What Is A Follow Train?

A follow train is a popular social media growth tactic used by influencers, businesses, and everyday users to quickly gain followers on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. At its core, a follow train simply refers to a group of people who all agree to follow each other in order to expand their networks and increase their follower counts.

Follow trains provide a fast and easy way to grow your audience on social media.

While follow trains have existed since the early days of social media, they remain widely used today because they offer significant benefits for user growth and engagement.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore everything you need to know about leveraging follow trains to boost your presence on social media, including:

• What is a follow train and how do they work?
• Types of follow trains on major platforms
• Rules and etiquette for participating
• Pros and cons of using follow trains
• Tips for getting the most out of follow trains

Let‘s get started!

What Exactly is a Follow Train?

A follow train refers to an organized effort where a group of social media users agree to follow each other in order to rapidly expand their follower base.

Follow trains emerged organically in the early days of social media as a tactic for users to quickly gain an audience. They continue to be very popular today as an easy way to boost followers and engagement.

Here‘s a simple example of how a follow train works:

1. A user starts a thread or group inviting others to participate in a follow train.

2. Interested users share their social media handle or profile link in the thread.

3. All participating users follow each other, expanding their follower base significantly in a short period of time.

4. Users may also interact with each other‘s content by liking and commenting.

The term "follow train" comes from the visual of users hopping on board a train of followers in rapid succession. Overall, a follow train simply refers to a coordinated effort by a group of users to follow and engage with each other for mutual growth.

How Do Follow Trains Work?

While formats can vary slightly by platform, follow trains generally work through the following process:

Joining a Follow Train

• A user locates an existing follow train group or starts their own. Common places to find follow trains include subreddit threads, Facebook groups, Instagram comment sections, etc.

• Users share their social media handle or profile link to indicate they want to participate.

• Many follow trains require writing a short description about your niche, content type, location, etc. This helps target audiences.

Following and Interacting

• All participating users follow each other, rapidly increasing follower counts within the group.

• Users also like and comment on each other‘s content for better engagement.

• Some trains incorporate direct messaging to inform new followers where they came from.

• Participants must remain actively engaged, following group rules and etiquette.

Maintaining Followers

• Unlike follow/unfollow schemes, train members are expected to remain loyal followers within the group.

• Continued engagement and participation keeps new followers from passively dropping off over time.

• Follow trains work best when approached as networking and community building rather than a numbers game.

By sticking to the process and actively engaging new followers, participants can leverage follow trains to build their audience quickly and effectively. But it does require some work – simply sharing your handle isn‘t enough!

Types of Follow Trains on Major Platforms

While Instagram is perhaps most notorious for follow trains, they can be found on most major social platforms. Here are some of the most popular types and places to join follow trains:

Instagram Follow Trains

• Subreddits – Many subreddits like r/Instagram have dedicated threads for Instagram follow trains. r/FollowForFollow is also very active.

• Instagram Comments – Users often start impromptu follow trains in the comments of popular Instagram posts.

• Instagram Group Chats – Joining Instagram group chats focused on follow trains lets you connect with many participants at once.

• Third-Party Websites – Sites like followtrain.io provide a platform just for coordinating Instagram follow trains.

Twitter Follow Trains

• Twitter Lists – Follow train members create Twitter lists making it easy to follow other group participants.

• Follow Train Host Accounts – Popular accounts like @TwitterFollowTrain host recurring Twitter follow trains by tweeting out participant handles.

• Twitter Threads – Users start threads inviting others to share handles and participate in a follow train.

• Tweetdeck Groups – Group chats in Tweetdeck provide a built-in space to participate in Twitter follow trains.

TikTok Follow Trains

• Duet Chains – Follow train participants make TikTok videos "dueting" each other to share handles and follow/engage each member.

• TikTok Comments – Much like Instagram, impromptu follow trains frequently start in the comments of trending TikTok videos.

• TikTok Live Videos – Influencers and users host live follow trains sharing handles and having viewers follow all participants.

• Third-Party Groups – Facebook groups and Discord servers provide dedicated spaces for organizing TikTok follow trains.

Follow Train Etiquette and Best Practices

While follow trains offer an easy way to gain followers quickly, there are unofficial rules of etiquette that help them run smoothly:

• Follow Back – You should always follow participants who follow you to maintain the reciprocity of the group.

• Don‘t Unfollow Prematurely – Unlike follow/unfollow schemes, you‘re expected to remain loyal followers with train members.

• Like and Comment – Engage with train participants by interacting with their content to strengthen connections.

