Organic Instagram Engagement vs. Bot Engagement
Many businesses are drawn to the big follower numbers. Seeing hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and millions of followers can sure look attractive! Businesses need to beware of the Instagram engagement rules and ensure they are not going offside. Many businesses with large followings achieved this using automated bots. These bots allow virtual companies to access a user’s Instagram page and acquire followers. These automated bots will follow other accounts, like posts, leave comments and help increase reach, followers and engagement. The problem with these bots – besides the fact that it leaves you with a cluttered feed of likely non-relevant followers – is that Instagram does not like them. Instagram has limits for the number of hourly likes, follows and comments your page should be capable of performing, based on your number of followers and general page activity. Instagram will actively seek out accounts that are using bot-like activity and will suspend your account or shadowban you. Shadowbanning means that your content will be invisible to non-followers and suspension means that you can no longer operate your Instagram account. So instead of using bots, there are several organic ways to engage on Instagram and increase your followers with relevant potential clients/customers.
- Spend Some Time Engaging. Organic engagement occurs when a user posts, follows, likes or comments on a page or feed. As a business owner, taking 15 minutes a day to open your Instagram account and spend some time actively engaging on behalf of your brand will help boost your social media profile in the most authentic way.
- Hire a Social Media Manager. Social Media Managers will act on behalf of your brand and will post, follow, like and comment with other users. Unlike a bot, your Social Media Manager will use authentic comments and will engage with users that are within your target demographic. They are more expensive than a bot, however they will not result in your account being suspended from Instagram and will be guided by a strategic marketing strategy.
- Post Quality Content. Whether posting yourself or hiring a Social Media Manager, utilizing quality posts, over a mass quantity of posts, will help with your engagement levels. The users who are likely to become customers/clients will engage much better with unique, relevant and exciting content, than bland, irrelevant content.
- Utilize Paid Instagram Ads. As with all social media platforms, there is the option to pay to promote your page or post. You can reach people who otherwise would not have known about your product or service through paid advertising.
Instagram can help increase your businesses brand awareness. Make sure you are increasing your awareness amongst followers who are actually going to purchase your product/service. Paying for a bot to load you up with troll followers may be a cheap up-front way to start your social media presence, but will not result in the actual followers who love your brand and product and ultimately turn into customers/clients. Need more Instagram help? Contact Now You’re Trending today at www.nowyouretrending.com