Building an engaged following on social media is hard work. It demands hours of engagement and content creation, not to mention the effort it takes to put yourself out there and launch your career as a social media influencer.
To realize that you’re losing followers can be disappointing and even confusing.
Let’s explore a few common reasons that Instagram followers start to trail off or TikTok followers choose to spend their time elsewhere. We’ll also share a few tips on how to stop losing followers on social media, so stay tuned.
Let’s Answer a Few Common Questions!
Whether you’ve created a personal brand on TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter, the goal is usually the same and that is to grow your following and eventually start earning money on your chosen social media platform.
Losing followers can throw a spanner in the works, and it’s important to understand why your numbers have dropped without warning.
Why Am I Losing Followers on Instagram?
There are many different reasons that you could be losing followers on Instagram. As a starting point, consider the following common reasons for a drop in followers.
- Using black hat methods
One of the most common reasons for losing followers on Instagram is the use of “black hat” methods to grow followers.
For example, using bots to interact with your followers can flag your account with Instagram. These automatic software tools go against Instagram’s Terms of Service and using them can result in your account being shadow banned or even deleted.
Using repetitive hashtags is also a common reason to lose followers. While the strategic use of hashtags can help followers find you, too many hashtags can be considered spam by Instagram.
- Infrequent posting
Another common reason that followers start dropping off on Instagram is an infrequent posting schedule. Posting inconsistently and spamming your followers can both contribute to losing followers. Consistency is key and it’s important to set up a strategic Instagram posting schedule.
- Lack of engagement
Lack of engagement is a major reason that people will stop following your account. Investing in hours of engagement only to drop off the radar for weeks is not a good strategy and can lead to a sharp decline in followers. When prioritizing engagement, make sure that you consider all aspects, from responding to comments to writing interesting captions.
- Subpar content
Finally, you could be losing followers because your content simply isn’t offering any value. Consider that there are 1.386 billion Instagram users around the world and ask yourself what your profile offers that is different. At the very least, you should be providing value, entertainment, or education to keep your followers happy.
Why Am I Losing Followers on TikTok?
Many of the same principles for losing followers on Instagram also applies to TikTok. For example, the quality of your content quality drops over time or your profile becomes shadowbanned.
But that’s not all.
- Inactive followers
Another reason that you could be losing TikTok followers is because of their inactivity. TikTok deletes accounts that have been inactive for 180 days. If your surge of followers were inactive followers, then their future lack of engagement could have them kicked off, dropping the number of followers.
- Failing to follow back
There’s an unspoken game in the social media world that dictates follow-for-follow. It’s not uncommon for someone to go on a following spree and then unfollow people who don’t follow them back.
- Controversial content
Large groups of people could stop following your account if you accidentally (or intentionally) offend a group of people or a belief. By offending your followers, they may choose to unfollow your content and boycott your account.
Why Am I Losing Twitter Followers?
Twitter is a powerful tool for sharing news, events, and discussing trending topics. Just like other platforms, Twitter makes an effort to remove bots as part of a regular clean-up exercise, yet there are other reasons that you can start losing followers on Twitter.
- Unclear message
With a 280-character limit, it’s important to be direct and to the point. Your message should be clear, sparking conversation and working toward achieving an end goal. When your message is unclear, your followers will quickly move on to the next interesting account.
- Intense self-promotion
People follow accounts on Twitter to stay up to date with niche areas that they are interested in. If you promote yourself too hard, post outside your niche, or post low-quality tweets, then you may start to lose followers.
How to Stop Losing Followers
The best way to avoid losing followers on social media is to do the opposite of what causes them to unfollow you in the first place. Consider the following basic guidelines to stop losing followers on your social media platforms.
- Create relevant content that fits within your niche
- Avoid fake followers and bots
- Don’t use black hat methods to boost your profile
- Post consistently
- Create captivating and engaging profiles
- Engage with your followers in a personable way
- Avoid intense self-promotion
- Stay up to date with your follower’s shift in interests
How to Stop Losing Followers on Instagram
Instagram is a powerful visual platform. If you want to make it big as a travel content creator, then Instagram will be a go-to platform. Whether you’re generating visual posts, Reels, or Stories, it’s important to create a positive first impression. One of the best ways to do this is to create a consistent look and feel.
Take a moment and consider your favorite account on Instagram. The chances are that the grid looks slick and clean, with a consistent look and feel across the page. Whether it’s a gentle theme of neutral tones or bold and sharp colors, it’s important to stay consistent.
Another area to focus on is your captions. Add a little bit of extra effort when drafting your captions to boost engagement. Consider adding context behind the image, telling a personal story, asking a question, or even using a call to action. In many instances, an Instagram caption serves as a precursor for long-form content. Using a link-in-bio tool is an effective way to direct followers to your other platforms.
Be proactive and make a conscientious effort to produce better content each day. With so many people striving to make it big as a social media influencer, it’s vital that you stand out from the noise. When the quality of your content starts to decrease, then there’s a higher chance of your following becoming bored and disinterested.
How to Stop Losing Followers on Twitter
Twitter is a vital platform for businesses and experts within a niche. Maintaining (and growing) followers is a fantastic way to keep your momentum going and grow your brand.
Consider the following effective ways to stop losing followers on Twitter.
- Focus your content for more followers
- Make space for your followers to engage
- Schedule your tweets for effective distribution
- Make an effort to connect with your valued followers
- Be active in groups
- Monitor the use of your hashtags
Keep Your Followers Connected
Ultimately, you have to remain relevant with your audience and produce content that meets them where they are at. Authenticity and effort are vital for keeping your followers interested and keeping them engaged with your content.
While we can’t stop your followers from clicking “unfollow”, we can help to keep them engaged. Link Space’s link-in-bio tool for creators, influencers and brands helps you to drive traffic from social media with a single URL.
Benefit from unlimited links, browse a variety of colorful themes, and even incorporate tipping to boost your brand. Sign up for free today!