Is your Instagram following stale? Maybe you haven’t been gaining any new followers, but instead, losing them? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, it’s a common complaint especially with the platform’s ever-changing algorithms. While it’s impossible to change the algorithms, you can rest assured knowing that there are many other ways to ensure you’re not the reason your following isn’t growing.

Social media is a treasured tool, it’s a way that companies, public figures and the like can reach millions of people in one spot –and if we play our cards right, we can too– so it’s no wonder why we place so much expectation and value into our social profiles.

As a social media coach, I often hear my clients state similar problems –they want to grow (or at very least maintain) their audience but they can’t figure out how. I get it, I’ve been there. When you’re busy with the other aspects of your life it can be daunting to even think about what you could be doing to improve your social media presence. If this sounds like you, maybe these 5 simple tips will help keep you from losing your IG followers.

You’re not hashtagging enough

One or two hashtags here or there isn’t going to cut it; and if you’re one of those people who think hashtags are “ugly” well, it’s time to get over it! I always tell my clients that hashtags are one of the best and FREE ways to market on Instagram; so why are we not all taking advantage of using the full 30? By hashtagging, you’re giving your post up to 30x the possible visibility to potential new followers. Sure, it might not always work, but when it does, it works extremely well –and you know, it doesn’t hurt to try!

You’re posting the wrong content

Let’s talk hypothetically for a moment. If you have a bakery profile and you start posting photos of your dog on it, you’re going to lose followers. If you’re not posting the content that people expect to see from you (like bakery items), it’s unlikely they’re going to stick around. Stay in your niche –and share your personal photos on your personal pages.

You’re not on a posting schedule 

If you post erratically, be it too often or too infrequent, your interaction rates will suffer and your followers are going to drop. Stick to a schedule, your followers will appreciate knowing they can expect to hear from you on a regular and timely basis.

You’re getting too personal

So let’s go back to the bakery –if you follow this bakery expecting to see delicious cannolis but instead see the baker posting about how they feel about their favorite sports team or their thoughts on the upcoming election, you’re probably going to either not care, or worse, disagree. That doesn’t mean you can’t ever add personality to your posts, it just means you should be picky –and understand the possible consequences– about when you do.

You’re not asking for “it”

One more time for the bakery reference; if the baker has hundreds of happy customers per day but isn’t asking them to share their experience and “tag” the bakery on Instagram, they’re potentially losing out on a LOT of interactions, follows, and of course, mentions! One of the best ways to share yourself and your services with a new audience is by openly asking others who already know you, worked with you, etc, to mention you. You know how that old saying goes, the answer is always “no” if you don’t ask!