IG manual growth suggestions

[Vannix]

Hello guys, amazing forum I've been reading a lot this last month!

I have some best practices questions for you, I hope simple to answer.

I only have a personal IG profile, I'm mainly a musician.. so I've got YT channel, website and all other socials.. I post high quality videos, diary photos and photos of me and other stuffs. Love to edit with lightroom and VSCO films, so my style is that.
I don't plan to monetize anything, I only want a good exposure.. maybe to get some sponsorships at least (need to ask, or with a good exposure and K they should get in touch with me?).

I've been doing manual follow/unfollow daily for the last month (1/2 days of following, and 1 of unfollow).
Got 6500 followers today. (I've started with 450).
I usually go to similar pages (that is clear they do the same trick..) and steal some of their following/followers regularly. (now I click on ever user to open the profile, check if it is private, and if it is not I follow.)
I see they are most brazilian people, don't know why.. they haven't got really quality photos, but I don't think they are fake, someone get back and likes photos regularly.

I get around 350-400likes in few days when posting photos/selfies of mine, other ones at least gets 150 - 200 likes.. I only use spare hashtags or nothing at all.

Sometimes I also go to hashtags I use and like some photos.

I used iconosquare to check my spread rate and it is ridiculous.. 0,2%, but I think it is normal.. I use few hashtags, right?

Question:
I want to get as much interactions as possible and organic followers, doing all the stuff manually (I got some IG warnings.. like "you can't follow this user right now", stopped from following, btw my account is 3 years old.. never used a bot, only instagress for a week), which is the best method? Where to steal the followers to do the trick with? I see people with 250k and max 2000likes/photo.. very bad I think. Is it a problem that I have VERY BAD spread % on iconosquare? I have the impression that IG has reduced my exposure last weeks, I get fewer likes.. but I've been doing only manual growing.

Niches:
Music, fashion and photography.. very High quality contents, my job allows me to travel a lot and I'm usually with other famous musicians (Bocelli, Ramazzotti, John Legend), football players, Milan, Inter etc.. Gala nights and fashion events, so I post sometimes this type of photos too.

Thanks a lot I really appreciate!!!

 

[mladja3]

How much daily do you follow manually? 6000 in a month is not bad at all.

 

[Vannix]

How much daily do you follow manually? 6000 in a month is not bad at all.

Usually around 800, with this method I've got around 4000 in 1 month, the other 2000 from December to march but I wasn't so crazy about it!
in general unfortunately, I'm seeing that the following/re follow ratio is getting so bad those last days.. I don't know what IG staff is doing! Damn!

 

[mrperfect314]

Try doing s4s with other accounts in your niche that would help you to grow faster than the followliker

 

[JustChillin]

Almost everyone noticed a decrease of engagement in the last weeks, my bet is that Instagram must have updated some of their algorithms. I think if you want to get engagement followers, your best bet is following people who liked/commented on a specific photo related to your niche.

 

[Vannix]

Try doing s4s with other accounts in your niche that would help you to grow faster than the followliker

Good idea.. never Did! What's the best way? And the best way to find user (maybe with my same amount of followers right?) that will do?
Simply random DMing?

Almost everyone noticed a decrease of engagement in the last weeks, my bet is that Instagram must have updated some of their algorithms. I think if you want to get engagement followers, your best bet is following people who liked/commented on a specific photo related to your niche.

Did this for a little time and haven't got a good response.. maybe wrong user/photos, I looked for them on the pop page

 

[Paper-Boy]

Since you're a musician, why don't you collab with a another semi-popular musician?

I see a ton of people on youtube who perform duets via covers to increase their exposure.

