How to get your first followers on instagram
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
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
Published on under Inspire Me
How to Gain Your First (or Next) 1,000 Instagram Followers
It's no secret that business opportunities are continuing to grow on Instagram.
Approximately 90% of Instagram's 1 billion active monthly users follow a business account on the platform, and there are more than 200 million business accounts.
But here's the deal: Unless you're famous, it's really hard to amass a huge following on Instagram without some hard work.
Luckily, you can do a few things right away to collect at least 1,000 quality followers for your personal or professional Instagram account. It's all about knowing where to invest your time and effort. In this post, we'll discuss a few strategies to help you gain those followers, from creating a follow-worthy Instagram profile to using contests and staying true to your brand.
How to Get More Followers on Instagram
- Make your account into a business profile and optimize the description.
- Designate an experienced content creator.
- Follow photography and editing best practices.
- Adhere to a regular posting schedule.
- Allow outside contributors to curate your content.
- Use a consistent, platform-specific brand voice.
- Write engaging, shareable captions.
- Optimize posts with relevant hashtags.
- Lean into trending content formats.
- Post content your followers want to see.
- Promote your Instagram.
- Engage with users through follows, likes, and comments.
- Cross-promote with influencers and brands with similar audiences.
- Run Instagram contests to encourage engagement.
- Explore Instagram Stories' interactive features.
- Use the Instagram Live feature.
- Share your profile link on your website and social media channels.
- Post user-generated content.
- Diversify your audience to resonate with different types of users.
- Apply for a verification badge.
- Create your own filters and badges.
- Tag relevant users.
- Post content that's meant to be re-shared.
- Get on the Instagram Explore page.
- Share educational content with Instagram slides.
- Host an Instagram account takeover.
1. Make your account into a business profile and optimize the description.
First thing's first: Customize your Instagram profile to make it look good. Tell your potential followers who you are, and give them a reason to follow you.
How? Start by making sure your username is recognizable and easily searchable – like your business name.
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If your business name is already taken, try keeping your business name as the first part of your username so that people searching for your business are more likely to come across you.
For example, the Australian activewear line Lorna Jane uses the username Lornajaneactive.
Featured Resource
2022 Instagram Engagement Report
Get actionable data and insights to help grow your Instagram following.
Setting Up Your Account
Step 1. Add your full business name to the "Name" field in the "Options" section. To find "Options," tap the three lines in the top right corner of the iOS app, followed by "Settings" which will appear at the bottom of the screen next to a gear. If you're on Android, tap the three dots in the corner. Your business or name will appear under your profile picture and your username in search.
Step 2. Make your profile public. To make your profile public, open Instagram, open "Options," and make sure "Private Account" is turned off.
Step 3. Choose a profile picture that's on-brand with your other social networks, like your company logo.
Step 4.
Fill your bio with delightful, actionable, and informative information about your brand. Information like this lets people know what you're about and gives them a reason to follow you. Include who you are and what you do, and be sure to add a hint of personality.
Here are a few examples for inspiration:
- Cheekbonebeauty: "Less waste. Ethical and safe ingredients."
- Oreo: "Playful moments from your favorite cookie."
- Mrsbrittanyhennessy: "Helping Influencers go beyond #sponcon and create sustainable businesses."
- CalifiaFarms: "Something different, something better. Let us show you what plants can do."
- Coragedolls: "Elevating, educating, & encouraging girls of color to be unstoppable with dolls that finally look like her."
Step 5. Add a link tree to your bio to make it easy for people to go straight from Instagram to your other platforms if they want to.
The space allotted for URLs is precious real estate. When you receive 10,000 followers, you can add links to your Instagram Stories.
Until then, your bio is the only place within Instagram where you can place clickable links, so use it wisely. We recommend using a shortened, customized Bitly link to make it more clickable.
Step 6. Enable notifications so you can see when people share or comment on your photos. This'll let you engage with them more quickly – just like a lot of companies do on Twitter. To enable notifications, go to "Options" and then "Push Notification Settings." Select "From Everyone" for every category.
A word to the wise: We don't recommend you link your Instagram account to Twitter and Facebook (or other social media platforms) for automatic posts. Because every platform caters to a different audience and requires different types of posts.
2. Designate an experienced content creator.
Just like there should be one (maybe two) people managing your other social media accounts, there should only be one or two people managing your Instagram account.
