Bots Liking My Instagram
Instagram Bots – What They Are and Why You SHOULDN’T …
There’s a “not so new” trend that has become far more common these days that I want to talk about this week… Instagram Bots.
What Are Instagram Bots and How Do They Work?
Instagram bots are services that allow a company to acquire followers onto their Instagram profile. There is any number of ways for a company to use social media to gain likes, views, and followers. One of these avenues is Instagram bots.
These bots will follow other accounts, like posts and leave comments on targeted lists of Instagram accounts to help increase reach, followers, and engagement on a companies account.
If there is one pet-peeve about Instagram – it’s the bots. And it really isn’t Instagram’s fault. Understand… I get it. Managing your Instagram account is only one task on your already overloaded to-do list.
Let’s talk about the reasons why you should NOT use an Instagram bot.
Awkward Situations and Insensitive Comments.
Bots are…. Exactly that. Bots. So, they can’t consider the context or the captions in the photo. They only think about adding a comment based on a hashtag. This, of course, opens a whole box full of issues. Some worse than others…
A while back I posted a screenshot on Instagram. A few minutes later, up came a comment that said something online the lines of “I love this photo – maybe it’s the angle you took the photo. ”
How do you even respond to that? I just laughed and wrote off the account. Clearly, it wasn’t a real person.
There’s no real engagement.
Instagram bots cannot replace human interaction. Most people can see clear as day that the comments aren’t from a real person – so it’s not surprising that the engagement to those comments is low.
Your Instagram feed will be a mess.
When you follow thousands on accounts – you will have an incredibly random feed. As you add more random followers to your network, expect posts from relevant people to get buried. If you don’t care about the feed, then this might not be a big deal but if you like using Instagram and connecting with your network, then there will be real consequences.
They violate Instagram’s Terms of Use!
I feel like this should be the #1 reason for NOT using Instagram bots… Here’s what you need to know.
If an Instagram bot accesses Instagram’s API without the platform’s permission. This violates Instagram’s Terms of Use, specifically:
You must not access Instagram’s private API by means other than those permitted by Instagram.
Don’t store or cache Instagram login credentials.
Don’t use the Instagram API to display User Content, import or backup content, or manage Instagram relationships, without our prior permission.
Ensure your comments are tailored for each person. Don’t post unauthorized commercial communication or spam on Instagram.
Don’t enable a business to take more than one action on Instagram at a time.
Don’t use an unreasonable amount of bandwidth or impact the stability of servers or the behavior of other apps using the Instagram APIs.
Anyone who uses a bot that violates Instagram’s API can get banned. Don’t be banned. Be smart.
Instagram has daily and hourly limits.
These limits aren’t set in stone – but rather are limited based on your age, the number of followers and activity. A typical user shouldn’t have more than 150 likes, 60 comments and 60 follows/unfollows every hour.
This makes perfect sense considering that no one is capable of liking, commenting or following so many posts in such a short amount of time.
Shadow banning.
Instagram recognizes when your activity is unnatural. The consequence is shadow banning (if not being shut down). Shadowban means that your content will be invisible to non-followers. That means that no matter what hashtags you use in your post, your images won’t appear in the feeds of others.
You can still create posts and engage with current followers, but you will no longer be able to engage and attract new followers.
There are several alternatives to using Instagram bots.
Hire a Virtual Assistant or Social Media Manager.
Sure – this will be a bit more expensive than a bot. But Virtual Assistants (VA’s) will leave authentic comments, engage with followers and help your brand connect with REAL people.
They’re also less likely to leave awkward or inappropriate comments so you don’t have to worry about ruining your reputation.
Do it yourself.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a VA, then devote 20 minutes or more to engage with your followers. By doing this consistently, you will see the best results. If you want people to advocate for your brand, then you need to connect with them. You must build relationships with your followers – and you can’t do this with a generic comment or a simple emoji. It might be time-consuming, but in the long-term, you will find your brand is better off.
Instagram Ads
Just like running Facebook ads – you can run Instagram ads to get people in your niche to discover your profile and services. It’s not as pricey and you can reach new people without taking the time to engage with them.
Focus on quality – not quantity.
Instagram bots are great because they increase your followers – but the following you’re growing isn’t authentic. You’re simply attracting other bots and trolls! Would you rather have 500 followers who LOVE your brand and are continuously purchasing from you OR 500 trolls and bots who never really engage with you?
I’m pretty sure I know what your pick will be.
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Pestered by Instagram Bots? Here’s What You Can Do
You are here: Home / Instagram / Pestered by Instagram Bots? Here’s What You Can DoAnne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads
Phil Desforges
If you use your Instagram account for marketing purposes, you must avoid bots like the plague.
Although bots boost follower count, artificially giving you clout, they will bring more problems than it’s worth. Not only do they cheapen your brand, but they also signal to prospective partners that you are not trustworthy.
A bad image isn’t the only problem bots bring. Bots also inflate marketing costs. If you’re running an Instagram ad that targets your followers, most of which are bots, you are paying for ads shown to accounts that will never convert because they’re not real people.
