How to gain instagram followers fast 2021


8 Ways to (Authentically!) Get Instagram Followers in 2022

Wondering how to get Instagram followers — without paying for bots or other spam tactics?

While it’s not as easy as it once was, getting more followers on Instagram is still possible…you just have to know the right tactics! Let’s dive right in.

  1. Post Consistently

  2. Make a Strong First Impression

  3. Create Instagram Reels

  4. Nail Your Caption Strategy

  5. Partner with Like-minded Brands and Creators

  6. Promote Your Instagram Account on Your Website or Newsletter

  7. Actively Engage with Your Community

  8. Learn From Your Analytics

#1: Post Consistently

There’s no denying the importance of consistency on Instagram.

By posting regularly, you’re essentially letting your followers know what to expect from you — whether it’s daily Instagram Stories, a bi-weekly Reel, or a few feed posts a week.

Posting more consistently can also help with your Instagram engagement. When your followers expect you to post, they’re more likely to interact and engage with your content.

That being said, keeping a consistent posting schedule isn’t always easy. When you’re juggling content creation, alongside other business duties, it can be time-consuming to manually post every single day.

For a quick solution, you could use a scheduling tool, like Later. With Later, you can easily schedule your photos, videos, carousel posts, and more with just a few clicks:

By planning and scheduling your Instagram posts in advance, you can get content out even when you’re super busy. It’s a massive time-saver!

TIP: Experiment with a posting frequency and see how your community responds. If you see an increase of followers and engagement from posting daily (or every other day) — do that!

Ready to plan and schedule your content in advance? Later makes it easy — get started today for free!

#2: Make A Strong First Impression

According ​​to researchers, within the first 7 seconds of meeting you, people will have a solid impression of who you are — and it can be even shorter online.

With that in mind, your Instagram bio and feed can seriously influence whether someone taps “follow.”

The first step is to have an Instagram bio that clearly explains what your brand does and who it’s for (aka your target audience).

If you have character space, you can also include your values or a fun tidbit about yourself to differentiate you from competitors in your industry.

Once you have a bio you’re happy with, creating a cohesive feed (or Instagram aesthetic) can help make a great first impression to anyone who finds your profile.

Does it follow some sort of pattern like entrepreneur Jasmine Williams? Or is it a mix of product and lifestyle shots like agency Studio Sophomore?

Whatever you decide, it’s important to be consistent. Having a feed that reflects your brand and is appealing to your target audience can be a surefire way to get them to follow you.

For more tips on making a good first impression, bookmark this post: How to Create the Perfect Instagram Bio.

#3: Create Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels are a fun and creative way to get new followers on Instagram.

Why? They have incredible reach (you can get thousands of views) and if your account is public, they’re discoverable via the Reels tab.

There are plenty of ways to use Instagram Reels for your business — we’ve seen tips and tricks, how-to videos, behind-the-scenes content, and more.

And as Instagram recently announced that it’s no longer just “a photo-sharing app”, it’s a good idea to start incorporating more video content in your strategy.

If you’re in need of some Reels inspiration, check out this blog post: 15 Instagram Reels Ideas.

#4: Nail Your Caption Strategy

Are your captions hookworthy with strong call-to-actions (CTAs)?

Having an effective caption strategy can help you increase engagement and get more Instagram followers.

Instagram educator Elise Darma recommends the following formula for creating engaging captions: headline, setup, share, bridge, and CTA.

For the headline, lead with something thought-provoking or exciting — what’s going to capture their attention right away? Instagram only shows the first 1-2 lines of your caption in the feed, so make it count.

For the setup, you’ll want to pull them in further. What’s the context they need to know?

Next, you’re going to share what you really want to say to your followers, whether it’s a story, answering FAQs, or a how-to tip. This is the “value” part of your caption, so feel free to use as much space as you need.

Then, use one or two bridge sentences to reiterate why your followers should care and what’s in it for them.

And finally, finish with a strong CTA. This can be as simple as leaving a comment on the post or clicking the link in your bio.

Want more help writing captions that convert? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Writing Good Instagram Captions.

#5: Partner with Like-minded Brands and Creators

The power of a collaboration or a co-marketing campaign for your business is huge — it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to get Instagram followers.

Teaming up with like-minded businesses and brands will introduce your profile to a new and engaged audience.

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And even better: co-marketing campaigns don’t have to be complicated or costly!

What’s more important is who you partner with. You want to make sure that you have a mutually beneficial partnership that will benefit both of your audiences.

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TIP: Use Instagram's Collabs feature to co-author a feed post or Reel across two accounts!

#6: Promote Your Instagram Account on Your Website or Newsletter

Promoting your account on your website is another great way to get Instagram followers — and it’s also easy to do.

From plugins to code embeds, there are dozens of options when it comes to responsively embedding your Instagram feed on your website so it looks great on any device.

Many website builders even offer templates that come with customizable options for embedding your feed.

Similarly, if you have an engaged newsletter audience, you can encourage them to follow you on Instagram too for another way to connect — similar to what we do at Later:

#7: Actively Engage with Your Community

One of the most effective ways to grow on Instagram? Engage with your community!

According to Sarah Nicole Landry, interacting and engaging with other accounts is incredibly important:

“In an 8-hour workday, I commit 4 hours every single day to community engagement. This includes commenting, replying to DMs, commenting on other people’s posts, replying on my own, and going and actively engaging on other pages similar to mine.”

