How to get 1000 followers on instagram without posting


How to Get Your First 1000 Followers on Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular social networks today, with a 40 percent usage reach among US adults. This makes it a platform worth investing your time and efforts in, but growing an audience can be tough. Here are 16 tips on how to get your first 1000 followers on Instagram.

Instagram continues to be one of the best platforms for growing an audience. It has more than 1 billion users worldwide, and 71% of US businesses use the social media platform. And did you know that Instagram can generate more than four times the number of interactions compared to Facebook? It goes without saying: Instagram is the place to be for aspiring entrepreneurs and content creators.

It’s easy to come across tips when Googling how to grow your Instagram followers. However, most of these tricks mainly work with bigger accounts – they're tougher if you only have a couple hundred followers. Reaching those first 1000 followers on any social media platform is usually the hardest part, since people pay less attention to small accounts.

Getting your first 1000 followers on Instagram: 16 tips

We've curated 16 tips on how to build followers on Instagram and reach that milestone 1000, for free. Let's get into it!

  1. Make your Instagram bio count
  2. Connect with your network
  3. Find your audience
  4. Live by the '5 likes, comment & follow' rule
  5. Find your voice as a 'brand'
  6. Write catchy, shareable captions!
  7. Post engaging content
  8. Optimize your imagery for Instagram
  9. Post consistently
  10. Experiment, test, and analyze your content
  11. Get to the top search results
  12. Learn how the Instagram algorithm works
  13. Use video content
  14. Educate people!
  15. Stay informed on content and platform trends
  16. Don't waste your time

1. Make your Instagram bio count

Your bio will be the first introduction to new followers, and if you fine-tune it, you can target your ideal audience. If they like what they see, they’ll probably hit that follow button.

What are the main things you want to highlight here? Think of it as your 150-character pitch. And remember: your username and name are searchable, but the rest of the bio isn't.

Here are some bio elements that can help attract followers:

  • A sleek, high-quality profile image.
  • A call-to-action (a #hashtag to click and share, a link to follow, or contact info.)
  • Snappy copy that feels like it was written by a real person (not a robot.)

2. Connect with your network

As mentioned earlier, reaching those first few hundred followers is often the trickiest part of growing a social media audience. So, why not start by following friends, family, coworkers, and basically everyone you know? They'll most likely follow you back, and hopefully recommend you to their friends. Go through your Facebook and contact list too, ensuring you’ve utilized all your connections.

Depending on what kind of Instagram channel you’re running, it might be worth connecting with local or similar businesses, too. Of course, this article isn’t solely about ‘how to get followers on Instagram for your business,’ but it’s worth keeping in mind. Tagging them, commenting on their posts and sharing their content will encourage them to do the same!

3. Find your audience

When you start your account, try to describe your ideal audience to yourself. Write it down – what does your ideal customer avatar look like? Who do they follow, what do they comment on, and what makes them tick? Then, look for other accounts that gear themselves toward the audience you just described.

For example, if you're a travel vlogger, look for traveling accounts and travel vloggers that fit your audience criteria. Find the accounts and creators that post regularly and get high engagement with their content.

Now, the idea is for you to utilize their profiles and audiences. Comment on their posts. Follow their followers and interact with them. Engage! You need to get your audience's attention and establish a connection before they willingly follow you and engage with your content.

This doesn’t always work, but the ‘5 likes, comment and follow’ rule can increase your chances of getting Instagram followers. The idea’s pretty simple: find an account that you’d be proud to count as a follower – and, ideally, an account you’d want to follow – and like at least five of their posts. Drop a comment on your favorite post, then give them a follow.

Put time and effort into your likes and comments, because it helps show that you’re a real person. Fake accounts often follow without interacting. By liking posts and opening a dialogue – even if you’re just commenting on a dog video with the fire emoji – before following, you’re showing that you’re a genuine account that’s interested in their content. And, if it doesn’t work the first time around, keep at it! As long as you’re adding to the conversation and not spamming them, it’s worth being persistent and letting them know you’re worth following back.

5. Find your voice as a ‘brand’

Perhaps it sounds a bit corporate, but if you want to get Instagram followers, you have to think of yourself as a brand. That doesn’t mean you need to be super serious – it just requires you to think about your profile as a shop front, landing page, or customer service helpline for your favorite brand.

‘Tone’ is the word people might use, but overall, it’s about your brand identity. The way you write captions and comments should ladder up, so you’re not talking in text lingo on one post and ye olde English the next. Every brand’s voice is different, but a simple, semi-casual tone is a good starting point to get more Instagram followers.

