Looking for Instagram follower growth tips? Using hashtags, contests, and posting the right content will help you attract more Instagram followers.
What are the best ways to grow your Instagram followers?
According to a recent report, Instagram user growth has slowed, but it still ranks second behind Facebook in U.S. social networking.
Second only to YouTube as an iPhone app, Instagram is the most popular app on the market.
An average of 38 minutes is spent on Instagram each day by 73% (about 73 million) of its billion monthly users.
One third of the 700 million people watching Instagram stories daily are businesses.
There are a lot of users waiting to meet you if you’re a brand looking to increase engagement.
Are there any more reasons why a business should use Instagram?
Nevertheless, you must learn how to use social media correctly.
You can also try dancing with your friends and look like your dad crashing a festival.
Such a sight is not desirable.
23 steps to gain more Instagram followers and increase engagement
For your brand to succeed on Instagram, here are 23 steps you can take to gain more followers and increase engagement.
In order to maintain the security of your Instagram stories, feed, bio, and hashtags, there is no way to overstate the importance.
1. Create a content calendar and plan
- Writing content involves thinking about ideas, delivering them, and optimizing them.
- Sharing photos and videos on an Instagram account should be no different.
- Take the time to brainstorm clever content ideas that align with seasons, holidays, your business’ upcoming events, and (most importantly) your overall traffic and sales goals.
- As ideas come to you, you can post spontaneously.
- Instead of scrambling for something to post, keep a (tentative) schedule and a library of ideas.
- It is possible to post several times per day or multiple times per week, depending on the nature of your business.
- Stick to a content plan for Instagram.
2. Be sure to post only high-quality content
- If you post to Instagram, make sure the photos and videos are high quality.
- In order for a photo to be considered high quality, it must be clear and unpixelated.
- Above all else, Instagram focuses on visuals.
- Photo blurs have no place in this world.
- An image that has been cut off in part.
- You don’t need it to be on National Geographic or BBC. The focus must be on it.
- Engagement won’t come from low-quality content.
- There is even a possibility that you will lose followers because of it.
3. Change the filter and dimension to see what works best
- Using filters and dimensions isn’t just for businesses.
- Your content should be filtered instead.
- Your photos are more likely to be shared and followed if they are creative, original and captivating.
- Adding even more polish to your photos can be accomplished by downloading photo editing apps.
- Don’t limit yourself to the square when it comes to dimensions – make use of landscapes and portraits as well.
- See what works best for you by testing out the dimensions.
4. Research your personas using Instagram analytics
You will be able to see when your audience is most active when you set up an Instagram business account (which is free).
Optimize your posting schedule based on that data.
Instagram can also help you create personas by analyzing the age, gender, and location of your audience.
5. Use hashtags to tag brand ambassadors in your photos
Tag relevant accounts so that you appear in their tagged feed so that people who aren’t following you can discover you.
- After a Zumba class, take a group shot at your fitness studio and tag every single person in it. Their tagged feeds will be updated with it.
- The post will be seen by their followers (many of whom likely share similar interests with you) and your studio will be discovered.
- Other brands and businesses can also benefit from this strategy.
- It is best practice to tag vendors in your photos if you are a wedding photographer.
- If a photograph of the reception is taken, the DJ, cake baker, wedding planner, and wedding venue may all be tagged at the same time.
As brides search for vendors, each business gets additional exposure, which leads to more discovery for all involved businesses – if someone searches through Instagram for a wedding venue, they’ll probably also be searching for a photographer and a lot of other vendors related to the wedding.
I would appreciate it if you shared the spotlight and tagged others.
Your leads will increase as well as your Instagram followers.
6. Use branded hashtags and call-to-actions in your Instagram bio
If you’re looking for new Instagram followers, ensure that your bio includes a call-to-action, branded hashtags, and a link.
- You and your brand will be discovered here, and users will decide whether to follow you or not.
- However, avoid sounding desperate, pleading, or spamming.
- If you want to follow people who follow you, don’t include “Follow People Who Follow Me!” ” ” on your profile.
- You want to let users know who you are and why they should follow you.
- Update this section when necessary.
