Whether you love it or hate it, there is no getting away from the dominance that is Instagram. Recent statistics suggest that it will soon overtake Facebook as the most popular social media application and with 1bn active users every month.
With this amount of traffic, as a business or an influencer, you can’t bypass Instagram and opt for other marketing methods. If you are managing multiple Instagram accounts, a proxy is something that you may not have considered before, but it is something that may help you to reach and engage with your target audience.
What is a Proxy?
At a basic level, a proxy acts as an intermediary between your computer and the internet. It can do a variety of things, from uncovering blocked content as well as give you anonymity while you’re online. But how can this help you with managing multiple Instagram accounts?
Instagram track the IP addresses of all users, while you are using the app or directing your bot to take actions on your behalf. While it is difficult to be sure what actions flag their algorithm, we may know that managing multiple accounts often does result in accounts being blocked. Your marketing efforts may flag Instagram if you are managing multiple accounts from a single IP address, especially if you don’t log in and log out of all of your accounts and switch between them.
How Can a Proxy Help?
With Instagram’s current user terms and conditions, management of multiple feeds under one IP address can result in some or even all of your accounts being blocked. An Instagram proxy can work to hide your IP address so that they are unable to trace or pinpoint the location of your login. It can be done for each account that you manage. You are, therefore limiting the risk of flagging their algorithms and getting your feeds blocked. You can generate an IP address for each account that you are managing, thus reducing the risk.
What Types of Proxies Can Help?
There are three types of proxies that are available for you to use, but the most secure by far is the private proxy. It is one that you purchase yourself, and no one else is involved in (it is possible to purchase group proxies). The single ownership proxy makes the entire process far more secure.
You can now purchase specialist proxies that can be applied directly to your Instagram accounts. It is ideal if you are operating multiple different accounts that have target markets across a wide area. You can install the proxy and select to the location that you want to target; it will then generate a fixed IP address for that particular feed/account. As each of your accounts will have different IP addresses, they won’t flag Instagram’s algorithms. There is also no risk of forgetting to sign out of one account and into another, as each feed will have its unique IP address.
Can You Use A Bot With a Proxy?
If you are managing multiple accounts, chances are you have some level of automation that is operating your feeds for you. These bots or automation can like, comment, and engage with your target market. They are also strictly banned under Instagram’s terms and conditions. Using a proxy in conjunction with a bot is a far safer method of operation than not having one as it will limit the visibility of your actions.
Final Thoughts
Instagram is not letting up on their fight against multiple accounts and automation, because of this, as marketers, our approach needs to evolve so we can still maximize the platform and grow our audience. If you are managing multiple accounts, a single ownership proxy will separate your accounts and provide each with their unique IP address.
It is vital because if Instagram has flagged that you have multiple accounts operating from the same location, you run the risk of having them shut down and deleted. Likewise, if you are using any form of automation, you cannot afford not to have a proxy attached to your account. Don’t lose all your hard work and audience engagement across multiple business accounts because your IP address has let you down.
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