How to get a thousand followers on instagram
Get More Real Instagram Followers in 10 Steps
Instagram is the foundation of so many brands’ social presence. The platform is proven to drive traffic, support sales and engage customers.
And that’s why 59% of marketers plan to up their investment in Instagram this year.
But if you’re not thrilled with your Instagram growth and engagement, you’re not alone.
Competition on the platform is fierce as more and more brands get on board. Thing is, taking steps to grow your audience is absolutely worth it. That’s because the bigger your audience, the more opportunities to delight your customers.
Ready to tweak your presence to attract authentic and organic Instagram followers? This post breaks down how to make it happen.
10 ways to increase Instagram followersBefore we get into the nitty-gritty, this post is about building an organic following.
And yes, the distinction matters!
Some brands want to take shortcuts when it comes to trying to get more Instagram followers. We don’t pretend that pay-for-play sites exist.
That said, these services aren’t worth it for brands long-term. The Instagram algorithm weeds out low-quality accounts and phony engagement from paid bots.
But we’ll bite: there’s definitely some legwork involved in growing your audience authentically.
Doing so it worth totally worth it, though. Below are our ten best tips for getting more Instagram followers the right way.
1. Optimize your Instagram accountBefore you worry about how to get followers, consider how your Instagram account is set up first.
Ask yourself: does your profile “look the part?” For starters, consider your:
- Your Instagram bio (including your slogan, tagline and/or a branded hashtag)
- Your profile picture
- Your bio link (and where it points to)
These details define your brand identity on Instagram. More importantly, they impact your account’s discoverability. Building a follower-friendly account means:
- Having a search-friendly username.
Stick to either your brand name or whatever’s closest to your existing social handles. If your name is too long, shorten it to a variation your audience would recognize (ex: Cold Stone Creamery’s account is @coldstone). - Making your profile picture professional. An appropriately-sized logo is ideal. Any text in your profile picture should be legible on a smartphone screen.
- Minding where you point your bio link. This is crucial for turning Instagram followers into meaningful traffic or customers. It’s your only way to funnel social traffic to your site and promotions.
Linking to your homepage is fine but not always ideal. To encourage more meaningful interactions, a social landing page that points to multiple links can help.
This gives your audience total control of how they engage your business next. That means a better experience for your followers.
The best way to optimize your account is to follow a proven Instagram marketing strategy.
Download our free guide to get started.
Momentum matters on Instagram. In other words, you likely won’t get followers on Instagram if you post at random.
Creating content and providing value is what builds your audience. Doing so consistently is what helps you keep them. Don’t let your Instagram account gather cobwebs.
That’s why sticking to a regular posting schedule is crucial. In terms of when and how much to post, you don’t have to stick to a set-in-stone number. Most brands post daily or near daily. This tracks our own research on how often to post as well.
For reference, below is a breakdown of the best times to post to Instagram. “Optimal” engagement is during the mid-to-late morning and early afternoons during the week.
If you’re worried about your posts not getting seen enough, we get it. Consider how features like Stories can get more eyes on your content if it wasn’t seen the first time.
There’s no denying that brands are at the mercy of the Instagram algorithm for reach. Still, posting at the right times can still give your posts more visibility. Anything you can do to maximize engagement is a plus.
This speaks to the value of scheduling Instagram content. With Sprout’s newest tools, brands can schedule Stories, Carousels, Reels and Posts.
Scheduling content in advance ensures control and organization. Instagram scheduling tools ultimately help you hit that cadence we mentioned earlier. The ability to crosspost content from other networks helps here, too.
You can also use Sprout’s ViralPost feature to nail down your timing, too. Our platform analyzes your engagement history and identifies the best times to post.
4. Engage with customers, brand advocates and influencersPerfect your Instagram content plan with Sprout Social
In addition to scheduling a complete picture of your Instagram content calendar, Sprout offers even more features to perfect your brand’s feed.
Share IG-approved visuals with your team using our Asset Library, or test out our grid preview feature to make sure every aspect of your presence is true to your brand style.
