In 2021, Instagram will be the most popular social media platform with over 1 billion active monthly users. It represents a big opportunity for businesses and brands to take this platform for their use.
However, it is not that easy to build your Instagram presence, and it takes time. But with some successful strategies and a few tips, you can see the results faster.
Here are 30 ways to get more Instagram followers that are reliable and relevant for you.
Have a thoughtful Instagram marketing strategy:
First and foremost, have a thoughtful Instagram marketing strategy. And if you don’t have an action plan, then social media can be a huge time-waster. Many businesses get on this platform without having a plan.
Improving your Instagram follower count will require strategic, thoughtful action. Making it through the way won’t help it.
Your goals may be related to:
- Boosting website visitors
- Increasing online sales
- Growing brand awareness
Try to set a realistic and specific goal with a deadline. Like, increasing online sales by 20% within 24 months.
By establishing your goals beforehand, you give a purpose to each post.You may drive more towards lifestyle content if your goal is to grow brand awareness.
Post contests or promotional offers if you want to boost your website visitors. As a result, you’ll get your Instagram account recognized in no time and see your followers’ list skyrocket!
Define your target audience:
When you find an audience interested in your content, your following will grow quickly.
Instagram Insights provides various useful information, so you can learn more about who these visitors and new followers are.
Listing down your targeted audience based on their demographics also makes it simpler to go after potential new followers with similar features.
After defining your audience, it’s time to look at the type of content that will prompt them to engage.
Create a consistent brand story and aesthetic:
It’s essential to maintain a consistent online personality and aesthetic.
Your profile should be easily recognizable at a look. You can use Instagram Stories to share content that doesn’t quite go with the look and feel of your main feed.
You can use consistent filters and tone to give your grid a consistent look and feel, even if your products don’t look the same.
Use keywords to appear in searches:
Before users follow you on Instagram, they have to find you. And now, along with username and name search, hashtags are also vital in searching.
Your username is your Instagram title. Making it consistent with the handle you use on other social networks is a good idea since this also makes it easier for Instagrammers to find you. Use a variation of your name or, for business, a brand name so that users are likely to use it when searching for your brand.
Also, keyword stuffing is not a good idea, but it can include your most relevant keyword in the name field to improve discoverability based on the search.
Use relevant hashtags to reach new users:
Using hashtags is all about gaining visibility. You can post on general trends, but you’ll gain more traction if you post relevant hashtags to your product or audience.
Using various hashtag analytics tools, you can research hashtags used most often by the most relevant followers.
You can make a list of hashtags and use them in every post.Create Your Own Branded Hashtag:
Along with trendy hashtags, you can also create your own. It could be a particular campaign or specific to your brand. Brand hashtags are an excellent way to improve your Instagram appearance and promote your campaigns.
Through the campaign-specific hashtag, you can also encourage the audience to use it in their Instagram content. It gets you free user-generated content and publicity, which can help you reach more users and get more followers.
Optimize your Instagram bio and profile:
Optimizing your Instagram account for search is a great way to grow your following. With a recent survey from Instagram, English-speaking users in various countries will search Instagram using keywords.
Earlier, users include some popular keywords in their username to get recognized nowadays; in 2021, posts with hashtags, captions, names, or bios that feature that searched keyword should show up in search, even if that hashtag isn’t the post.
If you want to organize and optimize your Instagram content for search, you can also schedule your Instagram content.
Instagram notices that Keyword search is limited to general interest topics and keywords within Instagram’s community guidelines.
It’s still more important with this change than ever to optimize your username and bio for search.
Design a fantastic Instagram grid:
After the bio, your Instagram grid is the next thing that a visitor will see. And, the impression that a visitor gets by looking at your feed is crucial in determining whether they will follow you or not.
It is also important to maintain consistency in colors, tone of voice, types of posts, etc., as these determine your brand’s personality. And, if anyone sees your post, they should immediately associate it with your brand.
Write compelling, long captions:
As Instagram is a visual platform, but captions play an important role in getting new followers. Writing great and long Instagram captions help you get more reach and engagement. Users’ engagement and reach are key factors in attracting free Instagram followers.
Here are some tips to help you out:
- Add the most important words in front: If the caption is more than 125 characters, users will have to tap “more” to see the whole caption.
- Ask a question: This will make your followers leave a comment. This type of engagement will help make your account visible to more users.
- Try emoji: Emoji attract the reader’s eye and are relevant for most types of accounts on this visual platform.
- Try long captions: Instagram provides long captions up to 2,200 characters so that you can test out some storytelling. Short captions can also be very effective when the post speak for themselves. But our long captions are more likely to improve engagement.
