Are you tired of follow-unfollow methods and wondering how to get followers on Instagram without following?
Well, the good news is that you can draw people to your account by creating valuable content, engaging with your followers, and posting regularly.
However, you might experience slower Instagram growth compared to strategies that involve following other accounts. The decision is all yours!
In this blog, I’m going to reveal how to get more followers on Instagram without following anyone, the pros & cons, mistakes to avoid, and any handy tool.
Shall you join me?
Grow your account, Increase your sales!
Is It Better to Have More Followers than People You’re Following?
It all depends on your objectives for your Instagram activity.
Regular personal accounts often have more people they follow than followers themselves because they’re interested in the content those accounts provide for entertainment and information.
Also, they follow businesses or e-commerce pages to meet their needs.
On the other hand, having more followings than followers is not typical for brands, influencers, and celebrities as they look unprofessional and spammy to users.
Remember; the most important thing is Not to follow ZERO people But to follow the right ones and keep a good follower-to-following ratio.
Even big accounts like Adidas (with 34M followers) have followings (999)!
Pros & cons of Instagram follower growth without following
Before going for it, let’s see the good and the not-so-good sides of this strategy.
The good side
- Targeted audience: Followers gained through this strategy are more likely to be genuinely interested in your products, services, or content since they found you without any reciprocal follow.
- No negative practice: Following and unfollowing a large number of accounts can be seen as spammy and can get your account flagged by Instagram. This approach helps avoid such practices and maintains a positive reputation.
- Focus on content creation: You should create high-quality content to attract followers. This allows you to build loyal followers who love your brand or content.
The not-so-good side
- Slower growth: Building an audience organically takes time and consistent effort. It may be slower compared to using follow-for-follow tactics, especially when growing an Instagram account from scratch.
- Limited networking opportunities: If you don’t follow other accounts, you’ll miss networking opportunities, collaborations, and partnerships that help you reach more people on Instagram.
- Algorithm challenges: Instagram algorithm favors accounts with high engagement rates. If you follow no accounts, how can you increase your IG engagement?
Now, time to address our main question!
How to Get Followers on Instagram Without Following?
Here’s how to get instant followers on Instagram without following back:
#1. Optimize Your Profile And Bio
Frankly speaking, your bio and profile are what make the most significant first impression at a glance.
Say who you are and what you’ve got for them. Use relevant keywords in your username or bio, a clear, strong call to action, and an eye-catching profile picture.
Would you like to explore catchy Instagram bio ideas? Just tap the link!
#2. Pick A Niche
Still looking for a way on ‘How to get followers on Instagram without following anybody?’ Then, sticking to one specific niche is your answer.
Your niche defines the type of content you share on your IG account. Choosing a niche and maintaining consistency within it is crucial for attracting a dedicated following.
This approach creates a cohesive account that draws users genuinely interested in your content. Consequently, you can cultivate a community of engaged followers.
In summary, the more engaged your followers are, the higher the likelihood of expanding your IG account’s visibility, and ultimately, your follower count.
#3. Share High-Quality Creative Content
Engaging and valuable content finds its way to your targeted audience through the Explore page or sharing by others. No matter if you follow them or not!
So, while creating content for Instagram, stick to these principles:
- Take benefit of all content formats like Stories, Videos, Reels, Lives, and Carousels. Each one has its own advantages.
- Generate content that solves a problem (informs, entertains, or inspires). Nobody is interested in basic facts.
- Pay attention to quality. A high-resolution image and well-lighted video catch more eyes (Use editing tools and apps to make things stand out).
- Don’t be a copycat! Add your own flavor to your posts. Creativity Speaks!
#4. Share Content Consistently
Consistently sharing content on the platform is a key factor in achieving organic follower growth. This practice not only helps your existing followers remember your page but also increases the likelihood of your content appearing on the Explore page and gaining more reach.
To keep consistency, you better use an Instagram content calendar that allows you to specify the date, time, and content type as well as schedule your Instagram posts.
Suggested post: How often should you post on Instagram to grow?
#5. Use Well-Researched Hashtags
If you want to get followers without following back, then one of the very powerful weapons that we recommend you use is a hashtag.
Good News: A post with at least one Instagram hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without any hashtags.
Now imagine how much your engagement will increase by adding more hashtags.
- Instagram allows you to add up to 30 hashtags to your feed posts and 10 hashtags to your stories. Don’t overdo it, just 3-5 hashtags work.
- Use trendy niche-related hashtags to increase your account visibility.
- Bear in mind that not all hashtags work. Before adding any hashtags to your posts, make sure that they are not old, banned, irrelevant, etc.
- Go beyond typical hashtags and create your branded one. Remember #MyCalvins and #JustDoIt?
