So You‘re Losing Instagram Followers? Here‘s How to Find and Stop the Instagram Unfollowers

Hey there! Losing followers on Instagram, aka Instagram unfollowers, happens to all of us. But don‘t panic. By the time you‘re done reading this, you‘ll have a solid game plan for getting those numbers back up.

Why Should You Care About Instagram Unfollowers?

Before we dive into the tactics, let‘s quickly cover why you should care about unfollowers in the first place:

• Higher follower count = more credibility and authority
• Losing followers can damage your account‘s reputation
• Lower follower/engagement ratio looks bad to potential partners
• Unexpected drops in followers indicate issues with your content

Basically, tracking your unfollowers provides important clues about how to improve your Instagram strategy. By analyzing the patterns in who leaves and when, you can directly see what resonates with your audience – and what misses the mark.

Now let‘s look at…

Why Do Instagram Users Unfollow Accounts?

In 2022, over 500 million Instagram users worldwide unfollowed at least one account. But why?

According to social media researchers, here are the top reasons for Instagram unfollowing:

• Too many posts – 39% said overposting was annoying
• Irrelevant content – 35% lost interest because topics didn‘t relate to them
• Inconsistent posting – 27% unfollowed due to unpredictable post cadence
• Spammy posts – 22% reported unfollowing due to too many ads or promotions
• Lack of engagement – 19% said the account never engaged back with them
• Changed interests – 17% unfollowed because the topics were no longer relevant

The number one complaint? Too many posts flooding their feed. So first things first…

Tip #1: Find Your Ideal Posting Frequency

Posting 5+ times per day will overwhelm your audience – but posting once a month is also too infrequent. Most experts recommend 1-2 times per day as optimal.

But rather than guess, use your Instagram analytics to identify your followers‘ preferences:

• Look at when you gain the most new followers
• Compare to days/times when you post the most
• Gradually adjust your cadence based on these insights

For example, if you notice a spike in new followers on days you post just once vs. twice, that‘s a clue to cut back on overposting.

Optimizing your frequency takes work, but it‘s one of the best ways to avoid the unfollower epidemic.

Okay, on to the next reason people unfollow…

Tip #2: Stick to a Niche

Don‘t take it personally if followers trickle away after you abruptly change niches or content themes.

People followed you for a specific topic or interest – so if you suddenly shift gears, they understandably lose interest.

That‘s why it‘s critical to:

• Identify your core niche and target audience
• Consistently create content specific to their interests
• Only deviate occasionally if it‘s highly relevant

Resist the urge to spray content in every direction or chase every trend. While tempting for quick growth, it won‘t end well.

Okay, what‘s another major unfollow culprit? Right, inconsistent posting. Here‘s how to fix that…

Tip #3: Create an Instagram Content Calendar

The quickest way to have followers forget you even exist? Post randomly with huge gaps in between.

A study by TrackMaven found accounts that post consistently, around 1-2 times per day, gain over 125% more followers than inconsistent posters.

So what‘s the fix? An Instagram content calendar.

It allows you to:

• Map out posts, stories, and other content in advance
• Organize themes and topics to stay focused
• Ensure you post consistently without long gaps

Check out Later or Preview for convenient calendar templates you can use. Getting your content queued up will help sustain follower interest.

Moving on…let‘s talk engagement.

Tip #4: Actually Engage With Your Followers

If someone consistently likes your posts, responds to your stories, or comments thoughtful feedback – but you never acknowledge them? Chances are, they‘ll stop following.

Hubspot research found that 72% of people expect brands to respond to comments within 24 hours. So set reminders to:

• Thank people for positive feedback
• Reply thoughtfully to questions
• Check in if a follower seems distressed based on a comment

Beyond just replying, you should also proactively engage your audience by:

• Commenting onfollower posts and complimenting their work
• Sharing user-generated content and tagging them
• Following back loyal followers who consistently interact

Putting in the effort pays off. 43% of users say they‘d be more interested in a brand if the founders engaged with them on social media.

Let‘s wrap up with one final reason people hit unfollow…

Tip #5: Run Contests and Giveaways

Contests, giveaways, polls, quizzes – interactive content gets people excited. And excited people follow and remain loyal.

But contests also incentivize current followers to stay put. Consider giving:

• contest entries for liking posts and sharing with friends
• bonus entries for following your other social accounts
• prizes like your products, gift cards, or cash

Just be sure your contests fully comply with Instagram‘s promotions policies.

Alright – you‘ve got your top five tips for cutting down on unfollowers. But how do you actually track them? Keep reading!

How to See Who Unfollowed You on Instagram

Manually monitoring unfollows requires tediously comparing your followers list day after day. Ain‘t nobody got time for that!