This extends to your visual cues, too. Stylistically, it helps if you have a consistent ‘thing’ that’s yours. It's OK to have a personal Instagram account with random pictures and videos. But, if you’re looking to gain Instagram followers outside your friends, family, and colleagues, you need to curate your content so it looks uniquely yours.

6. Write catchy, shareable captions

Being able to write a catchy caption is an art form. From questions to humor to fun facts, using captions effectively is a quick way to encourage activity on your posts and let your followers get to know you. Calls to action, emojis, and funny descriptions are all tried-and-tested caption options that can help you gain Instagram followers.

Engaging with your existing audience is crucial to getting more Instagram followers. Write a simple, open-ended question in a post; use a poll or question sticker to spark conversation in your Stories.

Remember that every comment is an opportunity to gain a new follower – or keep a current one – so respond to every comment you receive. Make your followers your friends, and it’ll be worth your while.

7. Post content that’s geared towards engagement

You not only need to write strong captions, but the content itself is equally important. Instagram is for viewing things, sure. But when people try to reach 1000 followers, encouraging existing – and potential – fans to like, share, comment, and vote on things builds a sense of community, no matter how small the actual following might be.

Here are some different types of content and captions you can use to get more Instagram followers:

  • Question-based posts
  • Recommendation requests or tips
  • Personal or funny stories
  • Tag-a-friend posts
  • AMA (ask me anything) posts
  • Jump on a trend
  • Post a 'before and after'
  • Share behind-the-scenes material
  • Host a contest

8.

Optimize your imagery for Instagram

You wouldn’t try to play an old cassette tape on a PS4, so why would you post a photo on Instagram that just doesn’t look like it belongs there? You don’t have to be a professional photographer to snap top-tier photos, but you can’t just post random, blurry selfies. Well, you can, but that’s not how to get 1000 Instagram followers!

Using professional cameras and editing software is perfect if you have the time and money, but your smartphone will do fine. Ultimately, you need to make memorable, striking content that aligns with your brand voice, as we mentioned earlier.

Think about things like symmetry, small details, different perspectives, negative space, and only focusing on one subject at a time. Lighting is also essential for quality content, and if that’s something you want to edit before uploading your content to Instagram, check out our guide to key lighting here.

9. Post consistently

A common theme among successful content creators and social media Jedis is that they post frequently. And, not to forget, at the right time. Use your Instagram Insights to determine when your audience is most likely to be active.

By posting the right content at the right time, you increase your chances of scoring engagement with your audience. Making a point to publish something every day makes a statement: it’s worth coming back for more!

It’s also a smart way to let your audience know you better. The more people engage with your post, the higher it appears in their feed. This helps to expand your reach, helping you get more Instagram followers.

By scheduling your content in advance, you can pinpoint holidays and generate buzz for upcoming events. A structured content calendar will also bring you peace of mind, since you don’t have to stress-post something random on days when inspiration is lacking.

The Instagram algorithm dictates the order of the posts that users see when they're scrolling through their feed. This is based on specific signals, and it prioritizes the best-performing posts, pushing the most relevant ones toward the top and giving them the most visibility. So, the more people interact with your content, the higher it will end up.

10. Experiment, test, and analyze your content

To determine what works among your audience – and what doesn't – it’s crucial to experiment with the content you post and analyze the results. If you don’t test your content, how will you know what works best?

It’s a good idea to set up a content strategy for these three Instagram features:

  1. Stories
  2. Live
  3. Reels

Your chances of discovery and engagement increase remarkably if you make a habit of using all of these features, and using them well. It's important you utilize all of them and test the content. Then, look at the metrics and find out which your top three – or even top five – posts are. This is your audience telling you what content they like best; if a certain type of content is performing poorly over a long time period, it's not worth doing in your followers' eyes.

On top of this, try to track weekly profile visits, assess follows from individual posts – analyzing this information will help you create content specifically for earning followers – and track bio link clicks. Any information you can gather is useful, as it helps build a clearer picture of what content to keep creating. Instagram Insights is a nifty tool to use to track these crucial metrics.

11. Get to the top search results

The jackpot for more exposure is the Instagram top search results. While the ins and outs of Instagram’s algorithm aren't set out in stone, there are a few ways to boost your chances of ending up there.

