Manually removing followers in bulk, even if they are bots, causes a sharp drop in your follower count. The algorithm interprets this mass exodus as a sign that your content is failing and consequently shows your future posts to fewer people, effectively penalizing your reach.

Simply automating the posting of social content is not enough for it to succeed. If you or your company do not manually engage with comments and reactions within the first hour of an automated post going live, the platform's algorithm is unlikely to favor it, causing the post to be "dead on arrival."

Posting content just for the sake of it is counterproductive. Low-quality, non-engaging content actively harms your reach by signaling to social media algorithms that users are not interested in your brand. This suppresses visibility for all future posts. It's better to post less frequently with higher quality.

Contrary to some growth-hacking advice, stuffing captions with keywords or hiding them in videos is considered spammy behavior by Instagram's algorithm. This practice will result in your content being actively penalized and shown to fewer people.

If your account is over three years old, you might be at an algorithmic disadvantage. Newer accounts often receive a boost as Instagram tries to find their audience, whereas older accounts have years of data that might signal disinterest to the algorithm and may also lack access to the latest features.

Telling users "link in bio" directs them away from your post before they can like or comment. This lack of engagement signals the algorithm to limit your reach. Use DM automation CTAs (e.g., "comment 'SALE' for the link") instead to boost interaction and visibility.

Going viral isn't always positive. If a post attracts thousands of followers outside your target audience, it can cripple future performance. Instagram will show your niche content to these new, uninterested followers, whose lack of engagement signals to the algorithm that your content is poor, suppressing its reach.

Telling users to 'click the link in bio' actively instructs your most interested audience members to stop engaging with your content (liking, commenting, saving) and navigate away. This lack of engagement from interested parties signals to the algorithm that the post is not valuable, reducing its reach.

The algorithm now prioritizes content quality over follower count, leveling the playing field. This removes the historical advantage large accounts had, making it feel like they are being disadvantaged or "shadowbanned" when they are simply competing on equal footing with smaller creators.