Of course, you likely aren’t paying for a third-party to provide you with fake bot followers. Maybe, instead, you receive unwanted followers from bots. If that’s the case, here’s what you can do.
Agence Olloweb
Before you begin your crusade against bots, you must first learn how to identify them rather than blindly taking action against innocent accounts—this isn’t the Salem witch hunt. Search for the biggest red flag, the post to followers ratio. An account that has no posts but has thousands of followers is a bot. Why would thousands of users follow an account that doesn’t produce content? Very suspect indeed.
Example of a bot with no posts.
Beware, however, because some bots do post content to their feeds, but there’s a way to differentiate them from real accounts. Bot accounts post random, low-quality images while still having thousands of followers. If you see that, steer clear.
If you don’t want bots in your follower list (trust me, you don’t), remove them from your account. Find the bot from your list of followers. If the bot is a recent follower, it should appear first in the list. Click the three dots next to the bot’s profile then click “Remove” to expel it from your list of followers. Doing so, however, won’t stop the bot from finding your profile and following you again. If you want to prevent that, you must block the account.
To block a bot account, visit the bot’s profile then click the three dots on the upper-right corner of the screen. Click “block. ” This will block the account and consequently remove it from your followers list. When you block the account, it can’t find your profile, posts, or Stories, and it can’t follow you again. The account won’t be notified that you blocked it.
If you want to take an action that punishes the bot account, that prevents it from scamming other users like you, then you can take a more drastic action by reporting the account to Instagram. Instagram’s team will investigate, and if they determine the account to be a spam bot that violates its community guidelines, then they will take action and notify you. Instagram won’t notify the bot account that you reported it.
To report an account, click the three dots on the upper-right corner of its profile then choose “spam. ” Reporting the account won’t remove it from your followers list and won’t stop it from visiting your profile. If you want to sever all ties, you must either remove the bot or block it.
Bot accounts have pestered users for years, creating such an annoyance that Instagram is finally removing fake likes and follows generated by bots. But that great bot purge doesn’t occur overnight. If you want to take matters into your own hands, remember what I taught you: remove, block, or report.
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads
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Why fake Instagram followers can put your online safety at risk
Fake follower accounts, often made by bots, may raise your Instagram follower count but they also come with some hidden it was created in 2010, Instagram has had a problem with fake followers and the issue has steadily spite an Instagram purge, which saw millions of these accounts deleted, the social media site is still riddled with fake profiles that can put your online safety at rtunately, most fake profiles are easy to spot – as there is no profile picture, no photos, and only a few followers if ever, others are a bit more difficult to identify, especially as bots become more advanced in an attempt to fool the social media cording to the New York Times, which recently uncovered an industry of fake follower purchasers and companies, these accounts are becoming harder to spot because they “in an attempt to seem legitimate, use personal information from real people without their knowledge. ”With profiles filled with photos, often stolen, and fake bios, these advanced accounts make it harder for outside companies, Instagram, and users to spot the the problem is worsened by the fact that many social media users actually seek out the fake followers in an effort to boost their online presence – meaning the market for them has only is easy to purchase them as well, and by using easy-to-generate bots, companies can offer interested parties thousands of followers, comments, or likes social media influencers, the allure of high follower counts is often hard to pass-up – but for regular Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook users, being followed by bots can be though most bots are harmless, according to Pete Hunt, the CEO of Smyte, an online-fraud fighting company, some are not.
11 useful Instagram features you didn’t know existedShow all 11“Bots are also used to attack people, ” Hunt told Refinery29. “The bot may be befriending you so it can send you private messages with spam or phishing attempts. ”These bad bots, the ones that want to steal your password or infect you with a virus, account for 28. 9 per cent of bots on Instagram, according to data security company your Instagram is public, meaning anyone can view your pictures, the risk of bots following you, messaging you, and stealing your photos is ever, there are steps you can take to keep your online safety from being compromised by bots – although it will affect your follower a suspected bot follows you, you can report the bot to Instagram by going to their profile and clicking “report. ”Unfortunately, the method can be time-consuming but it will keep you safe from bad bots until Instagram purges the app again.
Frequently Asked Questions about bots liking my instagram
How do I stop bot likes on Instagram?
To block a bot account, visit the bot’s profile then click the three dots on the upper-right corner of the screen. Click “block.” This will block the account and consequently remove it from your followers list. When you block the account, it can’t find your profile, posts, or Stories, and it can’t follow you again.Nov 30, 2018
Can Instagram bots hack you?
“The bot may be befriending you so it can send you private messages with spam or phishing attempts.” These bad bots, the ones that want to steal your password or infect you with a virus, account for 28.9 per cent of bots on Instagram, according to data security company Imperva.May 18, 2018
How do you know if a bot likes your Instagram?
How to tell if somebody is using a bot on Instagram:Following a big amount of other accounts compared to their own following.High engagement metrics but low followers.Erratic engagement numbers (some posts lots, others none)Lots of views, but no comments.Automatic Direct Message when you follow.More items…
