Why Am I Losing Followers on Instagram & How to Fix It in 2024

Losing Instagram followers can be puzzling and disheartening, especially when you’ve put a lot of hard work into building your account. But follower drops happen to almost every account. The good news is that in most cases, you can identify why it‘s occurring and take the right steps to get your follower count back on track.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore all the possible reasons your Instagram followers are dropping off and proven strategies to diagnose and address the problem.

Why Follower Loss Happens on Instagram

Let‘s first go over some background on why losing followers is so common on Instagram:

• Accounts get deleted: Instagram regularly deletes fake, bot and inactive accounts. When these accounts are removed, your follower count drops.
• Followers lose interest: As interests change, people may stop engaging with your niche and unfollow accounts.
• The Instagram algorithm: If you don‘t post consistently or use poor hashtags, the algorithm stops showing your content.
• Competition: With over 2 billion monthly active users on Instagram, there’s more competition for engagement and followers.
• Security issues: Getting hacked or banned for prohibited actions like buying followers leads to losing followers.
• Your content: Declining content quality, too much self-promotion, or inconsistent posting leads to unfollows.

So in most cases, losing followers comes down to your own posting practices. The good news is this means you have the power to diagnose and fix it!

Is My Follower Loss Normal?

Small fluctuations in your follower count are completely normal on Instagram. But how much of a drop is too much?

Industry experts say that a monthly follower loss of 2-3% is considered organic and within the average range.

For example, if you have 10,000 followers, losing about 200-300 per month is reasonable. Some bigger accounts see a monthly churn rate of up to 5% and remain stable.

However, if you notice a sudden or consistent drop of 5-10% or more of your total followers from one month to the next, it likely signals an underlying issue.

For example, if you have 10,000 followers and lose 700+ in a month, that exceeds the normal range. Time to take a deeper look at what could be going wrong.

Track Your Follower Loss Patterns

To properly diagnose a follower drop issue, start by tracking your follower counts consistently:

• Check your follower number daily at the same time, like in the morning when you start your day.
• Use a tracker tool like Social Blade to monitor long-term growth charts and identify trends.
• Record your daily follower count in a spreadsheet to calculate net gains/losses over weeks and months.
• Look at percentage loss rather than total numbers lost. For example, losing 500 followers hurts more for a 2,000 follower account vs. a 200,000 follower account.
• Identify sudden large drops versus gradual losses over time. Big one-day plunges usually indicate a specific issue occurred.

Once you gather data over time, compare changes month-over-month:

• If your loss falls within the average 2-3% per month range, you likely don’t need to worry. Just keep optimizing your content and strategy.
• If it’s consistently 5% or more each month, that signals a problem to address before you continue losing followers.

Let’s look at some of the biggest reasons for follower drops and proven ways to fix them.

Have You Been Shadowbanned?

One of the most common reasons for rapidly losing hundreds or thousands of Instagram followers is getting shadowbanned.

A shadowban is when Instagram quietly restricts your account reach without any notice. Your posts will no longer show up in hashtags or your followers‘ feeds.

There are a few typical triggers for getting shadowbanned:

• Using third-party apps and bots that violate Instagram‘s terms.
• Posting too much duplicate, spammy or low-value content.
• Sudden follow/unfollow sprees to grow your account.
• Your account gets flagged for suspicious behavior.

Shadowbanning is Instagram‘s way of penalizing accounts that try to game the system or don’t contribute value. The problem is they won’t notify you or give you a warning.

Your first clue is often seeing your reach and engagement plummet. Posts that got thousands of likes before may now barely break 100.

You’ll also notice a steep drop in followers as Instagram stops showing your content to them.

Checking for a shadowban is easy. Try searching recent hashtags you’ve used from a different account. If your posts don’t show up, you’ve likely been shadowbanned.

The good news is that shadowbans are not permanent. Here are the steps to get back in good standing:

• Stop using any third-party services, bots or tactics violating Instagram‘s terms.
• Give your account a reset period. Don’t post or engage for 1-2 weeks to let things blow over.
• Start posting consistently high-value content suited to your audience. Use relevant hashtags so people can find you.
• Interact genuinely with users in your niche. Seek out and engage with followers who are most interested in your content.
• If your shadowban lasts over a month, you can submit an appeal to Instagram directly to review your account. Provide examples showing you now comply with their guidelines.

The key is patience and staying on your best behavior. With time, Instagram will start showing your profile to followers again.

Step Up Your Content Strategy

In many cases, the biggest driver of losing Instagram followers is your actual content.

