Instagram Accounts That Follow Back Boost Your Account

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Karen Lin

Instagram Growth | Mar 23, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If we translate this fundamental law of physics to social media, you’d only follow Instagram accounts that follow back. So why are so many users still in the red regarding their follower count? 

We’re here to answer all of those questions. We know how to get more Instagram followers and spend your follow-back wisely. Keep reading for information on how effective this strategy’s effectiveness and where to find Instagram users that follow back.

Phone screen displaying Instagram follower numbers from Instagram users that follow back.

How to Get More Followers on Instagram: Connect With Instagram Accounts That Will Follow You Back

Before you set off on a hunt for Instagram accounts that follow back, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Respect the Ratio

Don’t skew your follower/following ratio so that your following numbers are way higher than your follower numbers. This adversely affects your account metrics. In these situations, Instagram’s algorithm ranks your posts lower on your followers’ feeds. Avoid following folks indiscriminately hoping that the more people you follow, the more followers you’ll earn.

2. Mind the Limits

Don’t exceed Instagram’s daily limit on both follows and unfollows. A follow and unfollow both count towards the same total. Doing too many of either of these actions look spammy to Instagram, especially when you hit that follow button randomly. For that, you and your account earn a penalty.

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3. Aim for a Target (Audience)

One of the true keys to success on Instagram or any social media platform is having an engaged audience. So often, influencer hopefuls focus only on numbers. They think that as long as they have a high follower count, they’re golden. But the truth is more complicated.

You could have a million free Instagram followers. But if none of them ever direct message, comment or share your content, it doesn’t matter. Instagram will lower your content in the algorithm because your posts aren’t keeping people on the app. 

Stay focused when you’re building out your audience and thinking about IG accounts that follow back. Only follow those with the potential to feed into your following and align with your brand.

Man working on a laptop searching for Instagram users that follow back.

How Do You Attract Instagram Accounts That Follow Back Instantly?

Are you trying the follow-for-follow approach to grow your follower numbers? Do you want followers on IG fast? Then make sure you do it right and find an Instagram account likely to follow back. Here are some tips on how to attract Instagram accounts that follow back instantly.

H3: Make Your Account Public

Before you even think about tracking down Instagram follow back accounts, you need to make your account public. That’s the number one way to increase your follower growth. After all, if no one can see your posts, they have no motivation to follow you back. If you’re private, they won’t know what your content is.

It’s true that some profiles (especially ones run by bots) give blind follows. But those pages also aren’t likely to boost your engagement. They’ll just collect your account as another way to increase their numbers and dump you when the time’s right.

H3: Link Your Accounts

If you have other social media accounts, compile a list of users who regularly interact with you. Find them one by one on Instagram. Or link your Instagram account with your other social media accounts to sync your contacts. 

H3: Be An Explorer

Use Instagram’s Search & Explore feature to find photos and videos that you might like from new accounts. These recommendations originate from your shared interests, so these Instagram users may follow you back. Tip the scale in your favor further by visiting a user’s profile and interacting with their most recent posts.  

Path Social graphic overlaying closeup of browsing Instagram for accounts that follow back with laptop in background.

H3: Up Your Engagement

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: engagement is the key to growing Instagram followers organically. Without friends actively watching, liking, commenting and sharing your posts, your page eventually stagnates.

The same goes for trying to attract  Instagram accounts that follow back instantly. If you’re consistently ranking in great engagement on your posts, your Instagram account becomes more appealing. Other users will see you have a captive audience and want to get in on that.

Additionally, the IG algorithm favors pages with high engagement. So if your account is active, you’re more likely to end up on someone’s explore page and recommended follows. 

Some of the best ways to increase Instagram engagement are:

  • Use the poll or “react” tools in IG Stories 
  • Caption your photos with a question or call to action.

Both actions transform your Instagram profile from another post wall to a real person connecting with others. Instagram users feed off parasocial relationships, so why not give them something to satisfy their appetites?

H3: Check Out the Competition

Check out your competitors’ followers because these people are genuinely interested in your field. Additionally, checking how many followers they have helps you set a follower count goal. Select followers who actively like and comment on your competitors’ posts.

To introduce your brand, visit each follower’s profile and interact with them directly by liking and commenting on their posts. Just avoid shameless and aggressive self-promotion. If they respond to you, they will likely follow you back. 

Track your target audience by searching hashtags relevant to your niche, industry, and location tags. Review the results and find people matching your target audience’s profile. Again, try to engage with them first; those who respond are most likely Instagram users that will follow you back.

Create an Instagram profile and content that appeals to your competitors’ followers. Create searchable Story Highlights that pique interest. Pin your most popular post to make a good first impression on curious would-be followers. Craft a unique and fascinating bio to make your Instagram account worth following.

H3: Don’t Neglect Hashtags

We know there’s something so incredibly 2014 about hashtags. But while they’re not the trendy mid-sentence seasoning they used to be, they’re still vital to increasing your online exposure.

If you’re struggling to rope in an Instagram follow-back community, try adding hashtags to your social media routine. You can place them at the bottom of your caption on a feed post or as the first comment. You can also sprinkle a few carefully curated hashtags into your IG stories.

