5 Mistakes That Make You Lose Instagram Followers

getting new instagram followers can be really hard, but losing them is easy!  with so many people on instagram, it is more important than ever that you are maintaining an account that people not only follow, but keep following.  more often than not, followers will stick around for a little while and then eventually click that “unfollow button.”  and that’s okay, because some followers just aren’t for you and you want to be sure the people who are following you are genuinely interested in your photography.  but sometimes, followers are simply unfollowing you because you are making some common instagram mistakes.  here are 5 mistakes that will make you lose instagram followers…are you making them?

are you trying to improve your following on instagram?  check out my 8 tips to grow your instagram following.

5 Mistakes That Make You Lose Instagram Followers

5 Mistakes That Make You Lose Instagram Followers - bethadilly photography

1. Overposting

posting is so much fun, but there is such a thing as posting too much.  be respectful of your instagram followers and don’t clog their newsfeed with your images.  it can be overwhelming for your followers, causing them to unfollow you simply to clean up their newsfeed.  as a good rule of thumb, post at least once but not more than twice a day.

2. Inconsistent Style

people decide to follow instagram accounts because they see an image that draws them in or an image that they can relate to, encouraging them to click over to your account.  once they are on your account, if they see even more images that flow and share the same style as that initial image they fell in love with…they are definitely encouraged to follow you.  but if you have a style that is all over the place and doesn’t flow, it is confusing to your instagram followers and they tend to unfollow you because they don’t know what to expect from you.  for example, if you are posting soft natural light images and then start posting images with artificial light or high contrast, you may lose instagram followers because you aren’t posting the type of images that they initially started following you for.

if you are struggling with finding a photography style that is unique to you as an artist, be sure to read my new eBook “The Styled Photographer,” where i help you really look at your images and develop a photography style that best represents you.

3. No Niche

the best instagram accounts have a clear niche.  whether it’s natural light, food, landscape, still life, lifestyle or portraiture photography, an instagram follower should be able to instantly identify your niche when they click on your profile.  instagram followers decide to follow your account because they can relate or have interest in your niche, but if you don’t have a clear niche or you are not consistent with it…your followers may choose to unfollow you.  for example, if you are a landscape photographer you will begin gaining followers who are interested in landscape photography.  if you start posting images about food, you will most likely start losing followers because they originally started following you because they were interested in landscape images, not food images.

4. A Lack of Takeaway

the best instagram accounts are the accounts that inspire or teach their followers something.  think of the reasons why you choose to follow someone.  you may follow them because their images inspire you, or maybe their words or wisdom inspires you.  you may follow them because they teach you new things or because they offer products that interest you.  being able to offer your followers some type of takeaway will encourage your followers to stick around to learn more from you.  whether you are sharing wisdom, tips, or offering products, be sure to keep your instagram followers engaged so that they are motivated to keep following you.

5. Negativity

one of the main reasons why people click that “follow” button is because they want to be inspired.  they follow you because they like your content and what it brings to their life.  one way you can quickly get unfollowed is through negativity.  yes, we want to be real.  yes, sometimes we have bad days.  but being negative doesn’t do any good.  keep your posts light and positive so they continue to inspire your instagram followers.  negative posts will only encourage your instagram followers to unfollow you because, to be honest, nobody has time for negativity.

instagram is one of the best places for creatives to share their life and art with others.  it’s a wonderful place for people to connect and relate to one another.  connecting with others can be so motivating for you, so be sure you are also encouraging others through your posts so you can maintain a list of instagram followers that are truly interested in your account.  by keeping these 5 mistakes in mind, you can start encouraging the followers you gain to stay around for the long run.

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5 Mistakes That Make You Lose Instagram Followers - bethadilly photography

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  • Heather Grilliot - I strugle with this all the time and feel I’m all over the place especially since I don’t have a “business” of sorts. That probably shouldn’t matter. We have 4 kids and one is ill. We try to show positive images of our strugles and how our lifestyle is in constant healing mode…but then we also are able to camp a lot. Very different ranges. Should people have more than one instagram account to catagorize them?ReplyCancel

  • How Instagram Made Me A Better Photographer » bethadilly - […] trying to build your following on instagram?  make sure you’re careful and know what 5 mistakes that make you lose instagram followers. […]ReplyCancel

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