Last week I shared a video about what you should be doing to grow your Instagram organically. This week, I want to talk about what you shouldn’t be doing! These strategies may have worked in the past to grow Instagram accounts but they don’t work anymore! I want you to save your time and energy and focus on what matters most, so let’s dive into the five Instagram growth strategies to NOT do in 2021.

Comment Pods

The first thing I want to talk about are comment pods! They’re basically when you’re in a group message with maybe 10-15 other Instagram users. Every time you post, you share the post to the group and they all go like and comment on it to give it a little boost. I used to be part of some, but they’re just not as helpful anymore! Honestly, those who are in your pod probably aren’t your ideal client. This is important because as they comment, this signals to Instagram that people like them want your content. So, that’s where your content gets pushed, instead of to your ideal clients. 

Commenting on strangers’ posts most of the time

Another comment strategy I see is users commenting on strangers’ posts, in hopes that they’ll check you out (even without following them). Believe me, engaging with users is GOOD but it’s better to focus on your ideal audience and replying to your audience. The other thing is, it’s really obvious when other people do this. It doesn’t feel genuine and as someone who gets these comments a lot, it’s not really meaningful. I know a lot of people spend SO much time doing this and it’s just not a good option. 

Worrying about every post being the same engagement 

Something you don’t need to worry about right now is whether or not EVERY piece of content has the same engagement rate. This used to be super common – a lot of Instagram users were tracking on every post and it’s just not necessary. Instagram Reels have become really popular and it’s changed the game on Instagram! Engagement rates are still important (especially if you want to work with certain brands) but they’re not everything. I always see higher engagement on my Reels and not as much on my regular posts but that’s also because Instagram isn’t pushing it out to people the same way. I think worrying about this on every post is a waste of your energy and doesn’t matter as much as you think! 

Follow and unfollow bots

I really don’t recommend this method. Instagram is getting smart about the accounts that are using these kinds of bots and it’s actually hurtful to your account. I’d rather focus on creating amazing content that attracts people to my account – and who want to genuinely engage with me – so I can grow my account. There’s other options, like Instagram Reels, to achieve a bigger reach with your account without these awful bots! 

Making your feed appear “perfect”

The last Instagram strategy I’d avoid focusing on right now is making your feed appear “perfect”. Don’t get me wrong – I totally think your account should be on brand with consistent colors and the same editing style, but I think that the Instagram community wants to connect with the real people behind the brands. Users aren’t coming to your account because you’re perfect – they want to see the real YOU. It’s more about the content you’re sharing than how perfect every single image is in order. 

What SHOULD you do? 

Last week, I shared five Instagram growth strategies that ARE working in 2021. Come take a look and try some of them out. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to build genuine connections with your audience on Instagram. Real connections with real people will carry you farther than any robot ever will!