Spamming on Instagram: What You Need To Know To Be Safe

The concept of “spam” is nothing new. Since the days of MSN Messenger, we have been toiling with random emails from spam accounts. Some things never change, and Instagram is no different. Is there a social media platform safe from fake accounts? Spamming on Instagram is a long-standing problem for the aspiring influencer. It affects them in both obvious and subtle ways. 

Your IG account is at stake if you can’t catch a spammer in their tracks. You’ll need to know what to do when you see those spam comments pop up. You’ll need to know that clicking links on those spam messages is like handing over your password. Don’t worry! Plixi is going to give you a crash course in spammer accounts in this article. Just keep reading.

What Is Spam on Instagram? Will I Recognize It When I See It?

Navigating Instagram spam is one of the app’s most irritating parts. What is spam on Instagram? Even if you don’t have a straight definition for what it is, you have encountered it before. You’ve seen it in the comments on your posts. You’ve also stumbled upon them when you sifted through your reel comments. Somehow, they even made their way to your livestream comments. 

Spam on Instagram is essentially the repeated and unsolicited commenting and posting on IG content. For the most part, these comments are empty and add nothing to the conversation that you’re trying to have. Sometimes, the comments are so obvious that humans never made them. They are awkward for you and your genuine followers to read.

The comments could be solely emojis. Sometimes people comment like that, so those are not that obvious. However, some of them take a very weird form. Here are some examples.

The Unwanted Group Chat

So many of us have been in that position. We wake up to a notice that we are members of a group chat. This group chat is the brainchild of an Instagram user we have never even met. The other members of the group chat are strangers to us as well. When you see the group chat, people are already leaving in droves. 

It’s best to protect yourself by not being a member of a random group chat. You never know the type of content that they intend to send. You don’t want to be the one left hanging with the bag.

The Request To Send Them a Photo

When you work hard on creating a beautiful post, you want other people to notice as well. When you start reading some comments, they start as compliments. Then, suddenly, they request that you send the photo to them. Pages like these become famous off the backs of other creators‘ content. Instead of stealing your content, they ask you for it.

This may sound like a great opportunity to get your content out there. However, can you trust these pages to give you credit? Have these pages even garnered a strong enough reputation to help you in that way? When they post your photo on their page, you can’t control the comments.

The Request To Collaborate or Create a Sponsorship

There are also those comments where people ask you to DM them. This is under the guise of a potential collaboration or a sponsorship deal. These comments may even ask you to contact a different page altogether. If they aren’t in your comments, they are in your DMs asking the same thing.

What Are Spam Accounts on Instagram? I Think They Might Be Following Me 

You see your follow count going up, and you’re pretty happy about it. After all, you have been implementing some of the growth tips you’ve read here at Plixi. It’s about time you start seeing results. Sure, some of the accounts seem a little sketchy. Some of them are faceless and have a lot of numbers on their Instagram handle. 

Their bios are usually quite bare. Wait. Are these spamming accounts? If you are asking yourself, “What are spam accounts on Instagram?” you’re in the right place. We can break down the tell-tale signs of a spam account.

The Profile Seems Empty

You might have already picked up on this clue. Some profiles don’t seem to be real. There are no photos. There is no profile picture. No, we are not talking about private accounts where you can see the media content. We are talking about the ones that don’t even bother to show signs of personalization.

They Don’t Have Many Followers

Some people follow more people than they have followers. That’s fine. Not everyone is on Instagram to gain a huge following. Still, following a huge number of accounts while having very few followers is a red flag. 

If you have the opportunity to look through the followers, you may see other accounts that look sketchy. It’s safe to think that their existence on the platform is to follow other accounts. Unfortunately, you can use them as quickly as you gain them.

They Ask You To Buy Something

Some of these accounts look a little more convincing. This is when you have to use deductive reasoning. What are your communications with them like? If they’ve asked you to spend money, they likely are spammer accounts. They could be offering almost anything for sale. 

It could be sexual content, brand partnerships, or crypto prospects. The immediate request to sell you something should set off alarm bells. Some spam accounts are a little bit intuitive. So, instead, they offer a prospect to collaborate on a brand sponsorship instead of outrightly asking you for your money.

Spamming on Instagram: Learn How To Stop Spam Followers on Instagram

The increase in numbers might look good at first, but don’t get too comfortable. Instagram spam is nothing to celebrate. When a bot account starts following you, you should get rid of it immediately. That is, of course, if you are sure that they are spamming accounts. 

