Instagram has now surpassed 2 billion monthly users. With so many users on the platform, it should be simple to gain followers, right? It’s not so easy.
Although many people around the world use Instagram, you have to give them a reason to follow you. If you’re like many other Instagram users, then you’ve come across some hurdles while trying to grow your follower count. In order to grow a large Instagram following, you need to do more than post a few good pictures here and there.
Gaining new followers requires a bit of strategy and a lot of dedication. In our guide below, you’ll find several ways to ensure you boost your social media followers. Continue reading to learn more!
1. Determine Your Niche
The first thing you want to do is take some time to decide what you want your brand to be. What’s your niche? What are some things you’re interested in and want to share with others?
It’s important you choose one specific niche to build on. This allows you to narrow your target audience down to a specific type of consumer. Some ideas might be an Instagram account with a focus on fashion, modeling, fitness, traveling, or something else.
Choose one and then build on that. Your niche should determine what all of your posts, captions, and topics are based on.
2. Discover Your Target Audience
Now you need to determine your target audience. Your target audience is who you want to have in mind when creating a marketing strategy. When you know who your target audience is, you can then post content that you know they’ll love.
There are a few ways to figure out who your target audience is. For starters, look at other Instagram accounts with the same niche as you. What types of accounts are following their page and engaging with it?
These accounts might be similar to the ones that start engaging with yours. You should also pay close attention to the accounts that engage with your page as well. Then, use Instagram’s insight tools to learn more about your audience.
You can see your target audience’s gender and age along with the times when they’re most active. Use this information to create content that interests them.
3. Engage With Your Followers
If you want your followers to engage with your account, then you need to engage with theirs as well. A great way to get more engagement is to ask questions. You can do this on your stories, in your post captions, on your reels, and in your IGTV videos as well.
Listen to your followers and what they want to see more of on your page. Comment back to as many comments as you can and show them you appreciate them. Using CTAs (call to action) on your account is essential for improving engagement as well.
Your CTA should encourage followers to act after viewing your content. Think about what you want your followers to do. Do you want them to click a link, leave a comment, follow a page, or something else?
If so, make sure you use a CTA at the end of your post that encourages them to do this. For example, you might say, “tag a friend who would love this.” Read how to use CTAs on Instagram for the best results.
4. Take Advantage of Hashtags
If you’re not already using hashtags, then now is the time to start. Hashtags aren’t just a fun trend going around. Hashtags are necessary to gain reach and followers.
When you post any type of content, even stories, you want to use hashtags. Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags on your posts, and it’s beneficial to take advantage of all of them. Here’s the catch: you can only use hashtags related to your content.
You can put in any hashtag you want, but if you want your post to do well in Instagram’s algorithm, then you should stick to hashtags that make sense. For example, if your post is about fitness, then use fitness hashtags. Using hashtags that don’t relate to your post can actually negatively affect it.
Using hashtags the right way will help your account become more discoverable and ultimately lead to new followers.
5. Create a Business Account
You can only grow so much of a following if your account isn’t a business account. In order to reach a larger audience and grow a strong following, you need to create a business account. Once you make the switch to a business account, your page will automatically become public.
This provides you with the opportunity for more pages to find your account. A business account also gives you access to that super cool insight tool built into the platform. Use the insight tool to learn more about your target audience, which posts do well, and what times to post at.
6. Post High-Quality Content
You need to post valuable content on a regular basis. You can’t post anything you want and expect it to do well. You need to stay focused on your niche and post high-quality images that bring some type of value to your followers.
Make sure you answer the most commonly asked questions or give insight into something your followers want to know more about.
You Can Grow Your Instagram Following the Right Way
The best way to grow your Instagram following is by doing it the right way. Take the time to choose a niche you enjoy, create high-quality content geared towards your target audience, and engage with other accounts. With patience, effort, and commitment, you’ll soon gain genuine Instagram followers.
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