4 Fail-proof Ways to Grow Your Instagram Followers
In the last several years, Instagram has become a well-loved social media platform with over 1.3 Billion active users.
If your business can build a more substantial Instagram following, it can translate to more sales for your business, more traffic to your blog, and a stronger community for your brand. While building a large Instagram following is desirable, having an engaged following is essential for success on and off Instagram. Here are four surefire ways you can grow your Instagram followers for your business.
Follow and Engage With Others In Your Industry
The best way to get your name out there is by liking other people’s content. Every day, spend some time on Instagram and like five to ten posts on someone's account. You should also try and leave them a genuine comment and start following their account. To find users in your industry or niche, check hashtags and view the followers of your favorite Instagram accounts.
Note: Whatever you do, please avoid the “Follow for Follow” tactics. It’s a tacky attempt and nowadays users can track whether you’ve unfollowed them, which leads to them unfollowing you. Only follow accounts that you are genuinely interested in.
Use Relevant Hashtags
Instagram’s hashtag system acts like the Yellow Pages for businesses and brands. I know I just dated myself but that’s the best example to describe the function of hashtags. There’s two types of hashtags you should use on the regular: A unique tag that is specific to your business/brand and tags that relate to your content. Your unique hashtag can lead users to a library of posts created by you (and others who post about you) and ultimately to your profile.
IG lets you add up to 30 hashtags in the caption of your post. The more relevant they are, the better.
Relevant hashtags act as interpreters for your content. They tell IG the following things:
What your post is about: (i.e. Cooking, Social Media, Art, Food)
What specifics does the post address: (Social Media Tips, Instagram Tips, Barbecue recipe, restaurant recommendation)
Who you are: (Social Media Manager, Teacher, Chef, Google Expert)
Who the post is meant to serve: (Small Businesses, Women in media, young professionals etc.)
Where you are/Your business/operation’s location: (NYC, Brooklyn, Cleveland, etc.)
Hashtags are essential to your account’s growth. If anyone says they’re not, then they have already established a highly engaged following; but if you are still building your own community, you can’t afford to leave hashtags out of your IG strategy.
Respond to Your Followers
The entire nature of social media platforms like Instagram is to be social. To grow your Instagram followers, you need to respond to any comments that you receive and leave comments for other people. It is important that your comments be genuinely supportive and add value to the conversation.
Collaborate with Others
Another way to extend your reach on Instagram and grow your following is to collaborate with others. The traditional approach is through a partnership or sponsorship. A partnership allows both parties to provide value to their followers while expanding their exposure and reaching new audiences. A sponsorship is a paid partnership that uses influencers to endorse their products/services to their followers, with hopes of turning them into customers. Think Michael Jordan and Nike.
The introduction of new features like Reels and Collaboration posts has created several ways to collaborate effectively. You can go live with an influencer that has a bigger following or collaborate on a series of posts with a peer.
One form of collaboration that’s often overlooked is the Reels Remix. This allows you to add your spin to another influencer’s content, thus creating a collaborative piece that can be shared on your profile. Depending on how good the remix is, the original creator may share it to their profile, which opens the opportunity for you to reach their audience.
With high engagement rates and more than 1.3 Billion monthly active users, it’s no wonder getting more Instagram followers is a huge priority for businesses. One of the most important factors to remember when trying to build your Instagram followers is to share great content that is relevant to your target audience, and that provides them with value. If you want to develop your presence quickly, utilize these four tips in your Instagram marketing strategy today.
