Growing a following on Instagram is a slow and complicated process. It depends on a number of things like the consistency of your posts, and the quality of your content. We all want our follower numbers to rise, but there are times when they mysteriously drop out of nowhere. Read this article to learn why your Instagram followers may be dropping, and how to prevent it.

Why do you lose Instagram followers?

Losing a few followers every now and then is completely normal. Losing a bunch of them overnight, however, is a sign of trouble. This is the perfect time to reflect on your Instagram content and recent activity and try to pick up on something that could potentially annoy your followers.

You wanna PEACH of me, HAHAHA!! A post shared by Annoying Orange (@annoyingorange) on Dec 12, 2016 at 11:26am PST

People who follow you on Instagram find your content to be interesting, and want to see more of it. When you change somewhere along the line and start posting content that is uninteresting or borderline offensive, you shouldn’t be surprised when your followers start hitting the unfollow button. Here are some of the most common reasons people might start unfollowing your account.

Posting too frequently

It can be overwhelming for your followers if you start bugging them with frequent posts that add little value to their lives. People can often become addicted to the sweet feeling when the likes they receive exceed their expectations. Check out how many posts this account has:

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with posting a couple of images and videos a day if you also bring value with your posts. If you’re posting just to feel your ‘daily quota’ of like-feels, then you’ll soon disappoint your followers. Always make sure you post content that matters.

Inconsistent posting schedule

The Instagram algorithm, as well as your followers, mind the consistency of your posting. If you establish a posting pace, whether it’s posting once a week or twice a day, make sure to keep up with it. There are a lot of social media tools, like Hootsuite and Buffer, that can help you manage your posting schedule.

Here’s how an inconsistent posting schedule can affect your Instagram growth:

Lack of visibility : The Instagram algorithm keeps track of your posting schedule. If you were posting once or twice a day and then suddenly spaced your posts once every month, be prepared to lose some followers. When you suddenly change your posting schedule, you lose some of the visibility you have gained through consistent posting.

Loss of followers : Inactivity is the enemy of Instagram growth. People follow you because they want to see your content. No one likes to follow accounts that aren’t active or don’t engage with other accounts. Leaving your Instagram account inactive for a large period of time will most likely cost you some followers.

Instagram followers want to be entertained with fresh and consistent content. Some of your followers won’t have the patience to bear with your inconsistent posting schedule.

Give to receive

Another culprit could be your social behavior on Instagram. Instagram is first and foremost a social networking site, so you need to make sure you always maintain positive social behavior by:

Commenting on posts

Liking posts

Engaging in Insta Stories

Replying to comments

Promoting user-generated content

Failing to do this will make your followers feel ignored, and many of them will end up unfollowing you. The same principle applies for failing to follow back your followers. Do you like following someone who doesn’t follow you back? Exactly! Remember, Instagram success is largely dependent on the rule of reciprocity.

If a major brand like Starbucks can take the time to interact with their followers on Instagram, what’s stopping you? They may have an entire social media marketing team behind the curtains managing their Instagram activity, but you should still take a note of their dedication to keeping their followers engaged and happy.

Poor marketing strategy

Another mistake most people make on Instagram is being all about making sales. Everyone wants to use their Instagram account to drive sales, but you cannot overdo it. If your timeline is filled with images of your products, this is likely going to stress out and drive some of your followers away from your account.

You need to find a balance between posting stuff that will interest your followers, and what will promote your business. Don’t let your Instagram activity become a reflection only of your financial aspirations.

This is the feed of the Instagram influencer, Ben Brown. You can see how he manages his marketing efforts by swiftly including a business-related product every once in a while. The perfume image is his way of promoting a product. It is a very smart move, as he continues to entertain his following with his dazzling travel photos, but also finds room to make a financial benefit out of it.

Buying bad Instagram followers is a threat

One more reason you may lose follower is due to having fake followers. In a bid to rack up followers, some people buy fake Instagram followers. While these followers may give a boost to your numbers, it’s against Instagram’s policy, and that’s why Instagram drops the hammer on these fake accounts from time to time.

If such followers form the bulk of your following, you may wake up one day with a big chunk missing.

How to avoid losing the Instagram followers that you buy

If you have decided that buying followers is a strategy that will work for you, make sure you buy high-quality followers or you risk losing them all early on. Buying Instagram followers differs depending on the provider:

High-quality providers offer quality followers that look and act like real accounts that may boost your organic growth.

Low-quality providers offer low-quality followers that will do nothing other than inflate your following.

When you consider buying Instagram followers, it’s essential that you choose to purchase from a reputable provider. Check out our list of the top Instagram follower providers to make a well-informed decision that will benefit the growth of your Instagram account.

Always mind the quality of your content

Losing some followers is nothing to be alarmed about. It’s completely natural. In fact, losing followers shouldn’t be your main concern. What you should focus on, instead, is your content. Whatever it is that you show to your followers, make sure it’s good. You know Rihanna is always posting the best content she can:

Nothing will attract more followers than quality content, and nothing will drive followers off than poor content. It all comes down to the level of value you bring to your content. Work on improving your content, and I guarantee you’ll gain more followers than you’ll lose.

Date: April 29, 2016 / Categories: Buy Instagram Followers, Tips, Uncategorized, / Author: vivi