Instagram Is Removing Followers Here Is Why and How to Fix It

Published on 24.05.2024 by Chizoba T

Instagram is one of the best social media sites to connect with your loved ones or promote your brand. However, it also has its downsides. One of these is the common loss of followers. Many users have reported seeing their number of followers drop.

If you are one such person, you might wonder what has caused the problem and if there is something you can do about it. This article will guide you on why Instagram may remove your followers and what you can do about it.

Why Instagram May Remove Followers

There are several reasons such as:

Buying Fake or Bot Followers

Buying genuine followers is one of the ways to get 1000 Instagram followers easily. However, if you bought bot Instagram followers from scam sellers, this could be one of the reasons why Instagram is removing your followers. The social media site has been cracking down on bot accounts by removing them and this may reduce your numbers.

Fake followers will also not add any engagement and it will become nearly impossible to grow your account organically. Besides, buying fake followers from suspicious sources can easily compromise your data privacy. If you want to buy followers, you should only do so from reputed companies that deliver by promoting your account to people in your niche. Such services are legal as they provide followers consisting of people, not bots.

Tips to Spot Fake Followers

If you are wondering if you bought fake followers, here are a few tips you can use to determine that:

Fake engagement. If the followers you have don't comment, like, or share your posts, there is a chance that you have fake followers. Again, if the engagement rate is too high, it could be from bots.
Irrelevant or spammy comments. Perhaps you have noticed that the followers you receive leave generic comments such as “cool posts,” “great pictures,” “good idea,” and more. This could be a sign that you are dealing with fake followers. Sometimes, the comment may be made using emojis that are out of context or short and generic phases that can fit any post.
Follower:following ratio. Consider the ratio of people following the account versus the number they follow. If an Instagram account is authentic, they are likely to have more people following them than the ones they follow.
Fake follower checker. Free and paid tools will help you see the number of followers.

If you choose to buy Instagram followers, ensure that you do so from a reputable site that will promote your account to people in your niche and not send bot followers.

Follower for Follower Strategy

One of the strategies that Instagram users use to increase their follower number is the follower for follower strategy. This involves following many Instagram accounts in bulk in exchange for them following your account. While this strategy works at first, you may begin to see a decline in the number of your followers, and you are left wondering what the cause of the drop is.

The main reason is that some cunning Instagram accounts will follow you but once you have followed them, they will unfollow you. The result is that you will see a sudden drop in the number of followers.

Instagram Glitch

Sometimes, you can lose followers due to an Instagram glitch. If that's the reason, you will likely see the followers rise again after a few days.

People Unfollowing You

When you see a dip in the number of followers, it's not always caused by Instagram removing followers. This could be a result of people unfollowing you. Several reasons may make people stop following you. These include:

Not posting consistently

An inconsistent posting schedule may result in a drop in the number of Instagram followers. But does that mean that Instagram will start removing your followers if you're not posting regularly? The answer is no. The thing is that if you are no longer posting, your followers will start to lose interest in your account. They will start unfollowing you.

Therefore, it's important to post consistently on Instagram. Remember that Instagram content ages very fast so you need to keep adding fresh content. Maintaining a consistent posting schedule can keep your followers hooked, preventing a dip in the number of followers. Besides, you must understand the best posting schedule for the best results.

There are several tips for consistently posting on Instagram. These are:

Have a content calendar. Before you post, plan how, where, and when you want your posts to appear.
Set achievable goals that align with your overall business goal.
Have at least three content pillars. These are pieces of content categories that resonate with your followers and align with your brand. It should consist of helpful content for your followers to grow your brand.
Repurpose content. At times, you will encounter writer's block when posting content. By repurposing content, you can turn your best-performing posts into new ones. For instance, if you have a well-performing blog post, you can turn it into a reel or carousel post.
Use templates to streamline your content. Templates consist of pre-made images or layouts that can be customized into posts, texts, or videos. When you use templates, you can ensure that your posts are consistent in voice, tone, and length.
Take scheduled breaks. While we have emphasized posting consistently, taking a break is equally important. This can also help you deal with writer’s block.
Use AI. If you are running out of content ideas to post on Instagram, you can use AI to create content ideas. You can use a tool like Chatgpt to brainstorm ideas to post on Instagram. You can also use Invideo to create videos for your Instagram posts.

The above tips will also help you boost your number of Instagram followers.

