The difference between followers and following is important if you want to grow your brand on Instagram. Ideally, you will have more of the former, though you could work to make the numbers equal. This shows your account’s value while boosting engagement. In this guide, we outline followers vs following on Instagram, with tips on how to get a good follower ratio.
Knowing more about followers, as well as their effects on your Instagram account could help you in various ways. Whether you have high or low follower counts, using this to your advantage is vital for account growth. At the same time, getting followers is less important than keeping them and making sure they engage with your profile.
Key Differences Between Followers vs Following on Instagram
While the distinction between followers and following might seem obvious, there is still much to learn about these two concepts. Followers are those who enjoy your account and want to see more from it. The people you follow, similarly, are the accounts you enjoy and want to see more from. Here are the four main differences between following vs followers on Instagram:
1. Benefits
In a follower-following arrangement, each party enjoys different benefits. A follower, for example, will be able to easily access high-quality posts that suit their interests. In return, their support in the form of likes or views could boost your engagement rate. When you follow other accounts, you can also find inspiration for future posts.
2. Notifications
Your active followers may turn post notifications on for your account. This means Instagram will inform them if you share a post or go live. In contrast, you only get Instagram notifications about a follower if they interact with you. By keeping a focus on quality, you can make sure your audience turns notifications on.
3. Visibility
Another one of the differences between followers and following is visibility. If an account follows you, they can always see your posts. However, if they are private, you cannot view their profile unless you follow them first. This might make it hard to gauge their opinion on your content or even check if they are real.
4. Quality Control
On Instagram, you stay in control of the accounts you choose to follow. However, if your account is public, you cannot stop people from following you without blocking them. This means you may fall prey to bots and other types of fake followers. Be sure to check your followers regularly and remove suspicious accounts.
How To Check Follower Ratio on Instagram
You can check your Instagram follower ratio by dividing your ‘followers’ by your ‘following.’ Both metrics are fully available on your profile. You can easily access this on the app by clicking the icon on the bottom right. This icon may show your profile picture or the blank outline of a person. Your ratio may seem like a vanity metric, but it shows you create quality content that fits your target audience.
Example: 1,000/10 = 100, or 100:1
If you have 1,000 followers and only follow 10 accounts, your ratio would be 100:1. In this example, you have 100 fans for each profile that you follow. The accounts you connect with do not have to be your followers, though this can help you build a community. This ratio naturally depends on your profile’s long-term follower growth and the current size of your account.
What Are Instagram Mutuals?
Mutual followers (or just ‘mutuals’) are people you follow who follow you in return. If you want to keep a high follower ratio, you will likely not have many Instagram mutuals. However, people are more likely to interact with you if you follow them. This shows you value their support and can also build an exclusive community. You can even use this to view your followers’ private accounts and see what interests them.
No matter your current Instagram follower count, mutual connections create trust between you and your audience. You may even decide to make the first move by following an account that does not follow you. This is a good way of making sure they see your account, but it might lead to them following in return. Even when trying to get more followers and mutuals, you should still only follow people whose content you like.
What Is a Good Follower To Following Ratio on Instagram?
If you decide to build your mutual following, you might have a low ratio, especially if you follow everyone back. This is a valid tactic, but your account might appear low-quality to some people. Accounts with positive ratios (2:1 or higher) seem worth following even without a mutual connection due to social proof. In either case, figuring out what a good follower-to-following ratio on Instagram is depends on several factors.
Accounts with a 1:1 ratio still have a loyal and dedicated audience. Some major brands even make their account private to add an exclusive sense of community. If your ratio goes below this value, it might seem like you are spamming profiles to get more followers. It may help to set a limit on the accounts you follow. This list of people can include loyal mutuals, accounts that inspire you, and experts in your field.
Once you learn how to check follower ratios on Instagram, you can see exactly how this affects your engagement rate. According to the Influencer Marketing Factory, accounts that have more followers often end up with lower engagement. Following at least a portion of your followers may be the way around this. By staying close to your network and returning support, you can enjoy a healthy ratio, even if it is low.
Tips To Improve Your Instagram Follower Count and Ratio
Whether you are a brand, influencer, or just using a personal account, growth is important. You naturally want to make sure your Instagram profile is always getting better, and this can take many forms. Here are just a few tips for making the most of your Instagram follower count:
• Improve visibility: You cannot get new followers if they do not find your account. Add several popular, relevant hashtags to your posts to connect with people who enjoy those topics.
• Create quality content: Above all else, people follow Instagram accounts that they like. Create a strong, consistent posting strategy that offers value in order to develop your follower list.
• Block fake accounts: If you have bot followers, they might spam your posts with comments. If you are slow to remove them and block their profiles, this can turn potential followers away.
• Consider buying followers: There are many services that connect you with real followers that engage with your content. This helps you maintain a strong Instagram followers vs. following ratio.
• Unfollow inactive accounts: Check up on the accounts you follow to see if they still post. If they are inactive or no longer a profile you want to follow, unfollowing them could help your ratio.
• Engagement matters most: Even if you want to get more followers, quality is always better than quantity. This can lead to higher conversion rates and engagement metrics over time.
Can You Monitor Instagram Unfollowers?
Instagram does not notify you when someone unfollows your account. This means you may not notice if people are losing interest in your content. There are free tools available online that can notify you or otherwise show you when people unfollow you. This can help you see if there are posts turning people away from your account. You can then change your content strategy to fit what your audience wants.
However, every account loses followers at some point. Checking your Instagram unfollowers can help you see which posts work, but this should never become a routine. You will not keep every single follower forever, but the ones that stay will help your account grow. These profiles might like and comment more on your posts, helping your engagement. This is what allows you to make a difference in your chosen field.
Your number of followers vs. following on Instagram is worth keeping track of, and it can help chart your account’s performance. At snsflow.com, we know how important it is to maintain the follower ratio that works best for your profile. With our paid follower services, you can grow your network and still get the engagement you need to thrive. snsflow.com has everything you need to build up your brand on Instagram.
