How to get instagram followers active
Get More Real Instagram Followers with These 10 Tips
Instagram has become a cornerstone of many brands’ social presence, driving profitable traffic to landing pages, growing conversions, and building an engaged audience.
If your Instagram presence isn’t quite as robust as you’re hoping, it might be time to learn how to sharpen up your strategies for getting real, organic followers on Instagram. The larger your audience grows, the more opportunities you have to engage with users and create unique experiences for them.
The organic distinction is important: sometimes brands take the easy way out when trying to get more Instagram followers. Pay for likes and follower sites are everywhere, but these shortcuts are never worth it, as the Instagram algorithm regularly gets updated to weed out paid, low quality accounts and interactions.
Not to mention, the number on your Instagram following ultimately means nothing if it doesn’t represent an engaged fan following that makes purchases, visits your landing pages, and advocates for your brands with friends and followers. Start building your presence up the right way with these tips on getting more Instagram followers.
Before you set out figuring out how to gain followers on Instagram, one of the most important steps is to have your account fully optimized. Think of your brand’s Instagram bio as the “homepage” to your account.
Without a bio, image captions, a proper username or profile image, how will people know the account belongs to your brand? It might seem obvious, but on Instagram your bio and image help form the foundations of your brand identity. The link in your bio is your one spot to drive Instagram traffic to your site, so optimizing your account is essential.
If you’re uncertain where to link, try marketing or product pages that relate to specific keywords, hashtags or campaigns on your Instagram account. Linking to your homepage is OK–but why not give users a cohesive experience when moving from your bio to a site? This has led to the popularity of IG link landing pages that host relevant links to the last few pieces of content mentioned on a brand’s feed, and “link in bio” posts that help direct audiences to those links.
Additionally, keep your username as search-friendly as possible, which usually means sticking close to your actual brand name. If your business name is longer, shorten it to something your audience would recognize. Don’t add numbers or special characters to your username, and if possible keep it in-line with other social media handles you already have.
The best way to optimize your account is to create and follow an Instagram marketing strategy. Download our free guide to get started.
2. Keep a consistent content calendarThe worst thing you can do when trying to get followers on Instagram is to post content at random, haphazard times. If you’re lucky enough to get users following you in the beginning, you don’t want to make them forget they followed you in the first place.
To combat this, keep to a regular posting schedule. Typically, brands shouldn’t post more than a few times a day to avoid spam, but whatever your cadence, keep it consistent.
Approximately 200 million Instagram users log on daily, so to cast your net even wider, try publishing a few times throughout the entire day.
In fact, our very own research on the best times to post to Instagram pinpoints the top times to post for multiple industries, or you can follow our research of the best times across all topic areas below:
Sticking to a schedule will help you build a consistent experience for your followers and keep them in the know of your brand. But if you’re wondering how you’re going to remember to publish at these different times in the day, we’ve got you covered with Sprout’s scheduling and optimal times features–read on for more details.
3. Schedule Instagram posts in advanceWhile the Instagram algorithm has changed to show users more content they like, posting at the right times can still give your posts more visibility by increasing the overall engagement they receive.
There’s a lot your brand can do to raise visibility, and now with Sprout Social, scheduling Instagram content is one of them.
With our newest tools, we can help your brand schedule Stories, Carousels and Feed posts through an easy process.
By scheduling content in advance, your entire team can see campaigns and schedules more efficiently. It’s always smart to build out content in advance and with our Instagram scheduling tools, you can reach your audience and maintain a consistent flow of content at the same time.
You can also use Sprout’s patented ViralPost feature and let us do the work for you. ViralPost analyzes your own account’s engagement history and identifies the optimal times for you to post algorithmically.
4. Get partners and brand advocates to post your contentPerfect 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.
When you’re learning how to get more Instagram followers, it’s important to know the value of your audience. The larger your follower count grows (organically), the more buyers and interested customers you will have.
The best way to get customers to follow you is to get in front of them and be present. It’s critical to be present on your own Instagram as well as others. Try sponsoring user-generated content to get your brand in customers’ feeds. You can also hold Instagram contests to get your brand
out to a larger audience. These types of campaigns build social proof by showing your fans are invested enough to repost your content or create their own UGC.
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A post shared by Urban Outfitters (@urbanoutfitters)
Another way is to get your handle in front of a much larger audience.
Try to work with larger Instagram accounts in your industry, like notable influencers in your space, to share your content to their audience.
Just make sure you’re providing something of value. The last thing you want to do is seem too salesy. Find marketing collaborations and co-marketing plans with other businesses to build your Instagram audience.
5. Avoid fake Instagram followersThere’s a huge difference between an Instagram account having fake and legitimate followers. It might seem tempting to simply purchase Instagram followers, but the backlash outweighs the perks of organic follower growth.
Fake Instagram followers tend to:
- Deceive new followers: If users come to an inactive Instagram feed with tens of thousands of followers, it will lower the account’s credibility. Don’t trick people into following you. Build trust and long-lasting relationships for better engagement.
- Have no ROI: It might seem easier to buy followers, but your acquired bot or unmanned new followers won’t be purchasing anything.
People follow brands on Instagram for a reason–they like what you’re posting or your company in general. These are actual spenders and bring monetary value to your business. - Create little-to-no buzz: If you have 10,000 fake followers, how many are going to comment, like and share your content? More than likely, these bot or fake accounts will be cleaned up by Instagram, deleted and make your posts seem like engagement graveyards.