If possible, choose someone with experience on the platform who will "get" it — and be sure they stay updated on all new features Instagram has to offer from Reels to IGTV.
If you work for a large organization, you might find that a lot of people want a say in what's posted. That's when an organized request or guidelines document comes in handy.
This document should inform people how to request a post on your Instagram account, when, the value of the post, and why.
3. Follow photography and editing best practices.
On Instagram, post quality matters. A lot. Your Twitter followers might forgive a few bad tweets, but a bad photo on Instagram is a big no-no.
Fortunately, you don't have to take a photography course to be a good Instagram poster — nor do you have to practice for weeks before you start. But you should get familiar with basic photography tips and photo editing apps.
Photography Best Practices
Since Instagram is a mobile app, chances are, some content you post to Instagram will be taken on your mobile device.
That's expected.
If your budget allows, consider investing in professional photography for your Instagram photos, as that will elevate your profile. Otherwise, a smartphone and a few editing apps will do.
- Focus on one subject at a time.
- Embrace negative space.
- Find interesting perspectives.
- Look for symmetry.
- Capture small details.
- Make your followers laugh.
Edit photos before you post.
Instagram has some basic editing capabilities, but oftentimes, they aren't adequate to make visuals really great.
Most of your photos should go through at least one or two photo editing apps on your mobile phone before you open them on Instagram.
Additionally, consider creating a cohesive Instagram theme across your feed, so anyone visiting your account for the first time can get a sense of your brand.
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4.
Adhere to a regular posting schedule.Once you've created and optimized your profile, have someone managing it, and have your creative assets ready, it's time to start posting.
It's a good idea to have a solid number of great posts up – maybe 15 or so – before you start engaging people and working down this list. That way, when people visit your profile, they'll see a full screen of photos and will know you'll post great content regularly.
To start posting on Instagram, download this social media content calendar template first and plan out your posts. It's best to build a backlog of content ready a few days or weeks ahead of the publishing date.
This will ensure you always have content during holidays, vacations, and even creative blocks.
Keep your target persona in mind as you plan out your posting schedule, as that can drastically impact your posting timing and frequency – especially if you're targeting an audience in a different time zone. (Download this free template for creating buyer personas if you don't have a few already.
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Optimizing your schedule for your specific audience might take time and experimentation.
Experiment with these times and days to see what works with your audience. You may find that your target users are most active and engaged at different times.
5. Allow outside contributors to curate your content.
Although it's best to have only one or two people manning your account, one or two people can't be everywhere at once taking photos. What about that fun sushi night the engineers had last night? Or the event your head of sales spoke at earlier this week?
There's a whole breadth of content you'll want to post to Instagram, and more often than not, one person won't be able to keep track of it all.
One solution? Create a system where you can curate photos and content from members of your team.
There are a few ways to do this. The first option is to create a specific email address for employees to send their photos, short videos, memes, hyper-lapses, and so on.
Encourage people to add a descriptive subject line so you can easily sort through the content they're sending. While this doesn't seem like the smoothest way to curate photos, it's actually the easiest for the people sending you photos — and the easier you can make it for them to send content, the more content you'll get.
If your team shares a Box or Dropbox account, you could also create a shared folder where people can automatically drop their photos and videos.
6. Use a consistent, platform-specific brand voice.
Photos and videos might be the most important part of your Instagram posts, but captions, comments, and other text should never be an afterthought. If you're managing a channel for a brand or have more than one Instagram manager, consider developing a consistent voice that humanizes your brand.
This shows potential followers that you are credible and relatable, rather than formal or intimidating.
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When developing a voice, you should keep the platform and your audience in mind.
For example, many influencers and prominent accounts on Instagram have a very casual voice and style but remain professional and on-brand. Once you've got your voice down, make sure it stays consistent and natural in your captions, comments, messages, and your bio.
7. Write engaging, shareable captions.
Captions are an essential part of your post — the icing on the cake if you will. Consistently great captions can do wonders for humanizing your brand, winning over followers, and making your content more shareable — thereby giving you more exposure.
Here are a few things you might see in a winning Instagram caption:
- Clever or witty comments
- Calls to action
- Relevant emojis
- Hashtags
Clever or Witty Comments
Some brands and influencers have used clever or witty captions, or even audience-appropriate jokes to further humanize themselves on Instagram.
