Buying followers is unethical and against Instagram’s guidelines. Fake followers can
skew your engagement metrics and may cause you to lose visibility on the platform.
With an algorithm that changes often, it can be tough to grow your following
organically. Luckily, there are some tried-and-true tactics that work! These tips
include:
- Use Hashtags
Hashtags are key to boosting Instagram reach, but it’s important to use them
strategically. Researching trending hashtags, discovering niche hashtags, and using
social media analytics tools to track performance are all essential for improving your
post’s discoverability on Instagram.
Create branded hashtags that reflect your brand or campaign. This will help you
build a community around your store and encourage user-generated content.
Hashtags can also be used to target specific audiences. For example, if your shop
sells novelty mugs with different states, use #FloridaLife or #NewYorkDrinks to
connect with local audiences.
Hashtag research can be a time-consuming task, but there are plenty of tools
available that can make the process easier. Many of these tools provide detailed
hashtag analysis, including their reach and impressions.
- Create Original Content
Creating original content is one of the best ways to grow your Instagram followers.
This can be done through a variety of tactics, such as posting photos or videos that
showcase your products and services. You can also create a blog and promote it on
Instagram to attract potential customers.
You can use Instagram ads to promote a new product launch or a seasonal sale. This
will increase the reach of your post and help you get more Instagram followers.
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You can also host community events to foster user-generated content (UGC). This
type of content is great for humanizing your brand and building trust with
consumers. It can also be used to create Instagram Reels, which are a bundle of
images and videos that tell a story.
- Get Engaged
In addition to posting your own content, it’s important to engage with your audience.
Responding to comments, DMs, and Instagram Lives is the best way to build a
community around your brand. If you can’t always reply in real-time, make sure you
set up saved replies to help you manage your account more efficiently.
Buying followers is unethical and can damage your brand’s credibility, not to
mention skew your analytics data. Instead, focus on growing your audience
organically by creating quality content and providing value to your followers.
To increase your engagement rate, use hashtags and encourage people to share
and comment on your posts. You can also monitor your engagement with Sprout’s
Instagram Analytics tool. Getting more engaged on Instagram will lead to a better
reach for your content, and potentially more followers.
- Share on Other Platforms
Social media users have become much savvier than ever before. They are highlysensitive
to fake accounts and will be quick to detect any sudden increase in
followers or suspicious activity.
To ensure your content is being seen by the right audience, cross-post on other
platforms. This includes TikTok, where you can create Reels that translate well to
YouTube and Instagram Stories (creative IG Story ideas here).
You can also use a social media management tool like Sprout Social to optimize your
content for each platform and manage your entire social strategy from one central
dashboard. With these tools, you can target specific audiences and analyze
performance — allowing you to make the most of your budget and see genuine
growth. This is how you truly gain Instagram followers.
- Post at the Right Time
Creating compelling content is the key to gaining Instagram followers. However, it’s
important to post at the right time. Otherwise, your content could go unnoticed by
your audience.
You can use Insights to find out when your audience is most active on Instagram.
Then, you can test different times to see which ones work best for your account.
It’s also important to consider the location of your audience when testing. This can
help you understand their behaviors better and make your posts more relevant. For
example, if your audience is located in the US, you should test different times during
the week to see when most people are online. You should also keep in mind different
holiday schedules that may impact when your audience is most active.