As you probably know by now, Instagram is fast becoming one of the most widely-used and popular social media sites, with active users reaching a billion recently. It’s indeed smart to jump on board as a way to promote your business or brand.
Cultivating a loyal and engaged following is crucial to Instagram success. This isn’t as difficult as you might think. Read on to discover ten ways to get more Instagram followers. With these tips, you’ll be well on your way toward reaching your goals.
1 Develop a Strategy
Speaking of your goals, it’s essential that you have a clear understanding of them prior to sharing your content on Instagram. Do you want to gain awareness for your company or do you want to send more visitors to your website with hopes of increasing conversion? Knowing your primary goal will guide the content you choose to post and the followers you target.
2 Get a Boost from Automation
Getting more Instagram followers is a time-consuming process, and it does require genuine interaction. However, you can get a jumpstart on the process by enlisting the help of an automation service.
Powered by artificial intelligence technology, Instagram automation tools can help you to connect with targeted followers based on criteria you choose. This boost in obtaining followers can allow you to spend more time creating content and interacting with your current fans, as you organically grow your Instagram presence.
3 Share Content that Matters
Part of knowing your marketing strategy is identifying the specific type of audience you want to attract. Enticing these groups to follow you and interact with your brand requires posting content they’ll find appealing. Take time to take professional images directed at meeting your ultimate goal, whether that’s to inform, elicit an emotion or get people talking.
4 Cross-Promote
You don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel with your new Instagram account. If you’ve built a strong following on another social network, why not invite that audience to become part of your Instagram family, too?
You could share some of your favorite Instagram posts with your current audience and even incentivize them to jump on board by offering a contest or giveaway. Don’t forget you can also add the link to your Instagram account in your email signature, blog posts or newsletter for a chance at adding new followers.
5 Post Regularly
There are a lot of good reasons for posting regularly to your Instagram account. It’s been shown to increase Instagram followers significantly, for one. The ideal goal would be to post on a daily basis. This way, your current followers can come to rely on seeing your images.
They’ll also be more likely to share your stuff with their followers. In addition, each time your followers engage with your content, their followers will be able to see the activity. All of this increases your reach.
6 Use Hashtags
When it comes to increasing your Instagram followers, hashtags can be your best friend. This is especially true when you use them strategically. It’s important that the hashtags you attach to your posts are relevant to your brand, product, and ultimately social media goal. They can be a roadmap for your targeted fans when used correctly.
While you want to use tags that are popular, they should also be directly related to the post and your brand. Avoid going overboard, but do use multiple hashtags in your post. Consider also creating your customized hashtag that refers to a particular product, to your overall brand or to a campaign you are currently running.
7 Choose the Right Time to Post
One key to gaining more followers, along with active engagement from those individuals, is simply being seen. That’s why it’s so important to post when your targeted audience is most likely to be online and using the platform.
This time is obviously going to be different for every brand, but some trial and error should help you to fine tune the process. Take a look at your Insights to see which posts are getting the most engagement. This should guide your strategy.
8 Use Analytics
There are other ways you can gain helpful information from your Insights analytics. You can see your top posts in order to get a feel for what’s performing well and then strive to replicate that experience with future content. Analytics also gives you a lot of demographic information about your followers.
9 Write Great Captions
Many businesses underestimate just what valuable real estate the caption area is. This space allows you to tell a story about your post that resonates with the reader and works toward accomplishing your goal.
It’s also a good way to encourage engagement. Asking a question, adding emojis or providing a call to action are some ways to add interest and gain traction with your captions.
10 Create a Strong Bio
Another basic, yet often overlooked, strategy for getting followers is simply writing a strong profile. Like the captions, this is a perfect place to tell your story. It’s likely the first place users will look if they find your content interesting.
Take time to tell them who you are in your bio. Give them a reason to want to follow you by being sure to include the most significant aspects of your business. Add a link to your website and make sure your username matches the names you use on other social channels.
It takes time and effort to get more Instagram followers. Following these tips will ensure that your time is well-spent and that you get the best return on your investment.