How to get your instagram noticed
10 Simple Tactics You Can Try Today
Since Instagram started sorting posts on users’ feed with an algorithm, many marketers have noticed a decline in their organic reach and engagement.
But that doesn’t have to be the case for you. In fact, it could be possible for you to reach more of your followers now than without the new Instagram algorithm.
In this post, we’ll share 10 straightforward ways you can use to increase your organic reach on Instagram today.
Buffer for Instagram now comes with direct scheduling! Schedule single-image or video posts or set reminders to post multi-image posts at your best times to grow your Instagram following. Learn more today.
Understanding the Instagram Algorithm
Here’s a quick side-note: Understanding how the Instagram algorithm works can be helpful in figuring out how to increase your organic reach in the algorithmic-feed world.
We’ve dug into the Instagram algorithm and broken down the seven key factors of the Instagram algorithm. If you’d like to learn about the algorithm and how it ranks content on users’ feed, feel free to hit the button below to read the post first.
Learn about the Instagram algorithm
10 ways to boost your Instagram reach today
So how can you increase your organic reach on Instagram? Here are the 10 powerful ways you can do that:
- Find your optimal posting times
- Experiment with videos
- Host contests or ask questions to encourage engagement
- Curate user-generated content
- Tell Instagram Stories
- Go live on Instagram
- Use Instagram ads
- Post less
- Create specifically for Instagram
- Be a great Instagram user
Let’s dive in!
1. Find your optimal posting times
Even though Instagram uses an algorithmic timeline now, optimal posting times are still relevant as Sue B. Zimmerman, suggests posting when the majority of your audience is online:
It may take time to get a long-term understanding of your followers’ activity, but it’s important to make sure you’re posting when the majority of your audience is online.
If you are using an Instagram Business Profile, you can check your Instagram Insights to find out when your followers are most active by the day of the week and the time of the day.
Once you’ve identified your ideal posting times, you can also schedule Instagram posts ahead of time to help ensure you consistently post high-quality content.
2. Experiment with videos
Several studies have found that photos tend to get more overall engagement (i.e. likes and comments) than videos on Instagram. On first look, it might seem that photos are better than videos for engagement — and it could well be!
On closer examination, we might draw a different conclusion. News Whip studied the Instagram accounts of 31 news publishers and made an interesting discovery. While photos, on average, get more likes (and overall engagement) than videos, videos generate more comments than photos. In fact, videos, on average, received more than twice the amount of comments than photos!
It is not certain if the Instagram algorithm values likes and comments equally or one more than another.
But since commenting requires more effort from a user than liking, it’s possible that the algorithm values comments more than likes and would rank posts with more comments higher than posts with more likes.
Last year, Instagram found that the video watch time on Instagram increased by more than 40 percent over a six-month period. At this growth rate, it could be great to experiment with videos to see if it increases your engagement and organic reach on Instagram.
To make things easier for you, you can now schedule videos to your Instagram business profiles using Buffer.
3. Host contests or ask questions to encourage engagement
Asking questions or calling for an action is one of the fun ways to encourage your followers to interact with your Instagram posts. We found that hosting a giveaway contest is an effective way to engage our followers.
Some of the call-to-actions we have tried are:
- Enter to win by sharing your favorite emoji party combo in the comments below ?
- To enter, simply tag a friend below who you would “Vote” for as your favorite marketer and you’ll both be entered to win!
- To enter tag a friend below who you know is rocking it on social media! ?
- What’s on your reading list this week? ? Drop your book suggestions below for a chance to win a free book of your choice from the Buffer team! ❤
While giveaway contests usually generate more comments than usual posts, we try to give it a few months in between each contest to keep things fun and exciting.
Something that we do more often is asking a question in our Instagram posts. Several of our most-commented posts (excluding contest posts) are posts with a question such as this, this, and this.
4. Curate user-generated content
Brian Peters, our digital marketing strategist, grew our Instagram account following by about 500% (4,250 to 21,000) in under six months. His secret? User-generated content.
Curating user-generated content can encourage those users to engage with and share those content. Since the Instagram algorithm considers users’ relationships when ranking content on their feed, building relationships with your users through Instagram might also help your content rank higher on their feeds.
