won’t get any exposure on Instagram’s explore tab, and your account won’t get to the top of hashtag rankings.
Soon, people will stop following you since they can’t find your account. Alternatively it may be because they were engaging in similar follow/unfollow behaviour.