My colleague Kelly Hendrickson, HubSpot's social media team manager, says that she loves Netflix's account and sub-accounts, particularly because of the post captions.
"They have such a clear brand voice, and you laugh along with them. They're in on the joke, just like one of your friends," she says.
Netflix's voice is casual, trendy, and humorous while still staying on brand.
In the post above, the caption is funny, authentic, and relatable. Who hasn't flipped through a friend's Instagram Story with the hope that you'll be featured?
Calls to Action
Another way to increase the shareability of your caption and engage your followers is to ask questions or have some sort of call-to-action in the captions of your photos.
For example, you might write, "Double-tap if you find this funny," or "share your story in the comments."
In the example below, we asked followers of the HubSpot Instagram account to leave a comment with a book that's had a positive impact on their work, along with tagging the author:
Relevant Emojis
Adding just a few relevant emojis can add even more personality to your posts. It could also make them even more noticeable on an Instagram feed. In the post below, Danielle Gray, a beauty expert with over 50K followers, includes witty text with relevant emojis to make the post pop.
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Along with the three items listed above, you'll also want to include hashtags.
8. Optimize posts with relevant hashtags.
On Instagram, a hashtag ties conversations from different users who wouldn't already be connected into a single stream. If you use relevant hashtags, your posts will gain exposure to a wider audience and help you become discoverable to potential customers.
The key to using hashtags effectively is to be selective and use them sparingly. Try to limit the number of hashtags per caption to around three. Similarly, don't use "like for like" hashtags, like #like4like or #like4likes.
This is a shortcut tactic that'll only leave you with low-quality followers.
To find the hashtags your audience might be using, do a little research on relevant hashtags in your niche or industry. The easiest way to do this research is in the Instagram app itself, in the Explore tab (i.e., the magnifying glass icon).
When you search for one hashtag, it'll show you a list of related hashtags at the top of your screen.
For example, when I search for #digitalmarketingstrategy on Instagram, it shows me relevant hashtags like #digitalmarketingexpert, #digitalmarketing, and so on.
To help relate to your followers on a personal level, you might consider hopping on hashtag trends like #tbt ("Throwback Thursday"), #MotivationMonday, #TransformationTuesday, or other trending hashtags.
Here's a post from Fanmdjanm, a headwrap collection and lifestyle brand with over 150K followers on its Instagram account, using the #HappyMothersDay hashtag:
Once you build up a bit of a following, you can try creating your own hashtags — like your company name or a slogan that applies to your content. This is a great way to build up your brand on the platform and build a more cohesive presence.
9. Lean into trending content formats.
With the arrival of TikTok on the social media scene, short-form videos have become one of the most effective content formats on social media.
In fact, according to a HubSpot Blog survey, 85% of marketers who use short-form videos find them to be the most effective content format. And 95% of marketers who leverage short-form videos plan to increase their investment or continue investing the same amount in 2022.
That's why it's important to lean into trending content formats. After TikTok, Instagram came out with IG Reels, and this feature is a great way to post funny, relatable content.
When Instagram comes out with new tools, like IG Reels, don't be afraid to use those features because they can help you gain Instagram followers.
10. Post content your followers want to see.
To gain your first 1,000 followers on Instagram, it's important to know who your audience is. Once you've created your Instagram account, you should take note of which posts perform best.
Is it interactive content, behind-the-scenes stories, funny and relatable posts, or something else? When you have a general idea of what performs best, continue to create that type of content.
Additionally, Instagram has many tools and features you can use: IGTV, IG Reels, Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, Highlights, etc. Begin by posting several types of content formats and see which one does best. Then, come up with a strategy and master that one tool. Doing so will help you create content your followers want to see and gain new followers.
11. Promote your Instagram.
Like the old adage about a tree falling in a forest, if you start an Instagram account without promoting it, is the account even real yet? Well, yes.
But, you'll have fewer followers.
One of the best ways to gain followers on Instagram is to promote your account. Embed posts in your blogs (like you see a few on this post), post on your other social media platforms, and share social links in your email newsletters. A great way to gain followers on one platform is to ask current followers on other platforms if they want to follow you somewhere else as well.
Additionally, to promote your Instagram, it's important to get started with Instagram promotions and ads. This will help you reach a wider audience. I know it might seem like ads are only effective for selling certain products, but I've followed several business accounts because of a sponsored post I saw.