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Sarah’s commitment to engaging with her community, coupled with creating authentic content, has allowed her to grow from 70K to over 1.7M followers in under two years.

“As you engage, the relationship with your community will grow stronger. And, when you have people truly who trust you and believe in what you’re saying, that’s when you’ll begin to see a greater ROI”, Sarah explains.

If you don’t have four hours to spend engaging on Instagram, be sure to check and answer your Instagram comments and DMs every day or every few days.

What’s important is that you incorporate this tip in a way that’s sustainable for you and your business.

TIP: Use Later’s Conversations feature to keep track of all your Instagram comments. You can reply from your computer instead of your phone, and even view your conversation history with a commenter.

#8: Learn From Your Analytics

If you want to get new Instagram followers, taking a look at your analytics is a great place to start.

With analytics, you’ll be able to understand what type of content your community engages with most, where they live, and when they’re most active.

This level of insight is important for creating a content strategy that’ll increase your followers — without it, you’re essentially working in the dark.

Alongside Instagram’s native analytics, Later’s Instagram Analytics feature gives you a visual overview of how your posts and stories are performing – all in an easy-to-use dashboard.

You’ll find all of the must-have analytics from Instagram in a digestible format, as well as several extra data points — including your best time to post (available on all paid plans).

With over 1B monthly active users on Instagram, it’s no surprise that getting more Instagram followers is a big priority for most businesses and creators.

However, quality is more important than quantity.

A smaller, more engaged community who loves your products and content is better than a large community who barely interacts with your posts.

As you grow, remember to nurture the relationships with your current followers to help strengthen brand trust and loyalty. And welcome your new followers with open arms!

Ready to get more Instagram followers? Sign up for a Later account and start visually planning and scheduling your content — for free.

How to Get More Followers on Instagram in 2022

Instagram Tips & Resources


By Jillian Warren

Updated on April 20, 2022

12 minute read

Ready to supercharge your Instagram growth?

Published November 19, 2021

Instagram followers are more than just numbers — they're members of your online community.

That said, growing on Instagram can help you increase traffic to your site, make more sales, or even turn you into a trendsetting influencer.

In this guide, we're sharing 15 ways to get more Instagram followers — without the spam accounts or bots.

How to Get More Instagram Followers in 2022

If you want to get more Instagram followers this year, here are 15 proven strategies to try on your account:

  1. Curate your profile for a strong first impression

  2. Tap into Instagram Reels 

  3. Optimize your post captions for search

  4. Invest in your hashtag strategy

  5. Host an Instagram giveaway

  6. Partner with influencers and brands 

  7. Create highly-shareable content (including memes)

  8. Have a clear value proposition

  9. Cross-promote your account on different channels

  10. Create an Instagram challenge 

  11. Encourage user-generated content (UGC) with a branded hashtag

  12. Make your content accessible to all audiences

  13. Post consistently

  14. Add keywords to your bio's name field

  15. Collaborate on feed posts

Ready to jump into the details? Get the low-down on how to get more followers on Instagram by watching this video — or read the full blog post below.

#1: Curate Your Instagram Feed for a Strong First Impression

Having a well planned Instagram feed, that clearly showcases your niche, is key for converting profile visitors into followers.

When someone lands on your profile, you want them to instantly understand what your account is all about.

To create a consistent aesthetic that supports your brand, use an Instagram feed planner, like Later's Visual Planner, to curate your Instagram feed before you post.

Consider how your posts look together as a whole, and what impression they give when  someone lands on your profile for the first time.

#2: Tap Into Instagram Reels 

If you’re not sharing Instagram Reels yet, you could be missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your follower count.

Reels, Instagram’s short-form, looping video feature, is still one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences on the app.

Unlike most of the Instagram experience, viewers in the Reels feed are served high-interest content from both users they follow, and users they don’t, leading to increased engagement.  

This means the Reels you create can easily reach far beyond your follower list — helping to increase your visibility and grow your follower count.  

For the best results: 

  • Use keywords and hashtags in your Reels captions that accurately describe your video content 

  • Use trending sounds

  • Keep your Reels short and snappy to encourage repeat views

  • Create original content

  • Add on-screen text for viewers watching without sound

  • Aim for high-quality video footage (rather than uploading content with a TikTok watermark)

Even if your brand or business doesn’t feel like an obvious fit for Reels, there are still ways to see success. 

Experiment with popular trends, take followers behind-the-scenes, or even share a before and after of your product.

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New to the world of Instagram Reels? Find out how to create next-level videos that super-charge your reach in our blog post: 15 Instagram Reels Ideas to Post Today

#3: Optimize Your Post Captions for Search with Instagram SEO

Optimizing your Instagram posts for search is a major Instagram hack for growing your following. Instagram SEO is proven to make it easier for new users to find your account.

Following a recent update from Instagram, English-speaking users in 6 countries are now able to search Instagram using keywords. 

According to an Instagram spokesperson via The Verge, the team considers a number of factors, including the “type of content, captions, when it was posted,” and more to surface relevant results.

It also uses machine learning to “find the highest quality content that’s relevant to you.” For now, only grid posts will show up.

TIP: Write your post captions in advance, on desktop, with Later's Instagram Schedulernstagram-scheduler/.

You can write all of your post captions in one focused power hour, and then set them to go live at your best time to post

Plus, you can save multiple caption templates with Later’s Saved Captions feature – that you can add to your posts in two taps. It makes creating great Instagram captions easier than ever.  