 

[PopMage]

Your doing good man and yeah ^ do a collab that'll help get you exposure

 

[M0l0t0v]

You may also consider using Justunfollow if you're really annoyed with clicking account after account. It allows you to follow/unfollow a user's followers a lot quicker, but doesn't differentiate between open or closed accounts

 

[Vannix]

Thank you guys, I'll let you updated.. It's a second job !!
I use justunfollow (crowdfire now), but I can't find the way to unfollow people that follow me, only who doesn't! I payed premium too to unlock the "hide already followed" option in the copy followers section, but they are really unfair, the option is only for twitter (they doesn't specify, and their support is horrible) and it doesn't even works for it!

 

[WiggyBiz]

6000 in a month isnt bad at all!

In fact I am quite jealous, I got 4000 in one month. Good job OP

 

[fredfred547]

Continue what you're doing. If you have no budget and don't want to use a bot, that is the best option. Trading shoutouts with other musicians (example: posting a 15 second video of you singing or whatever you do and then putting your account in the description) is another decent idea. Youtube is great for exposure as well. Just keep it up, you're on the right track.

 

[mladz]

Im a big Inter Milan fan! Im so jealous mate..ill trade my 120k followers for the inter milan job any day haha

 

[alukard13mm]

Almost everyone noticed a decrease of engagement in the last weeks, my bet is that Instagram must have updated some of their algorithms. I think if you want to get engagement followers, your best bet is following people who liked/commented on a specific photo related to your niche.

Yep, I agree, I also notice that decrease on engagement, looks like focusing on active users (manually) realated to your niche will help increasing again engagement..

 

[Vannix]

I've been very busy with my job/studies guys, but let me update you!

Currently at 8,7k, some people started following me without doing the trick.. not very quality people, but the account is getting around a little bit.

Posting a photo and getting the account a rest (so not doing that day the trick.. so I can exclude likes generated on the fly by the new followers) I get:

around 250likes for photos of mine/shootings (with the trick, they are where I get the most attention.. I have photos with 600likes)
180likes other things (I usually post amazing landscapes or other media that I do, so live events or gala nights I attend to)
I know that my account is strange because is a personal type one... but I think my engagement is very low, what do you think? what to do? The content is very high quality dslr post edited photos

 

[SmTasker]

I've been very busy with my job/studies guys, but let me update you!

Currently at 8,7k, some people started following me without doing the trick.. not very quality people, but the account is getting around a little bit.

Posting a photo and getting the account a rest (so not doing that day the trick.. so I can exclude likes generated on the fly by the new followers) I get:

around 250likes for photos of mine/shootings (with the trick, they are where I get the most attention.. I have photos with 600likes)
180likes other things (I usually post amazing landscapes or other media that I do, so live events or gala nights I attend to)
I know that my account is strange because is a personal type one... but I think my engagement is very low, what do you think? what to do? The content is very high quality dslr post edited photos

congratz for a nice increase, as for the difference in likes i think it's normal because when you cocentrate on a niche most followers will want to see that thing, when you post landscapes they are not so interested in that, i wouldn't mind too much about that, just keep growing the account, it's the most important thing to do.

 

[Vannix]

congratz for a nice increase, as for the difference in likes i think it's normal because when you cocentrate on a niche most followers will want to see that thing, when you post landscapes they are not so interested in that, i wouldn't mind too much about that, just keep growing the account, it's the most important thing to do.

Thanks, I'll keep it going!

 

[Isaxmx]

Thank you guys, I'll let you updated.. It's a second job !!
I use justunfollow (crowdfire now), but I can't find the way to unfollow people that follow me, only who doesn't! I payed premium too to unlock the "hide already followed" option in the copy followers section, but they are really unfair, the option is only for twitter (they doesn't specify, and their support is horrible) and it doesn't even works for it!

use Instrack to unfollow. It gets shit done

 

[soulcollector]

I suggest doing something greyhat like boosting your social metrics, and having it drip onto your most active followers. People go shit crazy when you hold a contest and they get back positive responses on their submissions and such. Don't condone them spamming their cpa offers on your profile, but even if one or two do I usually send them some "traffic" just to keep their hopes burning brightly.