Real people have the ability to share, like, comment and engage with your Instagram posts. Additionally, these users enjoy when there’s someone on the other side responding.
For example, Lush Cosmetics takes the time to answer various product questions, which results in users coming back, following or possibly sharing with others. These interactions will always have more value than a set of inactive followers.
6. Showcase your Instagram everywhereHow are people going to find an account unless you promote your Instagram? Make sure your Instagram account is listed with your website and other social networks.
Creating visibility and awareness is one of the best ways to get discovered. If you truly want to get more Instagram followers, let people know where to find you. You could add social media buttons to your website and blog to help promote social shares across all your networks as well as show people where to find you on Instagram.
Follow #MoMAPrimeTime on Instagram today as we celebrate the last day of Summer Camp for 200 New Yorkers, ages 65+! https://t.co/RNyV7Ibr9y pic.twitter.com/64SvbUaWLL
— MoMA The Museum of Modern Art (@MuseumModernArt) June 23, 2017
Another great idea is to cross promote across your social media accounts. The Museum of Modern Art regularly spreads awareness about its Instagram through Twitter. You can easily leverage your other social networks to direct users to your Instagram.
However, make sure that you’re not just asking for a follow. Instead you should try to promote unique content on your Instagram so users have a reason to follow you there.
Fortunately, with Instagram adding a ton of new content and video features like Stories, IGTV and Reels, you have a great opportunity to build followers through creative content.
While this is easier said than done, it’s smart to learn what content your followers want to see. You’ll quickly find on Instagram that some content performs better than others. This is why testing is so important.
Whether it’s filters, captions, content types or post times, the smallest detail can make all the difference. Keep your ear to the ground with new Instagram trends so you know you’re posting popular content.
To take your analysis a step further, your brand should invest in Instagram analytics tools. This will make it easier to track, benchmark and analyze Instagram content across accounts.
Be confident in your content strategy by analyzing different filters, captions and more to see what works best with your audience. If you’re unsure where to start, try analyzing your competitors.
You shouldn’t directly copy your competitors, but it’s smart to take notes on what they’re doing or posting that drives engagement. A little competitive research can go a long way. You can use our Instagram Competitors report to get a look at what’s working for other brands in your industry.
8. Get the conversation startedOne of the best ways to make users aware of your Instagram is through conversation. According to the 2020 Sprout Social Index, consumers want to engage with visual-first content like photos (68%) and video (50%), followed by 30% who want to engage with text posts. Instagram is the perfect fit for this audience profile, pairing eye-catching visuals with captions that can be just as engaging when you perfect your Instagram caption copywriting skills.
People are continuing to use social media as their contact reference for brands, whether its for off-the-cuff questions and chat, serious customer care queries, or praise for their favorite brands and products.
And for your business, you need to be supportive and communicative on Instagram.
Try to respond to as many questions or comments as possible, because it could mean the difference between getting a new customer, follower or improving your relationship with your audience. Our Index research also showed 89% of consumers will buy from a brand after following on social, so it’s important to secure the attention and loyalty needed to convert a visitor to your profile into a follower.
9. Find hashtags that convertOne of the most tried-and-true ways to get followers on Instagram is through hashtags. For years hashtags have served as an essential tool for discovery and allowed us to extend our social reach. As a marketer, you want to build your community by gaining followers and hashtags provide just that.
For starters, find hashtags that are not too populated. Social Media Examiner points this theory out by explaining how the hashtag #love has more than 184 million photos connected to it.
Trying to highlight your Instagram content in a sea of millions of pictures and videos is not an easy thing to do.
You have to find hashtags that people in your target audience are more likely to check. If a relevant connection is made, these users will be more likely to follow your account. Unique, branded hashtags are one way to group posts around hyper-relevant content to your brand and campaigns.
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A post shared by M&M'S (@mmschocolate)
For example, M&Ms does a great job at focusing hashtags to an event where they are participating. By using hashtags like #mmspotlight, the brand targets its audience more directly where the spotlight concert event happens and creates awareness.
Understanding how your hashtags perform on Instagram is also just as critical to using them.
And with Sprout Social’s hashtag analytics tools, you have direct access to hashtag performance and usage data to see what’s working best.
Don’t go blindly into the hashtag universe, know what you’re tagging so you can build your following.
10. Make your Instagram followers happyLast but not least, when you make your Instagram followers happy, you see the payoff in audience growth. We’ve given you plenty of tips for brainstorming and scheduling content, so put them into practice in a way that feels real to your brand voice. In other words, avoid seeming needy, sales-driven or robotic.
For many accounts, this means sprinkling in posts that are legitimately designed to bring a smile to followers’ faces and build customer relationships. Don’t forget to provide content to your followers as if they were friends on your personal feed: this might include posting memes, inspirational content, or just re-sharing interesting photos or artwork (all properly credited, of course) that can give your followers a little mental pick-up during the day.