#4: Invest in a Hashtag Strategy

Instagram hashtags are one of the biggest tools for growth at your disposal, and shouldn’t be overlooked. 

After looking at over 18M Instagram feed posts, we discovered that reach rate increases by 11% (from 24% to 35%) as the number of hashtags grows from one to 30. 

To put that in perspective, for an account with 20K followers, that’s an additional 2.2K accounts reached per post. 

If you need inspiration on which hashtags to use, check out Later’s Instagram hashtag tool, Hashtag Suggestions — it provides 30 associated hashtags sorted by relevance that you can add to your post captions.

TIP: Use Later’s Saved Captions feature to curate and save lists of top-performing hashtags that you can quickly add to your captions in two taps.

#5: Host an Instagram Giveaway

If you want to grow your following fast, hosting an Instagram giveaway can be one of the most effective tactics.

With the right strategy, you can reach thousands of potential new followers, all while building a stronger sense of community around your brand.

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Make sure you set clear entry requirements that support your growth goals, such as tagging a friend in the comments, sharing to Instagram Stories, and following your account. 

Instagram giveaways can be especially beneficial when hosted in partnership with a creator or brand that shares your target audience.

Which brings us onto our next strategy to get more Instagram followers...

#6: Partner with Influencers and Brands 

Partnering with likeminded influencers and brands is a major win-win.

You'll be able to benefit from brand association and tap into a new pool of potential followers.

The best news? Partnerships don’t have to break the bank. Some of the most effective ones are simple and mutually beneficial. 

For example, beauty retailer SpaceNK partnered with a luxury retreat destination to offer their community the opportunity to win an exclusive getaway.

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Similarly, you don’t have to work with supersize influencers to make an impact.

Nano and Micro influencers typically have higher engagement rates than Macro influencers, and typically have a lower rate card for sponsored posts. 

However, you will have to work with more Nano or Micro influencers to reach the same audience size as a Macro influencer – so the right strategy will depend on your bandwidth and budget requirements.   

New to influencer marketing? Find out how to find the right influencer partner for your brand or business in this blog post.   

#7: Create Highly-shareable Content (Including Memes)

When it comes to organically reaching new audiences, creating shareworthy content is a great place to start.

Inspirational quotes, informative carousel posts, and on-trend memes are all tried-and-tested formats — and it only takes one viral post to reach thousands of people.

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Memes in particular are huge for generating viral reach — especially when they tap into something that’s trending in popular culture.

They’re often funny or clever, and they typically feature a combination of text and imagery (a photo, GIF, or video).

To create a super successful meme, try to find the balance between the trending visuals you’re working with, the sentiment of your target audience, and your brand’s niche.

On Later’s Instagram account for example, we typically create memes that are relevant to social media managers:

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The more your meme resonates with members of your community, the more likely it will be shared far and wide, which can help to increase your Instagram following.

Looking for Inspiration? Check out some of social media's hottest trending memes here.

#8: Have a Clear Value Proposition

Would you walk into a shop if you had no idea what it sold? Probably not, right?

Well, the same principle applies to your Instagram account.  

Having a clear value proposition (whether it’s styling tips, inspirational quotes, or lifestyle content) is essential for converting visitors to your profile into followers. 

However, this doesn't mean all of your content has to be exactly the same. 

Content creator Christina Galbato recommends focusing on 3-5 content pillars that are related to your niche — so you can add variety to your content plan without diluting your core value.

Need help establishing your content pillars? Find out How to Use Content Pillars for Your Social Media Strategy in this blog post.

#9: Cross-promote Your Instagram Account on Different Channels

If you’re looking for extra ways to grow your Instagram following, cross-promoting your account on other platforms is a great place to start.

TikTok is a major platform for cross-promoting your Instagram account. 

On TikTok, one of the first things you can do to ensure Instagram traffic is by connecting your Instagram account to your TikTok.

You can then create a few TikToks that encourage viewers to click through to your Instagram profile.

If TikTok isn’t part of your marketing strategy, you can direct people to your Instagram via your website, email newsletter, podcast, or another social platform.

#10: Create an Instagram Challenge

Instagram challenges have always been popular (remember the ice bucket challenge in 2014?), and now they're appearing more frequently on Instagram Reels.

Creating a successful Instagram challenge can catapult your account into the zeitgeist – reaching thousands, or even millions, of potential followers. 

For the best results, make sure that participation is as easy as possible, create a branded hashtag to tie the challenge back to your brand, and think about what people will enjoy participating in.

#11: Encourage User-generated Content (UGC) With a Branded Hashtag

Encouraging your community to share user-generated content (UGC) is an awesome way to raise brand awareness and grow your Instagram following.

And sharing UGC is super easy! Followers can either use your branded hashtag or tag your brand.

Bridesmaid dress company Birdy Grey encourages their audience to use their branded hashtag #birdyinthewild when they share pictures that feature their clothes:

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The result? Anyone who sees a user-generated picture has an easy route to discover the Birdy Grey Instagram account.

TIP: With Later’s Content Creation Tools, you can review all of the posts you’ve been tagged in, or search for posts that contain a specific hashtag.

Once you find the perfect post, you can save it to your Media Library. Later will maintain the original quality of the post and add the handle of the original creator.

NOTE: You should also ask permission from the original creator — even if they tagged it with your specific UGC-focused hashtag.  

