The other day, meaning like a month or two ago, I received a comment on one of my IG posts inviting me to participate in an Instagram Loop for moms.
I’d never heard of it before, but I’ve really been thriving off of connecting with other mamas on the platform lately. So I checked into it.
I got myself all signed up and followed the instructions but still felt like I was missing something. So, as I do with *everything* I Googled “Instagram Loop”. But all that I was able to find were articles about giveaways.
Now don’t get me wrong, I loooove me a good giveaway. But that’s not really what people think about when they talk about an Instagram loop these days.
Giveaway loops are one type of loop, but they are few and far between when you consider the other types of loops out there.
In this article, we are going to cover what an Instagram loop is, the different types, and two different ways to participate. We will also cover Instagram Loop etiquette.
What Is An Instagram Loop
An Instagram loop is a growth and engagement strategy. And is typically a FREE way to gain real, like-minded followers that are likely to engage with your content.
There are follow loops for just about any group of people you can imagine. There are loops for women only, children, YouTubers, Harry Potter fans, animals, Disney bloggers, makers, etc.
I could go on and on. But there is likely an Instagram loop for whatever niche and/or location you can think of. Obviously, I tend to be involved in the US-based loops for moms and female entrepreneurs. And I love them!
Three Types of Instagram Loop
- Standard Growth Loop
A standard growth loop is usually run by one or two loop accounts and there is nothing of value offered other than basically follow for follow growth. Everyone who signs up just follows each other.
An established account usually has anywhere from 25 – 250 people signed up for any given loop. They usually loop every other day, while some do every day or maybe just once per week.
One other cool thing about many Instagram Loop accounts is that they cultivate community in other ways. Many highlight followers, have discussions, and offer engagement threads.
That’s really the gist of a standard growth loop.
2. Follow Train
A follow train is just a different way of doing a standard loop. And to make it even more confusing, there are two types of follow trains.
A. Large
A large follow train is really just a bunch of standard loop accounts joining together for, what many call, a tribe growth event. You pretty much start at one ‘station’, follow the instructions on their post, and end up doing the same at the next ‘station’ until you end up back where you started.
These are often advertised as “Mega” or “Mini-Mega” Follow Trains. And they typically involve anywhere from 3-5 for a regular follow train, from 6-9 for a “Mini-Mega” and as many as 20 for a true “Mega”.
These are an easy way to gain many followers at once, but they do take quite a bit of time to properly complete.
B. Small
A small follow train is a whole different bird. These are typically created by a small group of individual accounts. And are just like a one-off kinda thing.
For example, a small handful of mama friends will get together and create a Mama Follow Train post. They will all post the same posting where you, the viewer, are instructed to follow all accounts. And the members of that follow train will follow back the accounts that ‘inspire’ them.
Although, as a creator, I love these; they are kinda just a grown-up Mean Girls version of picking teams in gym class! Only because they all get the follow, but you only get one in return if those individuals deem you ‘cool enough’!
3. Loop Giveaway
Now I’ve only existed in this space [the blogosphere] for about three years, so I’m not completely sure. But it seems that giveaway loops were the catalyst to the Instagram loop phenomenon.
These are fun because there is a gift of some kind given away to one new follower. An individual account can run their own giveaway where everyone who enters just follows that one account. But usually, there are multiple accounts involved.
This can be as simple as an account teaming up with a small shop to give away a product made by the shop to a new follower. Or it can big like a loop.
I’ve had good luck with the big ones myself. These are typically run by a giveaway loop account. They have specific rules and guidelines set up. They typically have sponsors, which are big influencer accounts that will participate.
Usually, about 50-60 people can sign up and buy-in to a spot. Then you post the giveaway and everyone who wants to enter has to follow all accounts that bought-in.
You can gain big with these ones! But make sure to follow the rules.
How To Participate In A Loop In 10 Easy Steps
Ok, so now you know what a loop is and the various iterations that are out there. So now you may be wondering how to get involved and participate in one. Well, let’s run through this step-by-step:
- Locate a loop account for your niche or location
- Identify when they post signups for their next loop
- Follow the instructions on their ‘Sign up’ post
- Watch your comments & DM’s to see if you’ve secured a spot
- Once your spot is secured you should receive notification that you’ve been placed in a group chat
- Watch the group chat for instructions
- Usually, you will be instructed to follow all accounts that the loop account is following
- The day of the loop, at least an hour before, they will typically provide I’m an image and caption verbiage for you to post to your feed at a certain time that day.
- Most do some sort of countdown and then everyone posts together
- Then you should follow everyone who comments on the loop page post and, more often than not, also follow everyone who follows you for the duration of the loop.
That’s all – it’s as simple as that. You’re all done!
Instagram Loop Etiquette
Now, as with all things, there are some rules or norms for this whole game. So I’ll give you these tips to help you get going:
- Create a draft with the image and wording as soon as you get it and set a timer for 5 minutes before posting so you are sure to post on time
- Read and follow all instructions exactly – don’t skim and miss something or ask for favors
- GO SLOW so you don’t get banned – I like to count to 10 in between each follow and go into each profile instead of just clicking “Follow” down the list. This has worked well.
- Don’t be the “Missed Me” person – let karma take care of that “ish”. It’s a waste of your time to monitor & nobody likes “that” person…
- Don’t be late with any follow up or reminder tasks
Those are the tips I can think of right now, but I will definitely update this from time to time!
RELATED READING
How To Get Rich with Affiliate Marketing: An Interview with Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
May 2018 Small Blog Income Report
Pinterest Basics For Beginners
Take Action
Now it’s your turn! Go search Instagram for a follow loop in your niche and sign up for their next loop! If you find a variety of options, then I recommend that you pick one with at least 10K followers. You may also want to watch them for a loop or two to see how it goes. If they have 100-200 people participating for each loop, then they are probably okay.
Come back later and tell me how it went for you! Good luck!!
Conclusion
So today went over what an Instagram loop is, the various types, how to participate, and basic follow loop etiquette. Do you feel better informed? What else would you like to know? Reach out with a comment below to let me know!
Thank so much for reading. I love you guys to pieces! Please visit again soon!!
PS
And don’t forget to check out all of my favorite things on my recommendations pages for the best things to make your life easier whether it’s parenting, budgeting, family living or blog related.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Leave a Reply