More tips for your Instagram presence
Developing an Instagram following is a multifaceted process. Knowing the ins and outs of best practices on the network will help your strategies be more effective. Learn more with these guides to some of the most important IG essentials:
- How to promote your Instagram: 13 ways that actually work
- 9 Instagram post ideas to spice up your account
- How to regram on Instagram
- How to get more Instagram Likes
- How to craft an impactful Instagram bio for business
Instagram continues to grow in popularity with audiences, so taking advantage of these tips to get followers will help you increase your reach. If you’re ready to put Sprout’s powerful tools behind your Instagram management, start a free trial today.
7 Ways to Get More Instagram Followers (Engaging & Active)
Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms today.
It was founded in 2010 and within a decade, Instagram has created a long-lasting legacy for itself. From your neighbor next door to the biggest stars in Hollywood, everyone is on Instagram. The popularity of Instagram has also led many of its users to fame. That is why everyone wants to get Instagram followers faster and it has become a sort of style statement today. Instagram’s potential audience of over a billion users creates numerous opportunities for users to have millions of followers. A lot of them have grabbed this opportunity and achieved celebrity status through just posting solid content. There are a lot of factors that make Instagram the most preferred platform for individuals and brands for getting recognition.
Why Instagram?
One of the biggest reasons behind Instagram being so popular for marketing and promotions is the large user base. Instagram has statistically 1.2 billion users all over the world. Such a number of users makes Instagram one of the elites of social media.
Facebook is another such platform that has more than a billion users.
The major issue with Facebook is its engagement rates and algorithms. Facebook’s algos can randomly turn the tide against you and halt your entire progress. Not only are Instagram’s engagement rates statistically superior, but their algorithm is also known to be stable and reliable as well. All of these factors combine to make Instagram the perfect platform for anyone who wants to get recognized online.
Benefits Of Having More Instagram Followers
Instagram followers play the biggest role in your growth. The activity and the credibility that your follower count boosts is crucial for getting famous on Instagram. First of all, more followers enrich your presence on the platform. Their followers and friends get introduced to you and the number also boosts your profile’s reach.
More followers also boost the sales of your product or the traffic of your website. When your Instagram followers increase, with time you can earn an influencer status.
Not only do you get fame but make a living by sealing deals with big brands.
Content is the basis of your entire adventure online. It is just like you get paid for a skill in a job. If you do not have anything to offer, you can not expect anything in return either. To get money or fame, you need to have a unique content of yourself. This is how thousands have reached the status of being online celebrities. Each of them has something cool and different to give to the online world. There are so many genres out there.
From travel to photography to memes, the sky’s the limit. However, do not simply go with whatever the trend is. Do what you do best and stick to it in the long run. Decide on a specific niche and commit, this ensures you foster a long term fan base. The content needs to possess a certain set of qualities. First of all, it needs to be original. You can share content created by others with proper credit, but it does not work long-term.
To have an identity of yourself, you need to create it by yourself.
Other than being original, the content shouldn’t be repetitive. Reposting a post is fine but doing it over and over can lessen the interest of your existing followers. It is important to maintain creativity and relevance as well. Keeping an eye on the internet trends can make it easy to not run out of relevant content ideas.
Publishing Content RegularlyJust creating the content is not enough. When you have got the creation part covered, it is time to put it out on display for the rest of the world. After all, what is the point of creating something if it does not come to your use. The content that you have produced is useless if it is just kept to yourself. As important as generating content regularly, so is publishing it on a regular basis. Finding the right frequency of publishing is crucial. Neither can you post too few nor too much.
Failing to post stuff regularly is an obvious threat.
If you don’t post too much, your existing followers will begin to forget you. Your presence on the platform will wear out fast. The reach of your account can take a dip as well. Even worse, the existing followers might unfollow you as well. If you post too much content, that in itself can create a problem. Too many posts will crowd your followers’ news feed and might cause an annoyance to them.
The number of Instagram users is still increasing every passing day. You’ll always have more people and a new audience to showcase to. So, it is better to keep publishing actively if you want more followers. You can also use scheduling and automation tools to make your work easier.
Use The Hashtags ProperlyHashtags are an integral part of Instagram. If you use Instagram or Twitter, it is highly possible that you know what hashtags are. Hashtags are the keywords that you see in the captions of some Instagram posts. Paired with a hash (#) sign, these hashtags are blue unlike the rest of the words on a post.
In fact, they are called hashtags just because they are tags coupled with the hash symbol. The purpose of these hashtags is simple yet quite useful. A hashtag is a word that is related to the content one has published. For example, if you see a clicked picture of a pizza posted on Instagram, you will find tags like “photography, and “food” included in the caption. When you click on any one of them, it brings up all the posts that include that specific keyword.
Now, the question might arise about the importance of a hashtag. It can be very beneficial for your account if you include relevant hashtags in your posts. If someone searches for that hashtag, it will bring them to your posts. This is a great way of gaining exposure organically.
However, you can’t just use any hashtag simply. If your account is growing, do not use hashtags that are too popular. These tags have millions of posts and the chances of people discovering you from millions of accounts are really slim.
Join Engagement GroupsEngagement groups are a concept that a lot of social media users are unaware of.
An engagement group works on the basic idea of users helping out each other. How it works is that users of an engagement group collaborate to increase the number of likes, comments, and obviously followers organically. All you have to do is find a reliable group and be active in it. Whenever you post something on Instagram, share it in the group. The people there will head to your Instagram to like it and comment on it. All of them will follow you as well and you get a solid amount of real Instagram followers. It is also organic and completely free.