  • Post at the time when most of your followers are online. If you have a business account, check your statistics to see when that is. If you don't have a business account, look at your posts to see which ones got the most engagement and make a note of the time you posted them. Notice a trend? If so, that's likely when most of your followers are online.
  • Always create high-quality images that fit your niche.
  • Use hashtags relevant to your niche. They shouldn't be too popular. The more popular they are, the harder it is to get to the top of the discover page.
  • If your images include other people or brands, tag them. They then get the notification about your post, and there is a possibility that they will engage with or reshare it, too.
  • It's always good to have relationships with the bigger accounts within your niche. If you don't have that, start interacting with them. When the accounts with a large number of followers engage with your content, then you get more chances to get to the top.

12. Learn how the Instagram algorithm works

To wrap your head around how Instagram's algorithm works, here’s a quick rundown of the three key factors:

  • A creator’s relationship with their followers
  • The relevance of the content
  • How new the content is

This is by no means a complete summary, as the algorithm is a bit of a beast. In fact, calling it ‘the algorithm’ isn’t even 100% true – there’s so much going on under the hood, and it requires time and patience to figure it all out. If you want to learn how to get 1000 Instagram followers, you need to understand what the Instagram algorithm is and how it works. Read our guide here.

13. Use video content

Video content generally receives 34% more interactions than static image content. That tells us that video content is something you’d want to at least include in your content strategy.

These days, you’ve got plenty of video options to choose from on Instagram. They include:

  • Instagram Reels. Reels are short snippets of content up to 90 seconds, sort of like TikTok videos. They're a great way for creators to engage their audience.
  • Instagram Stories. These are viewable for 24 hours, and can be either video or photo-based. If you choose video, then each of your Story posts can be up to 60 seconds long.
  • Instagram Live. The best time to use Instagram Live is when you want to be more open and personal. It's an effective way to show your audience what's happening behind the scenes, and can stretch to four hours, which can benefit educational and 'how-to' content.

14. Educate people with your content!

People love to learn stuff. Using carousel posts to unpack a question, theory or process can pique viewers’ interest. In fact, carousel posts have the highest engagement rate across Instagram – they're intriguing! Use carousels to solve problems, educate people, or just make your viewers laugh with a fun ‘before and after’ post.

15. Stay informed on content and platform trends

Social media moves lightning fast. When TikTok came along and started ruffling feathers, Instagram responded with Reels. When Reels became widely available, Instagram’s various algorithms and processes started favoring Reels content more favorably than regular Stories and Feed posts – after all, it needed to convince people that Reels were worth using instead of migrating to TikTok.

For that reason, it’s important to keep up to date with platform and content trends. If a new feature is released on Instagram, it will likely receive an initial push, as Instagram wants these things to succeed. Likewise, users will be excited to try out these features, so if your content’s out there from day one, you have a better chance of picking up some more Instagram followers.

16. Don’t waste your time

If you want to know how to increase followers on Instagram and get to 1000, you need to know (and grow!) your existing audience. Your first Instagram like is a milestone, and as those likes multiply, it can become difficult to separate truth from fiction.

Why does this matter? Well, it’s crucial your followers actually engage with you and your content. Not only does that show they’re into what you’re posting, it also bumps your posts higher up in the feed for more exposure.

Therefore, fake accounts aren't worth having in your followers. If these accounts do follow you, take time out to give your following a cleanse – perhaps once every week or month. Simply remove the fake accounts and bots that are following you. These accounts tell the algorithm that your content isn’t valuable, meaning it won’t get shown to as many people.

Fake accounts are usually obvious to discover purely based on their usernames, and you can also take a look at their feed to double-check. Fake accounts often have just a few post, and what's there is often pretty spammy.

Another thing to cut out of your schedule is the follow-unfollow game. Keep your eyes on the prize, and don’t focus too much on following and unfollowing other accounts just for the sake of it.

Now, go get those first 1000 followers – you can do it!

Related posts:

  • What Is Instagram Reels and How Do You Use It?
  • How to Use Copyright Music on Instagram
  • How to Make Money on Instagram

How To Get More Followers on Instagram [5 Simple Steps]

Starting fresh on social or just trying to build your online brand? You’re probably wondering how to get more followers on Instagram.

And no, we don’t mean buying followers or using bots. Those tricks might boost your follower count for a short time, but they won’t do you any favors long-term.

That’s because the only truly valuable Instagram followers are real people who care about and engage with your brand.

Check out our in-depth guide to learn how to grow Instagram followers organically.