• Don‘t Spam or Overpost – Post consistently but avoid spamming the feeds of new followers from the train.

• Stay on Topic – Keep your content relevant to the niche or interests specified in the train group.

• Credit the Source – When direct messaging new followers, let them know which train you connected on.

Following these etiquette guidelines helps ensure follow trains remain reciprocal growth opportunities instead of people simply looking to inflate numbers.

The Pros of Using Follow Trains

When used properly, joining follow trains can provide the following benefits for your social media growth:

Quick Follower Growth

The primary appeal of follow trains is the ability to rapidly accumulate followers, likes, and comments. Within days or weeks of consistent participation, your profile‘s audience and engagement can expand exponentially.

Improved Visibility

Gaining more followers immediately increases your visibility and authority on social platforms. This makes you more discoverable via hashtag/profile searches.

Targeted Audience

Joining niche-specific trains lets you attract an audience that‘s genuinely interested in your content and more likely to actively engage.

New Connections

Follow trains provide networking opportunities to meet and collaborate with other users, businesses, and influencers in your field.

Higher Engagement

When used properly, follow trains create communities of real followers who regularly interact through likes and comments.

It‘s Free!

Unlike paid services for boosting social presence, participating in follow trains provides a free way to grow your profile.

For accounts looking to quickly build their audience and visibility, follow trains offer significant upsides. But maintaining long-term growth takes some work.

Potential Cons of Follow Trains to Consider

Follow trains can provide rapid results, but there are also some potential downsides to consider:

Time Commitment

Gaining followers via trains requires consistently finding, joining, and participating in groups or threads. This daily time commitment can add up.

Messy Feeds

Following tons of accounts can clutter your feed with irrelevant content if you‘re not choosy about whom you follow.

Temporary Followers

Some participants treat trains like follow/unfollow schemes and will purge followers if not consistently engaged.

Fewer Targeted Followers

It‘s easier to attract spam accounts or audiences with little interest in your niche. Engagement rates may suffer.

Limitations for Businesses

Time spent engaging for follow trains takes away from directly connecting with ideal customers.

Potentially Lower Organic Reach

Platforms can throttle accounts rapidly gaining reach via follow trains due to algorithm suspicion.

While these cons don‘t necessarily outweigh the pros of follow trains, they illustrate why it‘s about quality over quantity. Gaining loyal, consistent followers reaps long-term benefits over inflated, passive follower numbers.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Follow Trains

Here are some expert tips to maximize the results from participating in follow trains:

• Join Niche-Specific Trains – Target follow trains related to your content‘s topic, industry, or location. Avoid generic trains open to anyone.

• Audit New Followers – Review followers gained from trains and purge fake or irrelevant accounts. Prioritize quality connections.

• Engage Thoughtfully – Don‘t just auto-like every photo. Provide genuine comments and reactions tailored to each post.

• Post Valuable Content – Provide your new audience with content they want to engage with. Consistency is key.

• Limit Your Participation – Occasionally joining niche trains is fine, but don‘t rely on them as your only growth tactic.

• Leverage New Connections – Collaborate with influential follow train connections to brainstorm content ideas, guest post, get shoutouts, etc.

• Don‘t Rely on Numbers Alone – Focus on engagement rates and website traffic rather than vanity metrics like follower count.

Approaching follow trains as community building rather than number chasing ensures you walk away with quality followers, not just temporary vanity metrics.

Should You Use Follow Trains?

Follow trains shouldn‘t become your only social strategy, but they can be used strategically to supplement organic growth and boost your profile.

For Personal Accounts, niche-specific trains provide networking opportunities with fellow users passionate about your interests and content style.

For Businesses, occasionally joining targeted follow trains gives you a push to get on the radar of your ideal audience. But investing in owned channels and communities will drive greater value long-term.

If you approach follow trains with reasonable expectations and a focus on engagement over vanity, they offer a fast, free way to expand your audience and visibility. Just be sure to put in the work to nurture and retain new followers.

The Takeaway on Social Media Follow Trains

Hopefully this guide provided a helpful introduction to leveraging follow trains strategically as part of your social media strategy!

The key takeaways are:

• Follow trains refer to organized groups of users who follow each other for rapid mutual growth.

• When used properly, they provide an easy tactic to quickly expand followers and engagement.

• But gaining quality followers requires participating actively and adding value for your new audience.

• Niche-specific trains targeted to your audience and interests will provide the most relevant followers.

• Focus on engagement and retention over vanity metrics to maximize your growth.

What has been your experience using social media follow trains? Let us know your thoughts and tips in the comments!