These two numbers sit on every Instagram profile, but many people mix them up.
Followers
Followers are people who follow you. They see your posts and stories in their feed.
Following
Following is the number of accounts you follow. Their posts appear in your feed.
Does the ratio matter?
A profile with 300 followers and 3,000 following can look like it is using follow-for-follow tactics. A healthy ratio is when followers are equal to or higher than following. It is not an official ranking factor, but people and brands notice it.
How to see who follows you
Tap Followers on your profile. You can search the list and remove followers. To see who does not follow you back, Instagram shows a “Least interacted with” category in your Following list.
How to grow followers without following back
- Post Reels consistently
- Use relevant hashtags
- Collaborate with similar accounts
- Use a targeted growth service
Learn more in How to get followers fast and check your stats with our free Profile Viewer.
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