Why am I Losing Followers on Instagram? Discover 9 Causes + Methods to Prevent it

We all have had that moment when we opened our Instagram profile and saw our follower number had gone down. It is a terrifying moment and can raise questions like Why am I losing followers on Instagram, and How to fix it. 

Most creators want to make money on Instagram, and this goal needs followers. The more the better. Unfortunately, losing followers on Instagram can have many reasons behind it. 

But don’t worry. This guide will explain losing followers on Instagram and how to use strategy and creativity to regain followers. Get ready to change your account’s future.

Why Are You Losing Instagram Followers? Top 9 Reasons

Here are some of the main reasons why you might be losing Instagram followers:

1. Not Being Active

How frequently do you publish fresh content on your account? Every week?  Even less? Analyze your posting schedule honestly and see the results. Keep in mind that one of the main reasons for follower drop is not posting enough content and losing momentum. Learn about the best times to post on Instagram and use them to your advantage.

Solution: You want your content to appear in your audience’s feeds frequently, and that won’t happen if you don’t post regularly. Here’s a quick look at how many posts are recommended: 

• 0-10k Followers: Try to post at least 2 posts a week, you can go up to 4, but more is too many.
• 10k-100k Followers: 3 posts a week is a normal amount that can go up to 4 or 5. 
• 100k+ Followers: Try to post 5 feeds a week for the best result.

2. Fake Accounts

Have you purchased Instagram followers from a shady vendor? If these accounts were fake, Instagram might have removed them.

Additionally, many Instagram users, including celebrities, have what are known as “ghost followers.” So don’t worry if some of them are deleted now and then.

Solution: Try to grow naturally. Create genuine content and start engaging with your audience for more followers. Even if you want to use tricks like purchasing followers, it’s essential to choose trusted websites to buy Instagram followers. Otherwise, you will see your followers drop very quickly. 

3. Controventional Posts

These kinds of posts can help your account in a significant way and have negative results at the same time. You need to be aware of these topics and choose what you want to say carefully.

You risk losing a significant number of followers if you insult them or deviate from the values and character you advocate.

Solution: It is reasonable to stay clear of these topics if you are still new and don’t have a significant number of followers. Wait until you have a devoted community that can handle these topics, and you don’t get punished for bringing them up. 

4. Too Much Self-Promotion

Although having followers increases your chance of selling things on your account, you shouldn’t overdo this process, as your followers don’t like to see too many self-promotions or ads. 

Solution: You need to learn how to sell on Instagram effectively to prevent this from happening. Here are some important points that can help you along the way:

• Run Reward Campaigns,
• Use your brand-specific hashtags,
• Be honest about shipping costs in your posts,
• Connect your Facebook catalog to your Instagram Business Account.

5. Post Quality

Post quality is one of the biggest factors in attracting and keeping followers on your Instagram account. There are many reasons for this, but here are some important ones:

• First impression: Your post quality instantly shapes how people perceive your brand or personality.
• Instagram’s Algorithm: Instagram pushes posts that people engage with longer, and users engage more with visually appealing, clear, and well-composed content.
• Inspires Trust and Loyalty: People follow accounts that look like they care about what they post. High-quality visuals say you’re serious.

Give your audience a reason to follow you. Here are some of the factors that make your post great:

• Good Lighting: Natural light is your best friend, and avoid harsh shadows.
• Maintain Visual Consistency: Use a consistent color palette, editing style, or filter.
• Use High Resolution: Always upload in high quality and avoid screenshots and pixelated photos.
• Add Value: Quality isn’t just about visuals, try to teach something new, Spark emotion or thought, or inspire in your posts.

6. Unfollow Game

Many real and bot accounts use the follower game as a tactic. And the goal is straightforward:

• Follow several accounts
• Wait till they follow you back.
• Unfollow them.

Why? These accounts simply follow accounts because they want to receive a particular number of follow-backs. They don’t like your content and will unfollow anyway. 

Solution: To be honest, there is no direct solution to this matter. It is part of Instagram, and you should be aware of it. Try not to follow any new accounts and be ready to lose some of these follow/unfollow accounts. 

7. Account Deactivation

Another common reason for the question “Why am I losing followers on Instagram?” is that people simply deactivate Instagram accounts. When someone does this, you will no longer see their name in your followers, and they are lost to you until they return to the platform.

Solution: Be patient and accept that everyone has the right to leave the app for personal reasons. Just keep your routine and post high-quality content to attract more and newer audiences. 

8. Being Shadowbanned

Another answer to “Why am I losing followers on Instagram?” is shadowbanning. If you’re losing Instagram followers, you might have been shadowbanned.

Shadowbanning is when an account is penalized by the algorithm. Because Instagram doesn’t notify you, it’s called a “shadowban.”

Here are the possible reasons for being shadowbanned on Instagram:

• Using spammy hashtags, 
• Get reported by others, 
• Breaking community rules,
• Using bots,
• Rapid or suspicious follower growth,
• Posting copyrighted material without permission.

Solution: Stay clean for a while. You don’t have any access to the algorithm, and all you can do is go along with the rules and avoid suspicious websites for buying followers and post genuine content. You will see the difference after a while. 

9. Not Engaging With Your Audience

Are you neglecting your followers? Engagement is the key to social media. Your followers may become disinterested in you if you don’t interact with them by answering comments or ignoring direct messages.

Solution: Keeping followers engaged on Instagram is all about building connection, consistency, and conversation, and not just posting content. Let’s see how you can achieve these goals:

• Always respond to comments on your posts,
• Answer messages thoughtfully. If someone replies to your story, take the time to respond,
• Ask questions to start a conversation,
• Share behind-the-scenes, personal moments, or polls,
• Repost followers’ tags or mentions to make them feel appreciated. 
• Use top-tier story apps for engaging methods.

Conclusion

We went through every possible answer to our question at hand, “Why am I losing followers on Instagram?” You can prevent them by paying attention to your content and audience. 

But remember, sometimes losing followers shows that you’re making progress in cleaning up your community and attracting those who genuinely care. Quality followers who engage are way better than a bloated list full of ghosts.

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