When your posts don’t align with your audience’s expectations or interests, the unfollows can pile up quick.

Here are some common content mistakes that turn followers away:

Too Much Self-Promotion

Balancing business interests and audience value is tricky. But if over 20% of your posts directly promote yourself, your content goes into sales overload.

For example, some food accounts share interesting cooking tips and recipes people want to see. But they make the mistake of filling their feed with direct calls to buy their meal plans or use their discount code.

Followers will engage with a few promotional posts if the rest of the content brings value. Use an 80/20 rule where 80% offers helpful tips, inspiration or entertainment and 20% promotes your products, services or offers.

Low-Quality Photos and Videos

Instagram is a visual platform. Posting poor quality, overly edited or inappropriate photos and videos is one of the fastest ways to tank your account.

With over 2 billion monthly active users, the competition for engagement is high. Keep raising your quality bar with these tips:

• Invest in quality camera equipment and lenses suited for social content
• Learn photography and video editing best practices
• Use editing apps like Lightroom and Photoshop to polish visuals
• Film videos in high-definition with clean audio
• Spend time planning photos and videos that align to your brand style and audience tastes

Great content rarely goes unnoticed on Instagram. Mediocre visuals almost always get skipped over.

Repetitive or Irrelevant Content

The Instagram algorithm picks up on patterns. Reposting variations of the same type of content frequently leads to lower reach.

For example, fashion accounts often post modeling photos against the same wall or backdrop. Fitness accounts post too many workout selfies in the gym mirror.

Followers crave variety. Mix up your content with more spontaneity and diversity to keep it interesting.

Also ensure your posts are tailored to your niche. Followers tune accounts out when the content is too broad or doesn’t match expectations.

Too Much Controversy or Negativity

While thoughtful debate and addressing real world issues matter, avoid posting overtly controversial stances on sensitive issues. It rarely ends well.

Negative call-out posts, rants on politics, or guilt-tripping follows also cross the line for many.

When in doubt, keep the positivity flowing. Followers want inspiration and uplifting content on Instagram.

Infrequent Posting

Posting inconsistently or taking long breaks signals to the Instagram algorithm that you’re not actively engaging. So your content reaches fewer followers.

Set a consistent schedule – like posting 1-2 times per day or the same 3 days per week. Scheduling posts in advance helps maintain regularity.

The more days you skip posting, the more followers start to disengage. Keep your stream of content steady.

Boost Post Engagement

High engagement is the key to keeping new and existing followers interested in your account.

Yet many accounts get stuck in a bubble just posting content and expecting likes and comments to roll in. Proactively using tactics to spark post engagement helps prevent losing followers.

Here are some proven ways to get followers interacting more:

• Reply to comments on your posts – This shows followers you care about their opinions and takes time to engage.
• Like and comment on followers’ posts – This establishes a two-way connection beyond your own content.
• Ask interesting questions in captions – Open-ended questions prompt more comments vs. yes/no questions.
• Run contests and giveaways – Incentivize followers to tag friends, share posts, follow other accounts. This helps expand your reach.
• Go live – Live video broadcasts engage followers in real time. Viewers also get notified when you start streaming.
• Use Instagram stickers and interactive features – Poll stickers, emoji sliders and quiz stickers all spark higher engagement.
• Post at optimal times – Use Instagram Insights to view your followers‘ most active hours and post during those windows.

When your followers are highly engaged, the Instagram algorithm rewards your account by showing your posts to more potential new followers. Staying interactive keeps existing followers loyal and interested too.

Analyze Your Hashtag Strategy

Leveraging targeted hashtags is critical for getting your content seen by new audiences. But using irrelevant, banned or too few hashtags limits growth.

Here are tips to maximize your hashtag strategy:

• Research top hashtags in your niche – Study competitors and influencers in your industry to find popular hashtags to use.
• Combine niche hashtags with some more general tags – For example, #foodphotography alongside #foodblogger.
• Diversify hashtag themes – Don‘t use the exact same hashtags on every post. Switch it up to reach different interest areas.
• Avoid banned or restricted hashtags – Instagram prohibits certain hashtags. Search before using to know they’re allowed.
• Use enough hashtags – You can use up to 30 hashtags per post. Include around 10-15 to expand reach.
• Put most hashtags in the first comment – This keeps the caption cleaner. The first few comments are still shown under your post.

Relevant hashtags serve as a digital billboard so new potential followers can find your account. Fine tune yours based on hashtag performance data.