These groups do not charge anything. All you have to do is follow other users, and like and comment whenever they post. It is probably the best method of getting active Instagram followers. Likes and comments on your posts consistently keep increasing which boosts your reach and attracts more followers. You can find these groups on Instagram, Facebook, and Telegram. It is even better to join a group that matches your niche.
Stay Active Around The PlatformMaintaining activity on Instagram is a must if you want to stay relevant.
By activity, we don’t just mean publishing content. While it is necessary, it alone might not be sufficient to help you reach your goals. There are a lot of ways you can be active on Instagram. The most basic way of doing so is commenting on posts of different users and pages.
It is a very common concept that you might have witnessed for yourself. There are many accounts across different platforms which have become famous through just comments. They comment on something creative, funny, and relatable to gain the attention of other users that are active on a page’s comment section. Many such users have gone on to get famous online and so can you.
To gain more productive followers, you can prioritize commenting on pages that belong to your niche. The users in such pages’ comment sections will be the ones interested in the same stuff that you offer. They will come for your comments but stay for the original content that you have to offer. You will get more followers and a large percentage of that will stay with you.
They say; the best way to get new followers goes through retaining your existing followers. Through interaction and communication, you can build a bond with your followers. Doing so thoroughly increases the chances of not only staying with you but also recommending you to their friends and followers. Instagram gives you plenty of features and options to communicate with your followers effectively.
The most simple ones are comments and direct messages. These two are the most effective for building a direct connection with followers individually. You can hold live sessions to interact with all of your followers at once as well. Through polls and QnA sessions, you can have them give crucial feedback for the future as well.
We have already discussed hashtags and their importance. There is a method to implement hashtags with community interaction to maximize the potential of both. You can do so with a custom hashtag of your own.
You can ask your followers to include this hashtag in their posts. Their followers will end up discovering you and can add to your follower list.
Instagram is full of features that can boost your progress without having to spend a single penny. It is one of the richest platforms when it comes to the number of features. One of the most influential such features today is Instagram Reels. Reels were used by Instagram as a challenge to TikTok. You can share small video clips in Reels that are available for the public to see. Instagram reels have significantly high engagement rates and pose more chances for you to go viral.
Even if you don’t have a lot of followers, you can count on reels to get your content trending. Stories and Highlights are two more such features. On Stories, you can upload images and videos temporarily for your audience to see. Highlights are a permanent version of Stories that you can feature on your profile.
Both Stories and Highlights have bigger engagement rates than regular posts too.
Instagram is indeed the rage of modern times. It has recently reached the milestone of 1 billion users and became one of the very few platforms to do so. More than 75% of these users are active on the platform on a monthly basis. The engagement rates of Instagram are higher than most as well.
Everything on the platform is user-friendly from the algorithms to its visual content exclusiveness. All of it helps you gain more instagram followers and reach the Instagram goals you’ve always had. All you have to do is follow these 7 strategies and you’ll never again need to ask how to get more Instagram followers.
Categories: Arts + Culture > Partner Content
How to increase activity on Instagram: 7 proven tips
If you use Instagram for your business, then in your analytics you probably noticed a decrease in subscriber loyalty to your content. If you are faced with the fact that your content, products or promotions are less “liked” or commented by people, and the number of subscribers is growing differently than it was just recently - do not worry.
Not only you, but also other accounts faced the problem of a decrease in the activity of subscribers, regardless of popularity and audience coverage. Of course, given that Instagram plays a key role in promoting your brand or product, these statistics should worry you, so we hasten to calm your worries by offering 7 truly effective strategies to overcome the period of stagnation that will help take your audience of followers to a new level. growth, stimulate their interest in your products. But first, our tip number 1: for the most active and fruitful interaction with your audience, and therefore increase the number of customers, there is nothing better than regular, daily updates of your content!
Last summer, Instagram already experienced a decline in user activity, which was associated with the transition to an algorithmic feed, while it was expected that this innovation would improve connections between users on Instagram, but so far the results are not encouraging - a decrease in activity in various analytics parameters.
According to Instagram marketing expert Alex Tobo, while in the past Instagram users could count on a 3-5% increase in followers, at the moment this figure has dropped to 1-2%, and even large accounts with over 100,000 subscribers.
While it is difficult to determine what is the reason for the decrease in activity on Instagram, some experts believe that the new algorithm is to blame, while others blame the so-called "Instagram shadowban" (shadow ban), when Instagram for some reason removes your hashtags from hashtag search results, and sometimes even hides entire posts.
So, how to help yourself in this situation?
Instagram is a place where everyone competes with each other. In order for your content to find itself on the “Interesting” tab or in the top materials by hashtags, they must be appreciated by as many people as possible, which will be seen from the many “likes” and comments, which should be as many as possible. Since there are too many people like you on Instagram who want more user tags and comments, some of them are taking the path of least resistance, turning to popular services to help them increase the number of followers or tags on their posts.
These people are guided by this thought - “If I can’t get 2000 subscribers or likes within an hour, then why don’t I buy them in a bot service?”