Step 1. Lay the groundwork

Step 2. Create great content

Step 3. Make yourself findable

Step 4. Engage with your community

Step 5. Keep learning

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

How to get more Instagram followers for free

No time to read the whole guide? Check out the video below for what you need to grow on Instagram this year:

Otherwise, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Step 1. Lay the groundwork

Have a thoughtful Instagram marketing strategy

If you want to be effective on social, you need a clear plan.

Getting more Instagram followers is a great starter goal. But followers alone won’t create a successful Instagram account. Your goal needs to be part of a larger plan that connects to your business strategy and social marketing objectives.

Think about the reasons why you want more Instagram followers. What do you really hope to accomplish? Maybe you want to:

  • increase brand awareness
  • boost product sales
  • drive traffic to your website.

Staying focused on these business-oriented goals will help keep your Instagram account consistent. It will help you tell a compelling brand story that appeals to new profile visitors and helps build (and keep) a loyal following.

Define your target audience

Ask yourself some questions about who you’re trying to reach:

  • Where do they live?
  • What do they do for work?
  • When and how do they use Instagram?
  • What are their pain points and challenges?

The answers to these questions will help you craft content to connect with the people on Instagram who are most likely to give you a follow.

They will also help you consistently deliver content that will keep your audience engaged for the long run.

Create a consistent brand story and aesthetic

Maybe you want to show off how your product is made. Or humanize your brand by sharing an employee’s perspective. An aspirational brand might showcase the lifestyle or achievements of your customers.

No matter what you’re going for, it’s important to maintain a consistent brand voice, personality and look.

Your posts should be easily recognizable at a glance. Think of your Instagram grid as one cohesive unit. You can always use Instagram Stories to share content that doesn’t quite fit with the look and feel of your main feed.

Your products don’t have to look the same, either. You can use styling to give your grid a consistent look and feel, like @themillerswifecustomcookies does:


Source: @themillerswifecustomcookies on Instagram

Use keywords to appear in searches

Before people can follow you on Instagram, they have to find you. But not all text on Instagram is searchable. Only two fields on Instagram contribute to search results: name and username.

Your username is your Instagram handle. It should be consistent with the handle you use on other social networks since this also makes it easier for people to find you. Use your brand name or a variation of your name that people are likely to use when searching for your brand.

Your name can be anything you like, up to 30 characters. You don’t want to keyword-stuff, but including your most relevant keyword in the name field can make you easier to find.

For example, travel writer Claudia Laroye (@itsclaudiatravels) includes the keyphrase “travel writer” in her Instagram name. Now, she’s more likely to be found by people looking for travel content or writers.

Source: @itsclaudiatravels on Instagram

Optimize your Instagram bio and profile

Two-thirds of Instagram business profile visits are from non-followers. If your bio and profile convince them to click the follow button, those visitors may become followers.

Your profile includes your name and username fields (mentioned above), your website and your bio.

Your bio can be up to 150 characters, so make the most of it. Convey your brand identity and show new visitors why they should follow you. What kind of content can they expect?

This bio from @abstractaerialart sums up the account’s purpose and promise in a quick, easy-to-digest way:

Source: @abstractaerialart on Instagram

If you have a professional account (business or Creator), you can include extra info in your profile, like your contact information, type of business, and location.

Step 2. Create great content

Design a gorgeous Instagram grid

Sure, this might seem obvious, but it’s critical when thinking about getting followers on Instagram. Every post on your Instagram grid must be high-quality and visually engaging.

When new users visit your profile, the content should make them want to see more (and click Follow).

Give commercial photographer @nelsonmouellic a round of applause for this visual feat.

Write compelling, long captions

Instagram is a visual social media platform, but great Instagram captions help you get more reach and engagement.

Here are some key strategies to keep in mind:

  • Put the most important words up front. If the caption is more than 125 characters long, users must tap “more” to see the whole thing. Make the most of those first words to inspire that extra tap.
  • Ask a question. This makes it easy for your audience to leave a comment. That increased engagement will help make your account visible to more people.
  • Use emoji. Emoji add a bit of variety and can make your caption more enticing. Just make sure you use those emoji correctly!
  • Try different caption lengths. Our data shows that long captions are more likely to improve engagement, but ultra-short captions can also be very effective when the visuals speak for themselves.

