The growth of social media platforms is impressive, and the future looks bright. You might catch up with your Aunt Suzy on Instagram, who you haven’t seen in decades since she moved upcountry. Maybe the conversation with former classmates from six years ago is getting juicier, and you need to follow it. Meanwhile, you wonder why people follow you on Instagram.
Quick Answer: I understand how you feel. It gives goosebumps, doesn’t it? It happens almost all the time, to both new and old users. One of the main reasons people randomly follow your account is because bots use your page to support their business.
Other reasons may explain your difficult situation: you are a new user and Instagram offers its users to follow your account. Or, you are using hashtags that others are also using, and you get follow requests from random people.
Does it strike you as odd that bot activities could affect one of the biggest social platforms? Bot programs follow and unfollow you on Instagram, hoping you follow them back. If you observe these “random followers” for a day or two, chances are they have already unfollowed you.
Keep reading to understand why you are noticing followers that you cannot justify on your Instagram account. We are going to discuss the reasons mentioned above and others that might shock you.
Computer programs or bot activities
I know I almost took your breath away with this, but here’s the thing: spambots are one of the biggest problems Instagram has yet to tackle. This is not a recent phenomenon because if you try to open a new account now, you will likely get likes, views, and follows from people you don’t know.
Automation tools such as auto-like bots and follow/unfollow tools have been blocked by Instagram, but some still exist within the platform. Instagram is constantly trying to track and block them in order to create fake interactions with users.
If you manage a personal or professional account and you engage an influencer or a brand that mentions or tags you, you will probably get new followers. It’s natural.
Warning: If you haven’t had a similar engagement and your count is increasing, fix this issue to prevent Instagram from banning your account.
Suggestions from Instagram
Instagram is not as easy as it seems to many. It’s more complex, and its mysterious algorithms require delving into research to understand how it works. Instagram shows bundles of account suggestions based on your activities. It takes into account your searches, comments, likes and location.
If you follow Kardashian Tea and Stories, Instagram may suggest you follow similar accounts. Or, if you searched for travel agencies to help you plan your stay in Miami, your account might be suggested to such pages, and they might follow you.
The hashtag shenanigans
A while back, hashtags were all the rage, and you could see people wearing t-shirts with branded hashtags, personalized mugs, and bumper stickers. Instagram has stepped up this practice, and if you use these tags on your photos, users using the same might notice and follow your account.
Sometimes your posts may go viral due to massive shares, and many users spot the genuine poster to follow. The fact that your Instagram photos, reels or IGTVs go viral means that many users promote your content.
Quick tip: If you want targeted followers, use this strategy.
Page administrators and Instagram account managers on the hunt for followers.
Today, the numbers on Instagram say a lot about your page and your content (this is not always the case because these streets have scammers). Brands, businesses, and corporations are scrambling to boost their numbers, hoping to skyrocket engagement and sales.
People manipulating similar pages follow you to increase the number of followers when you follow certain pages. These buddies may outsmart you and remove you from their list once you follow them. For example, if you follow Dave Ramsey today, other financial pages might follow you because you show interest in similar content.
Merging accounts with other social media platforms
I know we are busy and no one has time to post on each social media platform they use individually. What better ? Linking Instagram to Facebook and Twitter (X) is a shortcut.
In this case, your friends and followers on linked platforms receive notifications when you share content on Instagram. Anyone interested in following you on Facebook or Twitter (X) after seeing the Instagram content you share could do so.
Blind searches
It’s like going on a blind date. Not sure if your date could be someone you know! Some Instagram users blindly type in a username and follow all accounts under that name. You might be a victim of search scenarios.
If you receive them in your inbox trying to demystify their identity, the owner of the account could admit his gesture. Or, if he is disturbed by your eagerness, ignore or block you.
Stalkers with Pseudo-Accounts
We all know that keyboard warriors have hundreds of pseudo-accounts to stalk their unsuspecting victims, and you might fall for their trap. It could be your ex who heard about your success and your life and wants to confirm for himself.
A suitor may have seen in you a potential partner and the only way to try his luck is to conceal his true identity. Or maybe you’re hanging out with a married person, and their partner decides to follow in your Instagram footsteps?
Your profile is generally impressive
If spambots aren’t attacking your account, real people are! Your profile picture, bio, and feed can impress a few who will follow you and your content. This happens to many users, and we are here for those people.
Conclusion
Most of the reasons why you receive follow requests from random people can be outrageous, but that’s it! Now that you know about spambots, alias stalkers, and random searchers, you can get things under control.
To try to counter this phenomenon, switch to a private account (it’s like building a fence around your account) in order to self-approve any follow request. You can also block random followers – you own the account and you can choose what you want to do with it!