#12: Make Your Instagram Content Accessible

Over 430M people people in the world are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, while at least 2.2B people have a vision impairment.

Here are four simple ways to make your Instagram account more accessible and inclusive today:

  1. Add subtitles or text overlays to video content (including Instagram Videos, Stories, and Reels)

  2. Manually write descriptive alt text for your Instagram posts 

  3. Verbalize visual details during stories and videos

  4. Capitalize each word in Instagram hashtags. This helps screen-readers to read them aloud properly

TIP: Instagram recently released auto-generated captions in 16 languages for stories, so it’s easier than ever to make your content more accessible.

#13: Post More Consistently & Schedule Instagram Posts

When it comes to growing on Instagram, consistency is the name of the game.

Later recently analyzed over 81M feed posts (excluding Reels) to discover how posting frequency impacts average reach and engagement rates.

One of the key takeaways was that accounts that post more frequently typically have more followers:

However, creating quality content that drives real value for your audience should always usurp quantity. Scheduling Instagram posts makes it easy to ensure that your regular posts are of high quality.

#14: Add Keywords to Your Bio's Name Field

Did you know: the words you include in the Name Field of your Instagram bio are searchable?

For example, if your brand specializes in custom artwork, you may want to include keywords like “Art,” or “Artwork” in your Name Field.

“Think about what your niche is, which industry you’re in, who you target, and what solution you offer,” recommends Instagram expert, Elise Darma. “When in doubt, pop that term into the search bar on Instagram and see what appears.”

TIP: Find out how to get your first 1000 followers in our free course with Elise Darma.

#15: Collaborate on Feed Posts and Reels

With the Instagram Collabs feature, users can co-author Instagram feed posts (and Reels) – opening up an entirely new way to reach new audiences.  

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This way, you’ll be able to share views, likes, and comments, and can leverage each other’s communities. 

But in order for it to work, you have to make sure the content works for both accounts — whether it's an educational carousel or a Reel that taps into your niche.

NOTE: If you don't have the feature yet, hang tight!

Figuring out how to get more followers on Instagram can seem like a uphill battle, but if you follow the right techniques and strategies, you can definitely grow your following.

It’s a combination of posting creative content, targeting the right audiences, and tapping into Instagram's new features and trends.

So, are you ready to grow your Instagram following? Sign up for Later to plan, schedule, and post to Instagram.

About the Author

Jillian Warren

Jillian is Later's Editor. A go-to expert in social media strategy and content marketing, she has worked in both London and New York. Next up? Lisbon and Paris! You can reach out to her on Instagram here: @jillwrren.

Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.

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© 2022 Later. All Rights Reserved.

How to get more (real) Instagram followers in 2021

Instagram is one of the most popular social networks today with over 1 billion monthly users. Social media gives marketers and brands the opportunity to tap into this pool of audiences.

However, these days it's not that easy to make your presence known on Instagram and gain followers quickly. This is a process that takes time, but with a little help you can see results faster. Here are 12 tips to get more Instagram followers that are targeted and relevant to your brand.

How to get more (real) Instagram followers in 2021 - 12 tips that work:

Table of contents

1. Write a compelling bio

and therefore, it is an important part of creating a first impression with your audience. You need to write a compelling Instagram bio to get people to follow you.

In addition to the basics, such as adding contact details and a website link, you also need to tell your brand story in an engaging way. Just saying what type of business you run is not enough, you won't stand out. You have to give people a reason to connect with your brand and subscribe.

Here is an example of a good Instagram bio from clothing brand, COS.

2. Create and maintain brand identity on Instagram

Your Instagram feed is the next thing a visitor sees after your bio. Now the impression a real person gets from viewing your account will determine whether they like your brand or not.

It's important to keep your post feed attractive - consistent colors, post types, tone of voice, and so on. It is these details that define the personality of your brand. Ideally, when someone sees your post, they should immediately associate it with your brand.

Here is an example of a cookie account with 3 million followers that maintains a clear and recognizable brand identity.

3. Use the right hashtags

Using hashtags is a tried and tested way to grow your posts and get more followers on Instagram. You need to figure out which hashtags are trending in your niche and which are relevant to your brand and content. Then use a combination of these hashtags on all your Instagram content to reach people who follow those hashtags.

Also, don't forget to mix in a little and use high-volume popular hashtags of a general industry nature, as well as narrower niches where you can really become a leader. Instagram allows you to add up to 30 hashtags per post, and you should use this feature to your advantage. We bet less, from 10-15.

4. Create and promote your branded hashtag #

In addition to popular hashtags, you can also create and promote your own. Create tags both for the entire brand and for individual advertising campaigns. Special, unique brand hashtags are a good way to stand out on Instagram and amplify your campaigns.

By creating a hashtag for a specific promotion, you can also encourage people to use it on their Instagram accounts. This gives you free user-generated content as well as ads that can help you expand your reach, increase visibility, and get more followers.

Here's an example of how Dove uses their dedicated promotional hashtags #ShowUs (679,457 posts) or #showus to create user generated content and promote their marketing initiatives.

5. Optimize your posts

In-post tools on Instagram give you the power to engage your audience and even encourage them to share with friends. So why not use this opportunity to your advantage?

You can do a lot of things with Instagram's engagement tools, like tagging people, asking questions, starting conversations, and more. The more you encourage your audience to comment, the more likely they are to invite their friends to join the discussion. This is how the natural reach grows.

