Instagram is that one app which everyone seems to be on at the moment. Today, more and more people are spending time on building a social media audience. And while it may look “cool” having 6 digits followers next to your Instagram handle, it is anything but that if they aren’t completely authentic. Sure, many of us dedicate all our time to create content and build an engaged following, but there are also those who try to take the short cut.

I wish I could say it in a fancier language but the simple truth is that there is no substitute for hard work. You would just be lying to yourself if you try to trick the system. And if you really think about it, how is it that you can call yourself an influencer if you haven’t really earned your following? Living in the age of ever changing algorithms, it is so important to be up to date with its know-how and follow the rules to reach your desired number of people. Knowing what you need to do to achieve that, is great. But, in my opinion, that is only half the picture.

Knowing what you shouldn’t be doing on Instagram is even more of importance. And, I just don’t get why many of us don’t speak about it enough. I see so many creators trying to grow their follower numbers by using non-approved methods and it just breaks my heart when they are not aware about the long-term consequences. So in order to help our loving community, I have complied a list of things that I think no one should be indulging in if you are serious about long-term Instagram growth.

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1. DO NOT BUY FOLLOWERS

I can understand how frustrating it is when you are stuck on the same number for weeks and feel like you are not going to get anywhere regardless of how much time you put into it (I have been there). I know how getting tons of followers overnight may sound appealing and how one might think that if you have an “x” number of followers, then so and so collaboration would just fall into your laps and it would become a dream influencer world.

But, the truth is, it’s never going to be enough. Brands and users are also becoming smarter and if you try to trick them, then you are just going to spill your reputation down the drain. I genuinely think that if you keep on putting good quality content forward, you are going to get noticed someday.

Also, let’s not forget that Instagram is also going to find out about it one way or the other and might actually ban your account from reaching people organically, should you decide to do that later. It might also remove these fake accounts in bulk, resulting you in being back to square one.

2. DON’T BUY LIKES

If you have bought followers, then there are chances that those are not real accounts that are going to spend time looking at your content and connect with you. As a result of this, you may experience low engagement rate, which is literally the opposite of what you should be aiming for.

Buying likes to increase engagement of a post is not going to get you anywhere. Nowadays, everyone knows when someone has bought likes when they see a post gain x likes in just a few seconds and then just stop. It’s even easier to have a glance at profiles of those who have liked a picture and tell if they are from real accounts or not.

I am a firm believer of Instagram being a platform where the only currency that matters is your real connections. It’s okay if a picture only got 100 likes. We all have those days and they are just there to let us know what kind of content our audience likes and dislikes. Don’t spend your hard-earned money on inauthentic purchases that don’t matter as much. Don’t spend your time on searching how to buy these things but rather form connections, get to know a follower, educate one another and create meaningful content.

3. DON’T FALL FOR “ORGANIC AUTOMATION SERVICES”

 If I had a dollar for every time I received an email or direct message about a company claiming to be a provider of organic automation services, I would probably never have to work in life again.

From all my years of being an Instagrammer, I have learnt that it cannot be organic if you have to pay someone to get you an increased number of followers/likes by means they believe are authentic. And especially not, when they claim to give you a free demo to show how great their service is. All these are nothing but marketing tactics to lure innocent creators in and I wouldn’t want you to even reply to these messages.

As a polite gesture, I once replied to a girl saying I am not interested and suddenly, one of my old posts started getting comments from some really weird accounts. Luckily, I blocked her right away and deleted the post so it doesn’t continue happening. But, it’s so scary to think how you could be giving your precious Instagram account in the hands of such companies. And even after deleting the posts, I did suffer from low engagement for a few days but thankfully the ban was lifted soon. Imagine, if someone actually pays them and gets banned in a few months instead?

4. DON’T TAKE PART IN LOOP GIVEAWAYS

While the popularity of loop giveaways is declining slowly, it is still something I see a lot of people hosting. Loop giveaways are where in order to participate to win something, one needs to follow a giveaway account and all the 20-50+ people it is following.

As a user, I would hate to follow so many accounts of people I might not be interested in and also feel that an influencer is only hosting this giveaway to gain followers and not to give back to the community (Goodbye credibility). Let’s not forget that as an influencer, you usually need to pay for a spot in these giveaways as well, which is totally not worth it in my opinion.

I mean, I would rather buy a flight ticket than buy a spot in a giveaway that is going to give me fake followers in the form of bot accounts. These giveaways also harm your engagement negatively as growth in follower number doesn’t necessarily mean growth in engagement, especially when these people didn’t ‘want’ to follow you in the first place.

5. DO NOT GO OFF BRAND

Please find your niche and stick to it. It is very important to understand why your followers follow you and deliver content that is best suited for them.