Apart from organic reach, Crowdtap found that user-generated content is 35 percent more memorable and 50 percent more trusted than traditional media and other non-user-generated content. This makes user-generated content a valuable strategy to try.
If you would like to repost user-generated content on your Instagram profile, we would love for you to try our Buffer for Android or Buffer for iOS mobile apps, which can help speed up the process.
5. Tell Instagram Stories
In our State of Social Media 2016 report, we found that while 63 percent of marketers surveyed use Instagram, only 16 percent have created Instagram Stories. There’s a great opportunity to stand out before it gets too crowded!
Instagram Stories take a prominent position on the Instagram app — above the feed. This allows you to stay on top of your followers’ feed and grab more of their attention. If your followers view your Stories regularly, it could possibly even help your Instagram posts rank higher on their feeds.
It’s worth noting that the Stories are also ranked by an algorithm; possibly one very similar to the feed algorithm. Spend the time to craft great Stories to help them rank better.
6. Go live on Instagram
A similar “trick” is to go live on Instagram.
When you use live video, you will appear right at the front of the Stories feed, assuming no one else is live at the same time. The “LIVE” logo also makes your profile photo more prominent in the Instagram app.
Social Media Examiner found that the more they went live on Facebook, the more their non-live content received exposure. Michael Stelzner said that one reason might be their brand is in front of their fans more often so the fans might go to their Page to see their content more — even if the fans don’t watch the live video.
This effect could play out on Instagram, too. Seeing your logo at the top of their feed might encourage your followers to check out your Instagram profile.
From our State of Social Media 2016 report, we concluded that live video has yet to hit mass adoption as only 27 percent of marketers surveyed had created live video content. While the percentage might be higher today, I believe live videos aren’t mainstream yet. So it’s another perfect way to stand out and deliver great content!
7.
Use Instagram adsThis might sound a little counter-intuitive but Instagram ads can be an effective way to grow your organic reach.
If you have an Instagram Business Profile, you can promote your existing posts from within the Instagram app. (
So which post should you promote?
Here’s a quick way to pick a good post to promote:
- Go to your Instagram Insights on the mobile app (tap on the profile tab and then the bar chart icon).
- Tap “See More” under the “Top Posts” section.
- Tap on “Impressions” at the top (a pop-up should apply to let you adjust your stats filters).
- For the first filter, you can choose “All”, “Photos”, or “Videos” according to your preference.
- For the second filter, select “Engagement”.
- For the third filter, select “7 days”.
- You will see your top posts by engagement for the last seven days. From there, you can pick a post to promote.
As these posts have received the most engagement from your followers, they would likely also resonate with the people you promote to (assuming you have targeted people like your followers).
8. Post less
When explaining social media algorithms, Michael Stelzner encouraged marketers to re-think your posting strategy.
Rethink is the keyword here. Rethink your posting strategy on social media – Less is actually more!
Sue B. Zimmerman also gave a similar advice for marketers who want to overcome the Instagram algorithm.
If you truly want to connect with your audience, it’s better to share one fabulous photo instead of 20 mediocre images. So next time, before you hit post, take a moment and consider how this content contributes to your brand, and does it effectively encourage engagement from your followers.
I believe this is about the allocation of your resources and time. Instead of publishing 20 posts a week, use the same resources and time for just one or two posts and make them great.
Quality content that is relevant to your followers has a higher chance of eliciting a positive response from your followers.
In turn, this can help your posts rank higher on your followers’ feed.
9. Create specifically for Instagram
One way to create quality content is to create content specifically for Instagram. Instagram, being a very visual platform, has a greater focus on the photo or video itself than the text. So a post that would do well on Instagram is probably different from one that would do well on Twitter or Facebook.
For smaller social media teams or solo social media manager, it can be challenging to always create unique content for each platform. Crossposting and repurposing content from other platforms can be great, too. If you are doing that, it’d be best to craft specific caption for each social media platform as your followers likely follow you for a different reason for each of the platforms.
Now with Tailored Posts, you can write customized captions for each social network. We’re hoping that this feature would encourage you to be (even) more creative with your social media posts and would help you drive more engagement.
10. Be a great Instagram user
This last point might be a little vague but it nicely wraps up many of the points above.
Social media algorithms are built to encourage genuine, positive behaviors on the platforms such as sharing, showing appreciation, quick replies, and more. Often, they would also try to discourage abuse or hacks.