12. Engage with users through follows, likes, and comments.
Instagram is very much a community, and one great way to get involved in that community is to find people who post pictures that interest you, follow their accounts and interact with their content.
It's the most natural way to draw attention to your own Instagram account.
This accomplishes two things: for one, when they get the notification that you've followed them, there's a good chance they'll check out your profile. This goes back to the importance of having great content on your account before you start reaching out to others.
Secondly, it means you'll be seeing their recent posts in your feed, so you can Like and interact with them if you choose to.
As you build a following, celebrate your followers by responding to and pinning their comments, and even reposting their posts for user-generated content.
13. Cross-promote with influencers and brands with similar audiences.
Once you build rapport with the folks behind accounts with similar audiences to your own, consider collaborating with them.
Partnering with influencers and brands helps with discoverability, reach, and social proof.
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For instance, influencer Sweetlikeoyin who has around 60K followers, posted a sponsored image of herself on the beach wearing a dress from Lulu's.
The clothing brand then published the same image.
With this partnership, both accounts can expand their reach and gain new followers. It's a win-win. However, be sure to create content that seems natural and makes sense for your brands and collective audience.
14. Run Instagram contests to encourage engagement.
Another great way to expand your reach while increasing engagement with your photos is to run a contest or giveaway. As part of your contest, you can ask users to follow your account, like, and/or comment on the post to be eligible to win.
I mean, come on. Who doesn't love winning free stuff?
You can also add a user-generated content (UGC) element to the contest, too, where people post a photo of their own and use a specific hashtag.
Here's an example from PlayaBowlsNortheastern, where followers were asked to follow Playa Bowls as well as their brand partner, Scoop and Sushi, and tag a friend in the comments. In exchange, followers had the chance to win a free bowl:
15.
Explore Instagram Stories' interactive features.Instagram has always given brands the platform to share beautiful, curated photos to represent their companies.
However, with the introduction of ephemeral Instagram Stories, brands can also share on-the-fly, behind-the-scenes looks for 24 hours that may not be as polished as a published photo, but give your brand more personality on the platform.
Just look at how Snapchat exploded a few years ago. Once platforms like Instagram and Facebook introduced similar features, it made those apps more valuable and interesting in the eyes of users. Although Snapchat pioneered this feature, Instagram Stories now has over 500 million daily users.
Along with sharing video clips and static images through Instagram Stories, users can also use polls, event reminders, and the "Ask a Question," tool to gain more engagement and learn more about their audiences.
Once a user is verified or has over 10,000 followers, they can even include a link to a webpage within a story.
How Brands Can Use Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours unless they are marked as a "Story Highlight."
Highlighted stories will show up at the top of your profile between the photo feed and your bio.
Image Source
Here are a few other brands we recommend following to see what they're sharing:
Dana Shultz (Minimalistbaker) publishes easy vegan and gluten-free recipes on her blog. Her Stories feature neat how-to videos of her making breakfast and testing out new recipes in her kitchen. The behind-the-scenes aspect of her Stories provides a lot of human context for her blog's brand, and everybody loves a good how-to video.
Casper publishes quirky Instagram content to advertise their mattresses – without overtly doing so.
The main theme of their content? Staying in is better than going out (because you can stay in and lay on a comfy Casper mattress, naturally).
They've even created a gallery for followers to use as backdrops for their Snapchat and Instagram stories to make it look like they're out at a party when in reality, they're laying in bed.
One of their latest Instagram Stories featured someone watching "The Sopranos" in bed, with the caption: "Who needs plans when you have five more seasons?"
This video supports Casper's campaign to stay in bed with a very real look at what millions of people do when they're hanging out at home.
Here are our tips for using Instagram Stories for your brand:
- Whether it's funny, sad, or unique, be authentic. Your photo gallery is where content can be perfect and polished. Instagram Stories are for the raw, unscripted, and unretouched. Use Stories to share the other side of your brand that followers might not be able to see elsewhere.
Do you have a dog-friendly office? Is your team trying out the latest challenge? Start filming to showcase the more human side of your brand. - Go behind the scenes. These are by far our favorite types of content for ephemeral video sharing. Show followers what goes into the planning of an event or the launching of a product, and make it fun. Your followers want to feel included and in the know. You could also use Stories to cultivate a brand loyalty program that only rewards people who check out your content.