Will Tang of Going Awesome Places posts great photos with detailed captions that tell the story behind the shot. His Insta bio calls him a “creator of ridiculously detailed itineraries and guides.” That means this caption approach is very on-brand.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Will | Going Awesome Places (@goingawesomeplaces)

Post content that’s meant to be re-shared

Your audience wants to engage with content that’s useful and inspiring. So when planning your posts, think about types of content that other people might like to share.

People love sharing infographics. Feed that desire by supplying your followers with your expert insights. If someone embeds your Instagram posts in their blog, you’re exposed to a whole new audience of potential followers.

People can also re-share your posts in their Instagram Stories. These posts are clickable, so anyone who wants to know more can click through to your original post. It’s another easy way to expand your reach to new audiences and potential new followers.

For example, here’s how a Hootsuite post about LinkedIn demographics looks when shared to my Instagram Story.

Embrace Instagram Stories

If you want more Instagram followers, you need to use Instagram Stories. Half a billion Instagram accounts use Stories every day, and 45% of the most-viewed Stories are from businesses.

People who use Stories are highly engaged. Plus, you can use the hashtag and location features in your stories to expose them to people who do not already follow you.

Make the most of Stories highlights

Put a lot of effort into an Instagram Story and not quite ready to say goodbye after 24 hours? Pinned Stories highlights are a great way to introduce your brand to people who visit your profile. So pack those highlights with great info and content to show new visitors why they should follow you.

Don’t forget to customize the cover photos on your highlights, too. Supplement company Vega keeps things on-brand and plant-friendly with their custom green highlights.

Source: Vega on Instagram

Post consistently

Your existing followers want to see content from you. That’s why they followed you in the first place. So give them what they want!

When users interact with your posts, those engagements tell Instagram’s algorithm that your content is valuable. Those interactions will then boost your reach. So giving your existing followers something great to interact with can help bring in new Instagram followers.

How often should you post? According to our analysis, between 3-7 times per week.

Post at the right time

Instagram uses an algorithm, not a chronological feed. But timing is still important to the algorithm.

Hootsuite’s social team found that the best time to post on Instagram is between 8 AM -12 PM PST or 4-5 PM PST on weekdays.

But your audience might have different habits than ours. A tool like Hootsuite Analytics can show you the best time to post for your audience based on past engagement, impressions or traffic.

Source: Hootsuite Analytics

Try Hootsuite for free. You can cancel anytime.

Start testing various times and measuring results. For example, if you’re a retail brand, you might want to test posting during lunch

Schedule your posts and stories

What if the best time to post to your account is 3 AM? (Hey, it happens.) Use a desktop-based Instagram tool like Hootsuite to schedule and publish directly to Instagram.

Scheduling your Instagram posts in advance allows you to plan a cohesive grid that tells an overarching story. It also allows you to dedicate time to creating excellent captions rather than trying to come up with something witty on the fly.

You can also use Hootsuite to schedule Instagram Stories and Reels.

Step 3. Make yourself findable

Use relevant hashtags to reach new users

Sadly, the text of your Instagram posts isn’t searchable. But your hashtags are. Using hashtags thoughtfully can be a good way to get followers on Instagram for free. You can even create your own branded hashtags.

Relevant hashtags can help people find your content. Instagram users can even follow hashtags. That means your hashtagged content may appear in the feeds of people who do not yet follow your account.

You can include up to 30 hashtags in an Instagram post, but don’t go overboard. Instead, do some experimenting to learn how many hashtags work best for your particular account.

Avoid hashtag gimmicks such as #likeforlike, #tagsforlikes, or #followme. These may give you a temporary boost in followers. But those people aren’t interested in what makes you and your content special. They’re not going to help you build a meaningful, engaged audience on Instagram.

Instead, focus on using highly targeted hashtags specific to your photo, product, or business, like stylist Dee Campling does in this #wfh shot.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dee Campling (@deecampling)

Tag your location

If the location of your post or Story is clear, it’s worth adding a location tag. It’s another easy way for people to find your content on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Instagram’s @Creators (@creators)

If your business has a physical location, tag it and encourage customers to do the same. Users can then click on that location and see all photos and Stories posted from your store, restaurant, or office.

For example, here’s what you get when you search for the location of Van Wonderen Stroopwafels in Amsterdam:

Source: Instagram

If you’re posting from a conference or event, adding your location can help you connect with other attendees. This will expose your account to a highly relevant group of new potential Instagram followers.

Tag relevant users

It’s easy to tag Instagram users featured in your photos. Just use an @-mention in your caption or Instagram’s tagging functionality within the post.