No one wants to follow a travel and fashion blogger, who is posting videos about Nutella recipes, only because the company is paying them to. It is, of course, a different story if you are a travel and food blogger instead. Then, by all means, post as many recipe videos as you want.

Just know that no amount of money is worth risking the trust of your audience. You should want to do right by them by providing information about a topic you specialize in, not confuse and drive them away. Remember that sometimes it only takes one post to make people unfollow you.

6. NEVER DO FOLLOW/UNFOLLOW

I cannot stress enough on how much this annoys me. As a creator who is trying to grow my account every day, there is nothing that I dislike more than seeing people following me only to get a follow back and then unfollowing later. I mean, how can one even do that to someone? It’s like saying, “I am going to follow you and make you think I like your work but only for a day or two because I have other ulterior motives”. I am sorry, but I would rather just pass.

If someone who has a five-digit following can make out if you have followed me only to get a follow back, then it is very likely that smaller accounts who don’t experience everyday growth may notice your follow and unfollow too. Also, I thought Instagram is a platform where we are supposed to be a community that supports each other rather than spread unnecessary negativity.

Moreover, I like to believe that Instagram is trying to do right by people who don’t use such tactics and is going to take an action sooner rather than later. I don’t know about you, but I have too many things to worry about already and wouldn’t want this taking up space in my head as well.

7. DON’T IGNORE THOSE WHO FOLLOW YOU

Respond to comments and DMs as much as you can. If someone has taken out time to write something to you, make sure you have the time to write them back. People should know that you are reachable, that you are going to answer their questions and that behind those pretty photos, there is a real, friendly person.

It also helps in connecting with your audience. Not only do you get to know more about them, but they form a connection with you due to which they would want to comment on newer photos from time to time. If you don’t reply to a comment, then there are chances that they might feel ignored and never show up again. Now, we wouldn’t want that, would we?

8. DON’T FORGET TO CAPTION

Having tried both one liners and long meaningful captions, I can confidently say that the more you put your heart and soul out there, the more engagement you will experience. We, as human beings, are always looking for connections and nothing attracts us more than an honest person who is being truthful about their experiences.

You could also give tips related to your niche or include a CTA at the end of your caption. But, always include a caption. Not only does it make people want to stay on your post for longer, it also helps in them getting to know you better. A nice thoughtful caption is also a great conversation starter, resulting in increased engagement and Instagram growth.

A screenshot of how I use storytelling in my captions

9. DON’T IGNORE HASHTAGS

 Hashtags can make or break a post. With the right hashtags, you can reach thousands of new accounts with just one post but if not done properly, you may only reach your following.

For me, my Instagram growth has largely depended on using the right number of hashtags that are from my niche. But, keep in mind that what might work for me, might not for you. So, always do your own hashtag research and try to use different ones with every post. I can’t emphasise enough on how much it will help you reach new accounts.

10. DON’T POST SUB-PAR PHOTOS

Regardless of how often you would like to post, if you don’t 100% love a picture, then don’t upload it just because you have to. There are chances that your followers won’t realise if you have missed a day or even two of posting, but they will definitely not be pleased by a mediocre picture.

Not only do sub-par photos get low engagement, but they might result in a loss of followers too. Imagine if you followed someone because you loved their feed and then came across a new picture in your feed a few days later that you don’t like and just press unfollow, thinking you might followed them by mistake. That right there, is a missed opportunity, my friend.

 

Another screenshot of my Instagram feed

11. DON’T USE COMMENT BOTS

Using a bot to post the same or similar comments on another person’s photo is not okay. You are literally setting a standard comment for hundreds of posts from different people that might not be posting about similar things that very day.

I have seen people comment how wonderful a place looks in scenarios where the user actually shared something negative in a caption. Moreover, I would rather reply to someone who has taken the time to read my caption, instead of just saying “Nice pic, check my account as well”, again and again.

Instead of bringing Instagram growth, this method is only going to drive people away. Because let’s be honest, there are people who put in 2-6 hours a day only to engage with their following. And if you think that setting up a bot in a few minutes is going to get you the same results, then you my friend, are just being unreasonable.

I hope this article helped you in understanding organic Instagram growth better. Remember, regardless of how tempting growing at a rapid rate may look like, it will never be worth it if you achieve that by unauthentic means.

If you have any questions or your own Instagram growth tips to share, then do not hesitate to leave me a comment below. I also share occasional tips on my Instagram account, so feel free to check that out here.

Happy Gramming, 
Charu xx

Want to keep reading? You may like "10+ Apps to Create Beautiful Instagram Stories" and "A Local's Guide to Best Instagrammable Spots in Jaipur" too.

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