Are you seeing really, really low engagement on your account? You might have a dead Instagram account! A lot of times, people think the best option is to just start a brand new account if they’re seeing super low engagement on their current account. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts about if you should start from scratch (or not) and what to consider when trying to revive your dead Instagram account! 

Having a dead account happens when you have poor engagement, lower than the average engagement rate which is 1-3%. This number consists of all forms of engagement – likes, shares, and comments. For example, this means if you have 1,000 followers, you’re getting less than 10 counts of engagement on your posts regularly. 

Why would a dead Instagram account happen?

There’s a lot of reasons that a dead Instagram can happen. One reason is that you bought fake followers and they’re not engaging with your content. Another reason could be that you’ve been attracting the wrong kinds of followers. This can happen if a random Reel goes viral (or something similar) and it’s not really in line with the content you share regularly. Your audience may be confused or just uninterested in the content you share regularly. Sometimes, if you pivot your content too quickly, your audience may not be invested in the new content either, which could cause a dead account and lower engagement. They’re probably just confused about what you’re doing. Finally, if you post and ghost your audience regularly, they’re just not used to you being present – and it’s throwing them off. They’re not used to engaging with you regularly! 

Let’s break this down a bit further… 

Bought fake followers? 

Definitely start from scratch. If you bought fake followers, what’s the point of continuing with an audience that’s not real or engaged with you. You could find real people who want to interact with your content. I truly think you’re better off starting a new account than trying to revive your dead Instagram account full of fake followers. 

Didn’t buy followers? 

Now, if you’re in the camp where you didn’t buy followers but your community isn’t engaging with you, then I’d encourage you to try reviving your account! Your community may be the right people, so it’s important to try to engage with them before starting from scratch. We talk a lot about how to engage our audiences around here. Things like posting consistently, creating content that they want to see, and creating valuable content will help you show up for your audience. If you show up for your audience, they’re more likely to show up for you. Focus on warm content to engage your followers. Before we worry about new followers, we need to serve the people we have really well. Remember, warm content is going to look more like Instagram Stories, Lives, feed posts, or carousels.  It WILL take time – but I have seen Instagram accounts come back to life, so don’t worry that it’s not possible. After you see more engagement, you can shift back to posting more Reels and content that will engage a cold audience. 

What if Nothing Changes?

If you’ve posted consistently for 2-3 months and still don’t see more than a 1-3% engagement rate, that’s the time to consider re-starting your account. Be patient during those months and show up consistently. Sometimes starting a new account can feel discouraging. But often, you’ll see some good results at the start of that restart. Try to remember that the quality of your followers matters more than how many you have – each follower is a real person who’s supporting you. 

I hope that these tips help you decide what to do with your dead Instagram account! We have tons of resources about creating Instagram content that will serve your audience well, too. So, make sure to check out our resources below so you can achieve your Instagram goals! 

Other Instagram Resources 

Are you struggling to keep up on Instagram? Are you seeing low engagement, not posting consistently, and not attracting the right followers? I want to help!! Join my free Instagram class: What to Post on Instagram for the Next 30 Days: How to Post Consistently, Grow Your Reach, & Gain Highly Engaged Followers. We’re going to chat about what you should post, how often to post, and how to make Instagram fun! Head to http://stephaniekase.com/instagramclass to watch now.

I also offer a free one-hour Instagram Reels class if you want more help with how to grow your reach, followers, and customers with Reels in 2 hours a month! You can sign up for that HERE. And, if you have questions or want some extra support, I’ve got a FREE Reels Growth Facebook Community that you can join. I absolutely love getting to chat with everyone and help them work through their questions about Reels!

Wondering what to make for your next Reel? Free quiz to find out what type of reel idea you should make next! 

Discover what your next step should be to gain your next 1,000 followers!

Need ideas for Instagram? Grab our free sample Instagram posting schedule here!

PS. We’ve started a podcast! If you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the time!  If you’re listening and you have ideas about what to talk about next, please send in your requests! I really do want to know what you want to hear about in future episodes. Email me at [email protected] with your questions!! I can’t wait to hear from you!