Growing on Instagram as an "influencer"

[RoninS]

Hey guys

I have a IG account w/ ~20k followers that I've grown over the past year. It's in a narrow niche (think making your own custom motorcycles). It's all original content.

I've had good growth using Jarvee to automate F/UF. I used to run 400 follows and 400 unfollows a day, but got hit with one of those "it appears as if you may be using automation" notifications. I've scaled it back to 200F/200UF since and concentrated on raising my follow back ratio (currently ~.25). My follow sources are similar sized accounts in the same niche and I mostly focus on people who interact with posts of those sources. Any tips for raising this ratio?

I've done a lot of hashtag optimization. I have a good bank of 200 or so analyzed hashtags that I randomize and break down into sets.

I'm in a decently sized engagement group. There aren't a ton in my niche, unfortunately.

I'd also like to start exploring some new avenues for growth. Would it worth it to explore the mother/child? I don't really want to run 100 accounts, but I know you can buy these services. I worry about the viability since I'm in such a narrow niche. Might be odd if some travel related accounts starts spamming people to check out this guy who builds custom motorcycles and I'd question the engagement of those followers too.

Then there's power like services, but I'm not sure if those are even effective anymore?

There's also full on growth services, but I assume those just do some combination of the above 3?

I don't mind shelling out some cash if there are actually effective service, but I do worry about how effective they'd be for someone in as narrow a niche as me.

If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

 

[kissfixx]

One method: MOTHER SLAVE

 

[Aveil]

Is there any chance for your posts to go relatively viral? I would do some hashtags research

 

[MR.Spuf]

I'd also like to start exploring some new avenues for growth. Would it worth it to explore the mother/child? I don't really want to run 100 accounts, but I know you can buy these services. I worry about the viability since I'm in such a narrow niche. Might be odd if some travel related accounts starts spamming people to check out this guy who builds custom motorcycles and I'd question the engagement of those followers too.

Check the quality of this service. They must be childs related to custom motorcycles targeting followers interested in your niche

 

[nickito]

Your account is too big for follow/unfollow...focus solely on great content to grow your account. Also, STOP using engagement groups. Can't stress this enough. Those are not helping your account AT ALL.

 

[HustleTong]

I mostly focus on people who interact with posts of those sources. Any tips for raising this ratio?

I suppose you focus on users who've liked posts in your niche/related hashtags. Or do you follow up other ideas?

 

[RoninS]

Is there any chance for your posts to go relatively viral? I would do some hashtags research

Ya, I usually have some success going viral on a pretty regular basis. Not hugely viral, but I'll some times reach 40-50k people using hashtags.

I suppose you focus on users who've liked posts in your niche/related hashtags. Or do you follow up other ideas?

Correct, that's basically my system right now. I also target users who follow other similarly sized accounts in my niche, but I prefer to target engaged and active users. My automation is setup to spend 66% of time following users who interacts with posts in my niche, and 33% of the time following users who simply follow other similar sized accounts.

Your account is too big for follow/unfollow...focus solely on great content to grow your account. Also, STOP using engagement groups. Can't stress this enough. Those are not helping your account AT ALL.

That's interesting you say that. It's something I've wondered about for a bit now. At first the engadgement group was great, it really helped my posts reach new audiences, but now it doesn't seem to be doing much anymore and potentially even hurting my performance. Any reason why this is? Does IG punish people who have the same people constantly commenting and liking your photos? My engagement group is strictly people in the same niche as me with similarly sized accounts. We coordinate off of Instagram to make it a little less obvious what we're doing.

Check the quality of this service. They must be childs related to custom motorcycles targeting followers interested in your niche

That's what I'm thinking, but my niche (which isn't motorcycles by the way, I just used that as a similar type of niche) is so, well, niche, that I doubt there are any mother/child services in that niche.

 

[nickito]

That's interesting you say that. It's something I've wondered about for a bit now. At first the engadgement group was great, it really helped my posts reach new audiences, but now it doesn't seem to be doing much anymore and potentially even hurting my performance. Any reason why this is? Does IG punish people who have the same people constantly commenting and liking your photos? My engagement group is strictly people in the same niche as me with similarly sized accounts. We coordinate off of Instagram to make it a little less obvious what we're doing.

Yes, hurting your account. Get out of the engagement group asap. Fake engagement is never good engagement.

 

[RoninS]

Yes, hurting your account. Get out of the engagement group asap. Fake engagement is never good engagement.

Any idea how long it takes to recover from something like this? Is it similar to a shadowban where if you take a couple of weeks off it will recover?

 

[MR.Spuf]

That's what I'm thinking, but my niche (which isn't motorcycles by the way, I just used that as a similar type of niche) is so, well, niche, that I doubt there are any mother/child services in that niche.