- Your bio could mention that information if you were running a contest.
7. Post questions and include calls-to-actions
You can boost engagement by including a clear call-to-action at the end of each post.
Examples of a CTA is:
- Visit the link in my bio to learn more!
- If you like this video, double tap it!
- Stay up to date by following us
If you have any questions, you can post them as well.
You might post a video showing a teacher demonstrating how to do certain poses at your yoga studio.
Last but not least, you might add, Tell us what poses you would like to see demonstrated in future videos!” to your caption.
Your audience will be engaged, you will appear caring about what they want to see, and you will have ideas for future posts.
8. Your website and email should contain a link to Instagram
Integrate an Instagram icon into your social links, or embed Instagram content on your website, so existing clients and customers can find your Instagram account.
Adding an Instagram link to your email signature is also possible.
Put a plugin on your website that automatically feeds your Instagram posts.
Promoting your new account to regular visitors to your site can be a great way to build a following of customers.
9. Share Instagram posts on Facebook & Twitter
Your Instagram profile can benefit from cross-posting on social media.
If the post indicates it was shared from Instagram, users who don’t know you’re on Instagram will discover you’re there as well.
Whether you cross-post every post automatically or manually depends on your settings.
10. Promote your brand through contests and campaigns
You can hold contests and campaigns to attract more users to your page once you have a large follower base.
- Using Instagram contests to promote your website or sell your product is a great way to drive traffic to your website.
- Using a hashtag, asking users to like, comment, or tagging a friend can all be effective ways to get feedback from your followers.
- Your page and brand will reach more Instagram users when users tag a friend.
- How to get more Instagram followers can be achieved by using this hack.
11. Analyze your competitors
You should also learn from your competitors’ Instagram strategies in order to get more followers.
Researching their accounts might reveal hashtags you haven’t thought of, influencers you haven’t reached out to, or other strategies that can inform your own.
Likewise, you can find out what posts will work for your own account by reviewing their top-performing posts.
12. Engage across Instagram (follow, like, and comment)
- Engage with users who may like your profile strategically.
- In practice, that means like, follow, and thoughtfully commenting on posts from potential customers and brand allies.
- You can discover other people who are posting similar content by clicking on your frequently used hashtags.
- Discover is another way to find appropriate content on Instagram.
- Interacting with your followers is another good practice.
- Like their content and follow them back.
- Your engagement will increase your visibility in others’ feeds.
- As well as showing you’re genuine, real and reciprocal!
13. Keep your photos simple by using as little text as possible
- Words should be saved for captions in general.
- Visual content is what Instagram is all about.
- In an image, posting a lot of text is unusual.
- Don’t try to fit a lengthy product description into an image, but rather a short, positive quote or statement.
- Canva is a handy free tool for adding text to photos.
For those times when you need to add text to your photos, Canva offers professionally designed text formats and templates for social networks (including Instagram).
14. Never use logos or watermarks on your images
- You are disrupting the user experience and your content by stamping your logo onto your Instagram post.
- There is no expectation that Instagram posts will be branded or watermarked.
- I feel like I’m waving a giant flag to let you know what I’m selling.
- Branding can be included on your content without putting a logo on it.
- B2B companies, for instance, can have their employees wear shirts with their logos when posting behind-the-scenes shots.
- You can also occasionally include an image of your store’s name on a strategically placed bag if you’re a fashion retailer.
- Don’t overdo it, or you’ll lose followers.
15. New Audiences Can Be Captured with the Right Hashtags
- Using hashtags will allow you to reach new audiences regardless of whether they follow you or not.
- Using hashtags such as #digitalmarketing #instagramtips and anything relating to your products, such as #instafollowers, #socialmarketing, etc., is a great way to get your message across.
- Local hashtags should also be included if you run a local business.
- Make sure you research hashtags for your particular content and choose the best ones.
- Identifying the most popular hashtags is easy.
- In Instagram, you can see the number of posts that have been made around your word when you type # and your word.
- Using hashtagify.me, you can also find hashtags that have a large following.
With one type of hashtag, you can learn the reach and related hashtags, as well as all the hashtags related to that hashtag. You can also learn the other hashtags related to it.
