Due to its proven ability to generate traffic, increase sales, and engage customers, Instagram serves as a crucial cornerstone of numerous brands’ social media presence. As a result, 59% of marketers intend to increase their investment in Instagram this year.
Many individuals feel dissatisfied with their Instagram growth and engagement.
The platform has become highly competitive with the increasing number of brands joining in. However, increasing your audience is definitely worth the effort since it provides more chances to please your customers. This is because a larger audience equates to more opportunities to satisfy your customers.
Ways to increase Instagram followers
This post focuses on cultivating an authentic following, rather than resorting to shortcuts. It is important to differentiate between the two approaches, as some brands may try to obtain more Instagram followers through pay-for-play websites.
Although, these services may not be beneficial for brands over an extended period of time. The Instagram algorithm is able to identify and remove low-quality accounts and fake engagement generated through paid bots. Nonetheless, building a genuine audience requires some effort on your part.
1. Optimize your Instagram account
Prioritize assessing your Instagram account setup before focusing on gaining followers. Reflect on whether your profile appears presentable by asking yourself if it “looks the part.” Firstly, contemplate factors such as:
- Your Instagram bio (including your slogan, tagline and/or a branded hashtag)
- Your profile picture
- Your bio link (and where it points to)
Your brand identity on Instagram is defined by these details, and they have a significant impact on the discoverability of your account. To create an account that is appealing to followers, it is crucial to focus on these details.
- Having a search-friendly username. Stick to either your brand name or whatever’s closest to your existing social handles. If your name is too long, shorten it to a variation your audience would recognize (ex: Cold Stone Creamery’s account is @coldstone).
- Making your profile picture professional. An appropriately-sized logo is ideal. Any text in your profile picture should be legible on a smartphone screen.
- Minding where you point your bio link. This is crucial for turning Instagram followers into meaningful traffic or customers. It’s your only way to funnel social traffic to your site and promotions.
Although linking to your homepage is acceptable, it may not be the best option. A social landing page that directs users to numerous links can boost more meaningful interactions and provide your audience with greater control over how they interact with your business. This can result in a more positive experience for your followers.
2. Keep a consistent content calendar
For Instagram, having momentum is crucial. Simply posting without a strategy is unlikely to result in gaining followers. Developing content and delivering value is what attracts audiences. Continuously doing so is what ensures their loyalty. Do not allow your Instagram profile to become neglected.
Adhering to a consistent schedule for posting is essential. When it comes to frequency and timing, there is no need to adhere strictly to a predetermined quantity. The majority of brands post on a daily or nearly daily basis. This aligns with our findings on the ideal frequency of posting.
Here’s a rundown of the most effective times to post on Instagram. The best periods for maximum engagement are mid to late mornings and early afternoons on weekdays. In case you’re concerned about your posts not receiving enough visibility, there’s no need to worry. Try utilizing features like Stories to give your content a second chance at exposure.
3. Schedule Instagram posts in advance
Although brands are subject to the Instagram algorithm for their reach, it is undeniable that posting at optimal times can increase visibility. Every effort taken to enhance engagement is advantageous.
The significance of organizing Instagram content is emphasized here. Through Sprout’s latest features, companies have the ability to schedule Posts, Reels, Carousels, as well as Stories.
By scheduling content ahead of time, you establish a sense of control and organization. Instagram scheduling resources ultimately enable you to achieve the consistent rhythm we previously mentioned. Additionally, the ability to share posts from other networks can be advantageous in this regard.
Utilizing Sprout’s ViralPost feature can assist in determining the optimal timing for your posts. By analyzing your engagement history, our platform can pinpoint the most favorable moments to post.
4. Engage with customers, brand advocates and influencers
Engaging with your audience is crucial in increasing your Instagram followers. One effective method to achieve this is by responding and redistributing their content.
Harness the potential of user-generated content to enhance your social proof and demonstrate your dedication towards your followers. One such strategy is adopted by Drunk Elephant, which often shares its followers’ posts on its page through the use of hashtags such as #BareWithUs and #DrunkBreak.
Collaborating with influencers who have a solid fan base is an additional tactic to expand your own viewership. By teaming up with content producers, your brand can be exposed to your desired consumer group, generating continued recognition for your merchandise.
5. Avoid fake Instagram followers
Purchasing Instagram followers may seem like a fast way to boost your profile, but it’s crucial to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent followers. Unfortunately, the disadvantages of having fake followers far outweigh any potential advantages, such as…
- Confuse your potential organic followers.
An inactive, low-engagement account with a big following is suspicious. This can be a turn-off for fans that’d otherwise follow you and engage. - Provide no monetary value to your business.
Think about it. Your bot followers can’t buy your stuff, can they? - Generate no buzz:
If you have 10,000 fake followers, how many are going to engage with your posts? Does it really even matter if your posts are brimming with spam comments?
Lush Cosmetics consistently answers questions and interacts with their followers, which leads to customers returning often to give praise and express positivity.
6. Use the right hashtags
To succeed on Instagram, you need to keep your existing audience engaged and increase your authentic followers. Meeting the first requirement involves regularly uploading captivating and intriguing pictures. However, you must incorporate hashtags in your posts to enhance your follower count. Hashtags enable individuals searching for specific keywords to locate your pictures effortlessly.
Which hashtags should you use on Instagram? Similar to Twitter and other social media platforms, Instagram users have a preference for certain hashtags. Using popular hashtags on your Instagram photos will increase your chances of reaching new users and getting discovered.