My gut feeling here is that being a great Instagram user will help you grow your organic reach over time. That includes:
- Posting quality content that is relevant to your followers (be it informative, inspiring, or entertaining)
- Answering questions on your posts quickly
- Thanking people for commenting on your posts
- Exploring other people’s profiles, engaging with their posts, and building a relationship with them
All the best!
The main objective of Instagram (and most social media platforms) is to make users happy and let them enjoy the experience. As brands on Instagram (and social media), I think we can do a lot to create great experiences for our followers — which will, in turn, benefit ourselves.
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How To Get Noticed On Instagram
Instagram is one of the biggest social networks. But why, as a business, do you need to join and start posting to “the grid”?
For starters, it’s one of the most personal social media networks. Those little square images can convey quite a bit about your brand, making you seem real and trustworthy.
Plus, Instagram is continually growing. Their growth is five times faster than any other social media platform, according to Social Media Today. Over 400 million people use Instagram daily, and over 600 million use it monthly.
It’s a vibrant place to be, and you can and should tap into its popularity and potential. Here are some ideas for how to do it.
Instagram (IG) is a powerful medium to expand your reach – but only if you use it the right way to get noticed.
1. Post Consistently, But Not Too Much
Brands that get noticed on the platform are consistent posters. At the same time, they don’t spam their followers with too many photos.
You need to post regularly if you expect to grow your followers and your reach. After all, nobody will be able to discover your account organically unless you put some content out there.
A good rule of thumb to follow for posting is one photo a day, max.
Post any more frequently, and you’ll get annoying. Any less, and you won’t be taking full advantage of your social media presence.
2. Don’t Pay for Engagement
IG’s algorithm can tell the difference between real users and bots.
“Bots” are automated services that many business accounts use to like posts, follow users, and even comment. It’s easy to see why people crunched for time take advantage, but it’s not a good practice.
For one, it builds inauthenticity, since you’re not actually engaging on a human level.
For another, it violates IG’s terms of use, and you’ll get penalized for it. In particular, you’ll get “shadow banned,” which will directly hurt your engagement: Your content will pop up less on user feeds and discovery pages.
Just avoid paying for illegitimate engagement. Instead, work on getting it organically or through platform-based advertising for best results.
3. Post at the Right Times
Posting once a day isn’t the only important factor for getting noticed. You also need to post strategically, at the right times.
To get the highest amount of initial engagement, post when your target audience is most active. This time will vary depending on the demographics of your followers.
However, there are tools you can use to track when people are engaging and when you should post, like Owlmetrics.
This initial spurt of engagement from posting at the right time can help boost your post. This means it will show up higher in people’s feeds, getting more exposure and even more notice.
4. Post Content That’s Significant for Your Target Audience
When thinking about post content, tailor it for your audience. What do they want to see? Give it to them and watch the likes and comments roll in.
Inc. recommends using cultural triggers in your photos to appeal to your specific audience. For instance, if your targets are mostly millennials, you could give a nod to millennial nostalgia and post about a ‘90s trend or touchstone.
Inc. says this immediately forges an emotional connection between you and your followers, and that’s huge for engagement.
5. Include CTAs in Your Captions for Social Media Marketing
Yep, using calls-to-action (CTAs) is a great strategy for IG, too. A good CTA can be inspiring or encouraging enough that your followers will want to comment and like your posts.
For instance, asking questions encourages a flurry of activity in the comments. It can be as simple as inquiring what your followers are up to, or asking for their opinion about a certain topic.
You can also take an impromptu “poll” of your audience – make a relevant statement, then tell them to “like” your post if they agree with you.
6. Host an Instagram Contest
Hosting a contest is a great way to encourage engagement and get noticed on IG.
To start one, usually, you just need some swag. To announce the contest/giveaway, post a photo of it on your account and describe what the goods are.
For lots of engagement, require entrants to complete a number of tasks. They can like the photo, follow your account, and leave a comment, or tag a few friends in the comments. They can even repost the photo. Each task counts as an entry and increases their chances of winning.
For maximum impact, team up with another business account on the contest so you can share followers and engagement.