Promote your Instagram:
List your Instagram account on your website, blog, or other social networks. Creating awareness is one of the best ways to get recognized. Let users know where to find you. You could add social media icons to your blog and website to help promote shares across all your networks, as well as show users where to find you on Instagram.
Cross-promotion is another great idea for your social media accounts.
However, be sure that you’re not just asking for a follow. Instead, it would be best to try to promote unique content on your Instagram, so users have a reason to follow you there. Luckily, with Instagram adding plenty of new content and video features like IGTV, Stories, and Reels, you have a great opportunity to build followers through high-engaging content.
Post content that’s meant to be re-shared:
On Instagram, re-shared content is one of the best approaches to spread your word. Users share posts on their Instagram post through repost, Stories, or direct messages. The influence of authenticity on Instagram for growing your followers is massive and will grow even more in 2021.
Creating authentic, shareable content is one of the best ways to reach a larger group of audience.
When you’re open with your audience, whether talking about the struggles of owning a business or anything else, it affects your overall strategy.
The Instagram algorithm focuses on a post that gets a lot of engagement, so when your posts are shared, it will hit the post up on users’ feeds. And if a post has maximum engagement, it might even end up on the Explore Page.
So, take out some time to be active on Instagram. Remember to interact with the accounts you follow from time to time, and those that have similar audiences to yours also reply to comments and DMs.When you see a post you like, comment on it; in that way, your comment may be pinned and easily seen by many potential new followers.
Engaging with other user accounts lets the Instagram algorithm know you connect with them, which will help your account show up in related and suggested account suggestions.
Tag your location or use Geolocation:
Using the location or geolocation strategy involves indicating your location or where you took that photo or video. The target audience and some potential customers within the region of that location will follow you.
It also helps inform your audience better where you took that picture, which they will appreciate.
The more you can inform and give your audience what they want, the more they will follow you.Tag relevant users:
You can tag relevant Instagram users featured in your photos with their username in your caption or by using Instagram’s tagging functionality using “@” within the post, whether it a story, a reel, or an IGTV. They’ll receive a notification for that.
Tagging a user prompts them to engage with the post and share it with their following. Your post will appear on the Tagged tab of their Instagram profile.
Make the most of Stories highlights:
An Instagram Stories highlight includes organizing your stories in a stored manner. Anyone can see all your recent stories, and this could help you get new followers. These are great to show any current promotions or discounts that you are running to help create more awareness.
Instagram stories only stay for 24 hours, but now you can keep them as long as you want in your highlights.
This way, anyone new who visits your page can see how consistently active you are.Try an IGTV series
Instagram Stories are for short-form content; IGTV is long-form videos from a few minutes up to an hour in length. It’s designed to be a modern take on the traditional TV experience. IGTV is primarily an entertainment platform just like Instagram, so you’ll have to create content that is engaging, funny, educational, or downright addicting.
It’s still a beginning for brands on IGTV, so it’s a great time to stand out early on.
Use Instagram Reels:
Reels are popular, and Instagram’s latest video feature takes the central stage of the new main navigation bar. It records up to 30-second videos on Instagram. If you’re not using Instagram Reels in 2021, you could be missing out on a huge opportunity for your business.
As Instagram put Instagram Reels at the lead of Instagram, there is a significant push to have users search and share Reels in 2021.
You can see Reels in their tab on Instagram profiles and the Explore page.
Just like TikTok videos, Instagram Reels increases the chances of yours going viral. Users will see Reels from all accounts instead of users only seeing Reels from the accounts they follow, which is a game-changer.
Consider advertising on Instagram:
Instagram ads are an effective and successful way to reach a new audience by getting your content in front of users who would otherwise not see it.
Using Instagram ads is a legitimate and effective way to get more followers quickly, free.
Target your audience by demographics, location, and even key interests. You can create a similar type of audience based on the users who already interact with you.
For all the details of creating and posting an Instagram ad campaign, check out our detailed Instagram ads guide.
Use Filters:
The use of some photo filters on Instagram resonates better with some posts than others. Some of the most popular filters include Juno, Ludwig, and Normal.
If you use the favored filters, you will make your great content appear even more attractive. Filters can liven up your posts to make them seem more beautiful and inviting.
Tweaking your photos can surprisingly make a big difference in engagement levels.
Work with influencers in your niche:
Find the top and best influencers in your niche, and follow them. Notice what they’re posting and what users are commenting on. Then join in the conversation. Their followers and interactions are most likely in your target audience as well, and if you respond to something they say, you might get a new follower out of it.