Get a hands-on look at these features and more with a 30-day free trial of Sprout.
Figuring out how to get more Instagram followers means engaging your audience.
And one of the best ways to do that is through responding to and republishing their posts.
Enter the power of user-generated content. UGC campaigns build social proof by showing followers you’re invested in them. For example, Drunk Elephant regularly regrams their followers’ posts. They gather content with their #BareWithUs and #DrunkBreak hashtags.
Partnering with influencers with an established following is another way to grow your own audience. Content creators can get your brand in front of your target audience and build ongoing awareness for your products.
There’s a big difference between fake and legitimate followers on Instagram.
We get it, too. For the sake of quick growth, it might be tempting to purchase followers.
But the drawbacks outweigh the benefits 100%. Why? Because fake Instagram followers…
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Confuse your potential organic followers. An inactive, low-engagement account with a big following is suspicious. This can be a turn-off for fans that’d otherwise follow you and engage.
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Provide no monetary value to your business. Think about it. Your bot followers can’t buy your stuff, can they?
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Generate no buzz: If you have 10,000 fake followers, how many are going to engage with your posts? Does it really even matter if your posts are brimming with spam comments?
Real people have the ability to share, like, comment and engage with your Instagram posts.
Additionally, real followers actually appreciate the time you spend interacting with them.
For example, Lush Cosmetics takes the time to answer questions and engage followers all the time. This results in customers regularly returning to share shout-outs and positive comments.
6. Showcase your Instagram everywhere you canDon’t be shy about promoting your Instagram if more followers are your goal.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to promoting your ‘gram, either. Here are a few ideas:
- Add social media icons to your website and marketing emails. Social media icons make it easier for people to find your business and help you connect with customers.
- Feature an Instagram feed on your homepage or product pages. Many ecommerce brands have dedicated UGC feeds on-site (see below).
- Reshare Instagram-specific content or announcements on other social channels. For example, you could talk about an upcoming IG Live via TikTok or Facebook.
Easier said than done, we know.
Filters. Captions. Content types. Post times. That doesn’t even scratch the surface.
There are so many variables to consider, right? It doesn’t help that Instagram’s algorithm is fickle. What works for one brand might not work for the next in terms of format and timing.
For example, some brands swear by Carousels. Others are all-in on Reels. Both approaches can work. You’ll quickly find on Instagram that some content performs better than others. This is why testing is so important.
Instagram’s native analytics are surprisingly powerful. That said, investing in Instagram analytics tools will take things to the next level.
For example, Sprout makes it easy to benchmark and analyze Instagram content across accounts. Rather than second-guess what’s working and what’s not, our reporting spells it out for you.
Be confident in your content strategy by analyzing those variables we mentioned earlier.
And if you’re unsure where to start, try analyzing your competitors. A staggering 90% of brands say that social media data helps them keep up with competing social accounts.
You obviously shouldn’t copycat your competitors. That said, you can take notes on what they’re doing or posting that drives engagement. Sprout’s Instagram Competitors report can provide a breakdown of what’s working in your industry. A little competitive research can go a long way.
Oh, and keep your ear to the ground with new Instagram trends. That way you won’t miss out on platform-wide opportunities to hop on trending content formats.
For example, Reels are popping off right now. Our data shows that 66% of consumers want to see more short-form videos from brands. In terms of trends, Reels should be on your radar.
8. Make meaningful conversation with your audience
Food for thought: 60% of marketers use Instagram as a service channel.
The platform is perfect for going back and forth with followers.
Likewise, many popular post ideas center around asking questions and engaging in a dialogue for a reason.
Off-the-cuff questions, shipping concerns or praise for products are all fair game from followers. Check out how Cometeer responds to all of the above on their Instagram posts:
Being supportive and responding promptly shows people that you care.
You’d be surprised at how your Instagram followers increase once you start acting more personable. Our Index research shows that 89% of consumers will buy from a brand after following them on social. Every interaction counts.
