Automation
Automation tools have become increasingly popular in contemporary e-commerce marketing. The pursuit of efficiency has led to the development of game-changing technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to optimize processes across different sectors, including social media. Instagram automation software is one such example.
What Is Instagram Automation?
Instagram automation uses software automation tools, such as machine learning and AI, to carry out various tasks within the Instagram platform. It leverages the power of digital machines known as Instagram bots.
The reason why Instagram automation software is relevant is that managing Instagram accounts isn’t always easy. It’s hard to pay attention to every message, comment, like, or view. So, understandably, some marketers use Instagram bots to handle repetitive tasks.
That said, here’s a list of the pros and cons of Instagram automation:
Pros
Saves Time
Machines are great at doing repetitive tasks like replying to messages or publishing scheduled posts. With Instagram bots, you won’t have to respond to every message manually. Instead, it does all the work for you. This frees up your time to attend to other important tasks.
Maintains And Increases Engagement
It’s incredibly difficult to keep track of the activity and engagement of your posts. But Instagram bots allow you to stay engaged with your audience even if you’re offline. For example, you could program it to publish a post automatically every day at noon. By helping you to keep track of your posts, Instagram bots keep your account active and your audience engaged. You can also read reviews on how to increase engagement organically using Instagram automation software.
Increases Efficiency
As mentioned, automation tools are very efficient at doing repetitive tasks. It’s hard for humans to replicate this level of efficiency. For example, you could program your bot to follow people who follow you automatically. Manually doing this could be a lot of work, especially if you have a significant following or experiencing rapid growth.
Available 24/7
Bots don’t go to sleep (unless you program them to shut down). You can program your automation software to handle certain tasks and take a vacation. The bot will handle the work for you.
It’s Relatively Affordable
Most Instagram automation services are cheap. Instagram bots won’t break your bank. Considering the benefits you get from using Instagram automation, you get good value for your money. Plus, there are many service providers to choose from, so you have to select the one which works for you.
Cons
Instagram Bots Are Prohibited By Instagram
Instagram’s policy strictly prohibits the use of bots or any other automation tools on their platform. Since bots use machine learning to execute various processes, they require access to the Instagram database that contains usernames, profile information, and post data. Breaking these terms could lead to account suspension. But if you’re careful, you may not get caught.
It’s Hard To Control
Mastering how to program Instagram bots properly isn’t easy. It’s common for mistakes to occur in the initial stages. For example, due to incomplete filters, a bot could:
- Like (or heart) a post by mistake.
- Send an incorrect response to a direct message.
- Follow an account that isn’t exactly in line with your target audience.
It’s isn’t easy to control the bot to do what you want. For the best results, continuous improvement is required. It’s not just about setting it up and forgetting about it. You need to pay close attention to identifying the filters that aren’t working and adjusting them accordingly.
Difficult To Tailor Your Content
It’s hard to produce meaningful content with bots because they can be inflexible.
Generally, the best way to get real followers is through posting good-quality content consistently and tailoring it to your target audience. However, tailoring your content is hard to do when using bots because you can’t substitute humans with robots if you want to promote organic engagement. Machines are excellent with repetitive tasks but poor with relational tasks.
Also, people appreciate it when the human side shines through your interactions. After all, Instagram is a social platform for human-to-human interaction. But when the interaction becomes robotic, that could be a problem.
Ideally, you would want to create an enjoyable experience for your customers and followers. Since your goal is most likely to build an engaged audience, the real question would then be, will your customers enjoy the experience of interacting with an Instagram bot, and will it encourage them to engage?
Conclusion
Considering the above points, you can see that Instagram automation has advantages and disadvantages. Whether you choose Instagram automation tools will largely depend on what you want to achieve. It’s probably not the best at making tailored content. But if you’re going to free up your time to work on other things or want things to be easier for you, they’re a great option.
All things considered, Instagram bots are not bad. Even though you could get banned, you’ll probably be fine if you tread carefully. Moreover, to get the best results, it would be ideal to use both automation and organic techniques.