Users are notified when they’re tagged, so tags encourage them to engage with and share the post. Your post will also appear on the Tagged tab of their Instagram profile.

You can also tag users in your Instagram Stories. Then, they can post shared content to their own Story with just a couple of taps. If they do so, their viewers can click through to your account.

Be careful, though. Tagging someone just to get their attention isn’t a great idea. Instead, only tag users featured in your photo or relevant to your post’s content.

Some potentially relevant users to tag might include:

  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Other relevant businesses
  • Colleagues or employees
  • Someone who taught you a skill or told you about something you share in the post
  • Anyone who appears in the photo

Encourage others to tag you

Another way to introduce your Instagram account to a new audience is to ask other Instagram users to tag you. When they tag you in a post, their audience sees your handle and can click on it if they want to learn more.

Your bio is a great place to ask people to tag you on Instagram.

For example, Visit the USA asks Instagrammers to tag them for a chance to be featured on their account.

Source: @visittheusa on Instagram

Cross-promote your Instagram account on other networks

If you want to get followers on Instagram for free, you need to make it easy for people to find you.

Your Instagram profile should be easily discoverable. If you’ve already built a following on another social network, let those fans know about your Instagram account.

Share a link to your Instagram profile and give your existing social followers a reason to check it out. (Like an Instagram-exclusive coupon code, event, or contest.)

When BlogHer hosted Jameela Jamil for an Instagram Live, they made sure to promote it on their Facebook Page as well.

If you’re just starting your Instagram account, make sure to post some content before you promote the account elsewhere. Aim for a minimum of 12 posts.

You could also highlight some of your best Instagram posts on your other social channels. Consider boosting these posts with paid advertising so your other social followers can find and follow you on Instagram.

Embed Instagram posts in your blog

You’ve already seen some embedded Instagram posts in this blog. These clickable posts allow users to head directly to the relevant post or Instagram profile.

Embedding your own Instagram posts in your blog is an easy way to share your content and drive traffic to your profile. Every new visitor to your Instagram profile is a potential new follower.

For example, say Hootsuite wanted to announce our mascot’s makeover. Sure, we could share a few pictures of Owly’s new look.

But we could also embed an Instagram post, like this:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite)

Any time you’re sharing visual content like photos, charts, or infographics in your blog, there’s an opportunity to embed an Instagram post with that content instead.

Share your Instagram account in other communications

Think beyond your social channels when sharing your Instagram account.

You can link to your Instagram account on your website, in your email signature, and in your online newsletters. The link doesn’t have to be big, either. You can use a small Instagram icon.

If you’re promoting a new Instagram account, a quick email blast is a great way to get free Instagram followers fast.

And don’t forget about your offline materials. You can include your Instagram handle on coasters, posters, packing slips, business cards, or packaging. It’s a simple way to drive more free Instagram followers to your account.

Use Instagram QR codes

Your Instagram QR code is a scannable code that allows other Instagram users to follow you instantly. It’s another easy way to promote your account on physical materials like packing slips, signage, and product packaging.

Your QR code is also a great way to get new followers in real time at networking events and conferences. People you connect with in person can scan your code to follow you without having to type out your handle. Try printing it out and tucking it into your namebadge holder for easy access.

Find your Instagram QR code by tapping on the three lines icon at the top right of your Instagram profile and selecting QR Code .

Try to get featured

Feature accounts are Instagram accounts that curate and re-share content based on a hashtag or tagging. Some of these accounts have a huge following. If they share one of your posts (along with your handle), they can send a new stream of Instagram followers your way.

There’s a feature account for just about every niche and interest on Instagram, so start exploring.

For example, @damngoodstitch features embroidery posts. The account has more than 180,000 followers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DamnGoodStitch (@damngoodstitch)

Aim for the Explore page

The Explore page is what you see when you click on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the Instagram app. According to Instagram itself, this is where “you can find photos and videos that you might like from accounts you don’t yet follow.”

Half of Instagram accounts visit Explore every month. That’s a huge opportunity for brands looking to grow their audience.

Ending up on the Explore tab isn’t easy. Luckily, we’ve got an entire article dedicated to helping you get there.

You can also pay to get into the Explore feed by selecting Explore as an ad placement.

Source: Instagram

Step 4. Engage with your community

Follow relevant accounts

You should only tag people in an Instagram post when the content is directly relevant to them. But you can follow anyone you like. And when you follow a user on Instagram, there’s a good chance they will check out your feed and consider following you back.