You can also provide discounts, promotions and ask your followers to tag their friends and promote this offer. Also, don't forget to tell the story in your picture or video that you're sharing as it will get more attention.

6. Participate in popular discussions

This is the other side of the comments, the importance of which we mentioned in the previous paragraph. You should not only spark conversations, but also participate in them.

If a resonant discussion has begun in your niche, in which people are showing interest, it would be good for you to comment and join. Who knows? Some may be inspired and check your profile, subscribe to your profile.

7. Control your photo tags

Maintaining a good reputation is very important if you want to get and keep more followers. One way to do this is to keep track of what posts your brand gets into. From your Instagram profile, people can see all the posts you've been tagged in. So it's important to keep track of who tags you and in what messages.

We recommend that you use the "change tags" feature or change the setting so that only posts you approve appear in your tagged posts.

If you are a supplier of goods or sell franchises, work with many partners, create and distribute a brand book and guideline, this is a set of rules for using your corporate identity, fonts, logo and other materials. Follow these rules so that the brand is equally attractive in all accounts. Remove your tags from posts that do not support the company's vision.

The photo shows the posts from which we remove the marks of the company Ulrawood. This design is against the rules.

8. Localize, go local

Just like SEO localization works for websites, local hashtags and location tagging work for Instagram. You cannot ignore the value of focusing on a local audience for your business.

Here are two ways you can do this.

Use geotagging

By adding locations (location) to your Instagram content, you can attract local users. A lot of people are looking for local content specifically using Instagram's search by location feature, where you can get to the top of the search results. It's similar to geo-targeted SEO, but for Instagram.

Add location to your posts and get additional audience when someone searches for content on Instagram using location search. This way you can attract local people to your profile and get more followers on Instagram.

Use local hashtags

Use local hashtags for the same purpose. You can be found by local people who are interested in a particular niche. Many people on Instagram follow local hashtags and by using them you can access this audience. An example of a hashtag - #shatushmoskva - is used when searching for a special type of hair coloring in the city you need (about 700,000 publications).

9. Add Call To Action Everywhere (Call To Action)

Instagram provides several options for adding calls to action to your content, and you should use them all! Whether it's a simple "swipe up to learn more" call in your stories or "checkout today," calls really help get your audience to take the right action.

If you don't know how to do it better, then at least add a call to share your content, visit your profile, or take any other action you want people to take.

Look at this example of how Woodworkcraft encourages people to share their content and tag an account so they can repost.

10. Interaction with bloggers

Bloggers are people with a significant number of loyal and engaged followers. They are divided into microbloggers with up to 10,000 subscribers, medium and millionaire bloggers. You can use influencers to access their loyal followers and turn them into your own followers.

It is important to remember that influencers must be from your niche and related to your brand. Their audience should match yours. As long as these criteria are met, you can go hand in hand with them as blogging marketing is a surefire way to get more loyal Instagram followers.

Use blogger collaboration opportunities to expand your reach. How exactly to do this is worthy of a separate article.

11. Run a contest or contest

It may seem like a cheap gimmick, but it's a proven way to win Instagram followers. Many brands and marketers use this technique and get quick results.

All you have to do is run a contest and ask people to follow you and tag their friends to enter. Create everything in such a way that people who are really interested in your brand subscribe.

Below is a great example of how these things work for bloggers and how you can get direct engagement and followers in a simple way using this tip.

12. Invest in Instagram Ads

No list of tips to get more Instagram followers is complete without ads. After all, this is the traditional way for companies to generate more leads (in this case, subscribers).

Unlike posts and stories that are only visible to your current audience, Instagram ads are shown to a wider, more relevant audience. You can reach a large number of people of a certain demographic or target segment by investing in advertising.

Conclusion

Now you know the 12 best ways to boost your Instagram account and get more followers. Use these tips to see a noticeable increase in your Instagram followers and solidify your presence on the platform.

At the same time, remember an important detail - a subscriber is not equal to a client. In order for your audience to make a purchase, you need to convincingly lead your subscribers to this. Don't know how? Ask us!

If you don't want to figure it out yourself, just order SMM promotion and targeted advertising to our specialists.

Growth of accounts, reach and engagement!

14 methods to get 1000 subscribers in IG (free + paid)

The first thousand subscribers is a significant number for any blogger, and not only on Instagram. This is an indicator that the content has passed quality control and the process has moved off the ground. For commercial accounts, rising exposure helps increase sales, which is why many brands maintain their Instagram pages.

Before you start gaining subscribers, make sure your profile is complete and you have a content plan. It is important that you post regularly and explore your niche creatively - there will be no chance to make a first impression a second time. With this in mind, let's analyze from simple to complex what tools will help to collect the first thousand followers on Instagram and increase their number further.

Related:
Account design: 25 beautiful profilesHow to manage Instagram (50 chips) from a marketerHow to come up with a nickname on Instagram: 35 ideas for a business account and a personal blog on the internal functionality of the social network. Some tools work on the principle of "tagging": you set a description, hashtags, geotags, etc., and the social network independently generates recommendations for users.

Other methods work for content diversity. Instagram allows you to create posts in various formats so that every blogger can reach their audience. This is what you will use to increase your reach and increase the likelihood that you will be noticed on Instagram.

1. Hashtags and keywords

They will help you get good coverage, get recommended and attract new followers to your Instagram account. But this will only work if the hashtags are relevant to the topic of your post. And do not abuse high-frequency tags: firstly, your post will be lost in the general stream, and secondly, there is a risk of being shadowbanned.

