Being unfollowed on Instagram can feel disheartening. You post content, hoping to grow your audience and connect with people. Then suddenly you lose a follower, left wondering – why did they unfollow me?
As a social media expert with years advising clients on audience growth and retention, I‘ve explored this question extensively. Through research and first-hand experience managing major brand accounts, I‘ve uncovered the main reasons people hit that unfollow button.
Understanding these reasons helps make sense of the unfollow phenomenon, while also showing you how to prevent future unfollows by avoiding common pitfalls.
In this comprehensive guide, I share the top 10 reasons people unfollow others on Instagram, as well as tips to mitigate unfollows moving forward. Armed with this knowledge, you can create more engaging content, improve your feed aesthetic, and boost your overall audience retention rate.
Let‘s dive in!
1. You Don‘t Engage in Their Content
The #1 reason people unfollow others is lack of engagement. If you never like, comment on, or otherwise interact with someone‘s content, you become what’s known as a “ghost follower.”
“If you’re not liking posts on your feed, people might unfollow you for being a ghost follower.”
Essentially, a ghost follower enjoys the benefit of others viewing and engaging with their content, but never reciprocates. This selfish behavior discourages true connection and erodes follower counts over time.
As an unofficial rule, you should try engaging with content from accounts you follow, whether through likes, comments, or saves. Failing to do so signals disinterest and often prompts the other user to remove you as a follower.
2. You Didn‘t Follow Them Back
Similarly, people expect you to follow them back when they make the effort to follow you, especially if you know each other in real life. Not doing so can come across as rude, making the person likely to unfollow.
So if someone you know personally hits that unfollow button shortly after following you, chances are you didn’t return the follow favor. Easy fix!
3. Posting Too Much
Flooding followers’ feeds with multiple posts daily is another surefire way to trigger unfollows. Too much content from a single account clutters the feed and buries posts from other accounts you follow.
“Posting once every day is more than sufficient. Don’t post too much or it’ll become annoying.”
If you have multiple photos or videos to share on a given day, use Instagram’s carousel feature to group them into a single post. But resist the urge to post too frequently, or risk disengaging and annoying loyal followers.
4. Unattractive Feed
In addition to posting cadence, the look and feel of your Instagram feed matters when it comes to retaining an audience. An unattractive, chaotic feed dotted with low-quality photos can also initiate a mass unfollow event.
For personal brand accounts centered around your adventures, interests and lifestyle, strive to maintain cohesive aesthetics across posted content. Followers expect color continuity, thematic relevance, and compelling scenes or subjects to reward their continued attention.
Jumbled, disjointed posts with haphazard visuals signal it may be time for a feed makeover. Evaluate what niche or themes unite your content style and refine accordingly.
5. They’re Doing Follow/Unfollow
Ah yes, the dreaded follow/unfollow strategy. Some people use this questionable tactic in hopes of artificially inflating their follower count. It works like this:
- Mass follow a bunch of accounts (preferably similar niche)
- Wait for some to follow back
- Unfollow those same accounts after a set period of time
The goal is for new followers to not notice your unfollow action, thereby tricking them into remaining a follower while decreasing who you yourself follow.
I advise against this method, as it lacks authenticity and only fuels more unfollowing behavior across the platform. But if someone recently followed then unfollowed you, chances are they were executing this self-serving approach.
6. You Haven’t Posted in Awhile
Another reason followers may jump ship is extended posting inactivity. If you go weeks or months without sharing new content, followers may assume you left Instagram for good. Unfollows remove inactive accounts from feeds and free up space to follow other promising accounts.
Combat setbacks threatening your posting consistency by popping in at least once a month with fresh content. Maintaining some visibility proves you remain present and active on Instagram.
7. They’ve Lost Interest in Your Niche
With theme or niche-specific accounts, followers may naturally lose interest in that niche over time. A former meme lover unfollowing a meme account, for example.
Such evolutions in content preferences can’t be helped. But niche and themed accounts tend to experience higher turnover rates versus more varied personal accounts encompassing broader interests.
8. Removing Fake Followers
Back in 2018, Instagram began cracking down on inauthentic activity like fake followers and artificially inflated engagement. They developed algorithms automatically removing these fraudulent accounts.
So if you notice a slight follower drop, chances are Instagram pruned some questionable accounts from your list. Focus efforts instead on attracting genuine, engaged followers by crafting compelling content.
9. Posting Offensive Content
Sharing potentially controversial opinions or beliefs on sensitive topics may also initiate a frenzy of unfollows, particularly if those views oppose followers’ own positions.
“Try not to share potentially sensitive topics on Instagram to avoid alienating followers.”
Posts discussing divisive issues like politics, religion, social justice etc should carefully consider how diverse audiences may react. Inflammatory, intolerant or extremist rhetoric tends to inspire waves of unfollows.
When posting on Instagram, think inclusive. Seek shared truths that unite rather than divide.
10. Hitting Following Limit
Finally, some unfollows come down to simple housekeeping. Instagram caps total accounts you can follow at 7,500. Reach that limit, and you‘ll need to prune current follows to continue growing your network.
Expectedly, not everyone makes the follow cut. But take solace in the fact unfollowing wasn’t personal, just the result of the platform’s imposed ceiling.
Now that you know the main reasons people hit unfollow, let’s explore some proven ways to mitigate unfollowers:
🔸 Regularly engage with your followers‘ content through comments and likes
🔸 Follow back accounts who follow you
🔸 Post 1 time per day max to avoid oversaturation
🔸 Curate a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed
🔸 Stick to follow for follow instead of follow/unfollow
🔸 Maintain posting consistency
🔸 Diversify your content
🔸 Remove fake ghost followers from your account
🔸 Steer clear of controversial topics
🔸 Unfollow longtime inactive accounts yourself
Being unfollowed undoubtedly stings. But once you identify the likely reasons causing someone to cut ties, it sparks an opportunity.
Use the experience to reevaluate your approach – double down producing quality content while actively engaging followers. Foster the supportive community you crave by taking an interest in their content as well.
Implement the above tips for reducing unfollows, and watch your audience multiply as you give followers the value and interactions they desire.
What reasons have caused someone to unfollow you recently? How did you respond or recover? Share your stories below!