Social listening is great for finding conversations and influential users (a.k.a. influencers) to follow.

Instagram’s “Suggestions For You” section is also a handy resource for finding relevant accounts to follow. These suggestions show up in your Instagram feed between posts, in between Stories, or on the right side of the screen on a computer.

Just remember not to follow too many other accounts too fast. Your follower ratio, or the number of people who follow you compared to how many you follow, is important for credibility.

And don’t follow people just to get their attention, only to unfollow after they follow you back. This is kind of a jerk move and will hurt your Instagram reputation.

Engage with existing communities

Like all social media networks, Instagram is about the communities built within it. So make sure you’re participating in those spaces.

Get involved by liking, commenting on, and sharing content from other credible users in your community. Avoid generic comments (like “Awesome post!”) that look like they come from bots.

Engaging with other posts helps draw attention (and potential new followers) in two ways:

  1. People get notifications when you like and comment on their posts. They may check out your profile to return the favor.
  2. If others find your comments thoughtful or intriguing, they may check out your profile.

Work with influencers in your niche

Here’s an important stat for anyone thinking about how to get more followers on Instagram: 60% of consumers say they’d follow a brand on Instagram after seeing it promoted by an influencer they trust.

If you’re not working with influencers now, then you should definitely consider it. Luckily, we’ve got a whole guide on Influencer marketing to help you out.

Collaborate with other brands

Don’t be afraid to reach out to other brands to see if there’s a way that you can work together on Instagram. The right kind of collaboration could help everyone involved get more Instagram followers.

Think about businesses you already collaborate with in other ways. Maybe you’re connected in a local business improvement association or shopping area. How could you work together on Instagram?

One common option is to host a contest featuring products from multiple companies, like Rocky Mountain Soap Company did with Annika Mang of @borntobeadventurous.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rocky Mountain Soap Company (@rockymountainsoapco)

Try an Instagram Live collaboration

Live video keeps getting more popular, and Instagram is a great place to take advantage of the trend. Users are notified when an account they follow starts broadcasting live, so a live video really grabs attention.

To get your Live video in front of a new audience, use the “Go live with a friend” option to co-host a live video with someone else in your industry. Ask the other person to host a Live video, then invite you as a guest. The two of you will appear in a split screen, introducing you to all of their followers.

For example, Design Emergency hosts a weekly Instagram Live to interview key figures in the design world.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Design Emergency (@design.emergency)

Likewise, Wine Spectator‘s Straight Talk series features interviews with industry insiders.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wine Spectator Magazine (@wine_spectator)

Use interactivity features in Stories

Instagram Stories offer plenty of interactive features to engage users, like poll, question, and chat stickers. These stickers are a simple, low-stakes way for your audience to engage with your content.

Polling stickers increased three-second video views in 90% of Instagram’s beta campaigns for this feature.

Source: Instagram

If users come across your Story from a hashtag or location page, they can engage right away. It’s a great way to make them want to learn more about your brand by giving you a follow.

Pin your best comments

One of Instagram’s little-known features is the ability to pin up to three comments for each post.

Today we’re rolling out pinned comments everywhere. 📌

That means you can a pin a few comments to the top of your feed post and better manage the conversation. pic.twitter.com/iPCMJVLxMh

— Instagram (@instagram) July 7, 2020

There are a couple of ways you can use this feature as part of your plan to get more followers on Instagram.

  1. Use pinned comments to extend your caption beyond 2,200 characters by continuing the story in the comments. This lets you take on more detailed and in-depth storytelling, which may be a fit for some accounts.
  2. Pin your favorite comments from other users, especially if they are creating a lot of engagement.

This feature can help you manage the conversation on your posts and create more opportunities for engagement.

Step 5. Keep learning

Create an AR filter

AR filters for Instagram Stories are photo effects Instagrammers can use to modify photos taken through their mobile phone’s front and back cameras.

Those posts with puppy ears? Those are done with an AR (Augmented Reality) filter. Those “which [vegetable/pizza/emoji/etc.] are you?” posts? Yup, those use AR filters too.

Any Instagram user can now create an AR filter. The filters you create live in their own section of your Instagram profile.

Source: @paigepiskin on Instagram

If your filter is not promotional or branded, it will also appear in the Instagram Stories effects gallery, where any Instagrammer can find it.

How does creating an AR filter help you get more Instagram followers? Your account name appears in the top left corner whenever anyone uses your AR filter. It’s clickable and can drive more new visitors to your profile.

