Building an Instagram audience can be tough for those just starting out. With over 300 million users, it’s easy to get lost in the mix of “Instagram Famous” accounts – but Instagram’s algorithm is rewarding posts with high engagement, and getting more followers is much easier once you’ve built up a following. Since getting more followers can even mean starting to make a living out of your Instagram account, learning how to grow your followers is crucial.
1. Post On Peak Times
There’s no exact time that all of your followers are online, but by posting at peak times when you have the most engagement, you will be getting in front of more eyeballs. If you’re looking to grow your Instagram followers, you’ll need to make sure you’re visible to them by posting when there’s the greatest chance they’ll be online. Determining this peak time can be done easily by looking at your own Instagram activity.
See when you get the most likes and comments on your photos, and use that as a guide for when to post in order to have the best engagement. Focus on posting photos at times when everyone is awake to maximize your activity. You can also use a scheduling app to make sure you’ve got a constant stream of content going out, and set up several weeks in advance. This way, even if you’re not online yourself, the posts will still be getting sent.
2. Know Your Hashtags
Hashtags on Instagram are the equivalent of someone tagging a photo with keywords – they’re used to categorize photos and videos into groups that other users will find through searchability. By keeping an eye out for trending hashtags and tagging your photos with them, you’ll reach a wider audience. Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche or topic, and make sure to keep the number under 30 (anything higher will be detrimental to your post’s engagement).
A good Instagram photo needs to tell its own story – the point of including hashtags in a photo is to add additional context in a subtle way. Putting a long list of hashtags in the caption is great for gaining exposure in more searches, but it can also detract from the visual if you’re using too many. A good rule of thumb is to use one or two hashtags at most per post and make sure they don’t detract from the photo itself.
3. Tag Other Accounts
Hashtags are great for getting yourself out there, but tagging other accounts in your photo is how you can gain real exposure. By tagging other accounts, you’re directing followers from those accounts to your own – and the more people who see your photos, the easier it will be to grow your Instagram followers. This is a win-win situation since tagging other accounts in a photo or video lets them know that their audience might like what you have to offer.
You’ll want to make sure you only tag accounts that are relevant to your niche – while it might be tempting to tag big celebrity accounts, their followers aren’t looking for what you’re posting. Make a list of small-time Instagrammers who post about topics related to yours and tag them in your posts from time to time. This is a great way to get in the good graces of these accounts, and it can lead to interesting opportunities.
4. Engage With Others
This aspect of growing your Instagram audience is an often-overlooked part of the social media marketing that can be incredibly beneficial. You want to make sure you’re tapping into the social aspect of Instagram by getting involved with others. By liking and commenting on the posts of other accounts, you put yourself in front of their followers – who may not have known about your profile before. This can be a great way to start growing your Instagram following because it shows that you’re active on the platform and makes people more likely to follow you.
There’s a fine line between engaging with others and spamming them, though – make sure you’re not using automated bots to like thousands of photos in a day or leaving the same generic comment on everything you come across. You want your comments and likes to be personalized so they add value to the Instagram community. People like to support other Instagrammers, and if you can contribute to the community in a positive way your following will reflect that growth.
5. Be Consistent
If you’re putting out new content consistently, people will see that and be more likely to follow you on Instagram. You want to aim for a minimum of three posts per day if possible, but this is up to you. The more often you post, the easier it will be to grow your list of followers – as long as you’re posting quality content that people are engaging with. This is an important part of Instagram marketing because if you have a high number of posts but low engagement, your audience might think your account isn’t active or interesting.
Instagram’s algorithm uses the number of likes and comments on a post to determine how popular it is, and this impacts your visibility. People will be more interested in following you if they see that your photos are well-liked and have a high level of engagement. You don’t need to only post selfies, but every photo should have a clear call-to-action that encourages people to follow or engage with you. Some simple ways to include a call-to-action are by using an emoji in the caption, adding “Tag your friends!” at the end of the post’s description, or posting multiple photos that tell a story and encouraging people to like and comment on them.
Remember that building up your Instagram audience is about so much more than just posting photos and videos you think will get likes. If you want to grow your followers on Instagram, it’s important to take a two-sided approach. You want to focus on reaching out to others through tagging and engaging, but you also need to create posts that attract attention in the first place. Be sure to use hashtags and post interesting and relevant photos – and don’t be afraid to tag other accounts that will get your name in front of the right audience.