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Instagram Growth Guide: 10 Ways To Get More Followers On Instagram

Looking to achieve consistent Instagram growth? You’re not alone.

These days, Instagram isn’t just a great place for users to share pictures and videos with their loved ones; it’s also a powerful marketing tool for brands. There are around 1 billion users on Instagram, and 90% of these individuals say they’re already following a company on the platform.

However, while Instagram is an extremely valuable solution for today’s companies, maintaining consistent Instagram growth isn’t always a simple process.

To stand out on the world’s most popular visual platform, you need more than just great content. You’ll also need a powerful promotional strategy which ensures you’re constantly posting the correct content, at the right time, in the best places.

Here are 10 powerful ways to boost your followers and enhance your growth on Instagram.

10 Ways To Get More Instagram Followers

Your ability to grow on Instagram will depend on a number of things, from the kind of content you produce to your posting strategy.

An ideal plan for Instagram growth will focus on encouraging engagement from your target audience and building relationships with your followers.

The following 10 strategies should help you not only boost the ROI from your Instagram campaigns but also turn your social fans into avid customers.

1. Use Instagram Reels

If you want to stand out on Instagram, you need to be willing to experiment with different kinds of content. While photos and carousels are great for your marketing strategy, few forms of content are more impactful right now than Instagram Reels. Not only are Reels fantastic for attracting younger audiences, but they’re also amazing for showing the human side of your company.

Reels are quick and simple to create.

You can use them to show your users what’s going on behind the scenes in your company, boosting your credibility. Alternatively, you could use Reels to share quick how-to guides and tips with your customers. If hosting an event, you can share your reel via Instagram QR code. For the audience, it will be easier to access your Instagram account, and ultimately it will help you increase the number of followers.

The Athleta company shares regular Reels to showcase outfit inspiration for consumers:

2. Find The Best Time To Post

Sharing high-quality content is great, but it’s important to make sure you’re also publishing your posts at the right times.

After all, while the Instagram algorithm takes a number of different factors into account when deciding how to position your content, it also prioritizes “fresh” recent content.

Finding out the best time to post on Instagram can be challenging.

There are numerous reports and studies which suggest different ideal times and days depending on whether you’re trying to increase likes or boost engagement.

The best way to ensure you’re connecting with your audience in the right moments is to use your own analytics. Instagram Insights can show you what times your customers are most likely to be online and engaging with your posts, so you can schedule content accordingly.

3. Learn How The Algorithm Works

Speaking of the Instagram algorithm, you’ll need at least a basic knowledge of how it works if you want to improve your chances of Instagram growth. The Instagram algorithm can be tricky to understand for beginners, particularly since it’s constantly updating with new rules and guidelines.

However, for the most part, Instagram prioritizes posts for users based on:

  • Who: Instagram examines which posts users interact with frequently to show them content from the creators they engage with most. Boosting engagement with your audience by encouraging them to like and comment on your posts will increase your ranking.
  • What: The Instagram algorithm also attempts to determine what kind of content followers like to engage with. Tagging your posts with hashtags related to your audience’s interests, using the right sounds in Reels, and leveraging geo-tagging can help you stand out.
  • When: As noted above, Instagram likes to prioritize fresh content. After you know when your customers are online, it’s worth using social media tools to schedule your posts in advance, so you’re always active and online at the same time as your audience.

4. Collaborate With Influencers & Creators

Collaborating with creators, influencers, and other major brands is one of the best ways to boost your reach and achieve rapid Instagram growth.

By connecting with the right individuals on Instagram, you can expose your content to a wider range of people, and improve your credibility at the same time.

Influencers and creators don’t necessarily need to be “celebrity level” to have an impact on your marketing campaigns. Micro influencers with a few thousand followers can also help your business to branch out into new audiences and demographics.

Consider teaming up with content creators on competitions and giveaways, like @WholesomeCulture does here to generate excitement for your products.

Alternatively, you can look into options like hosting an influencer takeover, or asking creators to post reviews of your products in the forms of videos, Reels, and Stories.

5. Optimize Your Bio

Your bio is essentially the front page of your Instagram presence, and one of the first tools your customers will use to get to know you. With that in mind, it’s important to make sure your bio is sending the right message about your brand.

