Your Instagram followers are members of your community, not just a numerical figure. That being said, you can experience a rise in traffic, revenue, and engagement if your primary objective on Instagram is to expand. We’ll cover 20 strategies for increasing your Instagram following in this guide, along with the top social media management tool for organizing, scheduling, and monitoring your content.
Are you prepared to gain more followers? Explore our comprehensive guide! We have all the insider knowledge to assist you increase the number of your followers. From creating amazing content to collaborating with others and riding the hashtag wave, you’ll discover how to organically expand your Instagram following while having a great time!
Don’t Buy Instagram Followers
It takes time to establish your Instagram following, unless Taylor Swift has made reference to you in a song. But using bots or purchasing followers as short cuts isn’t the solution. Instagram’s terms of use prohibit buying followers, and while you may experience a spike in interaction and followers at first, doing so will hurt your account over time. Why? Because Instagram often bans false accounts and bogus engagement, you risk having your account shadow banned. Gaining loyal, quality followers who will interact with your content may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort.
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Have a Strong Personal Brand and Value Proposition
If you had no idea what a store sold, would you still walk in? Most likely not. That also holds true for your Instagram account. Whether it’s style advice, motivational sayings, or recipe content, having a distinct value proposition is crucial to turning visitors into followers. That said, this does not imply that every piece of content you create must be identical.
Create a Cohesive Instagram Feed
These days, your Instagram profile functions as a website, portfolio, and resume all rolled into one. It also doesn’t have to be flawless, although first impressions do count. In the few seconds you have to introduce yourself and communicate the spirit of your brand, a compelling Instagram aesthetic could mean the difference between a visitor tapping away or choosing to follow. This is the ideal formula for platform growth because it allows you to observe how your posts appear overall and what impact they have when someone visits your profile!
Optimize Your Instagram Bio
Since your Instagram bio is frequently the first thing new users see, it’s the ideal place to introduce yourself and your services right away. In addition, since you only have 150 characters to set the scene, it’s critical that your bio is succinct, educational, and packed with pertinent keywords to increase account discoverability. For instance, creator Lauren Toyota adds “vegan chef” in the name box instead of just “chef”: Additionally, you can only include one external link in your Instagram bio, so you should utilize it wisely. You may make a landing page with button links and a clickable version of your Instagram feed with Laster’s Linkin.bio tool, which is customizable: This eliminates the need to constantly update the URL in your Instagram bio and makes it simpler to point followers to particular websites that you mention in your posts.
Write Descriptive Captions With Keywords
Only a few years ago, usernames, location tags, hashtags, and profile names could be used for Instagram Explore searches. This means that the discoverability of your material can be significantly impacted by creating meaningful, descriptive captions that use strategic keywords (hello, Instagram SEO). Consider the term “Instagram algorithm” as an example. On the Explore page, a relevant Instagram post from Later’s account appears when you search for it: Using descriptive and relevant keywords in your Instagram captions increases the likelihood that your material will be seen on the Explore page, which is beneficial for both parties.
Find the Best Hashtags for Your Followers
Hashtags on Instagram remain one of the strongest instruments for growth. Utilizing pertinent and focused hashtags in your posts will help you connect with new fans. See how dermatologist Dr. Aamna Adel, the inventor, makes use of highly relevant hashtags in her captions, such as #SkincareRoutine and #SkincareTips, to make her content easily discoverable by users.
Create a Consistent Instagram Posting Schedule
As far as Instagram growth is concerned, the key is consistency. “Your audience will get to know you better and more as a result of your consistency, which fosters trust. Additionally, they’ll know what to anticipate from you, which will motivate them to follow and interact with your material, according to Linsday Ashcraft, social media lead at Later. Nonetheless, the creation of high-quality content that truly benefits your audience should always take precedence over quantity.
Find Your Best Time to Post
As was already discussed, it’s important to post regularly on Instagram. Additionally, publishing at the proper moment might result in an increase in traffic and the discovery of new readers for your material. In a subsequent study, we discovered that consumers generally interact more with information released in the early morning hours than with any other time of day. Stated differently, the first bird gets the worm. It’s crucial to determine your own optimal posting time, though. You can get recommendations for the ideal time to post for maximum interaction by using later’s best time to post feature.
Make Sure Your Instagram Content is Accessible
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.2 billion individuals are blind or have other visual impairments. Therefore, if accessibility isn’t given top priority in your social media strategy, you can be preventing connections, consumers, or future clients from interacting with your content. Here are five strategies to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of your Instagram account:
When creating video content, add text overlays or subtitles (including Instagram Stories and Reels)
- Using Later’s alt text tool, create insightful captions for your Instagram photos.
- Talk about the details you see in stories and movies.
- In Instagram hashtags, capitalize each word.
- This enables screen readers to correctly read them aloud.
Restrict the amount of emojis used in text overlays and captions to make material that is compatible with screen readers. Since more people can access and consume inclusive material, it can lead to more engagement, the acquisition of new followers, and an improved Instagram experience for all users.
Work With Other Brands, Creators & Influencers
A great growth hack is to collaborate with brands and influencers who share your values. You’ll be able to reach a new audience of possible followers and profit from brand association. The most favorable news? Relationships don’t have to be extremely expensive. Some of the best ones are straightforward and advantageous to both parties.
In a similar vein, impact can be achieved without collaborating with enormous influences. Compared to macro influencers, nano and micro influencers often have cheaper fees for sponsored content and higher engagement rates. It doesn’t have to be hard to find the ideal influencers for your brand. Discovering creators that align with your brand is simple with Later Influence’s Influencer Search Tool. To see it in action, schedule a demo.