Ø What is the best number of hashtags to use on Instagram?
To avoid appearing spammy, stick to five to seven words.
There is a limit of 30 hashtags, however.
Ø Hashtags on Instagram: Where Should I Put Them?
Post them directly in the post or as a separate comment right after posting – it’s entirely up to you what works better for you.
The hashtags are then added after the caption, separated by single periods.
Keep your style consistent across posts to keep your posts looking streamlined and professional.
16. Reach local audiences with geotags
Geotagging your content – but not necessarily with your store location – is another way to attract new followers.
Search for a nearby (relevant) landmark or your city.
Now, people can find your content when searching for nearby locations.
Featured at the top of the search results can even happen if your content is doing particularly well.
Instagram geotags can also be used to promote local businesses.
17. Links in posts cannot be clicked (only in your bio)
Links in Instagram posts won’t become clickable – instead, they will be irritating as your audience attempts to open them (and fails).
Include a link in your bio that people can click rather than an unclickable one.
You can easily direct them to your website to see everything you have to offer by clicking that.
Whenever you edit your bio, add your link to the “link” section.
If you need to save space, use a link shortening service such as Bit.ly.
The link could even be optimized further by converting it into a meaningful phrase or phrase or two.
18. Drive conversions with tags in images & videos
Using Instagram’s tagging feature can help you sell your products.
Photos and videos can be tagged with product links by businesses.
Facebook business pages with product catalogs are required to use this feature.
Users will enjoy this great user experience, and businesses will benefit from a seamless conversion process.
19. Event Hashtags: Create Your Own
Make your next event memorable with a branded hashtag.
Through a unique stream of all event content, it also provides others with the opportunity to engage with your brand and the people attending.
You can use your branded hashtag to promote the event before and after the event with your hashtag.
20. Replying when tagged promotes positive reviews
You can get extra traction from tagged posts by reposting them directly to your feed whenever a user tags your business or brand.
Instagram is a great tool for businesses to showcase positive reviews and mentions.
In Instagram’s terms of use, you must obtain written permission before reposting other people’s content. Reach out to them and thank them for their post.
Users are likely to agree with you.
A tool like Repost for Instagram can be used to repost manually, or you can use a manual method.
If you choose to tag the original poster in the photo or credit them in the caption, don’t forget to give them credit.
21. Instagram Ads Let You Reach Your Audience Directly
Promoting your Instagram profile with ads might be a good idea.
The Facebook Power Editor lets you create and promote content carousels.
Facebook advertising can help you get your content in front of more people if you’re running a contest or marketing campaign.
Instagram ad spending differs from Facebook ad spending.
Using Power Editor, you can target your posts so they are seen by Instagram users who are interested in your business based on their interests and behaviors.
There may be some strategies that work better for your business than others, so find the ones that are right for you.
22. Your account must be verified
Verifying your Instagram account (or any other social media platform) never hurts.
Credibility, trust, and authenticity are all given by the little blue tick.
Instagram verification isn’t for everyone, but it’s something you should strive for.
By getting verified, your business will stand out from the competition and generate a sense of trust.
You must have the following account information to be considered:
- Your brand or business must be authentic (you must prove it is you).
- Creating an account for one brand Public is the only way to create a unique account.
- (At least one post, a bio, and a profile photo).
- If you want your brand to be considered noteworthy on Instagram, it needs to be well-known and highly searched for.
As a conclusion
These tips will help you increase your brand’s Instagram engagement:
- Plan your content
- Compose well-written videos and images
- Filter and dimension experiments
- Analyze Instagram
- Interacting users can be tagged
- Bio optimization
- Include CTAs and ask questions
- Your website and email should link to Instagram
- Social media cross-posting
- Increase brand awareness with contests
- Competitor analysis
- Follow and like other posts on Instagram
- Keep your images simple
- Make sure your images don’t have watermarks
- Take advantage of hashtags
- Reach locals with geotags
- Bios only with links
- Video and image tags
- Your event hashtags should be branded
- Posts you are tagged in
- Advertise on Instagram
- Verify your Instagram account.