Low-Quality Content

The quality of content is another factor that will enable your content to stand out on Instagram. Remember that many Instagram users follow a page because they find value in the content they share. If your page adds no value to them, you will struggle to sustain your followers. Here are tips for creating high-quality posts on Instagram that will bring you more followers.

Mix Different Types of Content

Instead of only posting one type of post, you can try out different types. You can use images, reels, stories, carousel posts, and more. For instance, instead of constantly posting images of your product, you can combine images with a 60-second video to show how the product is used. While posts can showcase images of your products, Instagram stories offer better marketing results.

Again, you should not be too pushy with promotional posts. You want to mix up informational posts with promotional images. By posting different types of content, you can have a wide range of users engaging with your content. GIFs can also help create new types of content. They are interactive and most Instagram users love them.

Share other People’s Posts

If other Instagram accounts do an excellent job posting quality content, you can always share posts with your users. Be sure to ask for permission to reshare their posts. You can send them a DM telling them you find their posts valuable and feel they will also be valuable to your followers. Tell them that you will give them credit for the post. In most cases, they will allow you to reshare it as it will also widen their exposure.

Run a UGC campaign

User-generated content has become one of the hottest Instagram trends in 2024. This involves encouraging your followers to share content about a specific topic. Unless you are a significant and reputable brand, it may be hard to have users accept creating content for you.

To overcome this challenge, you can run a competition where users create posts regarding your brand and tag you. By offering followers a product for their efforts, you can easily build momentum for your campaign and have more Instagram users join.

Collaborate with Influencers

You can collaborate with influencers that have a sizable following to reach a new audience. This will also provide you with great content for your feed. If you are a small business without a budget for prominent influencers, you can collaborate with micro-influencers and nano-influencers.

Use Contrasting Elements

When posting images, you must ensure they contrast nicely with the Instagram feed. The contrast can be in colors, shapes, font sizes, scale, light, etc. While the right contrast level will depend on your needs, you must ensure that your images pop out.

You can use filters and other editing tools on the Instagram app to get started. At times, you will realize it will only take the brightness, saturation and contrast adjustment to make your image stand out. Contrasting elements also work great when creating Instagram ads that convert.

Pay Attention to Borders and White Spaces

Borders will ensure that your content stands out in the Instagram feed. When you leave white edges on the edges of your Instagram image, it can create an unusual effect that will be attractive to the eyes. Borders ensure that the elements of your images have breathing space. This important consideration will help prevent your post from being overly busy.

Overposting Promotional Content

If you are losing followers on Instagram, this could result from posting too much promotional content. Remember that nobody can log in to their Instagram account to see promotional content. Instead, they are looking for content that provides them with connection, inspiration, and entertainment.,

Therefore, many Instagram users are looking for authentic content and too many promotional posts can be a turn-off. Helpful content provides value for them and helps establish a connection with your brand. This can turn them into loyal customers. However, doing promotional content occasionally is fine as long as you keep your post engaging.

A good idea would be to go with the 80/20 rule. This rule suggests that 80% of your post should be helpful while the other 20% should be promotional. When you only serve 20% of your posts as promotional content, you create a feeling of scarcity and exclusivity. Readers who encounter these posts are more likely to engage with your brand.

Examples of helpful content include:

Carousel posts and how-to guides on your Instagram stories.
Tips and life hacks.
Inspiring images.
Industry news and reports.
Insights from experts in your industry.

Examples of promotional posts are:

Coupons and special offers.
Beauty shots and product spotlights.
Detailed feature descriptions and demonstrations.
Positive media coverage and third-party mentions.
Customer testimonials and reviews.

To do Instagram marketing correctly, we recommend you read our Insider tips on getting better results with Instagram campaigns.

Low User Engagement

If you want your users to keep following you, you want to be responsive. That way you will appear approachable. When they comment on your post, make sure you respond to them quickly so that they connect with you on a personal level.

To drive engagement on their side, use a call-to-action or prompt users to engage more with your content by using phrases such as “let us know your thoughts”. This will prompt them to engage with your post. When you have engaging followers, you create a sense of community. Here are tips to help you increase your engagement level:

