Growing your Instagram followers can be tough. One popular method is the “follow for follow back” strategy. This means you follow a lot of accounts, hoping that some will follow you back. Let’s look at how this works, the benefits, and the downsides, based on my own experience.
What is the Follow for Follow Back Strategy?
The “follow for follow back” strategy is simple:
- Find Big Accounts: Look for big accounts in your area of interest.
- Follow Their Followers: Follow the people who follow those big accounts.
- Track New Followers: Some of these people will follow you back.
- Unfollow Some Accounts: Later, you can unfollow those who didn’t follow you back.
My Experiment with Follow for Follow
A few weeks ago, I joined a community forum that promised to help me grow my Instagram followers quickly using the follow for follow method. I was doubtful but decided to try it out.
Day 1: Starting the Experiment
- Initial Followers: I had 300 followers and was following 10 accounts.
- Action: I followed 100 followers from big accounts that my ideal clients might follow. (remember Instagram policy is following 200 accounts per day, other wise it will go into violation or spamming).
- Result: By the end of the day, I was following 110 accounts.
Day 2: Immediate Results
- New Followers: The next morning, my followers increased to 350.
- Concern: My feed was now full of strange and disturbing images, which made me uncomfortable.
Adjusting the Strategy For the next few days, I followed only business-related accounts to see if the follower quality improved.
- Day 4 Stats: I was following 650 accounts, up 400 from when I started.
- Engagement: My follower count stabilized at 400, while I was still following 650 people.
After the Experiment
After the test, I started unfollowing the new accounts. However, Instagram temporarily banned me from unfollowing anyone due to excessive activity, My mistake that Instagram not only have a policy for Following people, but for unfollowing as well, which took 24 hours to resolve. (Don’t forget Instagram community policy).
Pros and Cons of Follow for Follow Back
Pros
- Quick Growth: This method can quickly increase your follower count.
- More Visibility: Following others can make your profile more visible.
Cons
- Low-Quality Followers: Many new followers may not be interested in your content, leading to low engagement.
- Cluttered Feed: Following many accounts can clutter your feed with content you don’t care about.
- Safety Risks: You might accidentally follow harmful or inappropriate accounts.
- Instagram Limits: Excessive following and unfollowing can lead to temporary bans from Instagram.
Better Ways to Grow Your Followers
- Quality Over Quantity: Focus on getting real, engaged followers.
- Meaningful Interaction: Engage with your followers through comments and likes.
- Use Relevant Hashtags: Use popular and relevant hashtags to reach more people.
- Post Regularly: Keep your followers interested with regular, high-quality posts.
- Optimize Your Profile: Make sure your bio and profile picture are appealing and relevant.
- Collaborate with Influencers: Work with influencers in your niche to reach a bigger audience.
- Analyze and Adjust: Check your analytics to see what works and adjust your strategy accordingly.
FAQs
1. What is the follow for follow back strategy?
The follow for follow back strategy involves following many Instagram accounts with the hope that they will follow you back, thereby increasing your follower count.
2. How does the follow for follow back method work?
You find large accounts in your niche, follow their followers, and wait for some of them to follow you back. Later, you can choose to unfollow those who didn’t follow you back.
3. What are the benefits of using the follow for follow back strategy?
The main benefit is quick growth in your follower count. It also increases your profile visibility as you follow more accounts.
4. What are the downsides of the follow for follow back strategy?
This method often results in low-quality followers who are not genuinely interested in your content. It can also clutter your feed and potentially expose you to harmful accounts. Additionally, Instagram may temporarily restrict your account for excessive following and unfollowing activities.
5. Is it safe to use the follow for follow back strategy?
There are risks involved, such as following inappropriate or harmful accounts. It’s important to be cautious and selective about whom you follow.
6. Can following too many accounts get my Instagram account banned?
Excessive following and unfollowing can trigger Instagram’s spam detection, leading to temporary bans on these actions. It’s best to pace your activities to avoid such restrictions.
7. How can I get quality followers without using the follow for follow back strategy?
Focus on creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience, using relevant hashtags, posting regularly, and collaborating with influencers in your niche.
8. How do I maintain a good engagement rate on Instagram?
Interact with your followers by liking and commenting on their posts, responding to comments on your posts, and creating content that encourages interaction. Aim for genuine engagement over mere follower count.
9. What should I do if my Instagram feed gets cluttered with irrelevant content?
You can unfollow accounts that do not interest you or use Instagram’s mute feature to hide their posts and stories without unfollowing them.
10. Why did Instagram temporarily ban me from unfollowing people?
Instagram may temporarily ban you from unfollowing people if you perform too many actions in a short period. This is a measure to prevent spammy behavior.
11. What’s a better alternative to the follow for follow back strategy?
A better alternative is to focus on authenticity: engage meaningfully with your audience, use relevant hashtags, optimize your profile, and post high-quality content regularly.
12. How can I tell if my followers are genuine?
Genuine followers typically engage with your content by liking, commenting, and sharing. You can also use Instagram analytics tools to track engagement and identify active followers.
13. Does having a large number of followers guarantee success on Instagram?
Not necessarily. It’s more important to have engaged followers who interact with your content. A high follower count with low engagement is not beneficial.
14. Can I use automation tools for the follow for follow back strategy?
Using automation tools for following and unfollowing can violate Instagram’s terms of service and may lead to your account being banned. It’s best to perform these actions manually.
15. What should I do if I accidentally followed inappropriate accounts?
Immediately unfollow these accounts and report them to Instagram if they violate community guidelines. Review your following list regularly to ensure it aligns with your interests and safety standards.
Conclusion
The follow for follow back strategy can quickly increase your follower count, but it often results in low-quality followers and a cluttered feed. For better growth, focus on engaging with your audience and building a genuine community. This will lead to higher engagement and more meaningful interactions, which are much more valuable than just having a high follower count. However if you need our further help, please leave us a comment, we will be happy to assist you.
About The Author
Position: Team Lead (Content Writers).
Saboor has been employed as editors head at Socialhubin for years, authoring articles centered around new discoveries, latest news, and advance methods to learn. Additionally, he pens articles pertaining to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter. Almost all social media Platforms, During his leisure time, Saboor delights in reading, traveling, and researching new features In social media.