Source: @gucci on Instagram

Run contests

Contests on Instagram are a great way to help you get more followers. Just make sure your entry process involves asking people to follow you and comment on one of your photos by tagging a friend.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hotel Casa Amsterdam (@hotelcasa_amsterdam)

Tagged friends will also see your post and may choose to follow your account as well.

Encouraging user-generated content as part of your contest can also help you reach more people. People will learn about your profile from posts their friends create. This is an effective way to build trust with new followers and get more eyeballs to your page.

Consider advertising on Instagram

Okay, this isn’t exactly a way to get free Instagram followers. But Instagram ads can be a powerful way to reach new followers fast by getting your content in front of people who would otherwise not see it.

And unlike buying followers, using Instagram ads is a totally legitimate and effective way to get more Instagram followers quickly with a small investment.

Target your audience by location, demographics, and even key behaviors and interests. You can also create a lookalike audience based on the people who already interact with your business.

Besides the feed, you can advertise in Instagram Stories and the Explore feed. For all the details on creating and posting an Instagram ad campaign, check out our detailed Instagram ads guide.

Learn from Instagram Insights

Instagram analytics tools will give you data on impressions for each post, along with reach, engagement, top posts, and more. You can also find demographic information about your followers, including gender, age, and location.

Regularly reviewing this data can help you identify areas where you can adjust your strategy to hel p you get more followers on Instagram.< >

Keep an eye on what time of day your followers use Instagram, so you can post when people are most likely to see and engage with your content. Data nerds who want to go deeper may want to consider a social media management tool like Hootsuite. These tools can show you the best times to post based on impressions, engagement, and traffic. They’ll also give you a bunch of other helpful performance metrics, like your follower growth rate.

Get more Instagram followers using Hootsuite. Schedule content for the most optimal times, streamline engagement, track your performance, and more—all from a single, easy-to-use dashboard. Try it for free.

Get Started

Grow on Instagram

Easily create, analyze, and schedule Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels with Hootsuite. Save time and get results.

Free 30-Day Trial

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 Instagram account. 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 convey 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 won't 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 responds to a large number of people, then they will repost it to their stories, comment, tag you. 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 IG

To find a suitable author or brand for a joint post, just 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.
Co-authorship of influencer and brand

By the way! If you are looking for a platform to promote your product in social networks, then we recommend the service -> Bux.Money

6. Commenting on bloggers

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 Instagram followers 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 subscribers

It is not easy to promote a page on Instagram with completely free methods, especially in the early stages - to get the first 1000 subscribers, you will have to try. 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 involve having and planning 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 are just approaching the milestone of 1000 followers and are not confident in your experience, it makes sense to study the principle of action and conduct the first "sighting" targeting with a small budget, and then see how much your number of followers on Instagram has increased.

Targeted advertising 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 equally 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 plus 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 has time, 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 do Instagram challenge: 13 ideas of 2021

Cheat followers on Instagram

The fastest method for recruiting 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 through 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. Further, without detriment to the main direction, add new forms of content. Shoot streams from events in your city, post stories with other bloggers, share your impressions on IGTV. And so on, step by step, you will increase your reach and find your audience.

Always work with the profile. You can’t put a hashtag once, hold a contest, send out ads and wait for a steady influx of subscribers by inertia. Here, perhaps, is the main formula and the key to success.

Related:
Mutual PR on Instagram 2021: what it is + how to do itInstagram analytics: TOP-6 services + 12 main metrics

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

How to get followers on Instagram for free

These ideas will help increase the number of followers on Instagram without cheating and they rely 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 Instagram account. 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 convey 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 won't 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 responds to a large number of people, then they will repost it to their stories, comment, tag you. 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 IG

To find a suitable author or brand for a joint post, just 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.
Co-authorship of influencer and brand

By the way! If you are looking for a platform to promote your product in social networks, then we recommend the service -> Bux. Money

6. Commenting on bloggers

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 Instagram followers 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 subscribers

It is not easy to promote a page on Instagram with completely free methods, especially in the early stages - to get the first 1000 subscribers, you will have to try. 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 involve having and planning 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 are just approaching the milestone of 1000 followers and are not confident in your experience, it makes sense to study the principle of action and conduct the first "sighting" targeting with a small budget, and then see how much your number of followers on Instagram has increased.

Targeted advertising 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 equally 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 plus 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 has time, 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 do Instagram challenge: 13 ideas of 2021

Cheat followers on Instagram

The fastest method for recruiting 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 through 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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