Instagram is greater than a spot to attach with pals, share trip images, or add a foolish video of your canine. Since its inception, the social media platform has grown right into a powerhouse advertising and marketing channel, utilized by manufacturers all over the place to attach with potential prospects.
Meta’s picture and video sharing app has additionally springboarded the careers of numerous creators who monetize their private manufacturers by way of their content material. Should you’ve ever considered leveling up your presence on Instagram or beginning a enterprise on the platform, you’re in the best place.
Greater than 1.35 billion customers browse Instagram each day, hungry for visible inspiration and tendencies. How do you get their consideration?
On this information, discover ways to create content material that wins actual followers (not bots) and to extend engagement in your Instagram posts, Tales, and Reels.
Easy methods to develop your Instagram: 17 methods to get extra followers
- Incorporate Reels into your content material combine
- Cross-promote content material
- Optimize your Instagram profile
- Work with creators and influencers
- Construct your private model alongside your corporation
- Present up on characteristic accounts
- Construct a hashtag technique
- Submit on the proper instances
- Interact together with your rivals’ followers
- Collaborate with appropriate accounts and creators
- Use location tags to spice up native discovery
- Manage your Instagram Tales in Highlights
- Ask for extra followers in Instagram posts
- Run a giveaway
- Share user-generated content material
- Use Instagram Reside
- Strive Instagram Advertisements
Entrepreneurs say Instagram is the second most necessary social channel for advertising and marketing, behind Fb, and 80% report that they use the channel to advertise their companies. Getting essentially the most out of your advertising and marketing {dollars}, nevertheless, begins with constructing a loyal and engaged viewers of followers on Instagram.
Whereas follower rely is just one success indicator on Instagram, rising followers can unlock monetization alternatives for influencers and supply companies with beneficial social proof.
1. Incorporate Reels into your content material combine
Instagram began as a photograph sharing app, rapidly moving into video with its Tales characteristic. Tales are a extra intimate type of vertical-format video, viewable solely to pals, followers, and guests to your web page. Reels, nevertheless, are public-facing, providing extra attain by way of Discover on Instagram and, due to this fact, viral potential.
Manufacturers and creators ought to contemplate including Reels to their Instagram technique resulting from their excessive engagement charges in comparison with Instagram posts. Common likes on Reels is 42% greater than that of posts, and Reels see 4 instances the variety of shares over posts.
“Reels give anybody the chance to succeed in new goal audiences,” says Trilce Jirón Garro, proprietor of social media advertising and marketing company TBS Advertising and marketing. “Creators can produce community-driven content material that builds belief, features followers, and makes gross sales over time.”
Reels supply manufacturers and creators an opportunity to be extra candid and human. To create content material for Reels, preserve the following tips in thoughts:
- Preserve content material distinctive and trend-driven. Determine tendencies on Instagram, TikTok, and throughout the online and put your individual spin on them. This will increase the possibility your Reels will go viral and get in entrance of latest audiences.
- Make content material relatable and easy. Not each Reel must be a Hollywood movie. Decrease high quality movies can carry out in addition to (if not higher than) Reels with excessive manufacturing worth.
- Educate your viewers. Discover the stability between training and leisure in your Reels. This generally is a mixture of how-to movies, ideas, trade information, humorous takes on viral tendencies, and product demos.
“Don’t promote your merchandise by way of Reels content material,” says Trilce. “Share information. Present ideas concerning the trade you’re in. Entertain viewers.”
Residence model Tarte Gelatina has nailed this format, reworking product launches and even order packaging into entertaining clips.
To know what works and what doesn’t, don’t overlook to faucet into analytics constructed proper inside your Instagram account. Utilizing Instagram Insights for Reels, you possibly can see patterns and perceive totally different spikes in engagement that have an effect on your visibility on the platform. That approach, you possibly can double down on the content material varieties that carry extra engagement and followers.
📚 Learn extra: Easy methods to Use Instagram Reels to Market Your Shopify Retailer
2. Cross-promote content material
Cross-promoting includes posting comparable content material throughout varied social media channels (or Instagram accounts). It’s a tactic used to avoid wasting time and sources. It’s additionally efficient at rising model consciousness and rising an viewers on Instagram.