Just ensure you add relevant hashtags so you don’t look like you’re spam posting. No one wants to scroll through a page of “#tbt #mondaymotivation #vibes.”

H3: Optimize Your Profile

First impressions are everything in the real world and online. Someone scrolling through their phone won’t dedicate more than a split second to any unfamiliar page. So you need to make the most of that millisecond. Do this by optimizing your profile. 

Make sure you have a clear, high-quality profile picture. If it’s a personal page, make sure it’s your best photo or one that best represents you and your posts. If it’s a brand page, make it a clean, aesthetic logo.

 On top of that, make sure you’ve picked a handle and name that correspond with your online presence. For example, don’t have a slew of random letters and numbers for a handle. Keep it short and sweet. 

Finally, spruce up your bio. This is the place to give someone the Instagram equivalent of your elevator pitch. Use short sentences and appropriate emojis to quickly capture the attention of potential followers. Then, pop in a link in your Instagram bio so viewers can learn more about you with just a tap.

Tablet screen showing various social media platforms to demonstrate linking of accounts to find potential Instagram followers.

Should You Use Apps to Find Instagram Follow Back Accounts?

Many third-party apps promise to deliver Instagram Accounts that follow back or just one-way-street followers. A couple of these apps offer free IG followers, free Instagram views, and free followers on other apps. Others offer follow-backs for a price instead of free Instagram followers services.

Some apps directly sell followers or trade credits for followers. Other apps offer a suite of social media management services. These include audience targeting, content promotion, and account engagement to deliver “organic” followers.

However, most apps use bots, fake accounts, or both. Any automated activity on Instagram, such as automated follows and auto-generated likes and comments, go against the platform’s terms of use. They’ll put your account at risk of getting suspended or permanently banned.

Furthermore, many businesses offering “free services” are fraudulent. They might not collect money from you upfront. But they’re likely collecting your private information or could even steal your login credentials.

Even if you earn some genuine followers, these users are likely random and uninterested in your content. They will not provide engagement and will, therefore, throw your metrics out of whack. Why? Because your increase in follower numbers has no corresponding increase in engagement. These random followers can also unfollow you any time they want.

If you use the wrong app and boost your numbers with fake accounts, it’ll backfire. Instagram users quickly spot spam or bot-like activities and fake users. Whether or not you’re aware that the followers delivered to you are fake, their mere presence will affect your credibility, and you may lose your existing followers.

As a general rule, if you see any of the following outlandish claims from an app, scroll away:

Path Social logo and graphic of verified blue check overlaying hands browsing Instagram accounts that follow back.

Are There Verified Accounts That Will Follow Back on Instagram?

Yes, there are verified accounts that will follow back on Instagram. However, the list of accounts changes constantly, so it’s impossible to give a detailed list. One interpretation might have a blue check one day and lose it the next. Or a user may stop following back random accounts to preserve their verified status. While earning a follow from a verified account is exciting, it’s not the end all be all.

What to do about Instagram Accounts That Don’t Follow You Back

We’ve been talking a lot about IG accounts that follow back. But what about those Instagram accounts that don’t follow you back? For one thing, it’s inevitable. Not everyone abides by the “follow for follow” courtesy. Some just reap all the benefits without sharing the wealth. If this happens to you, you have a couple of options.

  • Unfollow them. Once you discover which Instagram account doesn’t follow you back, you can scrub them from your list. They don’t actively contribute to your profile’s growth, so say bye-bye.
  • Continue to follow them.  On Instagram or other platforms, keeping tabs on successful pages in your field is beneficial.
Path Social graphic overlaying tapping like on an Instagram account that follows back with coffee in the background.

How To See Who Doesn’t Follow You Back On Instagram

Knowing who doesn’t follow you back on Instagram is essential for anyone streamlining their online presence. You can cut the fat from your “Following” list and focus on valuable relationships. But here’s the bad news: there’s no quick way to see a long list of every follower you’ve lost. 

We know what you’re thinking. “I can search ‘how to see who doesn’t follow back on Instagram.’ I find loads of services ready to help.” The truth is most of those sites are direct or indirect scams.

They’ll either immediately steal your personal information without offering valuable insights, or they’ll mine your personal data. On top of that, giving one of these sites access to your accounts puts you on Instagram’s firing line for bot-driven accounts.

Ultimately, your safest bet is to go one by one through your following list and see who doesn’t follow back.

Close-up shot of phone screen showing App Store icon.

A Follow for a Follow: What’s the Final Verdict?

If you know how to find legit Instagram users that follow back, then the follow-for-follow strategy can give you the numbers boost you need. But always keep an eye out for fake or bot accounts; never hit that follow button unless you’ve checked out the user’s profile and verified that they’re a real person.

If you need help growing your brand on Instagram, you may also partner with a reliable growth service, such as Path Social. Unlike third-party followers apps, we won’t rope you in with a fake free Instagram followers trial. Path Social will help you gain real followers who are genuinely interested in your content so that you can also expect quality engagement. Take advantage of Path Social’s proprietary AI targeting technology and in-house team of experts, and start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!