The bad news is that there are no definitive “growth hacks” for boosting your Instagram following. No instruction manual can guarantee success. The glad tidings? There are still steps you can take to develop an Instagram growth strategy.
Top 10 Instagram Growth Tips for Creators
Here are ten methods to gain Instagram followers organically, organized by your current Instagram experience level.
If you are just beginning to use Instagram for your business, the first stage is to refine your Instagram presence. Before continuing on to more advanced practices, there are five essentials that must be met:
1. Avoid Purchasing Fake Followers at All Costs
When websites offer 1,000 Instagram followers for as little as $12.99 (yes, these are real prices), it’s tempting to purchase a fast win to boost your follower count. However, purchasing phony followers is counterproductive.
Participating in engagement groups or purchasing engagements such as views and remarks is equally ineffective for growing an Instagram account. You want to build a meaningful community, not just amass a large number of followers for the sake of it.
2. Include Keywords in Your User Name and Display the Name
The Instagram search algorithm prioritizes search results with relevant keywords in the name and username. Your username is your Instagram moniker (the @name of your profile): Keep this the same as your company’s name and/or consistent with your username on other social channels so that you can be easily recognized.
3. Improve Your Instagram Bio
To get the perfect Instagram bio, you must master four elements: A concise explanation of what you do and/or sell. Your Instagram bio is limited to 150 characters. However, it is your initial impression on potential followers and consumers that will make or break you.
Instagram biographies should be clear, unique, and full, according to the science. Anyone who reads it should understand what your organization does, how it may assist them, and where they can learn more.
4. Promote Your Instagram Handle on Other Platforms
Redirecting potential consumers from other channels to your Instagram page is a simple way to get more visible and increase your following quickly.
5. Determine the Optimal Times to Post on Instagram
When should you post on Instagram? When your target market is online. There is no single optimal time to post material on Instagram. Instead, try to figure out the best time to post for your following.
How will you know if your target audience is online? Instagram tells you in three simple steps using its insights.
- Â Go to your Instagram profile and click the “Insights” button.
- Â Navigate to “Your Audience”
- Â Select “See all”
6. Build an Instagram Marketing Strategy
Not only will having a clear understanding of Instagram’s role in your overall social media marketing strategy yield positive business results, but it will also steer you in a laser-focused direction regarding what to post on Instagram.
- Solidify your objectives
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of your intended audience
- Define the identity and aesthetic of your brand
- Create and adhere to content pillar themes
- Create a content calendar and publish regularly.
7. Create Captivating Captions
When you’ve worked hard to create the ideal carousel or video, it’s tempting to skimp on Instagram captions. But Instagram captions carry more weight than you may realize: they can either convince someone to follow you or cause them to ignore you.
8. Make Use of Relevant Hashtags
With the appropriate hashtags, you can reach a wide and focused audience with your Instagram photos. What number of hashtags should you use? The maximum number of hashtags is 30, however Instagram recommends using only three to five.
9. Understand Your Analytics
Checking your Instagram stats on a regular basis is essential for knowing what works and what doesn’t. Your audience may respond best to amusing Reels, while instructive pieces work best as carousels. Discovering trends informs your content creation approach to get the most out of Instagram.
Instagram offers native analytics, although they are somewhat restricted. You cannot view the performance of your individual posts in a single window to compare them, nor can you handpick metrics that are significant to you. To receive all of the data at a look and even create custom reports for stakeholders, it’s better to use a third-party platform like Buffer’s Analytics.
10. Work With Instagram Creators or Other Small Businesses to Collaborate
Collaboration with other producers through influencer marketing or partnerships with small businesses is a win-win situation because it introduces both sides to a new network. The key is to work with a brand or artist whose beliefs fit with yours and whose followers’ demographics and interests overlap with your target audience.