Instagram is not just a social media platform that is meant to share pictures and connect with your friends and the rest of the world, for some it is their passion and income source. Instagram influencers are those users who promote brands and services on their accounts to increase the sales of the said brand. Instagram influencers, YouTube content creators, Tiktok influencers such individuals earn a lot of money for supporting and promoting brands and services. Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has the highest number of followers on Instagram with a total of 263.6 million followers, the tea here is that Ronaldo is paid according to the number of followers he has during Instagram brand promotion. The more followers the more you get.
To be a successful Instagram influencer or Instagram star you need to have the numbers, the number of followers you have on your account helps increase your credibility, your engagement with other users, your popularity, and last but most important the amount on your paycheck. The reason why many people or upcoming influencers choose Instagram as their influencing platform is that most brands prefer Instagram as their social media marketing platform. Instagram has the second-highest number of active users while Facebook remains in the number 1 position.
Even though Facebook has the highest number of active followers Instagram is still the most sought-after digital marketing platform and this is because of the many features offered by the platform. Instagram has an image feature that enables you to upload pictures to your feed, then there is the story feature where you can post videos or photos which will be visible on your account for 24 hours, there is also the new reel feature that enables you to provide short videos, in case you want to upload a long video you can use the igtv feature. One of the most popular Instagram features is the live feature where you can connect live with your audience and followers.
The various features help users to upload a variety of feeds to their page. The versatility of the platform is probably its most winning feature. Being a successful Instagram influencer is hard, you cannot simply expect to gain followers by creating an Instagram id. You need to be patient and regular in your efforts.
What is the most important requirement for being a successful Instagram influencer?
There are a few requirements to become a successful influencer but the two most important out of these few are good content and followers. Good content cannot be bought; it is the basic requirement to be an influencer. The first step is to find your niche and start working on content related to your niche. Another most important requirement is followers. Some influencers have great content but they do not have followers and some have mediocre content but they have ample followers. So you see content and followers are both very important to be a successful influencer.
7 ways you can increase your Instagram followers
1. Optimize your account
Before you worry about followers, figure out your account name, bio caption, profile picture, etc. Advice for beginners would be to make sure that their username or account name is short and catchy, something that is search friendly, so keep it simple do not add too many numbers or special characters. If possible keep your username in line with other existing social media handles if any. Adding links to your brand is another way to increase traffic to your account.
2. Be consistent
The most common mistake influencers who are trying to gain more followers make is posting content at random and haphazard times. This way your initial followers will forget that they follow you which is not the goal. One way you can avoid this mistake is by sticking to a regular posting schedule. Building content in advance will help you keep on track with your posting schedule, this way you can create a consistent flow of content for your followers without having to post unfiltered and raw content.
3. Schedule Instagram posts in advance
The Instagram algorithm has changed and now offers users content similar to the ones they like, however posting at the right times can help give your content the visibility it requires by increasing your overall engagement. Several apps help you figure out the time range within which your content receives the maximum engagement.
4. Collaborate with friends and other users
One of the most organic ways to increase your followers is by collaborating with other influencers and Instagram friends this way you expose your content to their audience which in turn helps you increase your reach.
5. Avoid fake followers
It might seem a simple solution to your problem but buying followers has a lot of backlash and fewer perks. There is a huge difference between legitimate followers and fake followers. Deceiving users by displaying a huge following of fake followers will not help you build trust and long-term relationships, so do not cheat your true followers. Having fake followers will increase your follower’s number but apart from that, you will not gain any engagement since most bought followers are not accounts or inactive users. Real followers will share, like, and comment on your post fake accounts will do no such thing.
6. Post content followers want
You may have noticed that your audience tends to like a certain type or topic of content more as compared to your other content, once you find out the content they like try and make more content on that specific topic. It is clear that your audience likes that topic so why not milk the idea. But make sure you do not overdo this tip.
7. Communicate
Interact with your followers, react to their comments and tags. Instagram is a connecting site, your followers would love to hear from you so make sure you respond to their questions and comments. Reacting to every single message and comment is not possible but appreciating the good comments and messages is important. You can also interact with your followers via the live feature. This way you come across as friendly and appreciative two qualities every person loves.
Conclusion
There you have it 7 ways you can increase your Instagram followers without having to buy them. Building a brand and name is hard but not impossible. Buying followers may sound like an answer to your problems but it is not. It is merely a distraction so make sure you invest in long-term relations with your true followers. Growing a channel or account may take time and energy but it is worth the wait.