These are the 20 most popular hashtags on Instagram currently.
- #love
- #instagood
- #photooftheday
- #fashion
- #beautiful
- #happy
- #cute
- #like4like
- #tbt
- #followme
- #picoftheday
- #follow
- #me
- #art
- #selfie
- #summer
- #instadaily
- #repost
- #friends
- #nature
If you see this list and think, “None of these are relevant to my products or brand,” then you are probably correct.
There is a distinction between utilizing hashtags and utilizing the appropriate tags.
Although including popular tags such as the ones provided above may result in added engagement and likes, they will not result in extended engagement, new followers who are interested in your content, or, above all, sales.
To ensure proper tagging of your photos, it is essential to search for and utilize the most appropriate hashtags. Thus, conducting thorough research is imperative to select hashtags that not only define your brand but are also being actively searched for on Instagram.
7. Use the right filters
It’s not just about keyword hashtags; pay attention to the photo filters that the Instagram community responds well to. Incorporating these filters can positively affect your engagement.
According to Iconosquare, the filters listed below are currently the top 10 most frequently used on Instagram.
- Normal (No Filter)
- Clarendon
- Juno
- Lark
- Ludwig
- Gingham
- Valencia
- X-Pro II
- Lo-fi
- Amaro
A study conducted by TrackMaven on Instagram accounts revealed that the use of Mayfair, Hefe, and Ludwig filters resulted in higher levels of engagement.
Your audience’s preferred filters hold greater significance than filters that are popular among the wider Instagram community. Take into account this customized graph that links the usage of filters to engagement on my personal Instagram account.
By utilizing IconoSquare, you can assess your account’s performance and determine what is and isn’t effective for you.
8. Post at the right times
In addition to utilizing suitable hashtags and filters for gaining more Instagram followers, it is advisable to take into account the timing of your posts.
To adopt a focused strategy, you must evaluate your previous successful and unsuccessful attempts. Head to IconoSquare’s optimization division for a thorough assessment of your past posts vis-à-vis the level of engagement it generated. The analysis will also indicate the ideal days and times to make your posts.
Your typical media posting schedule is indicated by the dark circles. The community’s interaction periods are shown by the light gray ones. The largest light gray circles indicate the ideal posting times. If you have a business account, you can learn a lot from Instagram analytics for free by checking the Followers section.
Using a social media scheduling tool can allow you to publish your posts automatically at the time when your audience is most active and engaged, and you may want to take this into consideration.
9. Steal your competitors’ followers
An effective approach to building a new audience is to explore your nearest rivals’ Instagram profiles and connect with their followers. These individuals have already displayed a certain degree of curiosity in the merchandise you offer by following your competition.
How can you successfully acquire your rivals’ followers? The answer lies in your interaction with them. Engaging with Instagram users through various methods will result in a greater number of followers and recurring engagement based on the amount of effort you exert.
There exist three categories of interaction on Instagram:
- Follow a user
- Like a photo
- Comment on a photo
Feel free to incorporate emojis to inject some character into your message. Though the assessment lacked scientific rigour and was affected by numerous factors, the outcomes were evident. The greater the effort and interaction you invest in connecting with others through your Instagram account, the greater the benefits you’ll reap.
Although it violates Instagram’s terms of service, several entrepreneurs adopt automation to follow the aforementioned process.
10. Pay for sponsored posts and product reviews
Although it’s commendable to optimize your posts for Instagram, the ultimate way to gain more followers is through influencer marketing, expanding your brand’s reach to a larger audience. While the methods mentioned before are useful for boosting your followers, this approach typically involves a fee. Nevertheless, it can be incredibly beneficial when executed correctly.
To commence, it is necessary to create a register of sizable accounts in your specific field. To illustrate, if your merchandise is beauty products, you would need to look for large accounts belonging to beauty bloggers.
If you haven’t already followed these accounts, you will have to locate them.
An effective method is to utilize Webstagram (referred to earlier) for searching some of the most relevant hashtag keywords discovered at the beginning of this article. This search will reveal both related keywords and the leading Instagram accounts that use those keywords.
In the results of the profiles, there are a few factors to keep an eye out for.
- A large following—usually 20k to 200k
- An email address in the profile
Typically, when a profile includes an email address, it indicates that the account is available for sponsored posts or a sponsored Story shoutout.
11. geotags to boost local discovery
In addition to using hashtags, you have the option to increase the visibility of your Instagram posts and Stories by adding a location tag to them. This can be either the city you’re currently in or the specific venue where the content was captured. Location tags not only provide a separate Instagram feed and Story but also include relevant hashtags that can be utilized by using a location sticker in your own Stories.
By frequently posting on location-based feeds and interacting with posts from potential customers nearby, local businesses can maximize the benefits of location tags.
12. Showcase your Instagram everywhere you can
If your aim is to gain more followers on Instagram, don’t hesitate to promote your account. Keep in mind that there is no universal method for promoting your profile. Here are a few suggestions:
- Add social media icons to your website and marketing emails. Social media icons make it easier for people to find your business and help you connect with customers.
- Feature an Instagram feed on your homepage or product pages. Many ecommerce brands have dedicated UGC feeds on-site (see below).
- Reshare Instagram-specific content or announcements on other social channels. For example, you could talk about an upcoming IG Live via TikTok or Facebook.