Whether or not it’s a short-form video or a prolonged tutorial, you possibly can enhance the attain of your Instagram content material by testing it on different platforms. And, if one in all your TikTok movies goes viral, attempt it (or an analogous idea) on Instagram.
Why is that this necessary? Whereas a few of your viewers could overlap, you’ll have distinctive followers on every social app. “There are totally different individuals on totally different platforms,” says Hugo Amsellem, angel investor and adviser at Jellysmack. “The overlap is just 10% to twenty%. You’re not going to repeat the identical message to the identical particular person throughout totally different channels.”
In an interview with Trendy Retail, Nadya Okamoto, founding father of way of life interval model August, stated, “As we’ve grown on TikTok from August, we’ve additionally grown to 175,000 followers on Instagram.” Actively posting on a number of platforms has affected August’s buyer acquisition price (CAC), permitting the model to steer away from paid media as its predominant acquisition channel.
TikTok isn’t the one channel you possibly can cross-post on. The Instagram Reels format interprets effectively to YouTube Shorts and Pinterest Tales. Should you’re cross posting, nevertheless, be sure to perceive the preferences in every neighborhood and tweak to accommodate.
3. Optimize your Instagram profile
Instagram customers will possible uncover you thru your content material when it seems on the Discover web page. In the event that they’re compelled to study extra, they’ll navigate to your profile. This can be a essential step in gaining a brand new follower. That’s as a result of a powerful model is a sign to potential prospects and followers that your account is for them (or not).
Your Instagram profile is one in all many touchpoints alongside the shopper journey. Your model ought to due to this fact present up in the identical approach it will in your ecommerce web site, different social channels, your product packaging, and buyer communications.
Every part out of your avatar to your Instagram bio to your content material grid issues. “Your Instagram feed serves because the billboard on your model. It’s a buyer’s first touchpoint with you and captures the essence of your model,” says Trilce.
Ask your self:
- Do the weather successfully talk a point of consistency by way of character, filters, colours, or format?
- Am I taking full benefit of the clickable hyperlink in my bio?
- Does the general mixture of components successfully seize my model?
- Does my Instagram bio take full benefit of this house, conveying the best tone and knowledge?
On Letterfolk’s Instargam profile, constant shade palette and graphics give the account an expert look. The grid options a mixture of inspiration, merchandise, and buyer appreciation, providing guests a style of what to anticipate.
When Instagram customers click on Letterfolk’s hyperlink in bio, they’re taken to a web page with a number of choices, together with a shoppable grid that mirrors its content material.
You’ll be able to even set up branding in your Reels grid. Creator @alokvmenon makes use of a constant captioning and titles fashion to present their content material a cohesive look and assist guests establish Reels they wish to watch.
💡Tip: Use a device like Later, or use Instagram’s native scheduling characteristic to plan and schedule Instagram posts and Reels to create the look and format of your feed.
4. Work with creators and influencers
Whereas Instagram adverts can get you attain, partnerships with influencers can add belief and credibility to your paid promotions. One survey discovered that solely 38% of shoppers belief content material from manufacturers, whereas 61% stated that they belief influencer suggestions.
When including influencer advertising and marketing to your technique, ensure the partnership is a match for each your model and the creator. The higher your audience aligns with the creator’s follower base, the extra possible you might be to seek out success with the marketing campaign.
Instagram influencer advertising and marketing examples
Residence items model Sarah Ellison partnered with standard drag queen Courtney Act on a design collaboration and paid Instagram content material. This boosted the model to Courtney’s 1.2 million followers.
On this paid partnership, cleansing model Mrs. Meyer’s Clear Day teamed up with DIY creator Tina Le Mac to create content material related to each the model and Tina’s followers.
Frank Inexperienced constantly works with influencers of all sizes, together with celebrities {and professional} athletes, to create branded content material campaigns like this one:
On this paid advert by vogue influencer Darnell Bernard, a Dr. Martens placement blends seamlessly with the creator’s different style-focused content material, making the partnership one which feels pure.
💡Tip: Use internet online affiliate marketing networks or Influencer marketplaces to match with creators which can be already open to working with manufacturers.