7. Use a Consistent Filter on Photos
Unsurprisingly, the IG accounts that get the most engagement and notice are consistent in every way. They:
- Post consistently
- Post consistent, relevant, interesting photos
- Use consistent photo filters for a unified look
Yes, even your photo filters can contribute to the notice you get.
For a unified brand look, stick to the same one or two filters to improve the look of your photos.
Don’t use a random array of photo edits – when people visit your feed to see what you’re about, your grid will look random, too.
In short, to draw them in, keep things consistent and unified, right down to the look of your photos.
Use Instagram to boost your Social Media Marketing
If you can get noticed on Instagram, you could boost your overall social media marketing results by leaps and bounds.
Cultivating your social presence, however, takes time and effort. You can’t use the easy way out, and you have to be consistent, above all.
IG is huge right now, and if you’re not yet taking advantage, what are you waiting for? There are hundreds of millions of people on the platform right now, and plenty would be ready and willing to follow your brand.
Get noticed the right way, and you could draw followers and grab engagement. Plus, more importantly, you’ll win conversions and customers.
Social media marketing can be easier with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency. We have the skills to set you apart from the pack. Give us a holler and find out what we can do for your social media presence and bottom line!
40 tips on how to promote your Instagram
1. Do not forget to put hashtags that will help increase the number of subscribers: #instafollow, #l4l (Like for like), #tagforlikes and #followback.
2. Like as much as possible. For every 100 likes you give to random photos, you will get an average of 6 new followers.
3. Run contest . The easiest way to do this is to post a themed picture and ask people to like it so they can participate. nine0005
4. Start promoting profile on your pages in other social networks. Write what your blog is about and why people should read it and invite them to join.
5. Be generous with likes and comments - this is the easiest way to attract new subscribers.
6. Use common hashtags to make your photos visible in the global search. Among the most popular are #love, #instagood, #fashion and #photooftheday.
@westwingde
7. Time matters. Research has shown that the best time to fast is between 2 pm and 5 pm.
8. Follow people who use popular hashtags (#followme, #likeforlike) because many of them will follow you back.
9. Remember, quality is important , not quantity. Monitor your profile and leave only beautiful and high-quality photos. Believe me, no one is interested in flipping through hundreds of photos of salads. nine0005
10. Love the Mayfair filter. Track Maven listed this filter on The Fortune 500 Instagram as the best choice for marketers.
11. Check that you have completed the biography section . Complete it with suitable words and hashtags, and also provide a link to your website.
But remember: no spam! Otherwise, subscribers will lose interest in the profile.
12. Ask questions to subscribers. This is a great way to connect with your target audience. nine0005
13. Post on Sundays . It is on this day that people post photos a little, so your post will be seen by the maximum number of people.
@nastiapoberezhna
14. Be consistent with . Think about who and why you are doing this. The more clearly you answer these questions, the faster you will attract the right audience.
15. Call people to action. For example, ask them to write their opinion about your photo in the comments. nine0005
16. Don't be afraid to post often. It may seem that the more often the photos flash, the more indifferent the subscribers behave. But according to the Union Metrics program, there is no relationship between posting frequency and audience activity.
At least negative.
17. Follow suggested users. Go to settings and select "Find and invite friends" and then "Recommended users".
18. Set geolocation . This will be especially useful if you run an Instagram company. So you will have the opportunity to attract new subscribers-neighbors.
19. Schedule publications with the Later program. Consistency never hurt anyone.
20. Agree with popular blogger to advertise your profile or product. So information about you will quickly scatter over the network.
21. Research has shown that blue images get 24% more likes than orange or red images. Post something blue and see for yourself! nine0005
22. Let fast on Wednesdays become your obligatory ritual. This is because posts get more attention and likes in the middle of the week.
23. Write the word "comment" more often in posts. This encourages your followers to share their opinions and be more willing to join the discussion.
24. Post photos showing 's face. According to research, such publications are 35% more popular than others.
25. Tag in photos of people. Your post will also be seen by friends of friends. nine0005
26. Remember the rule: the more light the better.
27. If you have a business account, create a branded hashtag . So users can specify it when purchasing a product. And it will increase your visibility on Instagram several times over.