While you have limited space to share information on your bio, it’s worth making the most of it, with emojis, hashtags, and a dedicated link. You can even use a link-in-bio tool to connect your customers to multiple pages with a single URL.

Upgrading to an Instagram Business account will also give you more options to work with when you’re building out your bio. Business users can add CTA buttons to their profile, to make it easier for customers to contact them. Plus, you can choose your business niche, too.

Other ways to optimize your bio include making sure you choose the right name (the name of your business is a good option) and the right profile picture. Additionally, you can make your job easier with an Instagram profile template available online.

6. Engage With Your Audience

Social media is supposed to be social! Don’t just post content relevant to your audience, connect with them via two-way conversations. Not only will this improve your chances of building stronger relationships with your customers, but it will also boost your engagement levels so you can rank higher in the eyes of the Instagram algorithm.

Engaging with your audience can be as simple as responding to the comments they leave on your post, liking their user-generated content when it includes a branded hashtag, or sending direct messages. You can also use competitions to generate engagement, asking customers to @mention someone in your post for a chance to win something.

Another way to engage your audience is to host live Q&A sessions. You can go “Live” on Instagram whenever you like.

Just make sure you let your audience know when you’re going to be available so they can tune in with their questions.

7. Use Appropriate Hashtags

Hashtags are one of the most important tools you’ll have for generating Instagram growth.

Just like on other social media channels, hashtags work to organize content and make it easier for audience members to find the posts they’re interested in.

You can include as many as 30 hashtags in every post. You don’t have to use the full amount, but it is worth experimenting with a few different styles of tags to see which ones work best. Try creating your own branded hashtag like Nike’s #JustDoIt.

Consider using trending hashtags like #Instagood alongside more niche tags like #VeganFood.

It’s also worth adding location-based tags to your posts too, as the Instagram algorithm can sometimes prioritize geo-tagged content on the “Explore” page for users in specific regions.

8. Write Engaging Captions

It’s easy to overlook the importance of captions on Instagram.

The visual platform focuses heavily on the importance of pictures and videos, which means captions often take a backseat. However, your captions are a valuable part of improving your Instagram Growth.

Within your captions, you can list the hashtags relevant to your audience that improve your chances of ranking on the Explore page and reaching the right people. You can also engage your followers by asking questions and encouraging conversation.

Instagram captions can also be a fantastic way to tell your audience an important story about your brand or product. For an excellent example of what an amazing caption looks like, check out Airbnb.

Their captions are rich, descriptive, and brimming with detail.

9. Run Instagram Ads

The best Instagram growth is organic.

Unfortunately, waiting for people to discover your posts and follow your brand can take time.

That’s why it’s such a good idea to give your posts a boost with the right Instagram ads. You can experiment with a wide range of advertising options on Instagram, from promoted posts on the Explore page, to ads sent in direct messages.

If you’re trying to rapidly increase sales and engagement on social media, it’s a good idea to experiment with a few different types of ads.

Consider using promotions on Reels and Stories, as well as within your standard Instagram posts to see which options work best.

Instagram ads can help draw attention to your most valuable posts, and make your latest products and services stand out.

You can even use ads to highlight testimonials and reviews from other customers, to boost your credibility.

10. Use Instagram Insights

Finally, if you want to optimize your Instagram growth, you need to be committed to consistently working on your posts and improving them according to your audience’s interests.

Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to invest in a lot of expensive tools and services to learn more about which of your posts generate the best results.

Instagram Insights, the analytics center built into your Instagram profile, is available for all Business users and creators.

This simple solution can give you a behind-the-scenes look at everything from which of your posts get the most engagement, to where your target audience comes from.

The information you collect from Instagram Insights will help you to create more targeted posts and campaigns, ideal for driving better audience engagement and new selling opportunities.

Invest In Rapid Instagram Growth

Achieving powerful and consistent Instagram growth can be challenging, but it’s well worth the effort.

If you can successfully build a following on Instagram, you can use it to drive new sales opportunities, boost customer loyalty, and strengthen your brand reputation.


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