Discover influencers to drive gross sales with Shopify Collabs
Shopify Collabs makes it straightforward to associate with creators, promote your merchandise, attain new prospects, develop your gross sales, and monitor affiliate marketing campaign efficiency all from Shopify admin.
5. Construct your private model alongside your corporation
Should you run a founder model (mainly, a model with a powerful tie to its founder’s story), construct out your private model’s Instagram account alongside that of your corporation.
Harnessing each the corporate account and your private account can enhance model recognition, follower counts, and gross sales. It’s a tactic that works for vogue label ANINE BING. Along with the model’s personal Instagram profile, the corporate’s founder additionally drives engagement and consciousness by way of her private Instagram account.
One other nice instance of utilizing your private model to drive followers to your corporation account is Katie Sturino. The physique positivity influencer shares standard content material collection like “Supersize the look” the place she creates plus variations of superstar outfits on her Instagram account.
Sometimes, she additionally options her model Megababe’s merchandise, nudging her followers to the model web page.
6. Present up on characteristic accounts
Sure Instagram accounts, typically referred to as characteristic accounts, are those who curate the perfect content material in a particular area of interest—and a few have an enormous following. If you may get placement on these accounts, it has the potential to ship new Instagram followers to your profile.
There are characteristic accounts for each area of interest: journey, vogue, pictures, pets, and extra. For instance, @discoverearth curates journey content material from creators and photographers all over the world for greater than 6.6 million followers.
The primary picture right here, shot by Instagram consumer and aerial pictures model KG Airview, was amplified to Uncover Earth’s following—an viewers that’s a detailed match for its personal.
To get picked up by these accounts and have your content material broadcast to thousands and thousands of Instagram followers, use frequent hashtags that these accounts use, tag them in related content material, or take a look at their particular submission tips.
This can be a nice option to acquire new followers on Instagram who already interact with content material like yours.
7. Construct a hashtag technique
Your purpose on Instagram is to interact your present viewers frequently whereas additionally rising your account. Posting constant and interesting picture and video content material will preserve present followers loyal, however how do you entice new followers together with your Instagram posts?
Utilizing hashtags is one option to present up in search outcomes for customers in search of content material like yours. A standard technique is utilizing standard Instagram hashtags that customers typically search. These hashtags, nevertheless, are typically saturated.
On the time of writing, these are the highest 10 hashtags on Instagram:
- #love
- #instagood
- #vogue
- #photooftheday
- #lovely
- #artwork
- #pictures
- #completely satisfied
- #picoftheday
- #cute
The hashtag #love has been utilized in greater than two billion posts. The possibilities of standing out from different standard accounts utilizing this tag are slim—and it could not even be related to your model.
A greater technique is discovering hashtags which can be related to your model and content material. Analysis hashtags and key phrases inside your trade and get to know which hashtags your audience is utilizing.
A social media hashtag generator device like Iconosquare or Later might help you discover hashtags for your corporation account. These are paid apps that assist you generate advised hashtags based mostly on recognition and relevance.
Should you’re on a finances, you possibly can nonetheless discover related hashtags by typing goal key phrases into the search bar within the Instagram app. Strive totally different key phrases that describe your model and merchandise, constructing out your hashtag key phrase checklist as you go.
Doing competitor analysis is one other hashtag discovery tactic. Try the content material of your prime rivals on Instagram. What hashtags are they utilizing on their hottest posts?
Making a hashtag checklist
Your key phrase and hashtag analysis ought to end in a listing of tags you should utilize constantly throughout your content material. For instance, if you happen to run a males’s sock enterprise in Toronto, your last checklist of related hashtags may appear to be this:
- Model key phrase hashtags: #mybrandname #mensfashion #mensaccessories #mensgoods #vogue #mensstyle #instafashion #menswear
- Product class key phrase hashtags: #happysocks #corgisocks #socks #sockswag #socksoftheday #sockgame #socksofinstagram #happysockday
- Location-specific key phrase hashtags: #Toronto #TorontoFashion #TorontoFashionBloggers #madeinCanada
Retailer these teams of key phrase hashtags in a handy location like a notes app or Google Doc. This makes it straightforward to repeat and paste into content material, even on the go. Some Instagram scheduling instruments even allow you to save caption templates (together with hashtags) for one-click captions.
