Increasing Your Number of Followers on Instagram

With 1 billion monthly active users, the Instagram community is growing at an alarming rate. Thanks to this rise in popularity, digital marketers are using this platform to reach new audiences all over the globe. From ecommerce websites looking to sell more products to aspiring influencers, everyone is asking, how to get more followers on Instagram.

But –

There’s no magic switch that will help you bring in thousands of additional followers. Growing your following can be time-consuming, especially if you’re just starting out. You need to create great content and interact with the right accounts and followers on Instagram if you want to get people’s attention. Use these tips to take your profile to the next level.

Tell Users What You’re All About

Before someone follows you on Instagram, they want to know who you are and what you’re all about. Unless you have national name recognition, you need to give people some insight as to who’s posting and why. Make sure you have a clear, in-depth bio for your account, including your name or the name of your brand/business, what you’re interested in or the things you like to post about.

Don’t forget about a homepage:

Instagram makes a space for websites. Adding a URL to your account shows people you’re serious about your business. You can easily start a website on WordPress or Squarespace for not a lot of money. Invest in a URL that further showcases your content.

Curating Your Grid

Instagram is a visual platform and you need to make sure your content has visual appeal. You should only post high-quality images and videos that show off your brand or lifestyle. Your smartphone should be enough to capture this kind of imagery, but you might want to hire a photographer or videographer if you don’t feel confident in your image-making abilities.

But cute photos aren’t enough.

You also need to make sure your profile has a specific look and feel. You can’t just post about anything and everything. All your posts should have a similar theme or tone. If you’re an aspiring influencer, all your posts may be about your life, what you’re doing, and your relationships. If you’re an aspiring artist, stick with photos and videos of your work. If you’re growing a brand on Instagram, use branded imagery and videos that show off what your company is all about.

Looking at the bigger picture: the grid.

Even if your posts look great, make sure they add up to a coherent grid, which is what your followers will see when they first land on your account. Think of your posts as a series of chapters in a story. They need to connect and make sense when viewers see them side-by-side.

Choose Relevant, Alternating Hashtags

Hashtags are key when growing an audience on Instagram. They assign keywords to your content, so new users can discover your account. Use a mix of popular and under-the-radar hashtags. If you only use the most popular tags, you can easily get lost in the shuffle. Make sure all your tags are relevant to the subject at hand, but don’t be afraid to get creative with your hashtags.

Changing it up.

Don’t get lazy with your hashtags. You should always use different hashtags for each post. It’s okay to reuse the same tags, but make sure you’re always looking for ways to describe your work.

Engage with Your Target Audience

Posting will only get you so far. If you want to increase your followers, you need to introduce yourself to new users. “Like”, follow and comment on other people’s posts, so they know you exist.

But you’re probably wondering:

What kinds of followers should be interacting with? In addition to “liking” and commenting on your existing followers’ posts, use the search bar on Instagram to find and follow people that share content that’s similar to yours. Find influencers and micro-influencers, accounts with more than 10k followers and less than 100k followers, and engage with their followers. Major influencers probably won’t pay you much attention, but if you engage with their followers, you know there’s a good chance they’ll be interested in your content.

Pay for a Shout Out or Instagram Ads

As a last resort, you can always promote individual posts to reach more followers. You’ll need to switch to a business account to start promoting your content.

Some influencers will also give you a shout out for free, while others will charge you. The more engage with influencers, the more they’ll be willing to send you a message of love. Make sure you’re targeting influencers that live in your niche or you’ll waste your money on the wrong kinds of followers.

Keep these tips in mind as you go about getting more followers on Instagram. You can’t get to 10k or 100k followers overnight. Be patient and focus on engaging with users that share your interests.