Luckily, third-party Instagram analytics apps exist solely for identifying followers who unfollow you:

App	Price	Best For
SocialTracker	Free – $99/mo	Influencers, brands, agencies
Iconosquare	$99-$499/mo	Larger brands/agencies
Combin	$7.99+/mo	Influencers, individuals
HypeAuditor	$29-$249/mo	Brands wanting qualified followers
SocialBlade	$15-$100/mo	Influencers, brands on a budget

Let‘s do a quick Instagram unfollowers app comparison:

SocialTracker is ideal for influencers, brands, and agencies needing robust analytics. Perks include historical unfollower data, filtering, and competitor benchmarking. One of the most popular choices.

Iconosquare caters more to larger brands looking for complete social media management – but still has great unfollowers tracking. Provides profile/competition auditing too.

Combin is perfect for individuals and influencers wanting something simple and user-friendly. Notify you when you lose followers and tracks growth.

HypeAuditor goes beyond unfollowers to identify fake, bot, and ghost followers. Best for brands focused on cultivating engaged, real followers only.

And SocialBlade is an oldie but goodie. The dated interface lacks bells and whistles, but you get solid unfollower tracking for just $15/month. Worth checking out.

There are tons more apps out there, but these are some of the strongest contenders. Most offer free trials too so you can test drive first.

Okay, you‘re tracking unfollowers – but how do you minimize them in the first place?

12 Pro Tips to Reduce Instagram Unfollowers

Here are some additional tried and true tactics for keeping unfollows low:

• Post consistently 1-2x daily around the same times
• Take breaks – avoid posting 3+ days in a row
• Test new content themes cautiously rather than pivoting completely
• Ask for feedback on potential content/account changes before rolling out
• Reply to DMs within 24 hours, ideally much sooner
• Do Instagram live streams to engage directly with your audience
• Make reels using trending music and challenges
• Leverage stories for more casual, behind-the-scenes content
• Use quality hashtags so your posts are found by interested users
• Run giveaways requiring a follow and tag friends for entries
• Advertise to lookalikes – existing followers likely to stay loyal
• Avoid follow/unfollow – risks being flagged for spam-like behavior

See what sticks based on your audience‘s specific interests and behavior patterns!

For even more followers, you can strategically clean up who you yourself are following using the tips next…

Should YOU Unfollow People on Instagram?

Just as you analyze unfollowers, do some "spring cleaning" of accounts you follow that:

• Don‘t follow you back after a certain period of time
• Haven‘t posted in months
• Are irrelevant based on changed interests
• Are private accounts you never engage with
• Are competitor brands you don‘t interact with
• Have fake, bot, or spam vibes

You can manually unfollow these accounts. But for efficiency, consider apps like:

• Combin Scheduler – auto-unfollow non-followers, inactive users, etc based on filters
• Social Captain – unfollow those who don‘t follow back, schedule unfollowing
• Jarvee – unfollow by detailed filters like followers, location, niche

However, take care not to be overly aggressive. Unfollowing thousands per day or repeatedly unfollowing/refollowing the same users may get you flagged for shady behavior. Tread carefully.

Okay, final few FAQs before we wrap up!

Common Instagram Unfollowers Questions

Q: Is it normal to lose Instagram followers?

A: Yes, it‘s completely normal to lose some followers daily! 5-20+ unfollowers per day is common for medium-larger accounts. Don‘t panic unless you lose 50+ repeatedly.

Q: What happens if you unfollow too many Instagram accounts?

A: If you aggressively unfollow hundreds manually or thousands using a bot, Instagram may temporarily ban you from unfollowing more accounts. Take it slow.

Q: Can someone tell if you unfollow them on Instagram?

A: Nope! Instagram doesn‘t notify someone when they are unfollowed. The only way to tell is by manually checking followers or using a tracking app.

Q: When is the best time to unfollow people on Instagram?

A: Late at night or early morning when overall user activity is lower. Limits reset at midnight, so you can maximize unfollows by doing them in the evening.

Q: Is it safe to use an Instagram unfollower or unfollow app?

A: Unfollower apps using the official Instagram API are safe when used in moderation. Be cautious of any tools asking for your login info though – use reputable apps.

Let‘s Keep Those Followers Growing

There you have it – everything you need to identify, analyze, and stop Instagram unfollowers right in their tracks.

The key takeaways:

• Monitor your unfollowers with a tracking app to spot patterns
• Optimize your posting frequency, niche, and engagement
• Create an Instagram content calendar for consistency
• Run giveaways and contests to incentivize loyalty
• Unfollow dead accounts and irrelevant followers yourself

Now you‘re armed with the inside scoop on one of Instagram‘s biggest mysteries – the unfollower!

Have any other questions? Let me know in the comments!