Impartial bakery Small Scale Bread makes use of hashtags related to the product, location, and season in its Instagram put up asserting new fall goodies.
✏️ Notice: To bump older content material, you possibly can add hashtags to feedback or use the edit characteristic on Instagram so as to add them to the captions after posting.
Utilizing hashtags in Instagram Tales and Reels
Don’t overlook to make use of hashtags in Reels and Tales, too. In Instagram Tales, you should utilize hashtag stickers (which may be discovered within the Instagram Stickers menu when making a Story) or simply hashtag instantly in your put up captions.
Since customers can observe hashtags, your Tales on Instagram have an opportunity to be seen by people who find themselves following that hashtag—not simply your account followers.
Hashtags in Reels are added on the third stage of the Reel creation course of. Add your video and edit it earlier than continuing to a display screen the place you possibly can add location tags, hashtags, and consumer account tags.
Begin promoting your merchandise on Instagram
Shopify comes with highly effective instruments that assist you checklist, promote and promote merchandise on Fb and Instagram. Create product collections, showcase your model and merchandise, and make gross sales on Fb and Instagram from one place.
8. Submit on the proper instances
A strategic strategy to your social media content material calendar includes analyzing consumer conduct and your account’s efficiency to find what content material works greatest at what instances. Whereas there are a selection of social media instruments for manufacturers, Instagram’s personal built-in analytics can supply loads of insights right here.
Should you’re simply beginning out, attempt consulting the perfect instances to put up on Instagram based mostly on advertising and marketing analysis. Chances are you’ll discover, nevertheless, that your individual viewers doesn’t observe this normal. That’s why it’s necessary to tweak your strategy as insights roll in.
To automate the duty of posting on time, think about using a social media scheduling device to mechanically publish your posts when your viewers is essentially the most engaged—even when it’s once you’re sleeping.
📚 Learn extra: Uncover the Finest Time To Submit on Instagram
9. Interact together with your rivals’ followers
Your direct rivals’ followers are a really perfect focus on your efforts. In spite of everything, they’ve already indicated they’re thinking about a product or model like yours.
The 5 sorts of engagement on Instagram are:
- Comply with a consumer
- Like a put up, Story, or Reel
- Touch upon a put up
- Tag a consumer in content material
- Ship a direct message
Participating together with your audience is an effective way to indicate that you just’re open to two-way communication and constructing a relationship with followers and prospects. Eighty-eight % of shoppers say that authenticity is a vital issue when selecting to help a model. Engagement is an effective way to indicate there’s an actual human behind an account—not only a bot auto-posting content material.
10. Collaborate with appropriate accounts and creators
Along with influencer advertising and marketing on Instagram, you possibly can associate with different manufacturers and creators on campaigns and content material that provide mutual profit. This works greatest when each accounts have one thing to realize, like entry to an viewers that resembles a goal buyer.
When collaborating with different corporations, select a model that’s complementary to your individual. For instance, if you happen to promote activewear, a water bottle or sensible watch firm would possible have viewers overlap.
Right here, hosiery model Rachel partnered with clothes model Rose Buddha to run a giveaway providing a prize of 1 12 months’s value of clothes. The manufacturers and merchandise are aesthetically appropriate with out being instantly competing.
11. Use location tags to spice up native discovery
In addition to hashtags, it’s also possible to make your Instagram posts, Tales, and Reels discoverable by tagging your location—both the town you’re in or the venue the place the picture or video was taken.
Areas not solely have their very own Instagram feed but in addition their very own Story the place you possibly can floor your content material to locals and vacationers looking the situation.
Native companies can get essentially the most worth out of location tags by posting usually to those feeds and likewise partaking with posts from potential prospects who’re bodily within the neighborhood.
Whereas The Backcountry Hut Firm ships its prefab cottages and saunas all through North America, its model is proudly Canadian and aligns with the tradition and way of life of its house, British Columbia.
12. Manage your Instagram Tales into Highlights
One of many components of your web page that shouldn’t be neglected is Story Highlights. Instagram Tales disappear after 24 hours, however you possibly can lengthen the worth of the content material by organizing them into Highlights.