In some cases, indeed, bots can be very useful for very busy people who are engaged in offline business and are not able to find enough free time to fully interact with Instagram followers, however, excessive use of bots can expose your account to serious risks, and here's why:
Recently, Instagram has updated its algorithm to be tougher on bots and accounts that use them. In fact, for several weeks now, users who have resorted to auto-comments, auto-add friends, etc. began to notice that their posts with hashtags were no longer displayed on the pages of search results for them. The fact is, if you use any automatic or bot program in your account, there is a chance that: a) Instagram will find out about it; b) You will be hidden or blocked. Therefore, we recommend that you opt out of their services because it is against Instagram's terms of use.
News timelines have already reported that Instagram penalizes the wrong, “spam” hashtag use or the use of banned hashtags. It is not yet known what this is connected with, with the official position or with a software glitch of the platform, but users have already noted that even if they insert one forbidden hashtag, their messages are still not displayed when the results for search hashtags are displayed, even if together with the forbidden one in the message will also contain "normal" hashtags.
Until this problem is fixed, we recommend that you create a set of your hashtags from those that you use frequently, after making sure that they are not prohibited. To do this, just try to find them in the search. If you see messages with one or another hashtag at the top, then everything is in order.
If you find a banned hashtag, be sure to stop using it, as it will prevent other, "correct" hashtags from indexing your posts on search pages.
Now for the good stuff.
Despite the issues above, Instagram hashtags are still one of the best tools for getting attention on your posts, especially if you want to get in the "Top Posts" for a hashtag.
If you've ever searched for hashtags, you've probably noticed the grid of the top nine posts displayed at the top of the results page. On Instagram, these are the so-called "Top Posts" - the most popular posts on a selected topic that have been tagged with this hashtag. Already below them are other, slightly less popular posts, chronologically and regularly updated, so getting into the top posts of the search results page means a big achievement for you and your brand!
The algorithm that selects top posts is based on several factors, including: the importance of your posts (likes and comments), the popularity of the hashtag, and the statute of limitations on your posts. If you want to get to the top of the hashtag, you need to optimize each of these factors.
One of the best ways to get your posts out to as many people as possible is to post content when they are most active.:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3331766/insta3.0.0.jpg)
The fact is that Instagram's search algorithm gives the "green light" first of all to messages that have caused the greatest resonance and user activity, which means that the more people read, like or comment on your message, the higher it will rise. in the search hierarchy.
At the same time, your message will rise up the subscribers' news feed, further promoting it even more.
That is why it is so important to consider the timing of content placement in your strategy. It is very convenient to use the free Instagram post scheduler if you want to prepare materials in advance for posting on the day and time of the day you need, without your participation.
Note: according to some users, updating content several times a day can lead to a decrease in activity on your page, and this is due to the peculiarities of the new algorithm, in addition, too frequent appearance of your posts in the subscribers' news feed may be perceived by them ambiguously, this will annoy someone and be perceived as spam.
If you're noticing that your view stats are dropping, try reducing your daily posts, down to once a day.
Your followers will be more eager and willing to comment or tag your posts if you encourage them to do so. For example, some kind of picture or product, as well as a question related to them, but addressed to the subscriber, for example: “Last weekend I fed deer by hand, what are you going to do this weekend?” A specially provided comment button will be very handy. The live feed of the conversation participants plays an important role in getting your post up the Instagram hashtag search rankings.
Ever since Instagram moved from a chronological to an algorithmic feed, users have been trying to “hack the algorithm”, with some users turning to using bots, while others have joined forces to create special Instagram modules, which include the so-called Instagram pods.
Instagram pods are a bit like WhatsApp group chats. These are groups of 10-15 users, bloggers or companies that have similar audiences and gather in order to “wind up” activity on their Instagram pages.
People communicate with each other via Direct Message Instagram and every time someone from the pod posts another post, they share it with the group. Members of the pod leave their comments under the entry, put "likes", thereby encouraging other users to also participate in discussions.
To join the Instagram module, you need to add (or request to be added) to an Instagram private group chat. Usually, people get to know about the right Instagram pod from each other through conversations, but you can also try your luck in finding the right Instagram pod in Instagram-focused Facebook or VKontakte groups. Once you've become a member of a Pod, learn the rules and ethics of the Pod to make new friends, colleagues, and followers.
At first glance, some isolation of people in Instagram pods may seem suspicious to you, but unlike bots, Instagram pods are legal communities of like-minded Instagram, so you do not have to worry about your page being blocked or blacklisted.
Instagram Stories have long gone beyond the fun pastime of ordinary users, becoming one of the most relevant tools for promoting brands and products on Instagram.
We can't confirm if there is any correlation between the reaction of followers to your Instagram Stories posts and posts posted in the usual way, but it can be noted that sometimes posts to Instagram Stories increase user activity. Thanks to the provided functionality, Instagram Stories can better unlock the potential of your branded hashtags than regular posts.
Another benefit of using Instagram Stories is that you can explore a selection of stories directly from the Explore tab. When you go here, at the top you will see the line Instagram Stories with the results of the selection of stories from the accounts you use and the posts you liked the most. In addition, Instagram will also show you stories that other people have rated.
If you want your posts to appear on the Instagram Explore tab as well, you need to focus on creating highly engaging and targeted content. The better your posts, stories, illustrations, and products fit your audience, the more likely Instagram is to add your account to the featured Stories at the top of the Explore tab!
A thoughtful approach to a hashtag strategy, participation in Instagram Pods and posting at the most appropriate time are essential conditions for “revitalizing” user activity on your page, but if at the same time you also aim to increase the number of subscribers relatively quickly, then you It is worth trying another way - to organize contests!
