Are you worried about why you’re losing followers on Instagram? I’ll give you the quick answer: don’t be. Everyone’s followers continuously fluctuate on Instagram and there’s plenty of reasons why. And they’re not all bad reasons. 

Ideally you do want your follower growth to increase over time but if you’re monitoring them on a daily basis then you’ll see this progress very, very slowly.

Before we dive into this, I want you to work out how important the follower count is to you. Sure, we all want thousands of followers as the higher a number is, the more it makes us feel good and makes us think we’re doing something right. 

However, follower count does not equal success! I repeat, follower count does not equal success! 

So instead of chasing after more followers, you should start serving and connecting with your existing audience that’s already there, some that are almost ready to buy but waiting for the right offer from you.

If follower growth is a big part of your strategy and a main goal of yours, and you want to understand why the numbers are fluctuating…keep reading below! 

Why you’re losing followers (and why it’s a good thing!)

1. They are bots!

Bots are always being removed by Instagram, and chances are some of your followers are bots. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing they are being removed from your followers! 

2. People are no longer interested in your content.

Don’t take it to heart. In a way, it’s a bloody good thing this is happening as clearly they aren’t your ideal clients.

3. They might not be your ideal clients.

The more followers you lose that aren’t your ideal clients, the better as you only want to be serving an audience that you want to bring into your world and have potential to convert into clients. Take it as a positive; losing followers will only increase your engagement rate and it will make space for new followers to come in who have an interest in what you’re saying and selling.

4. Clearing out followers.

People are being a lot more picky when it comes to who they’re following. And you probably didn’t make the cut. Again, you don’t have to worry about this. If you’re not their kind of person, they’re probably not yours. 

5. They’re playing the follow unfollow game.

Follow unfollow game. Come on guys, it’s nearly 2022. Let’s give it a rest!

6. It’s not all about the followers!

NO ONE CARES ABOUT HOW MANY FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE!! If people are judging you on the number of followers you have, that tells you a lot about them and what matters most to them. They don’t care about your content, or what you’re selling, or about you!! The more followers you have doesn’t equal success…get that out of your head.

A few other reasons you may be losing following (and why it may not be a good thing…)

There could be something you may be doing wrong too which is why you’re losing a couple followers every week. If you see the consistency in follower reduction, then let’s figure out what you could be doing for them to leave your profile.

Your content isn’t resonating with them

You’re not solving their issues, you’re not answering their questions, and you may not be positioning yourself as an authority in your industry.

You’re overcomplicating things

Maybe you’re using too many fancy words that not everyone understands, you may be complicating the processes you’re telling your audience to do, or you could be giving them too much information in one go.

There are no hooks or strong CTAs in your content

Therefore, your content isn’t grabbing your audience’s attention. Your audience needs something that will draw them in and continue to read that piece of content and more! They also need to know where to go from that piece of content. What’s the next step for them? Always be thinking of the customer journey. Where do you want them to go after consuming that content? Maybe it’s to subscribe to your email where you’ll dive deeper in that subject, or to download a lead magnet? Or it could be just an engagement call to action, like ‘comment your opinion below’!

Follow this little guide I put together in another blog where I give you 5 key ingredients to writing a compelling caption for Instagram (or any platform for that matter!)

Your profile isn’t optimised

Uh oh! When your profile isn’t optimised, this can cause all sorts of mishaps. People may land on your profile and instantly turn away because 1) they may not know who you serve, 2) they’re unsure what sort of content they’re going to get from you, or 3) they don’t even know your name!!! Think about your Instagram bio like a shop window. You have about 3 – 5 seconds to give the reader a reason to stay on your profile and grab their attention. It should be very easy to understand what your business does/sells just from having a glance at your bio. Take a look at my Instagram bio checklist HERE and get this nailed. It’s super important!

You’re not consistent

Before we discuss this one, let’s be clear. Consistency doesn’t mean constantly. I don’t mean you have to post every day, or show up on stories every day…no no no! What I mean is creating a schedule that works for YOU that allows you to be consistent on Instagram. This could be posting twice a week and showing up on stories two or three times a week. Consistency will look different to everyone. Once you’ve got that consistency, people will begin to know when they will get content from you, and how often.

So, what can you do to stop this from happening in the future?

Losing followers really shouldn’t be your biggest worry. But if follower growth is one of your social media goals, here’s just a few ways you can help make it happen…

• Post consistently (not constantly!)
• Have a plan that’s realistic for you and that works for your business.
• Ask people to turn your post notifications on so they don’t miss content from you in the future.
• Optimise your Instagram profile so people know more about you and what to expect.
• Create more content around what your audience want.
• Talk directly to your ideal client in your content.
• Dive deep into the connection posts and cover your ideal client pain points.
• Give quick solutions to answers from your audiences, don’t just address them.
• Add in strong hooks & CTAs into each piece of content to improve the customer journey.
• Simplify everything for your audience.
• Don’t be afraid to be visible. Let go of those fears and doubts and just do it! You’re the only one holding yourself back.
• Do an audit of your Instagram to make sure your content is spot on.

If you would like help with your Instagram content plan then check out my packages available here. I’d love to help you grow your business through Instagram!