This is how the child/mother works. Who are providing this (myself included, but not at the moment so don't ask) the child accounts are brand new created, fully customized for your niche. There aren't some accounts that stay there and wait the client to match their niche. it's viceversa: the niche dictates the type of accounts

 

[RoninS]

This is how the child/mother works. Who are providing this (myself included, but not at the moment so don't ask) the child accounts are brand new created, fully customized for your niche. There aren't some accounts that stay there and wait the client to match their niche. it's viceversa: the niche dictates the type of accounts

Ohhhhh I see. I had no idea. I assumed they were already existing accounts that were used for multiple clients. So it must take some time to see decent results from this method, because the service provider needs time to build up the child accounts, right?

I don't know if it's against the rules, but could you provide me with a recommendation for one of your competitors that you think offers a good product?

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

@RoninS - please have a look here - https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/how-to-use-the-multiquote-feature-on-bhw.975670/

 

[MR.Spuf]

Ohhhhh I see. I had no idea. I assumed they were already existing accounts that were used for multiple clients. So it must take some time to see decent results from this method, because the service provider needs time to build up the child accounts, right?

4 to 6 weeks but it's worth every day since the results are out of this planet.

I don't know if it's against the rules, but could you provide me with a recommendation for one of your competitors that you think offers a good product?

Well, I didn't try anyone and I can't vouch for anybody and I think they are stopped now since the latest Instagram update. You can find it in the marketplace.

 

[RoninS]

@RoninS - please have a look here - https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/how-to-use-the-multiquote-feature-on-bhw.975670/

Got it. My bad, thanks for the tip.

4 to 6 weeks but it's worth every day since the results are out of this planet.



Well, I didn't try anyone and I can't vouch for anybody and I think they are stopped now since the latest Instagram update. You can find it in the marketplace.

Ahhh ya I guess since everyones getting follow blocked it harder to grow new child accounts. I'll poke around in the marketplace and see what I can find.

 

[kelembu]

Your account is too big for follow/unfollow...focus solely on great content to grow your account. Also, STOP using engagement groups. Can't stress this enough. Those are not helping your account AT ALL.

Care to explain why engagement groups are bad? Thanks!

 

[nickito]

Care to explain why engagement groups are bad? Thanks!

They don't work well with the newer algorithms Instagram is using nowadays. Basically, having the same small subset of users constantly engaging with one another is noticeable by Instagram. This means with their newer algorithms, Instagram will increasingly show them posts from the others in the group and less from other people they follow outside the group.Vice versa people outside see less from you, as well. They're aware of engagement groups and now your potential reach is being limited.. So yes, you're "engagement" might be high but it's all fake and hurts the account more than it helps. What happens when you leave the engagement group? You'll still see all their posts and when you post you get none of that engagement again and no one else will really see your posts.

I hope this makes sense and helps..

 

[RoninS]

They don't work well with the newer algorithms Instagram is using nowadays. Basically, having the same small subset of users constantly engaging with one another is noticeable by Instagram. This means with their newer algorithms, Instagram will increasingly show them posts from the others in the group and less from other people they follow outside the group.Vice versa people outside see less from you, as well. They're aware of engagement groups and now your potential reach is being limited.. So yes, you're "engagement" might be high but it's all fake and hurts the account more than it helps. What happens when you leave the engagement group? You'll still see all their posts and when you post you get none of that engagement again and no one else will really see your posts.

I hope this makes sense and helps..

Kind of, but it begs the question that if you leave an engagement pod what do you do to regain that lost engagement since your posts aren't being seen by anyone other than the former members of your pod?

 

[sopaj96]

They don't work well with the newer algorithms Instagram is using nowadays. Basically, having the same small subset of users constantly engaging with one another is noticeable by Instagram. This means with their newer algorithms, Instagram will increasingly show them posts from the others in the group and less from other people they follow outside the group.Vice versa people outside see less from you, as well. They're aware of engagement groups and now your potential reach is being limited.. So yes, you're "engagement" might be high but it's all fake and hurts the account more than it helps. What happens when you leave the engagement group? You'll still see all their posts and when you post you get none of that engagement again and no one else will really see your posts.

I hope this makes sense and helps..

so if you have followers that actively engage thats a bad thing?
From my understanding pods/engagement groups can be good to get likes, boost the engagement to rank in hashtags.
If the people that engage with you follows you then how can it be "bad".
Im curious

 

[nickito]

Kind of, but it begs the question that if you leave an engagement pod what do you do to regain that lost engagement since your posts aren't being seen by anyone other than the former members of your pod?

Well that's exactly why engagement groups are a bad tactic to get in to. They worked well in previous years but not anymore. I'd suggest maybe engaging heavily with your followers to get the algorithm back to normal or just find ways to get new followers to almost "reset", so to say, the algorithm.

so if you have followers that actively engage thats a bad thing?
From my understanding pods/engagement groups can be good to get likes, boost the engagement to rank in hashtags.
If the people that engage with you follows you then how can it be "bad".
Im curious

Because it's all fake engagement. If they all stop engaging with your posts, what's left? You won't rank in hashtags and your posts aren't reaching your real followers as much anymore.

 

[LMTarr]

Engagement groups have a useful purpose because they are good to get you onto the explore page if the other users in your pod have many followers too.

I use F/UF, tag big accounts, and use targeted hashtags for my posts. I grow around 80 users a day in the travel niche.