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Create More Instagram Reels
One of the best methods to attract new audiences on Instagram Reels is still through efficient use of the platform. Reels are extremely discoverable on Instagram because, in contrast to other post formats like carousels, they have a dedicated space on the Explore page and a button on the home feed navigation bar.
The Reels feed provides users with high-interest content, much as TikTok’s For You page, which makes it simpler to gain more followers and become more visible. For optimal outcomes:
- Make sure the descriptions for your Reels appropriately convey the topic of your videos by using hashtags and keywords.
- When appropriate for your brand, incorporate popular soundtracks into your Instagram Reels! To encourage repeat views, keep your reels brief.
- Make unique material.
- For those who are watching without sound, provide on-screen text.
- Try to capture high-quality video (instead of posting stuff that has a TikTok watermark).
Optimize your Instagram Stories Highlights
Stories expire after a day, but you may save them by adding them to your Instagram Story Highlights. Producing top-notch highlights will help you draw in more followers, build brand awareness, and draw in new viewers with your best Instagram Stories material. So, why do you hesitate? Instagram Stories can be scheduled ahead of time and are compatible with all paid plans.
Create Memes and Other Shareable Content
The best way to expand your audience organically is through producing content that people will want to share. Tried-and-true formats like inspirational quotations and educational carousel posts can reach thousands of individuals with just one post. Memes are also incredibly effective at expanding their audience, particularly when they capitalize on a popular culture trend. Your meme is more likely to become viral if it strikes a chord with people in your community.
Lean Into User-generated Content
Getting your community to post user-generated content (UGC) is a terrific method to increase Instagram following growth and brand recognition. Consider Knix as an example. The company gathers user-generated content (UGC) from its clients and posts it to an Instagram Stories Highlight named #YouInYourKnix. What was the outcome? Anyone can easily find Knix’s Instagram account by seeing a user-generated image. NOTE: Always get permission from the original creator before reposting user-generated content (UGC), even if they tagged you.
Run an Instagram Giveaway
Organizing an Instagram giveaway can be one of the best strategies for quickly growing your following. With the appropriate approach, you may strengthen the sense of community surrounding your business and connect with thousands of potential new fans. Make sure you have explicit admission requirements that align with your desired growth trajectory, such as following your account, sharing to Instagram Stories, and tagging a buddy in the comments. Giveaways on Instagram are particularly advantageous if they are organized in collaboration with a business or artist that caters to a similar demographic.
Cross-promote Your Instagram Through Other Channels
Cross-promoting your account on other websites is a wonderful place to start if you’re looking for more strategies to increase your Instagram following. Our recommendation? Use Later’s Link In Bio to showcase your most recent Instagram photos and valuable links (for free). Additionally, you can use your website, podcast, email newsletter, or another social media platform to point visitors to your Instagram account. The options are genuinely limitless.
Analyze High-performing Content
Reach is one of the most crucial metrics to consider when tracking your brand’s performance on Instagram. Reach indicates how many distinct accounts have viewed your content, which indicates the level of interest and awareness you are receiving. You can utilize the findings of a post’s unusually high or low reach to inform future ones. Which hashtags were used by you? Which kind of material did you post? Was your caption’s call-to-action (CTA) designed to maximize engagement? With Instagram Analytics, monitoring your reach and any other analytics is really simple. It provides you with an intuitive dashboard that provides a visual summary of the performance of your articles, Reels, and posts. Make an account now to use tools to monitor the effectiveness of your posts.
Go Live on Instagram
The chance? An additional way to grow your fan base. Users can now add more cameras, extra mics, and visuals to their setups with the new Instagram Live Producer, which is another opportunity to stand out and connect with your audience.
Experiment on Threads
Though we don’t advise committing fully to a Threads strategy just yet, playing around with Instagram’s text-based interface is a low-effort way to find new content. Why? Because your Instagram profiles and Threads are connected, more people may find your material and become followers. There has never been a better moment to test the waters, as saves, drafts, and trends are now live on the site.
Connect With Your Community
A top strategy for expanding your account? Establish a relationship with your followers and create a vibrant Instagram community. As a brand or as a creative, consider the following:
- How often do you respond to comments and direct messages?
- Do you schedule time to interact with Instagram Lives or Stories in real time?
For instance, content creator Alexandra Nikolajev frequently utilizes Stories for Q&As, which enables her to establish more meaningful connections with her audience.
What’s the lesson learned? People that follow you because they believe in and trust what you post are more inclined to tell their own followers about it. That’s it; even though gaining more Instagram followers won’t happen instantly, you can succeed if you use the 18 suggestions and techniques listed above.
Demand More Followers
You know, sometimes even the most basic things work like magic. One approach is to simply request that your audience follow you. It’s comparable to when YouTubers request that viewers subscribe at the conclusion of their videos. This is also possible on Instagram. Sometimes readers truly enjoy what you have to say, but they just need a little nudge to click the follow button. You can obliquely mention it in your content, in your captions, or even in the comments. Inform them of the content that following you will entail or the intriguing stuff that you have planned.
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Stay Current with Emerging Trends
Do you want more people to see you and give you more likes? simple! Simply listen out for what’s trending at the moment. The secret is to make sure your material is relevant to your audience and truly helpful, so match your posts and hashtags with these trends. Remain current, but authentic and sensitive to your audience’s preferences.
Utilize Instagram’s Tools
Here’s a small tip to simplifying your Instagram experience: use tools! These tools can help you plan your posts, provide you with incredibly helpful analytics about how well your posts are performing, and even recommend the ideal hashtags. Hootsuite, Later, Linktree, and many more are a few well-liked ones.
Summing it all
By mixing real content with smart hashtags, staying connected, and using the best tools, you’re on the road to Instagram stardom.
Remember, getting followers is good, but about more than numbers. You’re building a crew of people who love what you do. So, keep being you, shining, and watch your Instagram world light up!