Use low-frequency tags - under which less than 10 thousand publications are placed, and medium-frequency - from 10 to 500 thousand. They belong to niche search and are more likely to attract the target audience.

For convenience, type a few dozen target hashtags and combine them under posts, but it's better to repeat them less often. The optimal number of tags under the post is up to ten.

And one more tip, which is not related to promotion, but will be useful for setting up an account on Instagram. When you write all the hashtags, create a system of your own unique tags that no one uses. They will be needed for easy navigation through different sections of your posts.

Hashtags for publication

An important point that you should pay attention to when promoting on Instagram is the profile header. It is the profile header that is your "face", the first impression of the account. The role of the header is to give a concise answer about what is happening in the profile, to inspire confidence.

Strong text and use of keywords in the header communicate positioning and brand benefits, influence the growth of subscriptions and sales. Do not get carried away with writing in a hat, be brief, but understandable. In addition, Instagram only skips 150 characters.

On the left is an example of how not to fill out a profile header, on the right - an ideal profile header

2. Geotags

Geotag your publications. On the map, this will look like a place of interest that can be visited for several reasons. For example, you sell your services there. Geotags can also be placed by your clients (not necessarily bloggers) who maintain their Instagram pages for friends and acquaintances. The person will see the mark on the map, read the post, look at your profile and, if he likes it, subscribe.

Even if you don't have a business, geotagging still makes sense. They help users who are interested in the life and blogosphere of their city. But the main factors determining whether a person subscribes or not remain the thematic niche of the profile and the quality of the content. Subject to all these conditions, it is a great way to get targeted followers on Instagram for free.

Geotags

Life hack. Do you want to save time when working in social networks? To do this, you need SMMplanner, which will automatically publish a post or story with tagged users, geometers and hashtags. You can also set up automatic deletion of posts and comments. Click and test for free -> SMMplanner

3. Participation in challenges

Today you will not surprise anyone with Instagram marathons and challenges, but, nevertheless, in order to attract new subscribers, this method will come in handy. A challenge is a challenge that the account owner throws to his friends, the audience after performing certain actions. The main thing in challenges is not only to do something and show your coolness, but to encourage the audience to repeat after you, accept a challenge or throw a similar one to your friends, close circle, etc.

If the content resonates with a large number of people, then it will be reposted to their stories, commented, tagged. At first, you can resort to a little trick and arrange a discussion and reposting on a certain topic between you and your friends in order to attract the attention of the audience.

Challenge "10 year challenge"

4. Mutual PR

On Instagram, VP (mutual PR) is another of the coolest ways to gain an audience. It can be used by both novice bloggers and business accounts.

You need to carefully choose partners for mutual PR. They should have a target audience as close as possible to yours, approximately the same number of subscribers - and, of course, the conditions for cooperation should be suitable.

For example, a photographer and a make-up artist can promote each other's pages, since they have approximately the same target audience. In addition, this is an ideal tandem for further cooperation.

Mutual PR on Instagram - stories

5. Joint content (co-authorship)

Not so long ago, Instagram introduced a new user collaboration feature - joint publications and Reels. In addition, today brands, influencers and celebrities are more willing to cooperate than to compete. Now users can invite other people as authors of publications. Co-authorship in the IG will help increase the reach and engagement due to the fact that the post will be seen by a combined audience of all authors.

For collaboration, you can choose a partner not only from your niche. For example, a company selling building materials can cooperate with a furniture factory, and a beauty brand with beauty can cooperate with a blogger.

Co-authorship in the IG

To find a suitable author or brand for a joint post, it is enough to check the match on the following parameters:

  • Your products/services do not compete with each other;
  • You have a similar target audience;
  • Goods/services complement each other;
  • Human factor: it is better to work with nice people, so your companion should inspire confidence and inspire sympathy.
Influencer and brand co-authorship

6. Blogger commenting

Comment on posts by bloggers with a similar target audience. Write not only an assessment, good or bad, but also ask questions, suggest an idea for the next post. Try to stand out, but delicately, without unnecessary criticism, so as not to end up in a bathhouse. In a word, show keen interest and competence in topics, and new potential subscribers will notice you.

7. Traffic flow

Attracting followers to Instagram from other social networks is a great way to increase the number of followers for free at the first stage of promotion. Use all the social networks that you lead. Put a link to your Instagram in all your profiles. Write in the status that you are mastering a new format, publishing a photo of your life in IG.

Next, periodically remind your followers that you now have Instagram and invite them to visit your profile. Share news in posts: for example, you announced on VK that you would not release posts on weekends, you went to the sea, and photos from your vacation will be regularly uploaded to IG. This way you can organically increase the number of followers on Instagram without taking almost any action.

For example, if you have your own business, insert a link to your Instagram on your website, on e-mail newsletters and even Yandex.Maps and Gogle Maps. Thus, you will collect additional traffic from different sites.

Link to Instagram

8. Interactive stories

What is it about? Obviously, by posting regular stories to your profile, you won’t gain new subscribers in any way. This is where interactive stories come to the rescue - "add yours" or "add yours" stickers. Their essence is as follows: this sticker allows everyone to take part in discussions on the site. Users can respond to other people's stories with their photos and videos that match the topic of discussion. I think this is a cool opportunity to promote your profile

Participation in discussions in "Add yours"
  • Instagram games: 32 examples (posts + stories)
  • Instagram Story Ideas: 150+ with Example Stories

9.

