9 Reasons You Are Losing Instagram Followers
9 Reasons You Are Losing Instagram Followers
1. Making your Instagram account private
Making your Instagram account private is the fastest way to lose followers
This is one of the worst mistakes I see businesses making on their account.
Now don’t get me wrong — for your personal profile, this is a matter of preference. But on a business account, as soon as a user sees the private icon, they’re likely to stay away.
There are 2 key reasons for this:
- Their follower request has to be approved — which can take anywhere from 1 hour to a day depending on when the business accepts
- They can’t see any content from the profile — so they have no idea what type of content or messages the business is sharing
To ensure your business profile is not private, head to your profile and below your profile photo, click “Edit your profile”.
Then scroll down & ensure “Photos Are Private” is unchecked.
You definitely don’t want your fans seeing this:
2. Posting the same type of content over & over
Have you ever heard the expression “too much of a good thing”?
Well, this definitely applies to your Instagram posts.
Users will be quick to unfollow you on Instagram if you keep sharing the same type of content.
Now there is nothing wrong with using selfies for social media marketing, but posting the same selfies over & over again will often cause followers to leave because, quite frankly, they get bored.
To avoid this, you want to ensure you’re posting a wide range of different types of content to keep your followers engaged. This doesn’t just mean mixing up quotes with business tips, but also experimenting with the colours & branding as well.
Looks like Kim Kardashian West is about to release a brand new book full of Selfies….
Is this too much?
3. Posting images too close together
Posting too many Instagram photos within a small time frame is the easiest way to get un-followed
There is nothing wrong with posting multiple times a day to your Instagram account. But posting content too close together is one sure way to put off your followers.
If your followers are scrolling through their feed & see back to back to back posts from your account, they probably just scroll right past your multiple posts — which will kill your engagement.
Or they’ll just get fed up and click “Unfollow“.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, try to space out your content — giving your followers the chance to interact & engage with what you have to say.
4. Not responding to Instagram comments
You need to respond to comments on Instagram if you want to build a stronger relationship with your followers.
Remember: the whole reason your business is sharing content on Instagram is to engage & inform your followers.
Ignoring comments from them makes it obvious that you don’t really appreciate their connection — which isn’t great news for anyone, and will probably lead to unfollows.
To prevent that and make sure your followers get your replies, just “@ Tag” their Instagram handle in all replies.
Then they’ll get a notification — and will probably even respond & engage.
5. Not using hashtags
Failure to use Instagram hashtags on your posts means your business is missing out on a huge chance to get discovered by new fans.
Now you’re probably used to hearing people say, “Don’t overdo it with the hashtags — too many can look spammy.”
Well, this doesn’t apply to Instagram!
Let me explain — in order for your content to stand the highest chance of getting seen, it’s actually vital that you include as many relevant hashtags related to your industry or niche as possible.
This helps the content get discovered by people following those key terms.
And if you don’t want to overwhelm your photo caption with text & tags, you can always add a bunch of relevant hashtags to a comment.
So definitely pay attention online to the best Instagram hashtags for your industry — and look to incorporate these into your posts (e.g., #TBT or #photooftheday).
If you want to monitor specific content around your business, you can also create your very own hashtag & promote this to your followers (e.g., #PostPlannerRules).
6. Not optimizing your Instagram Bio
There’s only 1 place on your Instagram account where followers can click a URL — and that’s in your Bio!
If your business hasn’t added a link in the bio, you’re missing out on a great way to attract new visitors to your site, blog or landing page.
Yes, you can paste a URL in the comments, but since this link is not active, very few people will click it or even remember it.
To capitalize on this, you want to ensure your business puts its most important link in the Instagram bio — and let users know in the comments to click the link in the bio for more info.
Like this:
7. Not posting videos
You’ve heard of 15 minutes of fame, right? Well, Instagram gives you just 15 seconds, so make the most of it!
It’s is the perfect chance for your business to showcase its personal side — or even highlight key pieces of content or events.
The engagement on your videos will depend on your niche & how well you create the content. But it’s definitely one area you want to test out with your followers.
8. Not adding a profile pic
Users won’t follow an Instagram account if they can’t see the person or brand they’re following.
The first thing we do when we greet someone in real life is to look them in the face and say hi.
It’s the same on social media —, especially on Instagram. And the first place people look to build the first impression is your profile picture.
So if you don’t have a face to look at in your profile pic, you probably won’t get a lot of followers — and you may lose the ones you have.
Having no profile pic also damages your comments, because your blank profile pic is displayed next to every comment you make.
9. Not following other Instagram users
Only engaging with your own content is not an Instagram strategy
You HAVE to engage with other businesses & profiles if you want to build your network and establish relationships in your niche.
Following others lets them know you’re interested in their content — but it also offers you opportunities to interact with their content in the feed.
I’m not saying you should follow every user that follows your account.
But take time to research other accounts in your niche & look at these as opportunities to network & build a relationship.
This could even offer great opportunities for you to collaborate, helping to showcase your content to an even wider audience.
Whether you’ve just created your profile or you’ve built up a loyal following, avoiding these 9 common Instagram mistakes will set you on the path to a more engaged & loyal community.
Need help?
If you require further help or enquiries regarding any of our services, don’t hesitate to contact Snob Monkey. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Email: contactus@snobmonkey.com
Telephone: 0800 368 9336
Content Creator- Isabel (social media consultant)
