Ahh Instagram. With over a billion monthly active users, it is undoubtedly a popular social media channel (for comparison, the US population is over 325 million…!). Having more Instagram followers can mean more sales for your business, more views on your blog, and a stronger community for your brand. But why do some people have thousands of followers on Instagram? (Psst, this awesome tool helped me take my Instagram to the next level.) Today I have 11 practical tips to help you grow your Instagram followers.
1. Like photos in your niche:
I attended a web conference where Susan Petersen (CEO of Freshly Picked) explained how she grew her Instagram to almost 400,000 followers. (Today there are more than 800,000!) He said that at the start of each evening, he spent hours liking other people’s photos. His suggestion? View and like 5-10 photos on someone’s account. It will also be helpful to leave a genuine comment and follow them. This helps get your name out there and allows other users to find you. I also recommend doing this primarily to users in your niche. Check hashtags or browse the followers of your favorite Instagrammers. Overall, be authentic and don’t spam – no one has time to spam.
2. Create a theme for your photos:
Great. So if you follow #1, people will naturally become aware of your username and look at your account. I have found that creating a theme for Instagram is helpful. Write a few words that you want people to associate with your account. I hope people understand that it is brilliant, artistic, and full of love. What words would you use to describe your account?
3. Social:
It’s not called social media for nothing! Reply to comments you receive and leave your comments on other people’s work. Instead of something old-fashioned like “nice dress,” try leaving genuine comments and questions that will encourage them to post more photos.
4. Create a hashtag and encourage others to use it:
This is a great way to build a community and get new content for your account. Start by creating a unique hashtag (make sure it’s not already in use!) and ask others to use it. This works best when the hashtag has a specific purpose. For example, A Beautiful Mess encourages its followers to use #ABMLifeIsColorful in all of their colorful and fun photos. Once people start using your hashtag (and YOU use it too!), you can repost your followers’ photos (with appropriate attribution, of course!). Not only does it build a community by showing your followers that you value their photos, but it also shares content on your account.
Related: The Best Hashtags to Get Noticed and Shared on Your Instagram
Tip: Would you like to know how you can specifically increase your Instagram followers?
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5. Organize a competition:
If you want to give something away, organize a competition.Ideas? Ask people to repost a specific image and tag you in the caption. Ask them to follow you. You can also ask them to use your hashtag on their photos. If you want to collaborate with other Instagrammers, you can also try handing out the rope.
6. Use Instagram Stories:
Believe it or not, Instagram Stories are rapidly growing in popularity, reaching over 400 million users every day. Many users even say that they would rather watch stories than endlessly scroll through the feed. Be creative with your stories. Take your followers behind the scenes and show them the highlights of your day. Ask questions. Enjoy polls, original GIFs, and music. Play with filters and boomerangs. This is a great way to get started with videos and connect even deeper with your followers.
7. Encourage your followers to take action:
Although it may seem simple, people are more likely to do something if you ask them to do it. Share a quote? Would you like to share something funny or similar? Ask your followers to tag a friend! Ask open questions! Posting this idea will encourage your followers to take action.
8. Geotag your photos:
Post a photo of the beautiful restaurant or city you recently visited. Geotag it! This way, other people who used the same geotag can see your photo and potentially follow you since you now have so much in common (like the French toast you both ate last weekend). If you’re confused, geotagging your photos means tagging them with their location.
9. Find out what your audience likes:
Do some research, yo. Check your photos and see which ones have the most likes and comments and of course the fewest. What grabs your audience’s attention and why? How can I add more photos like this to my feed?
Here too, the analysis is essential. With Tailwind you can analyze results, track conversions, and discover new content.
10. Connect your Instagram account to other networks:
If you have a blog, Twitter, or Facebook, you can assume that your employees already follow you on each platform. Note: probably not! Share a short tweet or post on Facebook and encourage them to follow you on Instagram. This will attract more followers than you think. This will help your followers on other networks discover your Instagram account and follow you there!
11. Contact popular users for collaboration:
Think outside the box! Ask another Instagrammer in your niche if you can “take over their account” as a guest for the day. Instagram takeovers are a lot of fun and can quickly increase your number of followers. You can also start an Instagram challenge with daily tips. Think of fun and creative ways to collaborate with other users.
