Setting yourself apart from the competition has never been easy, especially on Instagram. Just think about it the platform has millions of businesses and influencers doing, whatever they can to get noticed, and only the most persistent succeed well.
How do they do it? It's a well-known secret that many of them are using Instagram automation. If you can't beat them join them, am I right?
This article will discuss how you can get started with Instagram automation to become more visible on the platform. So you've probably heard of Instagram automation before.
What is Instagram Automation?
And now, you might be wondering, isn't that just a fancy way of calling a content scheduler? Actually, Instagram automation is so much more than that. Instagram automation means using third-party software to carry out tasks on your behalf. Via Instagram's API, the tasks you can automate will depend on the tool you choose. Example content schedulers like Later, will schedule posts for you in advance, providing hashtag suggestions.
And detailed statistics Instagram bots will help you perform many more tasks, including commenting, liking, following other accounts, and even sending a direct message to every new follower. They can also handle publishing reporting and analytics. What's more, bots allow you to manage several accounts at once. Some bots like Jarvee even include the functionality of a content scheduler on top of its other features.
However, there is an even more advanced option regarding Instagram automation tools that automate entire workflows for Instagram DM. Automation bots can send specific direct messages to your followers once a certain trigger is hit. Let's say that a follower visits a specific link on your profile. They will then get a message crafted to encourage buying the products they just learned about.
How to Choose the Instagram Automation tools?
So how do you know which type of automation you need? Well, it all comes down to what you truly want to achieve. If you all need to keep up with the regular posting of content, a scheduler is the way to go. But remember that it won't actively help you expand your audience.
On the other hand, bots are well suited for gaining new followers. But there is a catch, they're more likely to trigger Instagram's anti-spam algorithm, which can put your whole account at risk. Also, using them requires a lot of learning. But don't worry. This article will give you step-by-step instructions and some safety tips.
How to Automation Instagram Safely
So how do you start automating your Instagram account? Suppose the only thing that you're interested in is scheduling posts planning a perfect Instagram grid, or doing hashtag research. In that case, there are only two steps that you need to take.
First, select a content scheduler that you like. The popular options would be Buffer, Later, or Sprout Social Click Here. But if you google, you'll find much more selection based on price, desired features, and user experience. You'll spend quite a bit of time there crafting your Instagram posts.
Second, connect the scheduler to your Instagram account. If the schedule is any good, it will guide you through the process from start to finish. But if you're interested in getting more of the tasks off your shoulders, you'll need a bot. So here's a quick walkthrough to get you started with bots.
Step 1: Get a good computer, as bots can be quite resource-intensive.
It's a good idea to have a separate computer for automation purposes. So you wouldn't accidentally interrupt the process. But you can also get a virtual private server or an AWS workspace. It simply means you'll get a virtual desktop that you can access from your own computer.
Step 2: Decide what kind of tasks you need to nail down precisely.
An automation strategy will help you figure out which tool to get. There are many good tools on the market. Still, some of the most commonly used are Instagram bot followers in Followadder, Instazood, and Jarvee. Check them out or do your own research.
Step 3: Get some quality proxies
You might feel like it's an unnecessary step. You're right if you only plan to automate only one Instagram account. However, if you decide to use bots on several accounts, you can't forget proxies. Otherwise, it won't take long until you get blocked. We recommend getting residential or mobile proxies.
They come from real devices, meaning that Instagram will think that your accounts are run by different users and won't trace them back to you. I'm sure that you'll need more of a thorough explanation and some proxy provider recommendations, and you'll find them in this article.
Step 4: Now, that you have the right software and proxies to go with it, you'll need to get it all set up.
But don't start automation if your profile is empty. It will make you look suspicious. And don't forget to use your actual email address and phone number. A good bio and a profile picture will also help you look more legit.
Now it's time to get your tasks ready. At this point, you'll need to remember your automation strategy. It will help you figure out which tasks you actually need. This may sound easy, but Instagram automation is not a straightforward process. So let's delve deeper into the possible challenges!
What Should You Know When Using Instagram Bot?
Here's the thing Instagram disapproves of bots back. In 2017 Instagram decided to sweep its platform of bot accounts. As a result, it cracked down on one of the most popular automation tools called Mass Planner. This tool allowed social media managers to save time by automating tasks like liking and commenting. While those who use Mass Planner loved it, it turned Instagram into a spam dump hole. Since then, the platform has imposed rigid guidelines which prohibit spam.
Of course, violations come with harsh penalties. So what is the punishment exactly? The worst ones are account deactivation and an IP ban. A little less harsh punishment is action blocks. Suppose you get carried away with liking or commenting by hand or even with a bot. In that case, it will trigger Instagram's anti-spam algorithm, prohibiting you from performing any of the actions.
Oh, and let's not forget shadow bans. If the platform suspects inauthentic activity on your account, it can promptly de-prioritize your content. It means that people will not be able to see your posts on their feed or when they search the hashtags you've used, dramatically decreasing your engagement.
If you decide to use a bot, we recommend trying to make your engagement as organic as possible. But how do you do that? Here are some tips
Don't get carried away with actions. If your account is not fresh, you can like, comment, message, and follow other accounts up to 60 times per hour. But if your account is brand new, you can only perform each of these actions 30 times per hour.
How to Avoid IG Instagram Ban?
So make sure that you're tracking these thoroughly. Because if you exceed these action limits, you'll be putting your whole account at risk. Let your bot rest. Would a real person spend 24 hours daily posting photos and liking other posts? Now I don't judge you if you do. But to Instagram, it will seem like odd behavior.
Bots may not need to sleep, but humans do. Make sure to give your bot at least six hours of inactivity time per day, and make it consistent automated commenting can seem like a great idea to create engagement. But there is a catch your bot will not understand the context of each post. So it will blindly post your comment on any post with the target hashtags. And as you can imagine, there are plenty of ways this could go wrong.
We recommend avoiding automating commenting or making sure your comments appear appropriate for every possible circumstance. Avoid automating direct messages. You might want to give your followers a virtual handshake and casually tell them to check out your product. But here's the thing if your message looks especially bot-like, people may report you. That's the easiest way to get banned.
Also, you might be thinking of creating engagement by using several different accounts. In this case, you must know that Instagram allows no more than five accounts with the same ip address. Anything more than that can get you banned permanently. So don't forget proxies. Under no circumstance should you rub your products into people's faces even? If it is face cream, directly promoting your items in the comments or DMs will likely get you reported and banned.
That's it all! This information should help you to get started with automation. But if you still have any questions, don't hesitate to drop them in the comments section below or check out our Instagram automation playlist!