If you're looking for some high-profile Instagram contest idea, try teaming up with another interested account, brand, or influencer.
A joint contest will be useful for the owners of both audiences of subscribers, because your subscribers may be interested in your partner's profile, and vice versa, his subscribers may be interested in your account, brand and activity. You can arrange 3-5-day sales, stimulating subscribers with prizes, discounts and bonuses for being active on your pages, likes and comments.
Even though Instagram is experiencing some decline in user activity at the moment, you can still breathe life into your account using the above methods. Of course, you will have to rethink the strategy of Instagram, adjust the content, but the more carefully you think over your next steps, the more comments will be under your photos, products and promotions, and also the growth of requests from potential buyers will please!
How to get live followers on Instagram for free
Want to learn how to get followers on Instagram?
How to do it right without investing a lot of money and without engaging in dubious methods?
You have come to the right place.
Of course, there are quick ways to get subscribers. For example, buying them or using bots. But Instagram has tightened its measures against fake activity. These gray areas may increase your subscribers for a while, but they won't do any good in the long run.
Your goal is to create an audience of real people who are really interested in and interacting with your company. This is the only way your Instagram strategy will give your business real results.
Click on any tip below to read the text, or keep scrolling down for the full list of ways to recruit free subscribers.
Content
1. Think over a promotion strategy on Instagram
2. Determine the target audience
3. Create a unified brand story and visual
4. Create a great profile description
5. Post interesting content
6. Promote your Instagram account on other social networks.
7. Share a link to your Instagram account in other media channels
8.
Use Instagram promos
9. Use relevant hashtags
10. Strive to be mentioned
11. Mark your location
12. Keep in mind the "Search and Interesting" tab
13. Follow other similar accounts
14. Interact with communities
15. Tag similar accounts
16. Ask 902 followers to tag your friends content regularly
18. Post at the best times
20. Write engaging captions
21. Make friends with Instagram Stories
22. Use interactive features
23. Try to conduct a joint live broadcast
24. Maximize the eternal storiz
25. Conduct competitions
26. Launch advertising on Instagram
27. Analyze the data of Instagram Insights
1. Consider the advancement strategy
Promotion in any social network without a clear plan leads to loss of resources and low return on investment.
Since you are reading this post, you are obviously looking to get more followers on Instagram.
This is a great target to start with. But it should be part of a larger strategy that ties into your overall business strategy and marketing goals.
Think why you need more Instagram followers. Maybe you want to:
- increase brand awareness,
- increase product sales,
- drive traffic to the site.
Focusing on these business-focused goals will help maintain your Instagram account and tell a compelling company story that will attract new visitors and keep them loyal.
2. Define the target audience
Ask yourself a few questions about who you are trying to talk to:
- How old are they?
- Where do they live?
- What do they do?
- When and how do they use Instagram?
- What are their pain points and problems?
The answers to these questions will help you create the right Instagram content to get the right followers.
3.
Create a unified brand story and visual Maybe you want to satisfy the curiosity of visitors by showing how your product is made. Or you want to share the opinion of an employee to give the company a human face. If you want to position your brand as an inspiration for change, try showcasing a lifestyle or customer achievement.
Whatever your goals, maintain a consistent brand identity, visuals, and storytelling style. People should easily recognize your posts at a glance.
For example, if you like succulents (and you do, right?), you might like Tierra Sol Studio's all-succulent visual:
a profile ー is the foundation of your Instagram presence, and a well-designed profile ー is the key to audience growth.
Two-thirds of business profile visitors are not following an account. Your profile should convince these people to click on the "Follow" button. They won't do this if the profile is incomprehensible, empty, or unattractive.
Here is the information you can fill in your profile:
- Name . Contains up to 30 characters, included in Instagram search, so you can add a keyword.
- Username . Name the same as in your other social networks, then your followers from other platforms will easily find you on Instagram.
- Website . The only place on Instagram where you can enter a clickable link (besides CTAs in ads or swipes up in Stories).
- Profile description . You have 150 characters to convey your brand personality and show new visitors why they should follow your account.
5. Post interesting content
Great content makes people like, comment and share your posts. This interaction signals the Instagram algorithm and helps you get more reach and new followers.
Everything you publish should be interesting to the audience. The goal is to inform, engage and entertain people with content.
Images should be eye-catching and text captions should be engaging.
6. Advertise your Instagram account on other social networks.
If you want to get more followers on Instagram, people should find you easily.
If you have already built a follower base on another social network, tell them about your Instagram profile. Share the link and give people a reason to visit you. (For example, post the promo code on Instagram only.)
Schaeffler Group, a manufacturer and supplier of mechanisms for the automotive industry, has over 107,000 followers on LinkedIn. When they launched the Instagram account, it was natural to promote it to their existing audience.
If you're just starting out on Instagram, be sure to make at least 12 posts before promoting your account elsewhere.
You can also publish the best insta posts on your other channels. Promote these posts with paid ads to get more people to follow you on Instagram too.
7. Share a link to your Instagram account in other media channels
All communication tools ー both online and offline ー give you the ability to direct people to your Instagram account.
Link to your Instagram account in your email signature, on your website, and in your newsletters. This way, people who do business with your company online will be able to find you on social media.