Reels

Facebook on Instagram has its Tik Tok analogue — Reels. In this section, you can post videos lasting from 15 to 60 seconds. Track trends, participate in challenges. Here you will also find an audience, draw attention to the blog.

Instagram seeks to promote a new content format. The algorithms of the social network are more favorable to videos made in Reels and display them more often in recommendations. Use this hack to get followers on Instagram before your competitors do.

Reels on Instagram

Important. If you have a TikTok account, you can upload your videos to Reels, but it's better to make them here - Instagram has a negative attitude towards TikTok icons on videos.

10. Tagging posts

Posting a link to your page with other users will draw attention to your Instagram profile and help you gain followers. Ask acquaintances, friends or clients to tag you in a photo or story. So you will collect targeted followers who are interested in the life of not a particular blogger, but also his circle of friends.

Link in the story to the profile

11. IGTV

Instagram allows you to upload long videos up to 1 hour. During this time, you will show your product or the entire new collection in detail, answer frequently asked questions, tell you about the business from the inside, etc. And here you can save recordings of live broadcasts.

This method, like the previous one, works to increase the coverage and recognition of the account. If you regularly post unique, useful and unusual "catchy" content, it will become easier to gain new followers on Instagram.

Long Instagram videos

Related:
IGTV (Instagram TV): complete guide + video chips

12. QR code

Create your own QR code and add it to business cards, ads, any other printed matter. In general, if you use offline advertising, feel free to place a code on it to quickly go to your Instagram account. This will help you gain traffic and expand your audience.

Qr-code on Instagram

13. Manual mass following

The essence of mass following is that you subscribe to users and like their publications. These should not be just random profiles, but your target audience. Seeing such notifications as in the screenshot, users will go to the page, look at posts and stories, and probably subscribe.

Massliking and massfollowing

Lifehack. The easiest way to promote an Instagram account is with the help of automatic mass following. He will independently do all the actions (likes, views of stories, subscription to users) that will promote the account and increase sales. Click and test -> Zengram (Promo code "INSCALEPROMO" -20% for everything)

Paid ways to attract followers

It is not easy to promote a page on Instagram with completely free methods, especially in the early stages - you will have to try to get the first 1000 subscribers. Paid promotion methods will help speed up the process.

This includes external tools that expand the basic possibilities of page administration: show additional statistics, automate actions, wind up followers.

There will also be classic marketing techniques that imply the existence and planning of a budget: targeting, buying ads from other bloggers, holding contests.

1. Targeted advertising

Advertising targeting is not an easy task: to search and segment the audience, design ads, calculate the budget. Each stage involves detailed study. If you are a beginner, then you run the risk of losing money. But the effect of achieving the goal is simply colossal, so targetologists are well paid.

Even if you're just approaching the 1000 followers milestone and you're not sure about your experience, it makes sense to learn how it works and do the first "sighting" targeting with a small budget, and then see how much your number of followers on Instagram has increased.

Targeted ads on Instagram

Life hack. Do you want to learn how to create vivid photo and video content that your audience will love? Then we recommend taking the course “promotion on Instagram”. After training, you will be able to independently launch targeted advertising, create unique and attractive content to attract new subscribers. Click and sign up for the course -> Promotion on Instagram

2. Advertising with bloggers

People trust other people more. Bloggers are trusted, as they recommend the product as if through their experience, give a balanced assessment with all the pros and cons (if they value their reputation). Therefore, advertising with them is a great way to get subscribers.

There are several criteria for finding the right blogger. First, it must have your target audience. Secondly, evaluate the reputation and credibility. Look in the comments under the posts and see what and how they write to him. And, thirdly, its subscribers must be alive, i. e. not twisted.

Publication from a blogger

Plus, advertising for an Instagram profile does not have to be purchased only in IG. For example, if you have your own women's clothing showroom, you can buy ads from a Tik Tok influencer. Moreover, this platform is gaining popularity with space progression.

Advertising in public

Another no less effective way to promote your profile is advertising in public (and not necessarily in the IG). A strong "exhaust" is given by advertising in VKontakte groups. The peculiarity of VK is that this social network brings together mainly Russian-speaking users, so it is perfect for promoting companies of almost any format.

So, an additional advantage of VK can be called a significant number of thematic communities, applications and integration into third-party services, for example, on Instagram.

Related:
Instagram advertising exchange: TOP-5 services + 8 life hacks

How to get people to subscribe?

At the beginning of their journey to promotion in the IG, many users make a gross mistake - they gain subscribers for the sake of a beautiful number, while the quality of their content is the last thing they think about. Trite, but it's true - only if you regularly publish high-quality content, subscribers will be drawn to you.

Let's consider the option when you already have some kind of base of followers that are actively showing up on your account.

1. Subscription gift

It is a very common practice to motivate users to subscribe to you. So, some bloggers and entrepreneurs go to small tricks to get an influx of followers. For example, for a subscription, some bloggers thank their followers with their promotion guides or checklists ala "TOP useful photo editing apps from ...".

So, as a gift for a subscription, entrepreneurs give a discount on the first purchase in the store, or on the first visit to a beauty salon, as in the example below. And as practice shows, this method of attracting an audience has proven its effectiveness.

Gift for subscription

In order to make your life easier, below is a list of services with which you can set up an account check for a subscription to your page.