16. Use the Instagram Live feature.
Instagram also lets users record and share Live videos, another content format that's proven to be hugely popular on other social networks. What's unique about Live videos on Instagram? They disappear when users stop filming.
This authentic, bi-directional experience lets brands share unscripted, raw moments with their audience to incorporate human elements into a social media platform that's highly edited and polished in its traditional use.
Since the Live feature launched, Instagram has added even more features that may enable further engagement or interactions from viewers, such as:
- Request feature to go live with the live account
- Pinned comment
- Q&A box
- Up to four accounts on Live at a time
- Filters
Live video is a growing trend across a variety of social media platforms, so if something interesting is happening, start rolling. Whether it's an event, a team birthday party, or behind-the-scenes footage, your devoted followers want to see what you're up to.
And if you want to make it even more interesting, you could collaborate with an influencer or another brand to host a Live. With people that your audience is interested in, you can promote this Live event, and then host it on your profile.
Promoting this type of event will help you tap into someone else's audience while interacting and engaging with your followers by answering their questions and talking to them during the Live.
17. Share your profile link on your website and social media channels.
Have a website? Newsletter? YouTube channel? Make sure you include a link to your Instagram on every single platform.
The first place you'll want to make sure to add an Instagram badge is your website, specifically your footer and "About Us" page.
Here's what the badge could look like:
If your brand has brick-and-mortar locations, put out a good ol' print call-to-action letting people know you have an Instagram account and encouraging them to follow you. You can also place them on your business cards. You might even offer a discount code for doing so.
Also, be sure to promote your Instagram account on your other digital platforms. Chances are, the folks who already follow you on Facebook and Twitter will also follow you on Instagram without much prodding.
Let those followers know you're on Instagram and encourage them to follow you there.
Image Source
In this example, wine company The McBride Sisters encouraged their email subscribers to follow them on Instagram with a simple CTA: "Join the community.
"
18. Post user-generated content.
Similar to cross-promotion, brands can publish user-generated content to show appreciation for existing customers and generate social proof at the same time.
If I see a regular person endorsing a product on Instagram, I'm more likely to believe they really like the product.
The same is true for most consumers. That's why sites like Yelp are so popular.
Ultimately, user-generated content can be an excellent strategy when trying to increase brand awareness and trust in your products or services.
For instance, Bevel reposted a video from blogger Rickey Scott using and recommending their products to their 600+ followers.
Posting Scott using Bevel is a smart move.
Firstly, the product is designed with black men in mind. Having Scott, who is part of the brand's target demographic, recommend the product serves as the social proof the brand wants.
Furthermore, part of Scott's audience will likely fall within Bevel's target audience.
Simply put, the two brands have similar audiences and brands that align well, which is why it's a good opportunity for Bevel to promote Scott's content.
19. Diversify your audience to resonate with different types of users.
As your followers grow, it can be tricky to identify what content types will resonate with them. With this in mind, divide your audience into sub-groups and target your content to various demographics.
For instance, if you have 200K followers, those followers probably come from different regions of the world, have different interests and hobbies, and likely have different careers. Rather than post all-encompassing content that will satisfy all your followers at once, conduct some analytics research to separate them into smaller sub-groups.
Take Starbucks as a good example of this. Starbucks has close to 18 million followers. There's no way the global coffee brand can post content to satisfy 18 million people at once — and it doesn't try to.
Instead, Starbucks regularly posts more exclusive content geared towards particular groups, such as this post they published celebrating #TeacherAppreciationWeek:
Image Source
This post won't appeal to the majority of Starbucks followers who aren't teachers, but that's OK.
You don't always need to post content to please everyone. Instead, demonstrate your company's ability to connect and engage with sub-groups and post what aligns with your own brand's values.
Education is something that matters to Starbucks, so by posting about teachers, they're doing more to demonstrate their values than they are appealing to everyone. Which is kind of the point, isn't it?
20. Apply for a verification badge.
When an account on Instagram is verified, it has a blue dot, called a badge, next to the username. When another user comes across this profile or finds the verified username in search, the blue dot confirms to them that the account is the business, individual, or brand that it's claiming to be.
Image Source
While Instagram has a list of eligibility requirements for the badge, the platform does allow users to apply for one. You can learn more about that process on Instagram's Help Center.
