And because there's nothing more cringey than getting a DM that says, "Follow for follow?" we're breaking down Instagram etiquette for brands.
Admittedly, follow/unfollow used to be a legitimate growth tactic, but that ship sailed at the same time bubble necklaces went out of style. Considerable fluctuations in your following won't go undetected by your followers and on the social media faux pas scale, it ranks high up there.
Asking for a follow might seem sincere, but IG users have their spam radar on high alert and are more likely to perceive the seemingly innocent request as a desperate attempt to get followers.
Instead, focus on generating quality content, using a targeted hashtag strategy, and genuine engagements to attract your target audience to YOU.
Liking every post is the modern-day equivalent of changing your status from online to offline over and over on MSN to get your crush's attention. Remember what we said about spam radars? Sirens are blaring with this move. To get yourself on someone else's radar (and not their spam radar), engage authentically with their content, write meaningful comments, and interact with their stories consistently over time.
If your brand can post consistently high-quality content three times a day, then bravo! But if you're posting for the sake of posting, you're probably turning your audience off. When it comes to posting cadence, always post quality over quantity.
Someone has taken time out of their busy lives to engage with your brand--don't ignore them! Leaving their comments on "read", not answering questions and, worst of all, not addressing concerns, shows everyone else who sees that post that you aren't an active part of the community.
Reposting another user's photo without their permission constitutes stealing and copyright theft by Instagram's standards. If you want to share their photo, the polite way is to message them for permission and give them full credit with a tag in the caption. Moreover, if you do get permission to repost, don't alter the image in any way. This content has the creator's name attached to it, and any changes you make could reflect poorly on them
Tagging random influencers or brands in your posts just to gain attention is a major etiquette violation. It comes across as spammy and can hurt your credibility. Only tag people or brands that are directly relevant to your content.
Transparency is great, but there’s a fine line between being open and oversharing. Avoid posting confidential business details, personal grievances, or sensitive customer data that could compromise trust or privacy.
Buying followers, using engagement pods, or faking comments might seem like a shortcut to growth, but it’s easy to spot—and Instagram’s algorithm penalizes inauthentic activity. Instead, focus on building real engagement through genuine interactions and valuable content.
Hashtags help with discoverability, but stuffing your caption with 30 unrelated hashtags isn’t a growth strategy—it’s spam. Use relevant hashtags strategically and keep them aligned with your content.
Automated engagement tools might promise fast results, but they often do more harm than good. Bots leave generic, awkward comments and can even get your account flagged. Authenticity always wins in the long run.
The repercussions for breaking Instagram etiquette and the platform's official community guidelines could land your account in algorithm purgatory. Stick to these rules, and your brand should be in the clear!
.png)
.svg)