Again, try to respond to as many questions or comments as possible. Doing so could make or break someone becoming a long-term follower or a customer.
9. Find hashtags where your followers hang outInstagram hashtags have been a staple of the platform, like, forever.
That said, they don’t hold as much weight as they used to.
Dumping hashtags into your posts isn’t going to net you any new followers.
Especially when there’s so much noise on the platform.
Be proactive by focusing on industry-specific hashtags relevant to your customers. For example, Lashify regularly posts content to the #LashEducation hashtag. Tags are less general and competitive than #beauty. Becoming more visible within these types of tags is meaningful for brands in the right niche.
Understanding how your hashtags perform on Instagram is critical. With Sprout Social’s hashtag analytics tools, you have direct access to in-depth performance and usage data. Figuring out which hashtags to use is just a few taps away.
10. Take steps to delight your Instagram followersWhen you make your Instagram followers happy, you’ll see the payoff in audience growth. The best Instagram accounts have fans and communities (hint: not just followers).
The tips below are the building blocks for a follower-friendly account. Put them into practice in a way that aligns with your brand voice and values.
Avoid coming across as needy, solesy sales-driven or robotic at all costs.
So much of how to get Instagram followers for free is about creating an authentic community. For many accounts, this means building customer relationships. Content that highlights your personality and the humans behind your brand is a plus. This includes:
- Inspirational content
- Humorous content
- Re-sharing UGC with unique captions
- Storytelling posts
- Behind-the-scenes photos and videos
- Posts that raise awareness for social causes
How to get more Instagram followers (the wrong way!)
Disclaimer: Sprout Social does not endorse purchasing Instagram followers. We don’t recommend services that sell followings or “Likes.”
As the social space becomes more crowded and competitive, brands are willing to take risks for the sake of instant results.
We’ll say it again: brands shouldn’t buy Instagram followers.
Nobody should!
Why you shouldn’t buy followers on Instagram
Here are some reasons why buying followers to grow your account is a serious mistake.
Your real followers know what fake followers look like
Social consumers are getting savvier. Privacy concerns and social scammers have made people hyper-aware of weird activity. In short, people today are spam-detectors.
A sudden follower spike is a red flag. Not to mention having bots stink up your account with endless spam followers. This all damages your reputation and keeps you from growing an authentic Instagram following.
Fake followers bring nothing to the table
You’re probably worried about your Instagram metrics and understandably so.
That said, your follower count doesn’t mean much if your “followers” don’t drive engagement. You might look “bigger” at a glance but who cares? Consider how your engagement rate on the platform will suffer if your follower count is inflated.
If nothing else, buying Instagram followers violates TOS
No surprises here.
Consider how Meta has taken direct action against buying engagement in the past. They’ve gone as far as to shut down companies that sell likes. That’s because this practice violates the platform’s terms of service:
Help us stay spam-free by not artificially collecting likes, followers, or shares, posting repetitive comments or content, or repeatedly contacting people for commercial purposes without their consent.
How are you growing your Instagram following?Listen: getting more followers on Instagram isn’t going to happen by accident.
And despite what you might have heard, there’s no silver bullet solution for making it happen.
The tips above can help you build the foundation for an organic following that actually engages with you. Putting these tips into action is so much easier with a powerful publishing and analytics tool like Sprout.
Want to see our suite of tools in action? Start a free trial today and see for yourself!
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!
- Make your Instagram bio count
- Connect with your network
- Find your audience
- Live by the '5 likes, comment & follow' rule
- Find your voice as a 'brand'
- Write catchy, shareable captions!
- Post engaging content
- Optimize your imagery for Instagram
- Post consistently
- Experiment, test, and analyze your content
- Get to the top search results
- Learn how the Instagram algorithm works
- Use video content
- Educate people!
- Stay informed on content and platform trends
- 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 InstagramYou 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:
- Stories
- Live
- 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
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. nine0003
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. nine0003 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. nine0003
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. nine0003 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. nine0003 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. nine0003
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.
