Thinking about how some Instagram users have a consistent stream of new followers? While many of them are influencers or even celebrities, not everyone has that kind of influence or fame to be able to attract so many followers consistently or within a short period.
So, what’s the secret?
*Spoiler Alert* It’s not buying fake followers!
As Instagram regularly updates its algorithm, low-quality, paid accounts with almost zero interactions are weeded out sooner than you’d expect.
So, the secret to getting more Instagram followers is not money.
While there sure are several genuine paid tools that can help you in this endeavor, there are plenty of free ways that work like a charm. All they require is a bit of planning and hard work. Without further ado, let us check them out.
Top 7 Ways to Get More Instagram Followers
- Choose the Right Handle
If you’re looking for ways to get more followers, chances are you’re running a business or responsible for handling the account on behalf of a business.
In either case, your Instagram handle name should be similar to or at least close to the business name. Note that using the same or at least a similar handle on every social platform is wise, as it’ll make it easier for people to remember, recognize, and find you.
If you’re someone trying to sell a service, unless people don’t already know you, choose a handle name related to what you do. For instance, rather than only using your name, add a service-related term before or after the name.
- If it’s a Business, Create a Professional Account.
If the Instagram account belongs to a business, ensure that you create a Professional Account. Compared to accounts entitled to individual users, a Professional Account offers various additional features such as analytics.
It’ll allow you to know more about your followers, like who they are, what type of your content they engage with the most, etc.
Even if you’ve already created an individual account, you can switch to a Professional Account.
To do that:
- Tap on the hamburger icon next to your bio
- Select Settings and then choose ‘Switch to Professional Account’
- Choose a business category and enter the basic details
That’s it! You now have a Professional Account.
- Why Should I Follow You?
If you already know the basics, you might have already put your credentials, value proposition, or slogan in your bio. But there’s more.
Your bio should also give people a reason to follow you.
For instance, if you’re into health and fitness, your bio should briefly tell people how you can help them achieve their fitness goals.
- Create a Content Strategy
Now that you’ve figured out the basics let us talk about your content – the bloodline of gaining more Instagram followers.
If you have commercial goals with your account, it is necessary to attract people who’re genuinely interested in what you offer. When you create random content, you attract random followers who are merely passersby or spectators.
To attract the right followers, you need targeted and strategic content. Your objective in creating the page should help build the foundation of your content strategy.
Great Instagram content is useful, interactive, thoughtful, and entertaining. Consistently post content that fulfills these elements to get more followers.
- Use Content Formats to Show Who You Are
Instagram is primarily a visual platform. So, try to leverage all content formats such as photos, videos, reels, and live videos to increase your reach and attract more people.
Stick to a single format, and you’ll soon start losing people’s attention. Moreover, a similar type of content doesn’t look very impressive to new people who visit your profile.
By using different formats, you also get the opportunity to display various facets of your business. For instance, it could be a picture of team members working in the office, a product demonstration video, or a live video of the product being created.
So, use different formats to try and humanize the brand and let people know what goes behind the scenes. It’ll create more engagement, build a social reputation, and even grab the attention of people visiting your profile enough to convert as your followers.
- Use Proper Hashtags in Your Posts
Hashtags are so popular on social platforms because they work. But only if you know how to use them right! When you use hashtags in your photos and reels, you make them more discoverable.
To start using hashtags, look for ones that are relevant to you but are also popular on Instagram. You can find several online tools that’ll provide hundreds of relevant hashtags based on the keywords you select.
You can use up to 30 hashtags per post. However, it is not necessary to extinguish the limit in every post.
From the list you’ve generated, try different combinations for every post to boost their visibility.
Some other hashtags you can consider are:
- Brand keyword hashtags
- Product keyword hashtags
- Location-specific hashtags
Alternatively, you can also take inspiration from your competitors. If you’ve not started using hashtags yet, you can also edit your previous posts to add relevant hashtags.
- Invest in an Instagram SEO Strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is much more than ranking your websites in search engines. If Google is a search engine, so are social platforms like Instagram in some ways.
And you can use Instagram SEO to make yourself more visible on the platform. With Instagram search, users can do account, hashtag, and keyword searches.
Instagram considers factors such as content type, caption, content quality, and when the post was shared to rank search results.
Here’s a quick overview to give your account/post the best opportunity to rank higher in Instagram search results-
- Use all different content formats
- Add relevant keywords to your captions
- Publish high-quality content
- Post content consistently
Winning the Instagram Game
With more than 2 billion active users globally, Instagram can work wonders for you, whether you’re a brand or a solo entrepreneur.
If you’re looking to up your Instagram game and get more followers, try out the tips above. These have worked for countless businesses on Instagram, so they’re sure to give you a boost too. Quick fixes and hacks might sound tempting, but they’re not as reliable as time-tested methods.
