How to Get Bots to Follow You on Instagram: A Shady Guide (And Why You Shouldn’t)

Want a flood of seemingly new followers on Instagram? The path to bot-ville isn’t paved with social media best practices. It’s a shortcut through a digital back alley, one fraught with risks and ultimately, a hollow victory. In essence, to get bots to follow you on Instagram, you need to purchase them from services specializing in fake engagement or utilize bot automation tools designed to mimic real user activity.

Let’s break down these unsavory methods, then explore why embracing them is akin to building a sandcastle during high tide.

Delving into the Dark Arts: How to Attract the Bots

1. Buying Followers: The Quick (and Dirty) Fix

This is the most direct, albeit ethically bankrupt, route. Numerous websites offer packages of Instagram followers for a fee. The price varies based on the quantity and purported quality (which is usually an oxymoron) of the followers.

• How it works: You find a seller, choose a package, pay the price, and within hours (or days), your follower count inflates dramatically.
• What you get: An army of fake accounts, often with generic usernames, no profile pictures, or nonsensical posts. These are not real people.
• Risks involved: Instagram actively cracks down on fake followers. Buying them can lead to shadowbanning, account suspension, or even permanent deletion. It also erodes trust with your genuine audience and screams “inauthenticity” to anyone who bothers to look closely.

2. Instagram Automation Tools: Mimicking Human (Poorly)

These tools aim to automate engagement activities like liking, commenting, and following other accounts, hoping they’ll reciprocate. While some are marketed as “growth hacking,” they’re essentially bot-powered.

• How it works: You configure the tool to target specific hashtags, locations, or users. The bot then automatically performs actions on your behalf, such as liking posts with certain hashtags or following users who follow a competitor.
• What you get: Some real followers, mixed with a high percentage of bot accounts or inactive profiles. The engagement is generally superficial and doesn’t contribute to genuine community building.
• Risks involved: This violates Instagram’s Terms of Service. Aggressive automation can trigger Instagram’s algorithm, resulting in action blocks, where you’re temporarily prevented from liking, commenting, or following. Repeated violations can lead to account suspension.

3. Follow/Unfollow Strategies: The Desperate Gambit

This involves following a large number of accounts with the expectation that they’ll follow you back, then unfollowing them later. While technically not always using bots, it’s often amplified by automation tools, blurring the line significantly.

• How it works: You follow thousands of accounts, hoping for a high follow-back rate. After a period, you unfollow those who didn’t reciprocate, leaving you with a higher follower count than following count.
• What you get: A temporary boost in followers, many of whom are likely inactive or uninterested in your content. The unfollowing phase can be detected by apps that track follower activity, further damaging your reputation.
• Risks involved: This is widely considered a spammy and irritating practice. It can alienate potential genuine followers and damage your brand image. Instagram is also wise to this tactic and can penalize accounts that engage in excessive follow/unfollow activity.

Why Bot Followers Are a Bad Investment

Beyond the ethical considerations and the risk of violating Instagram’s rules, bot followers offer absolutely no tangible benefit. They don’t engage with your content, don’t buy your products, and don’t contribute to a thriving community. They’re simply vanity metrics, numbers that look impressive but are ultimately meaningless. A small, engaged audience of real people is infinitely more valuable than a million bot followers. Instead, invest in creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience, and building genuine connections.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Instagram Bots

1. Are all Instagram accounts with no profile picture bots?

Not necessarily, but it’s a red flag. A genuine account with no profile picture might be a new user or someone prioritizing privacy. However, a large number of accounts with generic characteristics (no profile picture, no posts, random username) are strong indicators of bot activity.

2. How can I tell if someone has bought followers?

Look for a disproportionately high follower count compared to engagement. If an account has 100,000 followers but only receives a handful of likes and comments on each post, it’s highly likely they’ve purchased followers. You can also use third-party tools that analyze follower authenticity.

3. Will Instagram automatically remove bot followers?

Instagram actively works to identify and remove fake accounts and bot activity. They employ algorithms and manual reviews to detect and eliminate inauthentic followers. However, it’s an ongoing battle, and some bots inevitably slip through the cracks.

4. What is “shadowbanning” and how does it relate to bots?

Shadowbanning is when Instagram limits the reach of your content without explicitly notifying you. Your posts may not appear in hashtag searches or on the Explore page for non-followers. Using bots or violating Instagram’s terms of service significantly increases your risk of being shadowbanned.

5. Can I report fake followers on another account?

Yes, you can report suspicious accounts to Instagram. However, it’s unlikely to result in immediate action unless there’s clear evidence of bot activity or policy violations.

6. Is using an Instagram growth service inherently bad?

Not all growth services are created equal. Some use legitimate strategies to grow your audience organically, such as running targeted ads or collaborating with influencers. However, many rely on bot-like automation or unethical tactics, which can put your account at risk. Do your research and choose reputable services with transparent practices.

7. What are the long-term consequences of using bots?

The long-term consequences can be severe. Besides potential account suspension, you’ll damage your brand reputation, lose the trust of your genuine audience, and ultimately fail to build a sustainable presence on Instagram.

8. How does Instagram detect bot activity?

Instagram uses sophisticated algorithms that analyze user behavior, including:

• Follow/unfollow patterns: Detecting accounts that rapidly follow and unfollow large numbers of users.
• Engagement rates: Identifying accounts with suspiciously low engagement rates compared to their follower count.
• Account characteristics: Flagging accounts with generic usernames, no profile pictures, or suspicious activity patterns.
• IP address and device information: Identifying accounts originating from the same IP address or device, suggesting bot farms.

9. What are some ethical ways to grow my Instagram following?

Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target audience. Use relevant hashtags, engage with your followers, collaborate with other creators, and run contests or giveaways. Consider running targeted ads to reach a wider audience. Building a genuine community takes time and effort, but it’s worth it in the long run.

10. Can using bots negatively affect my engagement rate?

Absolutely. Bot followers don’t engage with your content, which drastically lowers your engagement rate (likes, comments, shares). A low engagement rate signals to Instagram’s algorithm that your content isn’t valuable, further reducing its visibility.

11. Are there any benefits to having a large follower count, even if some are bots?

The only potential benefit is a superficial appearance of popularity. However, this is easily detectable and ultimately hollow. The negative consequences far outweigh any perceived benefits.

12. What should I do if I suspect my account has been targeted by bots?

If you suspect your account has been flooded with fake followers, you can manually block and remove them. You can also report the suspicious accounts to Instagram. While this may be time-consuming, it’s important to protect your account and maintain a genuine audience. Prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to your followers.

Ultimately, chasing bot followers is a fool’s errand. It’s a shortcut that leads to a dead end. Focus on building a genuine community, creating valuable content, and engaging authentically with your audience. That’s the path to sustainable success on Instagram.