Pro tip: Try to use both general and specific hashtags when posting.
Suggested post: How to use hashtags for Instagram growth
#6. Run A Contest Or Giveaway
Running Instagram contests or giveaways is another significant way to get tons of new free followers without following them back.
Everybody likes freebies, which can encourage people to follow the rules of your contests to be qualified entries.
When it comes to setting Instagram giveaway rules, you’d better set those that are the most likely to boost your engagement, ideal followers rate, etc. For example, ask users to tag 2 or 3 friends, follow you, and like some of your posts.
All you need to do is grab exciting IG giveaway ideas, offer an eye-catching prize, give instructions (the contest rules), and set a deadline for your giveaway contest.
Read more: How to do a giveaway on Instagram to gain followers
#7. Collaborate With Others
Collaborating with those accounts with a higher number of active users is an excellent way to increase Instagram followers without following back.
You can either work with mega-influencers like celebrities, or micro-influencers, depending on your goals and account size.
Followers of influencers often trust their recommendations, making it a valuable opportunity to gain thousands of genuine new followers by having your page promoted through influencer partnerships.
#8. Geo-Tag Your Posts
Another method to get followers on Instagram without following is using geotags. Geotagging your posts involves adding a location marker to your content.
This practice is particularly valuable because some users search specific locations using the Instagram search bar to look for special businesses, brands, accounts, etc.
So, this option is pretty useful as it facilitates easy discovery. When an Instagram user clicks on a geotag on one post, all your other posts tagged with the same location become visible to them.
Then, the next time you post, make sure you add your location. This tactic will bring new fans and potential followers to your page and increase your reach.
#9. Post At Your Best Times
The time you choose to publish your posts has a great impact on your engagement rate. The best times to post are when your followers are online and active.
Having a business account on Instagram grants you access to analytics, enabling you to track post performance and determine the optimal times for posting.
Higher engagement rates on your posts also increase the likelihood of gaining more followers.
#10. Cross-promote your account
I’ve got a super direct way to get you followers without following: Promote your account on your YouTube channel, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, or Website.
Share your profile link and ask them to visit your account by a clear CTA like “Follow for more” or “Visit my profile for (suggest a benefit or value).
#11. Engage with your followers
Whether you’re a brand or a creator, followers are your assets. So, show how much you care about them. How?
Respond to comments and DMs. If you’re a brand, you can use Instagram features like FAQs, Saved replies, and Welcome messages to manage your communications.
As a creator, respond to the comments ASAP (if possible) and start meaningful conversations.
Any app to get followers on Instagram without following?
If it’s an all-in-one Instagram follower growth service like AiGrow, why not?
I’m not talking about buying followers, I’m speaking of a manual tool with a 14-day money-back guarantee and cancel-anytime flexibility.
Aigrow doesn’t follow anyone on your behalf, with the following features, potential followers will walk to you!
- A full content creation package including a content calendar, Reels and stories, captions, and scheduling posts.
- Advanced analytical reports from your content performance to identify weaknesses and strengths.
- A dedicated account manager to employ proven tactics to find your targeted audience.
- Managed DM service to keep in touch with your followers.
- Mass unfollow and unfollower tracker to clean up your feed and keep your follower-to-following ratio in check.
Ready to explore packages and pick yours?
Last Words; follow or not follow
You learned how to get followers on Instagram without following (of course, for free). You also found out the pros and cons that help you make the best decision.
As you saw, the more important aspect is to maintain a healthy follower-to-following ratio, rather than following zero people.
Lessons learned from big accounts like Nike (with over 300 million followers) and its 166 following accounts can offer insights.
Nike seemingly doesn’t need to follow other accounts. But engagement, relationships with athletes or brand ambassadors, or maybe market research and supporting partners could be reasons it chooses to follow them.
FAQs
Now that you know how to get followers on Instagram without following for free, it’s time to take a look at some frequently asked questions.
How to get 10k followers on Instagram without following anyone?
Having a clear niche and goal, using the right keywords and hashtags in your profile and content, creating engaging and helpful posts, and engaging with your followers help you get 10k followers without following.
2. How Effective Is Collaborating with Influencers for Increasing Followers Without Following Others?
Collaborating with influencers is highly effective for growing Instagram followers organically.
Because their credibility and niche audiences bring trust and genuine interest in your content, exposing your profile to a wider audience and boosting engagement.
Just make sure to pick influencers that vibe with your audience to keep it real.
How can I get free followers on Instagram without posting?
To get more followers on Instagram without posting, you should understand your audience and respond to their messages, optimize your profile, leave comments on relevant accounts’ posts, and promote your account on other social media platforms.
