Social media is the main cause of our existential crisis. Social media is like a big diverse society and Instagram is no exception. Just like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, Instagram also has its social scale.
Its motto is to make visual impressions that leave users with long-lasting memories.
While social media might be intimidating at first, similar to learning to swim, it’s sometimes preferable to just jump in and grab onto the side of the pool for a while. You know, kick around in the shallow part of the pool, dip your head, and gently relax your body as you bob up and down.
As a person who uses social media frequently, Instagram sure has a lot to offer businesses and people.
The photo-sharing app allows you to follow people, brands, and companies and get a visual experience of what they exhibit on their profiles and pages.
While followers are sometimes referred to be a vanity statistic, as an influencer or a brand, your follower growth rate is a solid sign of how effective your Instagram marketing initiatives are.
If your following is steadily growing, new individuals are more likely to discover and connect with your brand.
Not only that personal accounts on Instagram also need to know about the “following and follow back feature” to know who they are connected to and what steps to take to reach more people.
Each social networking site has its own set of users, and Instagram is ideal for those of us who are more aesthetically oriented.
Instagram is the go-to social medium for businesses and their brands, professional photographers, tourists, and people with a sharp eye for unusual adventure.
However, if a corporation begins publicly uploading its images, it will be duped by followers and follow-back requests.
How does Instagram following work?
Instagram gives you a feature to follow anyone on the photo-sharing app. Given that a user has a public account you can see their pictures, and stories and follow them easily.
However, it is a different story for private accounts, If you follow an account that has a lock-shaped icon and an evident private account written on it then you will have to wait for the account to accept your follow request.
Nonetheless, most companies, brands, influencers, and celebrities have a public account without the need for accepting your follow requests.
How can you tell if someone is following you?
Tap the “Following” button at the top of the screen from their profile. You’ll see a list of every person they’re following here. Enter your name or Instagram account in the search field. If your name appears, that signifies they’re following you.
Another method is to go to your profile and click the “Followers” button. Search the person’s name and if his/her name pops up that means he or she is following you.
Not only you can follow some accounts those accounts may also follow back! Especially if it’s an old friend you found in the people you may know list!
So how does this follow-back thing works? Let’s take a look.
Social media introduced several new terminologies into our language, such as “Follow-back,” which refers to the process of returning the favor once someone follows you. As a result, Instagram recommends that you follow back.
Instagram’s “Follow back” function is similar to other social networking platforms. It indicates that they have followed you, but you have not followed them. When you navigate to their profile, you will see the image below.
How can I follow back on Instagram?
When an account has followed you on Instagram and you have not followed them yet it shows the “Follow Back” option beside the username when you click on the profile or see their account in your notifications.
Follow the instructions below to return the favor to those who follow you but you do not:
- Sign in to your Instagram account at instagram.com.
- To access your profile page, click the photo icon.
- When you click “followers,” you’ll get a list of all those who follow you.
- You can notice who you don’t follow back since a follow icon will display next to their username if you don’t.
- To follow them back, click the follow button.
- Repeat step 5 until you have followed back all of the individuals.
If someone is following me on Instagram, can I follow back if their account is private?
You can send a follow request to a private account but it’s up to them whether they accept your request or not.
When you press follow on a private profile, Instagram sends a notification to the private account to confirm or delete your follow request.
If they tap on the confirm option, that means they have accepted your follow request, and only once they accept your follow request will you be able to view their feed.
It is totally up to the person whether or not to allow this. As a result, don’t hold your breath waiting for them to accept your request to follow.
Depending on how active the person is on Instagram, they may accept it right away, or if they haven’t checked in days or weeks, it may be shown as pending.
What is the difference between following and following back on Instagram?
These two terms may sound practically the same, but their difference is as follows:
| Follow | Follow Back |
| When you visit someone’s Instagram profile, you will see a “Follow” button. | When you visit someone’s profile who is already following you, you will see a “Follow Back” option. |
The users you follow their posts appear on your feed, and you can see their profile if you wish. You can also send them direct messages.
What happens if you don’t follow back on Instagram?
If you have not followed back an account yet then their photos and stories will not appear on your feed.
If they have a private account you can’t see their posts or stories even if you search for them but if they have a public account, then you can view their account by searching for it.
Final Thoughts
- Each social networking site has its own set of users, and Instagram is ideal for those of us who are more aesthetically oriented.
- Following everyone back is impossible since social media platforms restrict the accounts you may follow. For example, Twitter users can only follow 5,000 accounts before having to get more followers to follow more accounts. Facebook has a similar restriction, while Instagram, regardless of follower numbers, only allows you to follow 7,500 profiles.
- When you visit someone’s profile who is already following you, you will see a “Follow Back” option.
- If you have not followed back an account yet then their photos and stories will not appear on your feed.