If you're promoting a new account, a short email alert with examples of great posts is a great way to quickly get free Instagram followers.
8. Use Instagram cards
An Instagram card is a scannable code that makes it easier for Instagram users to follow you. We said above that promotional materials even offline give a chance to develop your account. An Instagram business card is a simple and effective way to promote your account using offline content, such as attachments with a list of ordered products, signage, and product packaging.
Your Instagram profile is also a great way to get new followers in real time at networking events and conferences. People you interact with in person can scan the code to follow you without entering your username.
To access your Instagram business card, click the three-line icon in the upper right corner of your Instagram profile.
9. Use relevant hashtags
Hashtags show your posts and Stories to people who are looking for content related to your brand, industry or products.
Before using hashtags to get more followers on Instagram, learn the do's and don'ts of using hashtags.
DO: Find and use popular hashtags.
Use Instagram's search feature to find popular hashtags related to your product, service, or industry.
DO: create your own hashtag.
Create your own hashtag that will motivate your audience to share photos related to your company.
DON'T: Be zealous with the number of hashtags.
Too many hashtags can distract your audience and weaken your post. It can also frustrate people, or worse, look like spam.
DON'T: cheat with hashtags.
Using hashtags like #likelike, #taglikelikes or #followme can give you a temporary boost in followers. But these people are more likely to be spammers or individuals only interested in getting followed back. And it won't help you build a solid, loyal community on Instagram. Instead, focus on using hashtags that are relevant to your photo, product, or business.
DON'T: forget to use hashtags in Stories.
Use the hashtag sticker in your Stories to increase your chances of getting new followers.
10. Strive to be mentioned
There are special accounts on Instagram that curate and repost the content of other users, indicating hashtags or tagging authors. Some of these accounts have huge followings, and if they share one of your posts (tagging your profile), it will send a flood of new followers to your account.
Instagram has similar accounts in almost every niche and for every area of interest. You will see them when you start a hashtag search, as we recommended in the previous tip. Some of these accounts are highly specific.
For example, @elite_owls contains only pictures of owls. The account has over 43,000 followers.
But the mother of all curated content accounts is Instagram itself. Every week, he posts a new challenge for the Weekend Hashtag Project. Users who post photos and use relevant hashtags can be mentioned in the main Instagram account.
Follow @instagram for the Weekend Hashtag Project.
11. Tag your location
When a post or Story clearly points to a location, it's worth adding a location tag. This is another easy way to get your content out on Instagram.
If your business has a physical location, be sure to tag it and encourage customers to do the same. Users can then click on that tag and view all the photos and stories posted from your store, restaurant, or office.
This will show your company (and Instagram account) to more people.
For example, this is what you get when you search for Van Wonderen Stroopwafels in Amsterdam:
If you're posting while attending a conference or event, a location tag will help you show your account to other attendees, and therefore a target group of new potential followers on Instagram.
12. Be aware of the Search and Interesting tab
The Search and Interesting tab ー is what you see when you click on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the application. According to the Instagram company itself, this is where “you can find photos and videos that you might like from accounts that you have not yet subscribed to.”
The Search & Explore tab includes Posts, Stories, and IGTV. Users first see the content grid selected by the algorithm. They also have the option to dive deeper into specific topics using the topic feeds at the top of the screen.
More than 200 million people visit the Search & Explore tab every day. This is a huge opportunity for companies to expand their audience.
13. Follow other similar accounts
When you follow a user on Instagram, there is a good chance that they will visit you. If your feed is filled with excellent content that matches his interests, he will most likely respond with a follow.
Account Monitor is a great way to find discussions related to your company. In these dialogs, you will be able to highlight and follow influencers (also called influencers). It is also good advice to subscribe to the audience of these top users.
But keep in mind that you should not follow other accounts too often. Your following/follower ratio is important to inspire trust.
Of course, the subscription is only the first step. To maximize your new followers, you also need this...
14. Engage with communities
Like all social networks, Instagram is made up of internal communities.
You need to interact with them.
Participate, like, comment and share content from other trusted users in your community. Avoid generic comments (such as "Awesome post!") that look like they came from bots.
It helps you get attention (and new followers) in three ways:
- People see you like and comment on their posts and can visit your profile in response.
- When someone interacts with your content, they show up in the Activity tab of their followers, showing your account to a new extended audience.
- High Engagement is a great signal to the Instagram algorithm, and it increases your chances of getting into the Search & Explore tab.
Think your product or brand doesn't have a community? Consider that in 2018, piercing slime bubbles and shaving your face before applying makeup were among the most popular niche communities on Instagram. There really is a community for any topic here.
15. Tag similar accounts
You can tag Instagram users from your photos with @ in your caption or with the Instagram tagging feature.
Either way, accounts will be notified when you do so.
The tag encourages the person to participate in the comments and share the post with their followers.
When you tag someone in Stories, they can share that content in their Stories with just a few taps on the screen. If he does this, everyone who views his Story will see your account name and be able to visit you.
16. Ask your followers to tag their friends
From time to time, try to encourage your followers to tag their friends in the comments. This will help show your Instagram account to a larger community of people.
Supporting another woman's success will not make you less successful.
Cooperation and joint creativity forever. Tag the girls you are proud of.
Save this for the most powerful or uplifting content. Users should feel like they are doing their friends a favor by tagging them.