28. Share live photos. Show that behind the beautiful picture there are living people .
29. Business trick: share photos of your followers mentioning your brand or product. This pleasant step shows that you value each client. In return, they will definitely share your photos in their feed. nine0005
30. Brand yourself : Use your nickname for more than just your profile.
A notebook, a case or a branded sticker on a car will surely attract the attention of potential subscribers.
@romantimo3
31. Invite friends from Facebook to follow you. To do this, in the profile settings, select "Find friends on Facebook."
32. People love stories. Share your experiences and thoughts, so you will gain their trust and establish contact. Just remember that the post should be emotional and bright, not snot in sugar. nine0005
33. Tag people , even in stories, don't be lazy.
34. Do not be shy in your posts to ask for likes . As practice has shown, such publications receive 89% more likes.
35. In advance plan not only time, but also content. Prepare your materials and only then start filling out your feed. For example, write posts for a few days in advance, and then publish them gradually. The Instagram filling schedule will help you stay focused on the main topic of the blog. 36. Post a motivational or inspirational quote . 37. Synchronize phone book with your account. Go to settings and select "Contacts" in the "For Subscriptions" section. 38. Be active on profiles with similar topics. Especially if you run a business profile. Chat in the comments , ask questions and let influencers know about you. 39. Collaborate with other users. Find accounts with the same number of followers and invite their owners to organize a joint promotion. This will help you and your partners to win an audience and attract the attention of new people. nine0005 40. Create a unique hashtag, by which you can organize a challenge for your subscribers. Based on cosmo.com.ua Tags: Instagram, blog, how to become famous, tips, social networks The day has come when you decided to make money on Instagram* . Contents : Check your profile against a short checklist before you start promoting your Instagram account*: Another tip: search Instagram* for posts using the hashtag #evaluationaccount and ask for feedback on your profile in the comments. Looking from the outside will help you see what you did not notice. We have collected the main tips that are most often repeated in articles on the topic “How to promote Instagram * on your own from scratch”. You don't have to give them up - check it out for yourself. The main thing is to gain experience. nine0005 You probably have a profile on Vkontakte or Facebook*. Publish a post that you have an Instagram account*. Write why read you there, in addition to existing profiles. Send a letter with the news about the new account to the database of contacts or customers by email. Be active to get noticed on Instagram*. At the initial stage, mass following can help, but you should not abuse it. React Stories instead of people who might like your topic. This method will attract a more loyal audience and active subscribers. Give away your product for free or raffle it for meeting conditions. Tell about the contest on your pages and inform that the draw is only among subscribers. It is not necessary to make a repost a condition of the competition. Ask your friends to share the contest on their pages. Promotion takes effort, so get ready to work in the coming months. If you plan to relax more, then allocate a budget and set up targeted advertising on Instagram*. Or try non-standard approaches in promoting your account. Put on a reality show and talk about how you are trying to promote your Instagram account* from scratch. This method was used by Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the top bloggers in America, to promote his account. The method is called "$1.8". In English there is an analogue of the Russian expression "insert your 5 kopecks", only percentages. The bottom line: "insert" your 2 cents in the TOP 9 posts for 10 hashtags in your topic. It turns out a contribution of $ 1.8 to the development of your blog. How to promote Instagram* from scratch by yourself using this method? Choose 10 hashtags related to your topic and comment 9 every dayposts. If the post has a question, then give a meaningful answer. Pay attention to engagement: the post should have at least 5% likes from the number of subscribers. Write a guide or instruction on your topic with the answer to the “how” question and place it on a popular site. For example: vc.ru, TJournal, Spark, Yandex.Zen, Peekaboo. Mention your Instagram account* and indicate that there is even more material on the topic. nine0005 For example, links to accounts on Instagram* in an article on vc.ru How can an ad help promote Instagram* from scratch? In Ukraine, the girl gained thousands of subscribers by simply posting a handwritten message on an A4 sheet on a pole. This unusual trick can work, especially if you use a QR code. Gather an audience for a useful marathon. Come up with a theme and easy tasks for the week. Here you can also promote the publication (you remember that we have transferred the page to a business profile, but only they have this option directly from their Instagram account*). If you need an analytics tool to track your progress, we recommend picking it up using the article “The 5 Best Instagram Analytics Services*: Pros, Cons, Opportunities and Prices”. From it you will learn about the possibilities of