Having a high follower count is key to becoming an influential Instagram personality and generating consistently high levels of engagement. So, when you notice that your follower count is tanking, that’s definitely a cause for concern.
In most cases, you don’t lose followers for no reason. That’s why we’ve tapped our years of experience working in the social media industry to bring you 6 reasons you could be losing followers on Instagram. Not only that, but we’ve also provided solutions to help you get your follower count back on track!
Let’s go!
6 Reasons You Could Be Losing Instagram Followers (+ Solutions)
Here are the reasons that your Instagram follower count could be suddenly and dramatically going down.
1. You’ve Let the Quality of Your Posts Go Down
As you gain followers on your Instagram account, they come to expect a certain level of quality in your posts. That quality is probably why they followed you in the first place.
If, however, you no longer try to bring the same value to your timeline or you no longer spend as much working on your posts, and they look worse as a result, that could cause you to lose followers. Especially if this trend continues over a long period of time.
Solution: Consider Why the Quality of Your Posts Has Gone Down and Fix That Problem
There are many potential causes for the quality of your posts going down. Maybe you’ve been sick lately and haven’t been physically able to work. Or maybe you’re experiencing a rough patch in your life, mentally or emotionally, and no longer have the energy to deliver your absolute best.
Whatever the reason, if your Instagram account is still important to you, then (if possible) you need to deal with the thing that’s holding you back. Alternatively, you need to come up with a workaround.
One effective workaround that a lot of Instagram influencers and brands use is to schedule posts weeks or months in advance. This way, when unforeseen circumstances come up that prevent you from creating fresh and original content, you’ve already got a backlog of great posts already waiting in the wings.
Another solution is to take a social media break. Influencers do this all the time. But it’s important to communicate the fact that you’re taking a break to your followers. That way they won’t unfollow you for not posting any new content for a while.
2. You’re Posting Too Infrequently
Speaking of not posting new content for a while, that’s another valid reason that you could be losing followers.
Periodically, some Instagram users go through their Following list and weed out accounts that they’re no longer interested in. If they see your account and notice that you haven’t posted anything in a long time, they may conclude that you’ve decided to stop altogether, or that the few new things you do post just aren’t worth keeping up with.
Solution: Post More Frequently (and More Regularly)
The solution here is obvious: you need to post more often. To grow your follower count, you should publish a new post on your account at least once a day, as well as Stories throughout the day and Reels. This will let your followers know that you’re still active.
3. You Changed Your Content Niche
Most users on Instagram follow accounts that align with their specific interests. If any of those accounts change their focus to a different content niche, however, this could cause a lot of their previously loyal followers to jump ship.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t change your content niche or add any new ones to your account! Sometimes, for the sake of revitalizing their brand or for expanding their brand sponsorship opportunities, it’s vital for influencers to pivot to different interests or industries.
But is there a way to do it without losing a lot of followers in the process? Fortunately, there is.
Solution: Ease into a New Content Niche Slowly
Rather than switching to an entirely new content niche cold turkey, try easing into it slowly. Start incorporating posts about it with your regular fare, so that your followers will barely take notice of it. By the time you gradually switch to focusing on the new niche full-time, the majority of your followers will be used to it.
What if you’ve already switched your content niche? In that case, it may be best to embrace it and ramp up your marketing efforts toward your new target audience. Make gaining new followers your mantra, and perhaps post content in your old niche once in a while to reward the fans that have stuck with you.
4. You Posted a Controversial Opinion
If you recently posted a caption or an Instagram Story in which you expressed a controversial opinion on a hot-button issue, that could be the root cause of your loss in followers.
You may not have even thought that your post was controversial at all when you uploaded it. But social media is overflowing with extremely opinionated people who aren’t able to handle different perspectives from their own.
And in today’s “cancel culture” where influencers, brands, celebrities, and even regular, everyday people are getting canceled (i.e., driven away from the internet) for their views right and left, one must be extra careful about posting potentially inflammatory opinions.
Solution #1: Delete the Post and Apologize
One potential solution to this delicate situation is to delete the post that sparked so many people to unfollow you, and then follow this up with an apology. This may be appropriate in a situation where you insulted another person directly or were unintentionally insensitive to another group of people.
However, there are pros and cons that come with this strategy. A pro is that you could gain back some of the followers you lost. But a con is that you could lose followers that initially agreed with you and are now disappointed in you for backing down.
If this solution doesn’t sound right for your situation, then try the second one below.
Solution #2: Calmly Move On
Often, the best thing you can do when you post something controversial is to calmly move on. Don’t get involved in messy debates or arguments; simultaneously, though, don’t back down from your right to express your opinion. Just let the post go and return to your regularly scheduled programming.
5. You Got Involved in Drama With Another Creator
Posting a controversial opinion is one thing. But what if you somehow got drawn into drama with a fellow Instagram creator? And now all your followers who disagree with you are tapping “Unfollow” on your account?
Solution: Never Get Involved With Online Drama
The answer to this problem should be obvious: don’t get involved with online drama, ever!
But we also understand that it’s much easier to say “don’t get involved” than it is to actually do it. So, if you find yourself in conflict with another Instagram creator, try to resolve it as quickly and quietly as you can. Either reach out to them to talk it out or be the bigger person and apologize for contributing to the mess. Then leave it behind you.
In most cases, your followers will respect you for gracefully extricating yourself from the drama rather than continuing it.
6. You Purchased Bot Instagram Followers
The last reason you may be losing followers is because at some point in your attempts to grow your Instagram account, you purchased bot followers.
In case you didn’t know, Bot Instagram followers are the very worst you can buy. They go against Instagram’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service, and as such the platform is militant about deleting them whenever they come across them.
So, if you’ve just bought, let’s say, 5000 bot followers, and you just lost about that many at once, now you know why.
Solution: Only Buy Real Instagram Followers
In the future, you should only buy real Instagram followers. Genuine human beings run these accounts, and because of that, you need not fear that they will ever be removed from the platform. Instead, they will stick to your account and keep your follower count high, rather than dropping off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Instagram Randomly Remove Your Followers?
Instagram will remove followers from your account if they turn out to be bots. That’s why when you buy bot followers, you will often see a significant drop in your follower count shortly thereafter.
Why Am I Suddenly Losing Followers on Instagram?
There are many reasons you could be suddenly losing followers. The quality of your posts may have gone down, you may have changed your content niche, or you may have bought bot followers. Check the article above for a full list of possibilities.
Conclusion
It’s always disturbing to see your Instagram follower account decrease, but even more so when it’s by large numbers. Refer to our list of 6 reasons that you could be losing followers on Instagram and try the solutions we recommended to mitigate your losses.