17.
Post content regularly Your followers want to see your content. That's why they signed up.
As we just mentioned, when users interact with your posts, that activity is visible to their followers. So give them something interesting!
How often should you post something? Tailwind's research found that daily posts "will increase subscribers four times faster than posting less than once a week."
18. Post at the best time
Instagram uses an algorithm and does not show posts in chronological order. However, publish time is still important, as it is one of the parameters that the algorithm takes into account.
Hootsuite collaborated with Unmetric to determine the best time to post on Instagram, depending on the industry. To determine the best time to post, think about your audience. What does their typical day look like? When are they most active on Instagram?
Start testing at different times and measure the results.
For example, if you're a retailer, you might want to check times when subscribers commute to or from work, or on weekends when people aren't working.
19. Schedule your posts
What if you can't go on Instagram at the best time to post? Use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your posts and post them to social media.
On Instagram, this approach allows you to plan out a coherent visual grid that tells a global story. It also gives you time to create great captions so you don't have to try and come up with something witty on the fly.
On that note…
20. Write engaging captions
Although Instagram is a visual platform, captions play a big role in increasing engagement, thereby helping you get more reach. As you've seen, reach and engagement are key to getting subscribers.
Here are some important strategies to keep in mind:
- Top your signature with the most important words .
Captions in users' news feeds are cut off after a few lines of text, so provide important information from the very beginning. - Ask a question . You will encourage the audience to comment, and the comments that appear will make your account visible to more people.
- Insert emoticons . Emoji will help grab the reader's attention. In a visual social network, they are suitable for most accounts.
- Try different sizes of signatures . Instagram allows long captions, so you can check how storytelling is coming in if you need to. Ultra-short captions can also be very effective when the visuals speak for themselves.
Photographer Matt Payne posts amazing photos. But he also backs them up with great captions that leave viewers wanting more photos.
21. Befriend Instagram Stories
We have already mentioned Stories in several tips, but it is worth talking about this feature separately.
In short, if you want more followers on Instagram, you need to use Stories. Half a billion accounts use Stories every day, and companies post 45% of the most viewed stories.
People who watch Stories are highly engaged with the content. According to Instagram, almost every fifth story leads to a message in Direct.
In stories, use hashtags and location tags to show content to people who don't follow you. This is a great and still underutilized way to get subscribers for free.
22. Use interactive features
Instagram Stories offer many interactive features to engage users, such as poll or question stickers.
Poll stickers increased views of the 3-second video in 90% of beta campaigns testing this feature.
If users view your Story from a hashtag or location page ー this is an instant opportunity to engage people and a great way to encourage them to learn more about your brand and follow.
23. Try a live stream together
Instagram is the perfect place to take advantage of live video as the social media trend continues to grow.
With interactive features such as questions and comments, you can interact with your viewers in real time, creating more valuable interactions that will help increase your reach.
Live broadcasts appear in the Stories of your account. At the end of the broadcast, you can choose to let the content disappear or grant access to the recording of the broadcast in your Story for 24 hours. Users get a notification when the account they follow starts a live stream, so the live video really grabs attention.
To show live to a completely new audience, use the Live with a Friend option and co-stream with someone in your industry.
Ask another person to start a live broadcast and then invite you as a guest. Both of you will appear on a split screen and the account owner will introduce you to their followers.
This is what it looked like when Demi Lovato joined Wilmer Valderrama's live stream, and fans were blown away.
24.
Make the most of perpetual stories Perpetual stories (highlights) provide an opportunity to introduce your company to people who visit your profile. In this section, give a lot of valuable information and content that is worth showing to new visitors so that they click "Subscribe".
Make some great cover icons too. Bee Lally, a Vancouver-based manicurist, does a great job of this on her @ClassyClaws salon account.
25. Run Contests
To get more followers through contests, ask people to follow you and comment on one of your photos by tagging a friend.
For even more outreach, host a contest with another Instagram account and ask participants to follow both accounts. The Abbotsford Tulip Festival often partners with local companies to give away gifts, increasing the visibility of both accounts.
Encouraging user-generated content during the contest will also help attract more people.
People will find out about your contest from posts created by their friends. This is an effective way to gain the trust of new followers and get more people to your page.
26. Run Instagram ads
Instagram ads are a powerful way to get new followers quickly by showing your content to people who might not otherwise see it. Target audiences based on location, demographics, other users, and even key behaviors and interests.
For example, when the Le Creuset tableware brand entered the Israeli market, it used Instagram ads and reached 70% of its target audience within two months.
In addition to the News Feed, you can advertise in Stories.
27. Analyze Instagram Insights data
Instagram's analytics tools will give you data about each post's impressions, as well as reach, engagement, which posts are the most popular, and much more. You can also find demographic information about subscribers, including gender, age, and location.
Tracking this data regularly will help you identify areas where you can adjust your strategy to get more followers.
One of the key things to pay attention to is ー what time of day do your followers go to Instagram.
For example, the company Matchaeologist learned from analytics that the subscribers of the account do not live at all where the company expected. Instead of the UK, many ended up from Hong Kong and Taiwan. This knowledge allowed them to change the timing of their posts to reach (and gain) more followers in those regions.
Original publication: https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-get-more-instagram-followers-the-ultimate-guide/
Translated Tatyana Pushkina especially for Convert Monster
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