Use relevant hashtags in your captions. Captions help your content get more discoverable.
Post some memes that members can relate to. Memes are usually funny, creative, and relatable. A good meme is something your audience will not avoid relating to.
Use Instagram stickers. These may include polls, quizzes, and questions. These features will allow you to have a direct conversation with your audience. Remember that every time your followers respond with a sticker, it counts as engagement.
Share Instagram reels. With reels having their real estate on the Instagram homepage, they can be an excellent choice for driving engagement from people who don’t follow you. The more noticeable your content is, the more relatable it will be.
Add shareable graphics. In the recent past, there has been an explosion in the popularity of graphics, quotes, and repurposed content. These will help you drive engagement.
Use carousel posts for helpful content. You can share up to ten images, videos, or graphics with carousel posts. Whether it's a guide or a video of using your product, this can be a great place to drive engagement. Since the posts will appear several times on a user’s feed, they increase your chances of engagement.
Use Instagram stories. To show your human side, Instagram stories can help you achieve that. This is because they are designed for some chatty informal discussions. You can also use this feature to show tips and some behind-the-scenes content.
Host enticing giveaways. In 2024, giveaways will be great for driving engagement on Instagram. You can ask your followers to like, comment, and share your content for a chance to win. However, make sure you understand how to run an Instagram contest.
Post at the right time. A good idea is to post when your audience is most engaged.

How to Remove Mass Followers on Instagram

There are several reasons why you may need to remove your Instagram followers. It could be that you are dealing with spam, fake, or inactive accounts that are diluting the quality of your following. It could also be that you have changed your focus and want to focus on a new group of followers.

No matter your reasons, you may need a quick and efficient way of cleaning up your followers list. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t provide a way of quickly removing followers. Fortunately, some tools will help you remove followers and tailor them to your current needs. Here are a few of such strategies:

Removing vs. Blocking vs. Restricting Followers

Before you can remove followers, you need to understand the options available to you. Besides removing them, you can also block or restrict followers. What is the difference between these options?

Removing followers. When you remove an Instagram follower, they will not be notified. Instead, they will stop seeing your posts. If they investigate, they will realize that you removed them. But unless someone followed your posts and was very interested in your account, they will not even notice you removed them.
Restricting followers. When you restrict followers, they will continue following you, but you restrict their actions on your account. They will not be able to read your message or even know when you are online. When they comment on your post, you will not see it unless you tap on see the comment. You will also not be notified when the person comments on the post.
Blocking a follower. When you block a follower, they will no longer see your account. Your account disappears completely from their timeline. If they have several accounts, you may need to block each of them manually.

How to Manually Remove Followers From Instagram

Now that you understand the options available, let us look at them. The first one is the manual method which can be time-consuming. If the follower recently liked or commented on your post, you can manually remove them by visiting their profile.

Alternatively, you can review your followers list and search for the username you want to remove. Whether you want to remove, restrict, or block them manually, follow these steps:

At the top right corner, click on the three dots.
From the menu, choose to remove, restrict, or block a follower.
In the dialogue box, confirm your selection.
If you remove them from your follow list, you only need to click on “remove” against the profile name.

Removing a Follower Using a Third-party App

If you want a more efficient way of removing multiple followers simultaneously, an option would be to use a third-party tool. This is especially true as the Instagram API limits the number of people you can remove. There are different tools out there you can try, and they are either free or paid.

Unfollow for Insta

One of the available apps is Unfollow for Insta. This tool is free to use for up to 15 followers a day. Its main downside is that it's only available for iOS devices. After you have exceeded the free limitation, you must pay to remove more followers.

SpamGuard

Another tool that you can consider is SpamGuard. While it is a paid tool, it is more efficient than Unfollow for Insta. The tool also allows you to create a white list that ensures you don't remove the wrong followers. Its main downside is that the tool costs $28 per month when you pay for at least six months. If you subscribe for one month, you will pay $47.

FaQs On Why Instagram Is Removing Followers

Here are some of the frequently asked questions on why Instagram is removing followers:

What can I do to avoid losing my Instagram following?

To avoid losing your Instagram followers, you should focus on building a legitimate following. If you are buying followers, be sure to do so from reputable companies that focus on promoting your account instead of buying bot followers. Besides, keep posting helpful content that will engage your followers.

Does Instagram remove fake followers?

Yes. Instagram aims to create a good experience for its users. That means if they notice spam or fake accounts, they remove them.

Can fake followers unfollow you?

Yes. Fake followers will not stay on your page for long. They will unfollow you, so avoid buying followers from scam companies selling bots.

Conclusion

Instagram is a great social media site that helps build a following. However, it can be discouraging to put a lot of effort into building followers only for Instagram to remove them. To avoid such an instance, only work toward growing your account organically. If you will buy followers, do so from reputable companies. When you follow our guide, it will be hard for Instagram to remove your followers or for the followers to unfollow you.