These present a further alternative for brand spanking new guests to your web page to get a style of your model, content material, and merchandise. If customers can immediately discover the knowledge they’re in search of, you’re extra more likely to acquire Instagram followers.
Right here, Ruggable makes use of Highlights to group Tales into product collections, particularly its collaborations with recognizable names and types like Barbie and Iris Apfel, giving on the spot credibility to the enterprise.
Life-style model Frank Inexperienced makes use of highlights to group content material varieties together with cleansing ideas, new product collections, collabs, present guides, and buyer info.
Story Spotlight concepts
You’ll be able to arrange Tales in various methods to draw extra Instagram followers. Listed here are a couple of concepts to get you began:
- Create trailers that tease what your account and model are about.
- Manage your Tales into themes, product collections, seasons, or content material sort (DIYs, product launches, behind the scenes, and so on.).
- Create a brand new spotlight every time you launch a brand new product or assortment to maintain Highlights recent and related.
- Collect user-generated content material into one Spotlight to rejoice your loyal prospects.
13. Ask for extra followers in Instagram posts
Don’t be afraid to often ask your audience to observe you. The identical approach YouTubers ask viewers to subscribe, it’s also possible to nudge Instagram customers to observe you for extra content material.
You are able to do this in your Instagram captions or point out it in video content material like Reels and Tales. Use frequent advertising and marketing techniques to encourage customers to observe. What’s in it for them? Inform your viewers why they need to observe you, what to anticipate, and what’s arising.
💡Tip: Creators also needs to nudge present followers to develop into subscribers. Instagram Subscriptions enable creators to supply unique content material to paying subscribers—one of many best methods to make cash on Instagram.
14. Run a giveaway
The most effective methods to incentivize a observe is by working a giveaway. Usually, manufacturers and creators ask customers to finish a number of actions with a purpose to enter. These embody:
- Following the account (and the accounts of any collaborators)
- Liking the competition put up
- Tagging one in all extra pals
- Leaving a remark
- Clicking out to an entry kind on the model’s web site (this additionally helps construct an electronic mail checklist)
Tags carry you a possible new follower, pushed by a trusted suggestion, and engagements are favorable to the Instagram algorithm, that means your put up might get much more attain.
These two contests by Portland Leather-based and Saints & Sinners go one step additional, encouraging contest entrants to share the put up to their Tales, gaining exponentially extra attain for the model and contest.
✏️Notice: Comply with Instagram’s promotion tips and pay attention to any authorized necessities that govern Instagram contests in your nation or area.
15. Share user-generated content material
Consumer-generated content material (UGC) is any sort of content material—movies, images, written critiques, audio, and extra—that’s created a couple of model by a fan, buyer, or follower. UGC helps humanize your model and provides it credibility, as a result of it serves as a reliable assessment from an actual buyer. This will increase buy confidence.
And, once you share a put up from a buyer, their quarter-hour of fame is more likely to strengthen their loyalty to your model, encouraging them to refer pals and buy once more.
UGC might help you acquire extra followers on Instagram—and extra gross sales. Customers are 56% extra possible to purchase one thing after seeing a photograph of the product shared by different prospects.
E book Wurm typically reposts content material from completely satisfied prospects on to its Instagram web page, thanking them for his or her buy and tag.
UGC greatest practices
Your largest followers will share their experiences together with your merchandise with out prompting, however there are methods to encourage extra UGC:
- Create a branded hashtag feed the place prospects can put up photos.
- Add a name to motion in your Instagram bio.
- Run a contest and ask for video or picture critiques as entries.
- Attain out to smaller influencers and supply free merchandise for an sincere assessment.
- Add a postcard or callout in product packaging asking prospects to share their experiences on Instagram.
💡Tip: Use a Shopify App like Social Photographs to drag UGC out of your Instagram followers into your web site to show on product pages. These develop into visible critiques that assist different prospects see your product in motion.
16. Use Instagram Reside
Instagram Reside is a characteristic that lets you broadcast reside video to your followers. It really works very like a Reel or Story however is recorded reside and has extra interactive options that allow you to interact instantly, monetize your content material with Instagram badges, and save Lives to repurpose into evergreen content material.
