There are no definitive “growth tips” for growing your Instagram followers, but there are still plenty of things you can do to build your Instagram growth strategy.
Before you get started: If you’re new to Instagram for your business or as a creator, the first step is to figure out the nuances of your Instagram presence. So, these first tactics cover the basics and are especially important for creators or new businesses.
Even if you’re a seasoned Instagrammer, you’ll want to make sure you’ve checked the essential boxes before moving forward. Don’t worry, this guide has plenty of tips for intermediate and experienced creators, too.
6 Best Tips to Achieve Maximum Instagram Followers Organically
Find your niche
Your personal brand is important: it tells people who you are and what they can expect from your account. But to find your community and grow your audience, you need to find a specific niche. To do this, think about why you opened your account in the first place.
Don’t be afraid of your niche. Creating content that works for you will make your content creation sustainable and prevent burnout.
Develop a solid content strategy
Success on Instagram doesn’t happen by accident. You need a clear strategy that highlights your brand’s unique side and helps you create content that’s consistent with your brand. If you’re successful, you’ll see increased engagement, a stronger community, and new subscribers. Let’s take a look at the tactics that make this strategy a success:
Schedule Instagram posts in advance
No one can deny the aspect that brands are at the mercy of the Instagram algorithm when considering reaching them. However, posting at the right time can help you get more exposure.
This shows the value of content scheduling on Instagram. With Sprout’s latest tools, brands can schedule stories, carousels, scrolls, and posts.
Maintain a consistent content schedule
Dynamic is key on Instagram. In other words, you’re not likely to gain followers on Instagram if you post randomly. If you do this consistently, you can build loyalty. That’s why it’s important to stick to a regular posting schedule. When it comes to when and how much to post, you don’t need a specific number. Most brands post daily or almost daily. This is also evident from our research on posting frequency.
Create a Strong Brand and Aesthetic on Instagram
Instagram is home to over 200 million businesses. That means tough competition. To stand out, you need a strong and distinctive brand on the platform. Maintaining consistency in things like post colors, aesthetics, and style helps users remember your brand and recognize your content at a glance.
Use Short-form Video Content
Data from Sprout shows that 66% of consumers want to see more short-form videos from brands, showcasing the importance of Reels. They are fun, engaging, and a goldmine for algorithms. Think tutorials, product highlights, or even quick behind-the-scenes looks.
Post content your followers want to see
There are so many variables to consider, right? It doesn’t help that Instagram’s algorithm is complicated. What works for one brand might not work for another in terms of format and timing.
For example, some brands swear by carousels. Others put everything on Reels. Both approaches can work. You’ll quickly notice on Instagram that certain content gets more likes than others. That’s why testing is so important. Instagram’s own analytics tools are surprisingly powerful. However, investing in Instagram analytics tools takes it to the next level.
Start Instagram Live Sessions
Host Live sessions for direct communication with the audience. This promotes real-time engagement and creates a sense of community.
For example, you can host virtual events like product launches, show short tutorials, or simply hold open discussions and Q&As. If you have an ecommerce store, users can also purchase your products in real time. Additionally, you can share these livestreams as 24-hour stories so subscribers who missed the event can catch up later.
Understand your Analytics
Regularly checking your Instagram analytics is essential to understanding what’s working for you and what’s not. Your audience may respond best to entertaining Reels, but educational posts work best as carousels. Spotting trends will guide your content creation strategy so you can get the most return on your Instagram investment.
Engage with your Audience and Promote Relation Building
If you keep your Instagram followers happy, you’ll see the rewards in the form of a growing audience. The best Instagram accounts have fans and communities which means building customer relationships.
Here are the incredible ways to engage your audience and build relationships:
Create content that highlights your brand personality
Content that highlights your personality and the people behind your brand can help you build a deeper connection with your audience. This includes:
· Inspiring content
· Humorous content
· Share user-generated content with unique captions
· Storytelling posts
· Behind-the-scenes photos and videos
· Posts that raise awareness for social causes
Also, ensure that your content aligns with your brand values. Avoid coming across as needy, salesy, or robotic at all costs.
Have a meaningful conversation with your audience
Being supportive and responsive shows people you care. This also applies to any brand mentions or direct messages (DMs) you receive. You’ll be surprised how much your Instagram following grows when you start getting more personal. Our Index research shows that 89% of consumers buy from a brand after following them on social media. Every interaction counts.
Engage with your customers and brand ambassadors
To understand how to grow your Instagram followers, you need to engage your audience.
And one of the best ways to do that is by commenting on and reposting their posts.
Discover the power of user-generated content. UGC campaigns create social proof by showing your followers that you’re invested in them. For example, Drunk Elephant regularly moves their subscribers’ posts. They curate content using their hashtags.
Find the best time to post
As mentioned above, it’s important to create consistent content on Instagram. To get more eyes on your content, posting at the right time can lead to more traffic and new audiences. A subsequent study found that users are more likely to engage with content posted in the early morning hours than content from a different time zone. However, it’s important to find the best time to post. Later’s Best Time Posting tool gives you suggestions on the best time to post for optimal engagement.
Collaborate with other influencers and brands
If you want to grow your Instagram following, consider partnering with others. Collaborations open doors to new audiences and help you quickly gain the trust of others.
· Find influencers in your area and collaborate with them
· Influencers have a loyal network of followers who believe in them.
· Collaborating with influencers in your area, especially those with a small but very large following, can expand your brand’s reach and build credibility.
· However, finding the right influencers to collaborate with can be tricky. There are millions of creators on Instagram, and not all of them identify with your brand or have a real audience (hint: they could be bots).
· Collaborate with brands that are similar to yours.
· Strategic partnerships with brands can significantly increase your reach and engagement on Instagram.
They also add a new perspective to your content and make the entire experience entertaining for everyone involved, including your target audience. Think about what your customers want beyond your products to drive your partnerships. Look for brands that share these interests, but don’t directly compete with you.
