Growing your Instagram following is the key to success on the platform. If you don’t have many followers, it’s tough to build an audience and make money. That’s why it’s important that you take a systematic approach to growing your following—and that means doing everything possible to attract new people and keep them engaged with your posts.
Sure, anyone can start a new account and buy Instagram followers to grow their following immediately, but how effective is that going to be? And do you really want to have to spend money every time you are looking to get more followers?
The good news is that there are plenty of paid and free methods to grow your following on social media. And in this guide, we’ll go over some of the best ways to grow your Instagram following.
Get a good username.
The first step to getting more followers is having a good username. Your Instagram username is the name that appears next to all of your posts, so it’s important that you pick something that people can easily remember and associate with you.
You want your Instagram handle to be short and memorable, but also unique enough that no one else has taken it yet. If someone searches for “Bethany” on Instagram, they should only find one person–and not some other Bethany who has been posting about her cat for years!
Here are some examples of good usernames:
Post regularly, but not too much.
Posting frequency depends on your goals. If you’re trying to grow your following, post at least once a day. If you want to get more engagement and build an audience, post a few times per week or month.
If you’re just starting out with Instagram and don’t want to overwhelm yourself by posting too much content all at once, try this: Post one photo every three days for two weeks (that’s six posts total). Then take another break from posting for two weeks before resuming again with another six posts in a row–and so on until the end of the year!
Use hashtags.
You can use hashtags to help you get more followers on Instagram. But what are hashtags and how do they work? A hashtag is simply a word or phrase that starts with a # sign, like #blondehair or #NewYorkCity. When you include a hashtag in your post, it will be easier for people to find that post when they search for that specific hashtag (and other posts with similar content).
But how do you know which hashtags are right for your account? There’s no hard-and-fast rule here–there are many factors involved–but generally speaking:
- Use relevant hashtags. If your pictures feature an orange cat sitting on top of an ice cream cone at sunset while wearing sunglasses, don’t use the hashtag #catsofinstagram (unless perhaps said cat also happens to be named Fido).
- Use popular and relevant hashtags that aren’t too common; this way there will be less competition among other users trying to promote their own accounts alongside yours in the same post!
Follow other accounts.
Instagram is a social network, so it’s important to follow people who are in your niche or similar to you. You should also try to follow accounts that have large followings and high engagement rates, as this will help with getting your own posts seen by more users.
When looking for new accounts to follow, look for those with similar interests as yours but don’t forget about specific hashtags! It’s easy enough to find lists of popular hashtags on Google Images or Pinterest if needed!
Put some thought into your captions and photos.
You can’t just post a photo and expect it to get lots of likes, comments and followers. You need a caption too!
Your caption is what gives context to your photo, so make sure it’s interesting enough for people to want to read. Try adding some humor if you’re feeling bold or being sincere if that’s more in line with who you are as an influencer (or even just person). If there’s something specific about your photo that would be helpful for people viewing it at home on their phones or computers, include some keywords here too (e.g., “I’m wearing this top from Forever 21” or “If anyone else loves cats as much as I do”).
Use Instagram Stories to grow your following.
Instagram Stories are a great way to get your social media message out there, show off your brand and make your followers feel like they are part of something special.
Use Instagram Stories to share fun content that showcases what you do. You can also use them as a way to promote sales or events.
These steps can help build your Instagram presence
- Use hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to connect with like-minded users and attract new followers. You can find them by searching for popular tags in the search bar, or by using an app like Hashtagify to find relevant hashtags for your content. Don’t be afraid to use several relevant ones per post!
- Post regularly (but not too much). Don’t post more than once or twice a day; too many posts will clutter up your feed, making it harder for people who want to see photos from you specifically (like family members) instead of just anyone on Instagram at large. If you’re posting daily, try alternating between photos and stories — that way there’ll always be something new available each time someone views your profile!
- Use Instagram Stories: Stories are short videos that disappear after 24 hours and can include text overlays as well as still images; they’re perfect for showcasing behind-the-scenes happenings at events where there isn’t enough time available during regular business hours due either due their nature itself e., weddings) or logistics involved with getting everyone together under one roof (e., vacations).
Conclusion
You don’t need to be a professional photographer or have a large budget to build a following on Instagram. It’s all about consistency and engagement, so if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out these tips!