Audit Your Followers List

Over time, accounts accumulate fake and inactive followers that inflate the numbers but don‘t engage.

These ghost followers can even be harmful, as Instagram‘s algorithm ignores them in estimating your engagement rate per follower.

Conduct an audit of your followers list every 3-6 months:

• Check for followers showing default profile photos – The grey silhouette or generic landscape photo are common defaults.
• Scan accounts with no posts – If they aren’t actively posting, they likely won’t engage with your account either.
• Review followers with unrelated bios – For example, a food account followed by music promoters. These are likely fakes.
• Manually remove accounts that appear suspicious – Unlike bots that auto-follow, take the time to individually review and delete ghost followers.

Cleaning up your list improves your overall account quality score with Instagram. Focus on obtaining genuine, loyal followers that actually enjoy your content vs. inflating your numbers with fakes.

Maintain Consistent Posting

The Instagram algorithm looks at the regularity and frequency of your posting to determine how often to show your content.

Accounts that post consistently tend to surface more prominently in the app compared to accounts with sporadic posting.

• Set a posting schedule that works for your lifestyle – such as daily, a few set days per week, or 2-3 times per week.
• Use planning apps to batch create content so you always have a backlog of photos and videos ready to go.
• Schedule posts in advance on days when you won’t have time to actively post.
• If traveling or busy with life events, have a friend or manager post curated content for you to prevent long gaps.

The key is sticking to a regular posting cadence. The more days you remain inactive, the more the Instagram algorithm and your followers start to deprioritize your account.

Strengthen Your Profile

Your Instagram profile is the first impression potential new followers see. An incomplete or sloppy profile conveys that you‘re not serious about Instagram.

Here are profile essentials to complete:

• Write a detailed bio – Share your niche, type of account, value you provide and call-to-action for visitors.
• Link your website – Add your external site so people can learn more about your work, products or services.
• Organize branded highlight categories – Curate 5-10 highlights to showcase your posts by themes to engage visitors.
• Use current profile and cover photos – Refresh these assets every 3-6 months or when your brand imagery evolves.
• Customize your handle – Tie it closely to your brand name. Add dashes between words for easier reading.

A polished profile shows you take Instagram seriously and gives followers confidence in engaging with you more.

Follow Instagram‘s Guidelines

While the tactics above are great for organic growth, some bad habits can tank your account. Avoid:

• Buying fake followers – They remain dormant, lower your engagement rate and get deleted by Instagram.
• Using follow/unfollow bots – This tactic is now prohibited under Instagram‘s terms.
• Spam commenting – Randomly commenting compliments on posts hoping for a follow back looks desperate.
• Aggressive follow/unfollow – Repeatedly following and unfollowing people to get them to follow you back annoys users.
• DM spamming – Messaging people en masse violates Instagram‘s policies.

Focus your energy on creating value, building genuine connections and partnerships, and leveraging influencer collaborations.

There are no real shortcuts to gaining loyal, engaged Instagram followers. Consistency and patience are required.

Be Patient and Persistent

Recovering from a major follower drop takes time and consistency. Follower growth is not linear – there are always ups and downs.

Stick diligently to the best practices above for at least 3-6 months to see results. Frequently changing your approach prevents building momentum.

If you’re still experiencing gradual follower loss after trying the tactics above, it may be time to re-evaluate your overall brand and niche interests. Conduct user surveys and look at your website traffic sources to identify gaps between your content and audience demands. A broader content shift could be needed.

The important thing is tracking your progress and continuously optimizing your Instagram approach based on performance data. With consistent effort, you can regain lost followers and expand your reach.

Key Takeaways

Here are the most important points to remember:

• Track your follower counts daily to quantify loss trends month-over-month.
• Getting shadowbanned is a common reason for rapid follower drops. Check if your posts show up under hashtags.
• Audit your content for too much self-promotion, irrelevance, poor quality or infrequency as turnoffs.
• Proactively engage followers by liking, commenting and asking questions to prevent losing followers.
• Leverage targeted hashtags to help the right potential followers find your content.
• Remove fake and inactive followers to showcase true engagement rates.
• Schedule posts consistently at optimal times to stay top of mind.
• Complete and polish your Instagram profile to make a great first impression.
• Avoid growth shortcuts and focus on providing value to build real connections.
• Have patience. Recovering followers takes consistent effort over months. Analyze data to keep improving.

I hope this comprehensive guide gives you clarity on why you may be losing Instagram followers and actionable solutions to diagnose and fix the problem. Let me know if you have any other questions!