Let’s face it, we’ve all been guilty of scrolling Instagram and being impressed by those accounts with 100,000 + followers, and we are often contacted by brands who want us to help them grow their follower count quickly. Understandably, companies want attractive follower numbers so that when potential new followers see the account, they want to follow. But let’s take a closer look at what’s more important, Instagram follower numbers or Instagram engagement rates.
Instagram Followers
In theory, having more Instagram followers means more potential customers or existing customers will see a company’s posts. This can partly be why many companies become obsessed with their follower numbers and have this as their primary metric when looking at Instagram (or any other social media platform, for that matter).
Many individuals and brands are often tempted to buy followers, but we do not recommend this. Buying followers might make your numbers more appealing, but you’ll probably just pay for spam or fake accounts to follow you. They won’t engage with your posts, won’t become a customer, and you will be breaching Instagram’s community guidelines. Instagram also regularly carries out purges of all fake and bot followers on their platform, which could then mean a considerable drop in your follower count or even mean your account is suspended for violating guidelines.
Instagram Engagement
We consistently tell clients who come to us looking to boost their follower numbers quickly and reach that elusive 10,000, 20,000 or even 100,000 follower mark that instead of solely focusing on follower numbers, they should be more concerned with engagement rates.
There’s absolutely no point in having a vast number of followers if none of them is engaging with your posts. Instead, it’s much more useful to have smaller numbers of engaged followers who interact with your posts, are your target audience and are likely to purchase your product.
Engagement rate is determined by dividing the number of engagements (likes, comments, saves etc.) by the number of followers you have and multiplying by 100 to give a percentage. The average engagement rate for Instagram is around 1.2%. However, it’s important to note that this rate changes depending on the industry.
Social media is about building an engaged and loyal community that interacts with your posts and affinity your brand. Whilst follower count may be seen by some as an indicator of popularity, the fundamental metric you want to focus on is engagement.
If you want to discuss your Instagram marketing strategy, Caffeine Marketing is here to help. We can help you get people clicking that are interested in your product or service and help increase your engagement rates. Contact our team now on 0800 955 0499.