analyzing the audience and content on the social network. This will help you improve your strategy and increase promotion efficiency. Do not forget that during the promotion of Instagram * your profile should be updated with new posts and stories. No time? Create content months in advance and upload to SMMplanner. The service will independently publish posts on a schedule. nine0005 A clear plan will help you not miss posting days and track your progress on Instagram*. We need to get 3,000 subscribers - that's 100 people a day. With 8 hours of work, we need 12 people per hour. Suppose every tenth person who sees the publication subscribes to you. This means that the conversion is 10%, and you need at least 120 people to find out about you per hour. nine0005 Keep track of these stats by reviewing your page report every evening. If growth is not enough, then scale up. Run 2 marathons, put up a few ads, ask not 5, but 10 friends to tell about you. Create a spreadsheet to track your progress. Choose activities from the article and mark your progress every day. A more visual and convenient way is to use the DataFan service. It will display account statistics in a ready-made report or automatically update data in Google Sheets. In addition to subscriber data, DataFan will show you which posts your audience visited the most, which posts were most subscribed to, and help you achieve your goals faster. Add to the table — when and what actions you will do on Instagram*. You can fill the cell with color when the task is completed. Write a comment to the cell if you have an idea or want to write down your emotions. Think about how you will please yourself for every hundred subscribers. You can enter the data in the table so that motivation is in front of your eyes. Share your achievements in all social networks - it motivates you to follow your project. The lack of an active influx of new followers makes many give up and think: “I should have started earlier. Try using an unusual theme, it will help you promote your account more easily. People will subscribe because they haven't seen anything like it. For example, on Instagram*, the account of a girl) who lives in Paris and interviews random passers-by is popular. nine0005 You understand who you attract to your account. No need to write “girls, look at the bouquets on my page by March 8” under the post of a fitness trainer on how to lose weight after giving birth. You may have posted 12 posts and forgot about your account while promoting. To keep your circle in Instagram Stories* always active and post at least 2-3 times a week, use SMMplanner. Shoot content for stories, write posts, take a couple of hours of delayed planning and engage in audience engagement. nine0005 We also recommend reading the article “How to create a content plan for Instagram Stories*”. To promote a page on Instagram* from zero to 3000 subscribers per month, you need regularity. In actions and updating content in the profile. Write down the plan for the days of the week and note the progress. Treat account promotion like a game, and your perseverance will turn into passion. Remember that after the first 1,000 subscribers it will become much easier! Don't give up if you're behind schedule.
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working tips for promoting your page
But now you look at your brand new account and feel like a small fish in the ocean of successful bloggers... Believe me, everyone went through this path from scratch, and the most difficult stage is the first 3,000 subscribers. Here, many give up and leave the account, but not you! Now we will tell you how to achieve the first goal, overcome the “valley of death” and promote your page on Instagram*. nine0005
Prerequisites before promotion
Even if you use your first or last name, write the field of activity. 
nine0193
Try the standard methods that everyone advises
Tell everyone
Follow and like
Better to do it manually. Keep in mind that Instagram* does not approve the connection of third-party mass liking services and may block the account. nine0005 Run a contest
Test promotion methods that few people use
Announce a challenge
Report in stories and involve everyone who wants to help, promise a cool ending if the idea ends in success. Let everyone know "I'm gaining 3,000 in a month!", maybe someone will come up with new ideas. Use Instagram Stories* to share what's happening and engage viewers in the process. nine0005 The public goal in stories is 1,000 people on the course Use the $1.8 method
Don't give up and keep investing your "2 cents" every day. Write articles
Post ads
Run a marathon
Ask your friends to participate or tell your friends. Be sure to organize activity under posts and in stories to promote your account: collect reports on tasks or come up with challenges for shooting videos for Instagram Stories*. nine0005
Write an action plan
Try strict mode for 30 days to reach your goal of 3,000 subscribers. How long does it take to promote Instagram * from zero to 3000
How to track your progress
nine0005 What will help you to be regular
How to stay motivated
I do everything, but they don’t follow
” Most often, the problem is in the profile, not in your actions. Therefore, check your Instagram account * according to a short checklist. nine0005 1. Clear topic
2. Content fits the audience
There, advice about your yoga mats will look more harmonious. You don't have to run a "my menu for the week" marathon if you're selling financial planning services. 3. Regular posts
Let's sum it up
