Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users. Of those, over 500 million use it every single day.
That‘s a massive audience, but actually reaching and connecting with users on Instagram takes effort. Manually finding and engaging new accounts by following or commenting is time-consuming.
That‘s why Instagram automation tools like PhantomBuster are so powerful for growth hacking your account.
In this detailed guide, we‘ll explain:
- Why auto following works
- How to use PhantomBuster for auto follow
- Advanced strategies and tips
- Additional features beyond just following
- FAQs on safety, limits, and more
By the end, you‘ll understand exactly how to leverage auto follow to expand your reach on Instagram in 2024!
Why Use Auto Follow on Instagram?
Let‘s start with why auto following is worth implementing…
Reach More Users in Your Niche
The main benefit is to connect with targeted accounts in your niche. Doing this manually by searching hashtags and locations is very slow.
You can only follow a few hundred accounts per day maximum. But with automation, you can potentially follow thousands of hyper-relevant profiles.
This exposes your brand to more of your ideal audience and potential new followers.
Increased Visibility and Exposure
By auto following influencers, competitors, or trending accounts in your industry, your account starts appearing in front of their engaged followers as well.
Even a portion of them visiting your profile helps increase impressions and visibility. This amplification effect is incredibly powerful, more than you could ever achieve manually.
Major Time Savings
Spending hours a day searching hashtags and following users not only takes ages, but also leaves less time for actually creating content and engaging followers.
Auto follow tools do the tedious work for you, saving tons of time in the long run.
More Followers and Potential Engagement
While auto following alone focuses on growth, more followers means more potential eyes on your content and stories.
Some percentage of new followers driven by auto follow will enjoy your content, leading to increased engagement over time.
Manual Following vs. Auto Follow
| Manual | Auto Follow | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Follow Limit | 200-400 | 500-1000+ |
| Time Needed | 1-2+ hours | 5-10 minutes setup |
| Targeting | Broad hashtags/locations | Precise interest/follower targeting |
| Consistency | Hard to do daily | Schedule runs automatically |
As you can see, auto follow is vastly more efficient, targeted, and consistent than trying to grow your reach manually.
Next let‘s dive into how to leverage it using PhantomBuster, one of the most popular Instagram automation tools.
Step-by-Step Guide to Auto Follow with PhantomBuster
PhantomBuster makes auto following on Instagram simple. Here‘s how to get started:
Step 1: Sign Up for Free
First, head to PhantomBuster.com and register for a free account. No credit card required!
You‘ll get access to 5 phantoms with 2 hours of use per day for 14 days.
Step 2: Connect Your Instagram Account
Once logged into PhantomBuster, open the auto follow phantom and connect your Instagram by installing the browser extension and entering your username and password.
Tip: Use a secondary Instagram account if concerned about connecting your primary profile.
Step 3: Find and Import Target Profiles
Next, search Instagram to find relevant profiles to follow in your niche. Copy profile URLs or usernames into the auto follow phantom.
Prioritize influencers, engaged accounts, competitors, and trending hashtags in your industry. Avoid spam or irrelevant accounts.
Step 4: Configure Filters
Define filters like minimum followers, posts, or restricting to public accounts only to refine who you auto follow. This prevents spam.
You can also filter by keywords, locations, bios, followers of other accounts, and more.
Step 5: Set a Schedule
Choose how frequently you want the auto follow to run – once daily, a few times per week, every few hours, etc. Start slowly.
You can have PhantomBuster automatically unfollow those who don‘t follow back to balance your profile.
Step 6: Launch and Monitor
Hit launch and then check the reports to see who you followed, track new followers gained, and fine tune your targeting.
That‘s the basics of setting up auto follow with PhantomBuster! Next let‘s look at some pro tips and advanced tactics.
Tips for Effective Auto Following
Here are some tips to ensure your auto following strategy succeeds:
- Follow Limits: Limit follows to 500-750/day. 1,000 daily max if also auto unfollowing. Avoid following thousands a day.
- Unfollow Ratio: Maintain a 1:1 follow/unfollow ratio for ideal growth. Unfollow those who don‘t follow back.
- Relevant Targets: Irrelevant follows won‘t convert. Closely target your niche interests.
- Timing: Run auto follow during peak Instagram usage – evenings and weekends.
- Balance Following: Keep your account following count proportional to your followers. 5-10k following max for most accounts.
- Schedule Consistently: Schedule auto follow to run daily or a few times a week for ongoing growth.
Additional Tools and Features
PhantomBuster offers advanced features that level up your automation:
- Auto Like: Automatically like posts based on hashtags, locations, followers of other accounts etc. Great paired with auto follow.
- Auto Comment: Leave targeted, personalized comments on posts in your niche to boost engagement.
- Linked Platforms: Cross-promote your Instagram and Twitter accounts by auto-retweeting.
- Browser Extensions: Easily import any profile with one click by installing the Share for Phantombuster browser extension.
- Email and Webhook Notifications: Get notified when your automation runs, if errors occur, and see detailed reports.
And much more! PhantomBuster is constantly expanding capabilities.
FAQs About Auto Following
Let‘s answer some common questions about auto follow:
Is auto following safe for my Instagram account?
Yes, if used properly by targeting relevant accounts and gradually increasing follows. Avoid spam behavior like following thousands an hour, irrelevant accounts, or excessive unfollowing.
Can auto following get my Instagram banned?
It‘s highly unlikely, but you should use a secondary "burner" account if concerned about a ban. PhantomBuster implements delays and limits to mimic organic behavior.
Does auto follow still work for Instagram growth in 2024?
Absolutely. Many influencers, brands, and everyday users leverage auto follow for more reach and followers. Instagram‘s algorithm rewards accounts that consistently grow their audience.
What are the limits of PhantomBuster‘s free plan?
The free trial gives you full access but rate limits you to only 2 hours per day of use across 5 phantoms. Paid plans start at $29/month for more extensive use.
Take Control of Your Instagram Growth
If you want to take your Instagram account to the next level, implementing auto follow should be part of your growth stack.
It saves hours of manual work while helping you organically expand your audience and reach more potential customers and followers daily.
PhantomBuster makes it simple to put Instagram automation to work for your brand – and the free trial lets you test it out at no cost.
Sign up and see the power of auto follow for effortlessly growing your Instagram in 2024!
