There’s a whole ocean of Instagram followers out there (1.44 billion of them, at last count), and that’s not going to change any time soon. With an annual growth rate of more than 7%, the social media giant continues to go from strength to strength, and that means there’s never been a better time to begin building your audience.
Of course, just because Instagram has billions of users, that doesn’t mean that attracting followers is a walk in the park. Reaching even 5,000 followers takes work.
Understanding how to get more followers on IG organically (rather than paying for followers) is essential for finding success on the platform.
After all, you don’t just need to know how to gain followers on IG; you need to know how to get the right kinds of followers — the ones that will ultimately drive your success.
OK, with that said, let’s take a deep dive into the step-by-step process of how to get more followers on IG.
Evaluate Your Current Instagram Strategy
You can ignore this one if you’re starting from scratch, but if you’ve been chipping away at Instagram without much success, then it’ll be useful to take a look at your current strategies and identify areas for improvement.
You’ll find it easier to achieve success if you have a clear idea of the purpose of your profile, the audience you’re trying to reach, and the type of content that they respond to.
Optimize Your Profile for Maximum Engagement
It’s great if a user comes across your content on the Explore page and likes what they see, but that’ll count for nothing (or, well, little) if they don’t become a follower.
You can increase the chances that they push that ‘follow’ button by optimizing your profile for maximum engagement. By that, we mean focusing on areas such as:
- Profile Picture
- Bio
- Hashtags
- Location
- Website
And anything else that’s relevant to your niche. It’ll let a potential follower know exactly what you’re all about as soon as they land on your profile.
Create Content That Resonates with Your Audience
Someone won’t follow your account “just because.” They’ll do so because you have something valuable to offer them.
It’s the quality of your content that not only determines whether someone follows you, but whether they engage with your posts.
The type of content you post will depend on the niche and purpose of your blog. Whatever it is, it’s best to take a creative approach to content creation. With more than one billion posts made on IG every single day, cookie-cutter, boring content just won’t cut the mustard. Your posts don’t have to be world-changing, but they should be original and enjoyable.
Harness the Power of Instagram Stories and Reels
Diversifying your Instagram posts to include different content forms, such as stories and reels, can be highly effective at helping to boost your IG follower count.
Why?
Because people love stories and reels. There’s a reason why IG marketers have become increasingly enamoured with these types of posts, and that’s that they get results.
Plus, aside from helping to reach new members of your target audience, stories and reels allow you to put together more engaging content. There’s much more you can say and do in a reel than you can in a standard photo post, and though they require a bit more work, they typically deliver better results.
Collaborate with Other Influencers and Brands
Working with other influencers and brands is an excellent way to enhance profile exposure. By partnering with others, you’ll gain access to their (hopefully) long list of followers — and there’s every chance that they become followers if they like what they see when they visit your profile.
Choosing the right influencers and brands to work with is essential for ensuring this strategy works. The collaboration should make sense thematically. Before deciding who to work with, ask yourself whether their audience is the same one that you’re trying to reach. If it is, then it’ll be all about putting together content that puts your best foot forward, and seeing who bites.
Utilize Hashtags Strategically to Reach Broader Audiences
Social media users find new accounts to follow via a number of different means.
Sometimes, they’ll go with whatever profiles are recommended to them on the ‘Explore’ page. At other times, they go out there and try to find relevant accounts directly by searching for hashtags.
Utilising hashtags in your posts is an easy way to increase the odds that your target audience comes across your content and profile.
Looking for the best hashtags to use in your posts? Try the following.
- Look at your competitors to see what hashtags they’re using.
- Avoid overused hashtags.
- Use a social media hashtag generator tool.
Engage Actively with Your Followers and Community
People use social media because they want to connect with others. They’ll be more likely to become a follower if your account has a sense of community that they want to be a part of.
That won’t happen on its own. You’ll need to nurture it! Engage with your followers by responding to each comment, directing your posts towards them, and sharing their content on your stories.
Don’t yet have a community of followers to engage with? Then look at engaging with your competitors’ followers. A well-placed like or comment can let them know that you exist.
Monitor, Analyze, and Adjust Your Growth Tactics
You might know how to gain followers on IG, but that doesn’t mean you’ll do everything right immediately. It’ll take time to put together the strategy that gets results.
Once you’ve put your plan into action, use the data analytical tools available to you to determine its effectiveness. You might need to make a few adjustments here and there (for example, increasing one type of post, decreasing another) before you land on the optimal strategy.
Ready to Grow Your Instagram? Start Implementing These Tips Today!
It takes time to grow your IG follower list, but if you can take the tips outlined above on board, then you will find success.