As we said, some of them are a little hard to spot. However, if you are sure that a spam account started following you, don’t hesitate to block or delete it. If you’re not sure how to get it done, we’ll tell you how to stop spam followers on Instagram.

Instagram Purges Them Regularly

We hate to break it to you, but these fake accounts likely won’t last anyway. You’re just doing what Instagram already plans to do once they catch on. Instagram has the technology to spot spam accounts. They are aware that people are buying followers and that fake accounts exist. 

IG routinely holds its “Purge,” where they delete Instagram accounts using their supreme jurisdiction. If you wake up one day and see that your follower count is shockingly low, this is likely what happened. Isn’t it better to avoid that shock by blocking these accounts as soon as they follow you?

They Bring Down Your Engagement Rate

These bot accounts do not care about your content. They cannot comprehend what you put into a reel. This is why they sometimes have the most generic comments on your posts. That is if they comment at all. Some of them are simply there to hold space until they have something to sell. 

Not only does this not improve your engagement rate, it hurts it. Your likes and comments, in comparison to your follow count, will be particularly low. That is how you stifle your most powerful IG metric. It’s best to have fewer followers who show interest in what you share.

They Don’t Financially Support Your Content

This point is piggybacking on our last point. If they don’t even like or comment, they definitely won’t buy what you have to sell. Say that you secure a deal with a brand you’ve always wanted to work with. Maybe you have an affiliate marketing contract with another brand. You have to create content that will compel followers to buy what you are offering. 

Maybe IG is just a sounding board for you to sell digital products on another site. Bot accounts do not buy. They do not write down the links and your affiliate posts. They don’t click the link in your bio to your Patreon. They are not real people. They will not ultimately support you in the way that you need to make money on Instagram.

Having an inflated follow account may appear to impact your social proof. But you have to understand that this is simply not enough to justify keeping spam accounts in your follower list.

This Is How To Stop Spam Accounts From Following You on Instagram

If we have convinced you that following a full list of Instagram spam accounts is a bad idea, keep reading. We can show you how to stop spam accounts from following you on Instagram. You’ll find 3 few options below.

1. Make Your Account Private

When you have a public account, people can follow you without your prior approval. This is how the bot accounts seep in. Imagine having a viral moment because the growth tips are working for you. It’s hard to keep track of the accounts that follow you. 

If your account is private, you can see your followers before they become followers. Of course, if you are trying to grow a following on Instagram, having a private account is not an option. However, if you are indifferent, this should work out for you.

2. Block Them as Soon as They Follow

This option works if you have enough time on your hands. This is somewhat of a “search and destroy” method. When a new account follows, you quickly peruse their page to see if they are a spam account. If it does seem like a spam account, block them quickly. This becomes tedious if you’re experiencing a boost in reach. You’ll have to be on guard and check each account.

Sometimes, the spam accounts interact with your Instagram stories. When this happens, block them. Instagram gives you the option to block all the other accounts they created. Always take this option. You could be saving yourself the trouble of having to block multiple other accounts.

3. Stop Buying Followers

Someone had to say it. Buying followers opens up your account to a can of worms. It doesn’t matter how real these websites promise that these followers will be. Usually, to supply a lot of followers all at once, they have to give you fake accounts. 

These are exactly the kinds of accounts that Instagram purges from the platform. IG is keen on the practice of buying followers. You don’t want it to give your account the side eye for going against their rules.

You Don’t Settle for Spam Comments on Instagram When You Use Plixi

Let’s be real with you. You can do so much better than spam comments on Instagram. If you are truly putting work into your content, more people need to see it. And by people, we are talking about real Instagram users. The ones that like, comment, and engage in what you have to share. You shouldn’t have to settle for spam on Instagram. 

There is a strong target audience just waiting for you to find them. You may not know how to find them on your own, but that’s why we are here.

Plixi is a growth site that has the track record to support its claims. Our clients don’t have to worry about spamming on Instagram because the followers are high-quality. We have an AI-targeting algorithm that we’ve been working on over the past decade. We also have an in-house platform of Instagram influencers that relate to your experience. 

Together, they can yield the results that you have wanted for so long. Plixi is here to bring you closer to the following you’ve always wanted. Sign up and start growing followers today.