If you know a popular influencer in your niche, it will help if you can reach out to them and have them do a shoutout for your brand. It will help you increase your followers as most influencers have a loyal following.
That will directly get your content in front of their followers.Collaborate with other brands:
Collaborate or partner with other brands that are a natural fit. For some tips, you can participate in Instagram Stories takeovers, co-host Instagram Live videos, tag each other in content, or plan full marketing campaigns together. If you have a local business, you could collaborate with a travel account that’s going to be in your area. You can share posts and stories from their visit to your account, and from their account, they can promote your business.
Shop on Instagram Feature
Instagram always adds new features to its platform. One of them is the Shop feature. This new feature allows brands to sell directly to their customers and followers and show off their catalog to all customers to learn more about your products without leaving Instagram.
This feature can help you to get more followers as you share your best catalog sellers and gain a few sales along the way. Customers can experience the joy of shopping versus the chore of buying with Instagram shop features.
Post at the right time:
Posting anytime can be damaging to your brand. The best time is when users are active and free. You can see this from Instagram Insights and manage your posting. If you post something when your target audience is busy, they can miss out on it. And it will make it harder for you to get more and engaged followers.
Be active:
It is a great way to get recognized, especially if users closely follow those posts in your target niche. But not too much as if you are too active, you can look like a robot to Instagram’s algorithms, and they might block you. Many annoying users automate content to show up on influencer channels with URLs to their websites. So the point is to keep a frequent and socially acceptable level of interaction.
Schedule your posts and stories:
Posting at the right times and regularly can give your account more visibility by increasing the overall engagement.
Scheduling your posts allows you to plan a gorgeous Instagram grid that shows your work. It also allows you to create appealing captions rather than try to come up with something funny on the spot. It’s always great to create content in advance, and with various Instagram scheduling tools, you can reach your audience and maintain a steady flow of content at the same time.
By scheduling content in advance, you can manage campaigns and schedules more efficiently.
Try an Instagram Live collaboration:
Instagram Live lets you stream live to your followers and customers. A ring and notification will show up around your profile picture to let your followers know you’re “Live.” Followers can ask you questions while you’re Live, and you can answer them in real-time.
Instagram Live is great as there’s a sense of closeness with your followers.
Look at some of the ideas to get started:
- Product demos
- The behind-the-scenes look at your company
- Answering questions about products or sales
- Influencer takeovers
Add Your Instagram QR Code:
Put QR codes for your Instagram profile wherever you can and have a physical or software product. And by that, users will scan them out for curiosity, and it works. Instagram allows you to have a custom QR code for your profile to add to your card so users can easily find you on Instagram. You can use a converter or tool that converts URLs into QR. You can add this code on business cards, order packages, and boxes used to ship out orders. It allows you to promote your Instagram profile off and online actively.
To create your custom Instagram QR code, follow the steps:
Go to your Instagram profile.
Press on the Name icon on top of your screen,
You will see your Name Tag screen.Post consistently:
Consistency is the main factor in getting your posts seen with Instagram’s algorithmic timeline. Posting once a day is recommended. If your posts are shared regularly and pick up good engagement, Instagram’s algorithm will show and recommend your posts near the top of your followers’ feeds. Profiles that post daily increase Instagram followers faster than those that post less frequently.
Brands and users that get into a steady flow with Instagram posts manage to see the best results.
Focus on creating quality and enticing content that will attract your target audience. Also, post-high-quality content as posting more often doesn’t necessarily interpret to higher engagement rates.
Add CTAs:
Instagram provides several options for you to add CTAs, i.e.e, calls-to-action in your posts, and you should utilize all of them. Whether it is on your Stories or “shop now,” CTAs help you get your followers to take the desired action.
Also, you can add a CTA to your posts’ captions by requesting that users visit your profile, share your content, or whatever action you want them to take.
Use Instagram Ads:
Go for Instagram Ads. In 2021, while everyone’s looking for free Instagram followers, the paid program isn’t always a bad idea. If you don’t buy followers, pay to promote your content instead.
If you want fast and efficient exposure, Instagram ads will do the thing.Make your Instagram followers happy:
Lastly, you see the instant growth in followers and engagement when you make your Instagram followers happy. There are plenty of tips for scheduling and brainstorming content, so put them into line in a way that feels real to your brand voice. Also, avoid seeming needy, sales-driven, or robotic.
Wrapping It Up:
There are 30 ideas, tips, and strategies to help you get more followers on Instagram. The above tips are the most effective ways to grow your followers on Instagram.
If you use all of these, you will build a massive following in very little time.
It can take time, but we have given you everything you need to get started.
