10 / 05/ 2022

Do Instagram Engagement Groups work? Here’s what you need to keep in mind

If you are searching for increased engagement on Instagram, you must have heard of engagement groups or pods. Instagram engagement groups or pods are groups of people who come together to increase engagement on each other’s posts.

But when you look up the topic, you will find a lot of conflicted opinions regarding the benefits of joining such groups. So what should you do? What are the pros and cons of instagram engagement groups? Let’s offer you an unbiased opinion about it and don’t miss out the pro tips in between!

Table of contents:

• What is an instagram engagement group?
• What is an Instagram DM group?
• Difference between DM groups and Engagement groups?
• What types of pods are there?
• How to find Engagement pods?
• How to join Instagram Engagement groups on Telegram?
• How to join Instagram Engagement groups on Facebook?
• How to join Instagram Engagement groups on Whatsapp?
• Final verdict: Should brands and businesses join engagement groups on Instagram?
• Summary

What is an Instagram engagement group?

Instagram engagement groups, also known as Instagram pods are communities of like minded individuals, content creators, brands and businesses who help out each other by engaging in Instagram posts and driving engagement.

Members of Instagram pods have to like, share, save and comment on each other's posts to boost interaction for others and themselves. The purpose of such groups is to trick the Instagram algorithm and push your post to the ‘Explore page’ or at the top of people’s feed.

Such engagement groups have their own set of rules and guidelines. The most crucial one is to interact on every single post and not just post your own message.

Instagram engagement groups are mostly hosted on other applications like Facebook, Whatsapp and Telegram. They are controlled by bots which are automated softwares used to perform repetitive tasks like liking a post.

Pro tip: The whole process is extremely time consuming. Make sure you are dedicated to it. Failure to engage with every single post might get you evicted from the respective group.

What is an Instagram DM group?

Instagram DM groups are groups of maximum 32 people who come together to boost each other's engagement through likes and comments. Their aim is the same as engagement groups - to like, comment and share each other’s posts so that they can be featured under the ‘Explore Feed’ tab.

Pro tip - These DM groups are under the control of Instagram. If the application finds the method of driving engagement inauthentic, it can close such groups and ban your account on Instagram. So be mindful before joining one.

Difference between DM groups and Engagement groups

While DM groups can accommodate 15 accounts approximately, engagement groups can have upto 1000 members. Engagement groups therefore present more opportunities to interact and connect with fellow businesses.

Additionally, DM groups are hosted in Instagram itself. While engagement groups or pods are hosted on third party platforms like Facebook or Whatsapp.

What types of pods are there?

Instagram pods or Instagram engagement groups can be divided into various categories based on their functionality, platforms they are hosted on, the content of the group and much more.

Let’s define the categories for you.

1. Based on Functionality

   1. Likes only
   2. Comments only
   3. Both likes and comments

2. Based on content

   1. Niche: Members of niche groups have some common interests for example similar businesses, age, gender, profession and the like
   2. Broad: Such groups have members from diverse backgrounds and their sole aim is to increase the number of likes and comments

3. Based on follower count

   1. There are some engagement groups that allow members with to join after attaining a certain follower count
   2. For others, you can join irrespective of the number of followers you have

4. Based on rules on engagement

   1. Drop groups: Drop groups are time specific where you will be provided a list of accounts to engage with at a specific time only. Failure to do so can lead to eviction from the group
   2. Rolling groups: Here new members will have to engage with previously published posts before posting their own
   3. Undefined groups: These groups have no time limitations. Members can post their own threads and in return engage with posts of other members at a time they deem fit

5. Based on platforms

Instagram pods are usually hosted on other third party platforms like Telegram, Facebook or Whatsapp. We are going to discuss each platform later on in the blog, so keep reading!

Hence, it is often a first choice for businesses to boost their engagement. Here’s how you can join engagement groups on Telegram -

1. Download the Telegram app
2. Join groups using the invite link sent by other businesses
3. Go through group rules carefully. If you are not following the rules, you might get excluded from the said group.
4. Like or comment on everyone else’s post
5. Drop your own Instagram handle
6. Watch as your engagement reaches new heights

How to join Instagram engagement groups on Facebook?

Since Facebook owns Instagram, they can supervise inauthentic activity in a jiffy. You wouldn’t want your page to be blocked for some likes and comments, right? Be mindful of scammer groups. You can search for terms like ‘instagram engagement groups on Instagram’ on Google and apply for membership accordingly.

Pro tip: If you have an inside contact then you are good to go!

How to join Instagram engagement groups on Whatsapp?

Once again Google search saves the day! Find both free and paid engagement groups on Whatsapp with a simple search. Check out forums on Reddit which talk about engagement groups for reference.

Final verdict: Should brands and businesses join engagement groups on Instagram?

It’s time to address the elephant in the room - should a brand or business use IG pods? As mentioned before, you will find lots of conflicted opinions on it. We are here to present both sides of the coin. Let’s go over the pros first.

1. When you join an Instagram engagement group, the platform’s algorithm records your interactions and directs you to similar pages on the ‘Explore Feed’ section. This will help you to identify competitor accounts and search for potential collaborations.
2. Members of engagement pods have reported increased visibility and features of their posts under the ‘Explore Feed’ section, fulfilling the purpose of joining such groups.

On the other hand, Instagram engagement groups have certain downsides as well.

1. If you are a member of multiple IG engagement pods, gear up to say goodbye to your free time. Constantly engaging with other accounts can be taxing at times. Hence join such groups only if you can dedicate a substantial amount of time to it.
2. If you are a member of a diverse engagement group, you will have to engage with content irrelevant to your brand or business. This might be noticed by your audience and create a negative impression.
3. Instagram’s algorithm constantly checks for inauthentic activity. If your page suddenly starts receiving lots of engagement they might find it inauthentic and mark your account as a red listed one.

Pro tip - Analyse the need for engagement groups for your business and then only join one.

To conclude, instagram pods are no doubt a powerful tool to boost your business. It is also a cost effective way to boost engagement as monetary transactions are not involved. However, we suggest you join such groups only if you have the time to dedicate to it and it suits the purpose of your business

Summary -

In case your mind is hazy with all that information, let’s summarise it for you:

1. Engagement pods are groups which trade likes and comments to boost engagement for brands and businesses
2. Instagram DM or direct message groups are similar to engagement pods but they allow limited members and are hosted on Instagram itself
3. You can join DM groups or engagement pods to get your post featured under ‘Top Posts’
4. Search for Instagram pods on third party platform like Facebook, Telegram and Whatsapp to join them
5. Instagram pods can be of different types based on their functionality, content, rules of engagement and platforms they are hosted on
6. Telegram allows almost limitless number of Instagram accounts hence it is often a go-to platform for businesses
7. To join engagement groups on Facebook and Whatsapp, you can simply do a Google search for engagement groups and apply for membership
8. Engaging on Instagram pods can be pretty time consuming. If your account activity appears suspicious to Instagram, you might easily be red listed and your page banned