Are Instagram automation tools a good way to grow your account, or will they result in the flagging, or worse, the banning of your account? There are many types of automation tools available for Instagram, and they can either improve your processes or negatively affect the health of your account. It is therefore of utmost importance to understand exactly what solutions you should leverage if you intend to grow on Instagram.
What are Instagram Automation Tools and Should You Use Them?
We would like to begin by defining exactly what an Instagram automation tool is. The purpose of these apps is pretty self-explanatory – they enable you to automatically complete actions on Instagram without having to manually do so.
It is important to note that there are many different types of automation tools available, ranging from those that perform actions such as ‘liking’ or ‘commenting’ on posts to those that follow accounts for you. Although auto-scheduling content is an automatic action, it does not technically qualify as an ‘Automator’, as Instagram’s API and terms and conditions allow you to do so.
Is it Legal to Use Instagram Automation Tools?
Instagram automation tools are technically legal, provided that they comply with Instagram’s platform policy and do not violate Instagram’s terms and conditions. There are automated tools (some of which are known as bots) that are used to automate the process of following, liking, and commenting on Instagram profiles. These tools breach Instagram’s terms and conditions and may result in accounts being shut down or penalized, as they create a sense of fake activity.
Is Instagram Going to Ban Automation Tools?
It has been observed that Instagram is slowly (but surely) banning automation tools as it detects suspicious activity. Instagram, for example, may flag an account if it is completing a great number of actions in a short period of time, look for the source of the bot-like activity, and eventually ban the tool or activity in question. Also, Instagram has tightened its restrictions regarding access to third-party apps through your account, which has resulted in a significant decline in bot activity.
Instagram will not automatically block your account the first time they detect suspicious activity; however, they may place restrictions and bans that prevent you from liking or commenting on posts for a specified period of time. Using bots in violation of their terms and conditions will eventually result in the blocking of your account – think of it as a strike system. The use of scheduling or analytics monitoring tool will not put you at risk of being blocked, as these are not automation tools.
You won’t gain quality followers with Instagram automation tools, even though they may seem tempting and help you see results quickly. With an automation tool, you likely won’t reach those within your niche, and you’ll just be casting a wide net, so you’re unlikely to gain followers who have a connection to you or engage with your posts. Develop a following that wants to see your posts and chooses to follow you. Additionally, it is much more rewarding.
Automation Alternatives
As you now know, it is best to avoid Instagram automation tools if you want to maintain a healthy account. However, what is some alternatives you can use instead?
1. Outsource the hard work to someone else
Alternatively, if you are not interested in admin but are committed to growing your account, you may be able to invest in it. Through platforms such as Fiverr, you can find experts within the social media field who can assist you with some of the legwork associated with developing an Instagram account. In order to achieve long-term success, Instagram growth should always be organic and carried out by someone who understands the kind of audience you want to reach and retain.
2. Identify milestones and complete actions manually
Establish a checklist so that you can hold yourself accountable for engaging with accounts a certain number of times each day (don’t overdo it or Instagram might mistake you for a bot). Choose accounts that are either in your community or niche to interact with in order to attract new followers who will actually engage with your content. Find similar accounts by searching hashtags that you frequently use, and post meaningful comments on their posts or like a few of their posts to reach their audience.
3. Take advantage of other tools to save time, so you can devote more attention to your audience
As a result of saving time in some areas, you will have more time to devote to others. As an example, planning your Instagram calendar and scheduling your content in advance will help you stay on top of your content and understand when you need to create new posts. As a result of doing this in advance, you do not have to worry about when to post, or whether you forgot to post at a certain time since your calendar is already set up for you. By doing so, you will be able to spend more time interacting with other Instagram users and worry less about posting.
Conclusion
There is a perception that Instagram is being destroyed by automation. Actually, it’s not quite true. When it comes to Instagram’s terms of use, some Instagram automation tools are perfectly legal. A number of tasks can be automated, such as scheduling Instagram posts, deleting and hiding comments, replying to comments, and generating reports. Specifically, you can use tools that do not access Instagram’s private API through means other than those permitted by Instagram.