21. Create your own filters and badges.
When it's time to promote a new product or feature, creating your own filters, stickers, or badges can help you reach a new audience. You can learn how to create your own filter or sticker to jazz up your Instagram Stories.
The best way to do this is to use these on highly shareable posts that followers will want to add to their own Stories. This way, you'll reach their audiences and your users will promote your page for you.
22. Tag relevant users.
Another way to gain more followers on Instagram is to tag relevant users in your posts. Your posts will then show up in that person's tagged posts, and anyone who looks through there will find your page (and hopefully, follow).
However, it's important that you only tag people who are in the photo, or relevant to the photo.
For example, many times, influencers tag the clothing or makeup brands they wore in a photo.
23. Post content that's meant to be re-shared.
Each post on your Instagram should have a purpose. It could be to generate likes, comments, engagement, shares, etc. However, you can't expect followers to re-share content just for the heck of it. There needs to be a reason.
Because of this, reverse engineer your Instagram posts. Think, "What type of content would my audience re-share?" Then, create that content. It could be a quote, a meme, an infographic, statistics, etc.
To gain new followers, you should post content that's meant to be re-shared, so that when others do re-share it on their own Instagram Stories and tag you, their audience will find you and follow you.
24. Get on the Instagram Explore page.
Getting on the Instagram Explore page is easier said than done. We get that. However, creating posts that are aimed at getting on the Explore page means you'll be creating easily shareable and trendy content.
Think about viral trends and create a video that your audience might engage with. Additionally, use hashtags and tag other users and brands in those posts.
Instagram's Explore Page algorithm also seems to grab content that has more engagement, especially if said engagement happens in the first few hours of posting. In Instagram's case, quality is better than quantity, and getting interaction from influential users (i.e. having a higher follower count) is one of the best ways to do it.
25. Share educational content with Instagram slides.
Similar to creating content that's meant to be re-shared, you can also create educational content in the form of Instagram slides. Instagram slides have become a popular way to educate audiences on an idea or topic.
Think about what you can educate your audience on and then create a simple Instagram slide post with an engaging title that entices users to click on the post.
With this type of content, you can share the post on your Stories, and then hopefully other users will be compelled by the content to share on their Stories as well.
26. Host an Instagram account takeover.
When you're collaborating with influencers and other brands, think about hosting an Instagram account takeover. You can have an influencer take over your Stories for the day, and promote this on their own Stories.
Then, you'll get their followers to follow along with the Stories and hopefully follow your account.
Additionally, you can ask an influencer or brand if you can take over their Stories, and interact with their audience as a way to promote your own account.
Quality Over Quantity Still Matters
Ultimately, it's important to focus less on the number of followers you have, and more on the quality of content you create. Your audience will grow naturally if you put effort and time into creating engaging, informative, or inspirational content without worrying about "quick fixes" for boosts in followers.
You want to play the long game on Instagram, and that starts with focusing on what you can control: the quality of the content you produce, the messages you promote, and the brand you build.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Topics: Instagram Marketing
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do's and don'ts
Getting your first 1,000 is always one of the most difficult tasks in the entire Instagram promotion process. 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.
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. nine0016
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. nine0005
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. nine0005
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. nine0005
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. nine0005
Giveaway
Giveaways are special formats of contests, within which a huge number of non-target audience comes to you.
Sometimes this is a live audience, sometimes the organizers tweak the bots, but in any case, this is a non-target audience. In addition to the fact that this has no marketing effect, only harm. This is how Instagram works: he sees that on some day after the giveaway ends, a significant part of those who came unsubscribe from you - it becomes obvious to him that something is wrong with the account. And here, again, these sanctions are involved - your coverage is falling dramatically. nine0005
Mutual following
Now mutual following is harmful. But you can use one of its varieties - a subscription to a thematic hashtag. For example, your professional exhibition was held, and people posted photos with a specific hashtag. You can follow the hashtag and follow these people. The limit in this case is 50 people per day. It is clear that the effect here will not be very pronounced. But these are targeted subscribers.
14 ways to get 1000 IG followers (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 recruiting subscribers, make sure that your profile is filled out and that 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. nine0005
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. nine0005 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. nine0005
Use low-frequency tags - under which less than 10 thousand publications are placed, and medium-frequency - from 10 to 500 thousand. They belong to niche search and are more likely to attract the target audience.
For convenience, type a few dozen target hashtags and combine them under posts, but it's better to repeat them less often. The optimal number of tags under the post is up to ten.