Service Cost per check
Instateleport 1 ₽
Instasub 2 ₽
Smmbot -

2. Direct mail

Use direct mail to draw attention to important information. This should not be a request to like or subscribe - users will consider such messages as spam. Direct is good when there is some news. For example, announce the same contest or tell that something really unusual has appeared on your page.

But don't get carried away: there is a limit on messages in Direct. An account that has been in existence for less than three months can send 30 messages per day. From three to six months, the limit is already wider: 40 messages. After six months from the moment of registration - up to 50 messages per day. If these conditions are not met, you can easily get a block.

Messages in direct

In the table below, I have collected for you some useful services for mass mailing in direct. They are arranged in the order in which we recommend them, the first three are the top ones, and then out of order.

Name Cost (per month) Promo code + trial period
Zengram From 1 490 ₽ (“INSCALEPROMO” 20% discount on everything) 3 days
Bridgit From 490 ₽ 1 day
Boss Direct From 990 ₽ “inscale” +5 days free
Zeus From 110 ₽ “INSCALE” +3 days free
Instaplus From 399 ₽ 5 days
SocialKit From 1100 ₽ 7 days

Related:
Newsletter in Direct: 30 services + 4 steps how to do it

By the way. Have you heard about the new method of promotion on Instagram? SocTool has a unique algorithm that allows you to intercept the target audience from competitors online. The service will instantly establish a contact (subscription, like, message in Direct) while the user is online. Click and test - SocTool

3. Contest

If you already have your "backbone" of active subscribers, then announce the contest on your page. Play a gift, and as one of the conditions for participation, indicate a subscription. The main thing is that there are other conditions that will help to fairly select the winners. Otherwise, the contest will turn into a simple giveaway, after which you will lose all subscribed participants.

The timing of the competition should be such that everyone who wants to complete the task, but not too long, so that people do not get tired of waiting for the prize. Optimal - 5-7 days.

Holding a contest on Instagram

Related:
Uploading comments to IG: TOP 5 services + how to makeChallenge on Instagram: 13 ideas of 2021

Cheat followers on Instagram

The fastest method to recruit followers - cheat programs. We do not support this method of promotion, as it is not reliable. It has a number of shortcomings, but at the initial stage it will give impetus to the development of the account in order to attract advertisers as quickly as possible.

- Sites for bulk purchases of subscribers

Subscribers are cheated by bulk purchases or with the help of job exchanges. The meaning of the subscription package is that you order a lot and immediately in a couple of clicks. The table below contains the most popular resources operating in this mode:

Service Cost (per subscriber)
TmSmm From 0.14 ₽
Likemania From 0.35 ₽ ​​
Mrpopular From 0.08 RUB
Prostospec From 0.28 RUB
Prskill From 0.07 RUB
- Job exchanges

The second option - smm job exchanges. Here you independently compose the task, prescribe the conditions, set your own price for subscribing to you. The order will appear on the site, and only those users who have passed the selection criteria (suitable for gender, age, geolocation, etc.) will execute it.

As an advertisement

In addition to detailed task settings, such exchanges have one more advantage. They can also be used as a performer. By completing tasks, you earn internal currency (points) that you can spend on promoting your profile.

Service Cost (per subscriber)
Likeinsta Fully customizable
Vkserfing Minimum from 0.5 ₽
Unu Minimum from 1 ₽
Socpublic Minimum from 0.2 ₽

The main disadvantage of cheating live followers on Instagram is that it will not bring activity, will not show interest in the content, and, moreover, will not give any conversion and upward movement. Of course, this method will help to increase the number of followers on Instagram, but it will not be of great use.

Also, it's not worth getting a large number of subscribers at once because of the profile blocking. When there is not yet the first thousand subscribers, let's be specific: wind up from 50 to 100 custom, but no more. And as you reach the designated goal, be sure to delete inactive accounts and bots. A list of profile cleaning assistants is attached:

Service Cost
InstaHero 199 ₽ / 1 cleaning
SpamGuard Choose a personal tariff

- Mass actions

Programs select potential subscribers and carry out mass actions on their pages on your behalf: put likes, view stories, subscribe. It is possible to show which accounts to pay attention to: the search will be conducted by the audience of competitors, interests by hashtags and geotags under which you publish.

- Mass following and mass looking

Massollowing and masslooking automation. Set up the simultaneous execution of all actions or select any one desired option. The whole process is carried out through the cloud. Confirmed the task and calmly go about your business further. We give a list of programs that will subscribe you to a potential audience:

Service Cost (per month) Free period
Zengram 1 490 ₽ ("INSCALEPROMO" 20% discount on everything) 3 days
Bridgit 490 ₽ 1 day
Instaplus.pro 299 ₽ 5 days

- Massliking

Software for mass liking posts of other social network users. The principle of operation is similar: a person will see that you like him, go to the page and subscribe if he likes posts and stories. A working option to increase the number of subscribers.

Service Cost (per month) Free period
Instaplus.pro 299 ₽ 5 days
Bridgit 490 ₽ 1 day

briefly about the main thing

There is no universal formula for how to get a thousand followers and promote your Instagram account from scratch. Now you know what promotion methods are relevant for her.

I remind you that you need not only to gain subscribers, but also to be able to keep them. To do this, make a rule for yourself - post content every day. At least a few stories, if suddenly there is no time to write "long posts". The main thing is not to let your subscribers forget you.

What you do best (for example, photos of cityscapes) - will be the main theme for Instagram.


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