One of the best ways to grow your online business and increase awareness about what you have to offer is through Instagram, and it’s completely free to use! While we all spend countless hours scrolling through our feeds each day, you may be wondering how to get more followers on Instagram. Today I’m going to share with you my top eight organic ways to get more followers on Instagram this year:
1. Have a search optimized name
Accounts with high searchability not only have optimized handles, but optimized names as well. Your “name” is the bolded text that shows up under your profile photo and above your bio. Depending on your account’s focus, you’ll want to try and incorporate a keyword into not only your username, but your name as well. For example, if you have an account that revolves around yoga, both your name and username could include the keyword “yoga.” The name field in your Instagram bio will also appear in search results, so make sure you include words that will showcase what you have to offer even before someone lands on your page!
2. Cross-pollinate audiences via Instagram Live
Instagram is an incredible tool for meeting other content creators in your industry. Once you’ve formed a good relationship with someone online, consider collaborating together via Instagram Live. This will allow you to cross-pollinate audiences and both gain new followers during the process. Try to find an account that’s similar to yours but may have some slight difference in the content they are sharing. You’ll both be able to advertise each other’s accounts in the lead-up to the Instagram Live broadcast, making it one of the best organic ways to grow your following! Instagram gets to be as social as you want it to be.
3. Reels, reels, reels!
The recent introduction of Instagram Reels has completely changed the platform once again. Even if you don’t usually upload this type of content or use TikTok, it’s one of the top tools I recommend when I’m asked how to get more followers on Instagram. The more people you are able to reach with your Reels and land on the explore page, the higher your visibility. The Instagram algorithm prioritizes Reels that are high quality and offer content that’s unique to Instagram instead of just reposting a TikTok video (Do NOT have the TikTok watermark in your reels videos)! Make sure you put just as much effort into your Reels as your feed and Instagram Stories, and try sticking to a sustainable posting schedule. To start, try 1 reel a week!
4. Hire someone for lead generation in the DMs
If you don’t have the time or energy in your current schedule to work on lead generation and respond to DMs, hire someone to do the work for you! There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing time-consuming jobs, which will allow you to continue focusing on the more critical parts of your online business, and leave you feeling less overwhelmed. On freelancing sites today, you’ll be able to find social media managers who can assist with this task, and you can hire them on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to fit your budget and needs. Stay in your zone of genius!
There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing time-consuming jobs, which will allow you to continue focusing on the more critical parts of your online business, and leave you feeling less overwhelmed. Stay in your zone of genius!
5. Follow who is active on your competitors’ pages
Thanks to how simple it is to explore Instagram and search for similar accounts on the platform, it’s easy to check out people within your niche and view who recently interacted with their accounts. By following and engaging with anyone who is active on your competitors’ pages, you’ll be more likely to build your audience with people who are passionate about the same topics you are covering! Instead of just following random people who rarely use the app, active followers will often be the ones who start to engage with your uploads.
6. Host a giveaway
Hosting a giveaway is one of the best organic ways to grow your following today. Who doesn’t like trying to win free goodies online? Try partnering with a brand or another content creator to put together a fun and appealing giveaway that will attract attention and reach. Make sure your giveaway rules encourage participants to reshare your post and tag their friends, which will organically give you the chance to increase your following. During the giveaway time, make sure you keep your new audience engaged by uploading value-driven and exciting content that will ensure they keep following you even after the winner is selected.
7. Edit your photos so it’s on brand
Creating a consistent feed is one of the most important tips I share with anyone who asks me how to get more followers on Instagram. Before uploading images and stories, take a few minutes to plan out the overall aesthetic you are going for with your upcoming uploads. Try to stick to using the same one or two filters on all of your images, and don’t vary the color and lighting too dramatically between posts. My favorite photo editing apps are VSCO and Lightroom Mobile. Followers want something that feels familiar to their favorite content creators, so find what works for your niche and stick with it.
Check out The Wanderlover Podcast where I share 4 Tips to Succeed as a Travel Influencer
Hashtags are one of the easiest tools that anyone can use to grow their following. However, don’t just upload a photo and include a random selection of hashtags without prior research. By selecting the right hashtags, you’ll put yourself into the feeds of your target audience and welcome new followers. In each post, you can use up to 30 hashtags, and Instagram Stories allows up to 10 in each. The quantity is not as important as the quality of your hashtags, so look at the ones that are currently trending within your niche. If you have no idea where to start with selecting hashtags, use an online hashtag search tool that will provide you with suggestions of the most popular options for your target audience.
For anyone that’s been wondering how to get more followers on Instagram, following these eight organic ways to grow your following this year will put you on the right path towards success. Remember, growing your following on Instagram won’t happen overnight, but by using all of these strategies together, you can gain genuine and engaged followers who will keep promoting your account and spreading the word about what you have to offer online.
For more tips, check out my comprehensive ebook Instagram for Business: The Ultimate Branding + Client Attraction Guide where we go through all the ins and outs of this platform to grow your business!
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