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. nine0003
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.
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. nine0003
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 - stories5. 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. nine0003 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.
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 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. nine0003
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. nine0003 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. nine0003 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.
nine0003 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. nine0003 Long Instagram videos
Related:
IGTV (Instagram TV): complete guide + video chips12. 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.
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. nine0003 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.
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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. nine0003
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.
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. nine0003 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. nine0003
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 hacksHow 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. nine0003
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 ...". nine0003
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. nine0003
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.
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. nine0003
| 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 2021Cheat 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. nine0003
- 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 | nine0181 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. nine0003
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 | nine0181 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. nine0003
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 | nine0185
| 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 | nine0181 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. nine0003
| 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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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
do's and don'ts Instagram. Initially, while you do not have an audience, this thousand is difficult to gain, because the mechanics of organic growth are not yet involved, that is, you cannot rely on the work of algorithms or engage in mutual PR. Most likely, marathons and competitions will also work poorly. Therefore, the question always arises, how to get the first thousand.
nine0003 So, let's look at all the main options.
Targeted advertising
The most reliable option is targeted advertising.
There are several advantages of this approach:
- With the help of targeted advertising, you get the maximum target audience. You expose portrait, age, city, gender and many other formats.
- The second plus is the rapid growth. In a week, it’s really possible to attract a thousand subscribers.
- The audience that comes from a targeted ad converts well into subscribers, even if there are few subscribers. nine0064
The lack of targeted advertising is obvious - it's the budget. But Instagram is arranged in such a way that due to this high demand and high competition for the attention of the audience, the entry threshold is constantly increasing. Therefore, free tools either stop working or work slowly and not from the very beginning.
Content promotion
What does it mean? This means that you do not need to do anything other than maintaining an account.
You can just run your channel, add posts, add Stories. Instagram has very limited opportunities for organic growth, but it does have hashtags and recommendations. The main disadvantage is a very slow format. Due to the high entry threshold and high competition, passive promotion works very poorly here. nine0003
Working with top recommendations
There are several tops on Instagram:
- general top recommendations in the search section;
- hashtag recommendations;
- top geotagging recommendations;
- IGTV recommendations;
- product recommendations from the store.
There are algorithms for how to get into these tops, what parameters you need to consider in order for your content to be included in recommendations.
External promotion
External promotion means that you are leading an audience to Instagram from other sites. It can be other social networks, online in general or offline. For example, mailing to your customers.
If you have a base of subscribers and customers - for example, their e-mail - you can tell that you launched Instagram by adding specific incentives for subscribing: talk about discounts, new products, give recommendations.
What else is related to external promotion? These are announcements in other social networks. The best conversion can be obtained from YouTube, Telegram and TikTok. These are three sites that convert very well on Instagram. This includes both online and offline events. nine0003
What NOT to do to promote your account
Commenting
There is such an approach as commenting (not to be confused with mass commenting) - you comment on the accounts of bloggers who are opinion leaders in your industry. The comment must be substantive - you must read the post, express your opinion and be sure to argue your point of view. The comment will gain reactions, rise. People will want to go and see your account.
Why is it better not to resort to this method? First, it is a manipulative tool.
If you give actual value in this comment, it reduces the manipulative format, but there is an aspect of it nonetheless. Secondly, it is labor intensive. You need to write a lot. This is a job comparable to writing individual posts. nine0003
Bots
Bots cannot be used not only at the start - at any moment of your profile life on absolutely any platform, bots should be an absolute taboo. And here the question is not in the ethical side, but in the fact that an account can be banned for their presence, or they can greatly reduce the reach of the audience. This is a guaranteed way to “kill” your account forever. You will never get rid of this, you will never be able to catch and delete these bots later, because many of them look like real people, and even special services consider them to be real people. Therefore, this is a direct path to blocking or serious sanctions. nine0003
Giveaway
Giveaways are special formats of competitions, within which a huge number of non-target audience comes to you.