On this Instagram Reside, influencer Alfredo Lewis hosts a reside chat with make-up artist @makeupbyloveandrea, in partnership with magnificence model K18 Hair. This sensible collaboration will increase attain for the model and helps the creators get uncovered to appropriate audiences.
Listed here are a couple of ideas for utilizing Instagram Reside to develop your following:
- Host influencer account takeovers.
- Host an interactive AMA (ask me something) or Q&A.
- Tease a product launch or replace, or give reside viewers unique entry (attempt Instagram Reside Buying).
- Go reside in a “room” with as much as three different accounts to extend attain.
- Go behind the scenes in your operations to humanize your model.
- Run a methods to or product tutorial and reply viewer questions in actual time.
- Interview creators or different appropriate manufacturers and promote upfront throughout each accounts.
17. Strive Instagram Advertisements
You’ve realized methods to construct instagram followers by way of various natural and paid strategies, however there’s one final tactic utilized by many entrepreneurs and types on Instagram. Paid adverts are an important possibility to realize followers rapidly in case your social media technique features a finances for paid promotion.
Instagram Advertisements are accessible by way of a self-serve platform that lets you set your individual targets and budgets. They might help you attain Instagram customers with matching pursuits or in places the place you do enterprise.
This advert by Type Laundry may be recognized by the “Sponsored” tag beneath the profile title. It was served to a consumer who follows comparable accounts and has an curiosity in eco-friendly merchandise. These adverts look identical to natural Instagram posts and seem in customers’ feeds blended with content material from pals and advised accounts.
Your Instagram account is a robust gross sales channel
Now that you just perceive methods to get extra followers on Instagram, it’s time to place that studying to work. Develop your social media content material calendar, begin creating Instagram posts, and put together to succeed in new audiences. Don’t overlook to have interaction together with your present followers and tweak your social media technique as tendencies evolve and new Instagram options develop into out there.
Rising your Instagram followers is just step one in utilizing the platform to succeed in your corporation targets. Your Instagram account is one in all many social media platforms and channels the place you possibly can floor your model to new followers and prospects. When you’ve constructed an viewers, you possibly can unlock much more alternatives to monetize your private model or convert follows into gross sales.
Function illustration by Eugenia Mello
Extra reporting by Mark MacDonald
Easy methods to get extra followers on Instagram FAQ
How can I enhance my followers on Instagram?
There are a selection of how to develop your Instagram followers, together with:
- Utilizing the best Instagram hashtags
- Participating your rivals’ Instagram followers
- Utilizing geotags on Instagram posts
- Organizing Instagram Tales into Highlights
- Posting user-generated content material
- Collaborating with different manufacturers and influencers
- Posting at the perfect instances
- Utilizing Instagram analytics instruments
- Publishing Instagram Reels
- Including user-generated content material to your Instagram feed
- Livestreaming on Instagram Tales
- Understanding Instagram’s algorithm to get on the Discover web page
How can I get to 1,000 Instagram followers?
There are a selection of how to get to 1,000 Instagram followers. It begins with crafting a compelling Instagram bio, posting content material your potential followers wish to see, partaking with related customers, and consulting Instagram Insights to grasp what content material is performing.
Instagram content material needs to be genuine, related, and relatable. Utilizing techniques that Instargam’s algorithm likes provides you a greater probability of showing on Instagram Discover and reaching new followers.
How do I acquire actual followers on Instagram?
Whereas there are methods to purchase Instagram followers, this isn’t a great technique for manufacturers. Faux followers or bots don’t provide the engagement that you would be able to get from actual Instagram followers. Bots and pretend Instagram followers may additionally get banned from Instagram, that means they may give your Instagram account solely a short lived enhance.
To draw extra followers, put up high-quality content material, combine up the content material in your Instagram feed, tag related customers, and put up constantly. You’ll see your actual follower rely—and your engagement—enhance on the social media platform.
How do you get extra Instagram followers without spending a dime?
If you wish to perceive methods to develop on Instagram however you don’t have a finances to advertise Instagram posts or purchase paid adverts, attempt these techniques to seek out potential followers:
- Discover and use standard hashtags associated to your picture, product, or model.
- Create your individual branded hashtag.
- Use hashtags in Tales.
- Create Instagram Reels.