And one more tip, which is not related to promotion, but will be useful for setting up an account on Instagram. When you write all the hashtags, create a system of your own unique tags that no one uses. They will be needed for easy navigation through different sections of your posts. nine0005 Hashtags for publication
An important point that you should pay attention to when promoting on Instagram is the profile header. It is the profile header that is your "face", the first impression of the account. The role of the header is to give a concise answer about what is happening in the profile, to inspire confidence.
Strong text and use of keywords in the header communicate positioning and brand benefits, influence the growth of subscriptions and sales.
Do not get carried away with writing in a hat, be brief, but understandable. In addition, Instagram only skips 150 characters. nine0005 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. nine0005
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 will not surprise anyone with Instagram marathons and challenges, but, nevertheless, in order to attract new subscribers, this method will come in handy. A challenge is a challenge that the account owner throws to his friends, the audience after performing certain actions. The main thing in challenges is not only to do something and show your coolness, but to encourage the audience to repeat after you, accept a challenge or throw a similar one to your friends, close circle, etc. nine0005
If the content resonates with a large number of people, then it will be reposted to their stories, commented, tagged.
At first, you can resort to a little trick and arrange a discussion and reposting on a certain topic between you and your friends in order to attract the attention of the audience.
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. nine0005
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. nine0005 Co-authorship in IG
To find a suitable author or brand for a joint post, it is enough to check the match on the following parameters:
- Your products/services do not compete with each other;
- You have a similar target audience;
- Goods/services complement each other;
- Human factor: it is better to work with nice people, so your companion should inspire confidence and inspire sympathy.
6. Blogger commenting
Comment on posts by bloggers with a similar target audience. Write not only an assessment, good or bad, but also ask questions, suggest an idea for the next post. Try to stand out, but delicately, without unnecessary criticism, so as not to end up in a bathhouse. In a word, show keen interest and competence in topics, and new potential subscribers will notice you.
7. Traffic flow
Attracting followers to Instagram from other social networks is a great way to increase the number of followers for free at the first stage of promotion. Use all the social networks that you lead. Put a link to your Instagram in all your profiles. Write in the status that you are mastering a new format, publishing a photo of your life in IG. nine0005
Then 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. nine0005 Link to Instagram
8. Interactive stories
What are we talking 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
- 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. nine0005 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. nine0005 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. nine0005 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.
Qr-code on Instagram13. 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. nine0005 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 - you will have to try to get the first 1000 subscribers.
Paid promotion methods will help speed up the process. nine0005
This includes external tools that expand the basic possibilities of page administration: show additional statistics, automate actions, wind up followers.
There will also be classic marketing techniques that imply the availability and planning of a budget: targeting, buying ads from other bloggers, holding contests.
1. Targeted advertising
Targeting advertising — 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. nine0005
Even if you are just approaching the milestone of 1000 followers and are not sure about 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. nine0005 Posted by 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. nine0005
So, an additional advantage of VK is 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. nine0005
Let's consider the option when you already have some kind of a 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 ...". nine0005
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. It 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. nine0005
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. nine0005
| 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:
Mailing in Direct: 30 services + 4 steps how to do it By the way.
Have you heard about the new method of promotion on Instagram? SocTool has a unique algorithm that allows you to intercept the target audience from competitors online. The service will instantly establish a contact (subscription, like, message in Direct) while the user is online. Click and test - SocTool
3. Contest
If you already have your "backbone" of active subscribers, then announce the contest on your page. Play a gift, and as one of the conditions for participation, indicate a subscription. The main thing is that there are other conditions that will help to fairly select the winners. Otherwise, the contest will turn into a simple giveaway, after which you will lose all subscribed participants.
The timing of the competition should be such that everyone who wants to complete the task, but not too long, so that people do not get tired of waiting for the prize. Optimal - 5-7 days.
Holding a contest on Instagram
Related:
Uploading comments to IG: TOP 5 services + how to do Instagram challenge: 13 ideas of 2021Cheat followers on Instagram
The fastest method for gaining 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. nine0005
- Sites for buying subscribers in bulk
Buying subscribers is done by buying in bulk or using 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 | nine0253 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. nine0005
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 | nine0253 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. nine0005
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 | nine0257
| 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 | nine0253 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. nine0005
| 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. nine0005
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.
