Many huge Instagram profiles set their account private to boost follower counts. And these accounts get millions of followers. Do you get more Instagram followers in public or private mode? If you are wondering this, find your answer in this guide.
In this guide, we will explain why more and more Instagram profiles are setting their accounts private. Does it effectively work for increasing the number of followers? And which one helps you get more followers: a public or private account?
Instagram Private Vs. Instagram Public Account
There is a basic difference between having an Instagram public or private account. In general, if you are running an online business on Instagram, it is necessary for you to set your account public. Then other users can engage with your content, and you can view the Instagram analytics to see whether your account works effectively. And if your account is private now, you need to know that you can not switch it to a business or creator one. So, only your followers can react and comment on your posts.
Here are some features available for Instagram public and private accounts:
Instagram public account
- View Instagram analytics
- Get more engagement
- Switch to a business account
- Switch to the creator account
- Instagram Ads are available
- Promote Instagram posts
Instagram private account
- More privacy
- You should check users before letting them follow you
How To Set Your Account Private?
Follow these easy steps to set your account private:
- Visit your Instagram account on the app
- Go to your profile
- Tap the three-lined icon (on the top right for iPhone users)
- Choose Setting and privacy
- Select Account Privacy
- Turn Private Account on
What happens if you use hashtags for your posts on your private account?
If you have a private account and use hashtags on your posts, only users who follow you can see your posts in the feed. You need to switch your account to public, so all the users can see your feed posts.
Should you set your account public?
It depends on your purpose of using an Instagram account. If you want to run an online business, view Instagram analytics to know the number of users you get every day,… you should turn on the public mode of your account.
Why Do Many Instagram Accounts Turn to Private Accounts?
Some Instagram accounts have turned their accounts private to force audiences to request to follow before they can view their content. This is now a hot trend on Instagram!
As we mentioned above, a public Instagram account is essential for those who want to run an online business. So, why do they go private?
Here are some reasons why some Instagram accounts follow this marketing strategy:
1. Boost the number of followers
This is the most important reason why people set their accounts private – they want to gain new followers.
If your account is private, one of your followers shares your post with their friend, that person has to follow you before seeing the content. But if you have a public account, that person can see the content without tapping the follow button.
It seems like you are a mystery when setting your account private. So, it makes other followers curious about what is inside your account.
If someone checks your profile and explores that you have tons of followers but are private, they will definitely follow you. And they may think “There has to be a reason why this account has a huge follower count.”
At that moment, you follow the right strategy!
2. Keep their existing followers
Here is the second reason why an Instagram account with so many followers would go private. It allows them to maintain their followers, against them hitting the unfollow button. It’s easy to unfollow a public account and you can follow it again whenever you want. However, when you want to unfollow a private account, Instagram will give you a notification asking you if you really want to do it. And if you change your mind, you have to request to follow this account again.
3. Protect their unique content
Another reason is to include a layer of protection in their posts. (Copyright)
You can not ensure whether this marketing strategy against others from stealing your content or not. However, this strategy gives you more control over your account and content.
4. Avoid getting reported
Instagram is getting more serious about banning those who break its terms of service. So, people go private to protect themselves from being banned. This is more comment for the profiles that usually post offensive content. This strategy helps you to not be reported by other users who find your content offensive or indecent.
Should You Turn Your Instagram Account To Private?
This depends! Turning private works effectively for accounts with a lot of users. Because they already have a huge follower count, so all they need to do is publish great content and keep growing that way. You know, they are too huge to fail!
It also depends on your content type. For example, meme accounts need to be shareable. So, they encourage their followers to share their posts with others. This strategy works with meme accounts. However, it doesn’t work for brands and businesses because your post will no longer appear on the Explore page. So, you miss other kinds of audiences discovered on Instagram.
Do You Get More Instagram Followers On Public Or Private Mode?
Finally, we come to the last thought!
You may learn about the basic difference between having a public and private account, and how to set your account private. And you also know the reasons why many huge accounts turn private these days making it a hot Instagram marketing strategy.
While this strategy works effectively for large meme accounts with a high number of followers, it can be a detrimental strategy for other accounts.
So, you should depend on what you want from Instagram to decide if you set your account public or private to gain followers.
If you have a great account with millions of followers, you can follow this strategy. It will allow you to gain more followers, maintain your existing ones, and protect your great account. However, if you just started your business on Instagram and want to build your first fan base, just keep your account public and use other tips to attract new followers.
I suggest you buy Instagram followers to kick-start your business on Instagram. This way can help you have strong awareness at first and save you time in getting new people to follow you. Don’t know how to start? Check out this service from Builmyplays which helps you grow your Instagram account this year.