Learn how to Get Extra Followers on Instagram: 17 Concepts for 2024

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 in every single place to attach with potential clients. 

Meta’s photograph and video sharing app has additionally springboarded the careers of numerous creators who monetize their private manufacturers by means of their content material. For those who’ve ever considered leveling up your presence on Instagram or beginning a enterprise on the platform, you’re in the appropriate place.

Greater than 1.35 billion customers browse Instagram day by 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.

Learn how to develop your Instagram: 17 methods to get extra followers

1. Incorporate Reels into your content material combine
2. Cross-promote content material
3. Optimize your Instagram profile
4. Work with creators and influencers
5. Construct your private model alongside your small business
6. Present up on function accounts
7. Construct a hashtag technique
8. Submit on the proper instances
9. Have interaction together with your opponents’ followers
10. Collaborate with suitable accounts and creators
11. Use location tags to spice up native discovery
12. Manage your Instagram Tales in Highlights
13. Ask for extra followers in Instagram posts
14. Run a giveaway
15. Share user-generated content material
16. Use Instagram Stay
17. Strive Instagram Advertisements

Entrepreneurs say Instagram is the second most vital social channel for advertising and marketing, behind Fb, and 80% report that they use the channel to advertise their companies. Getting probably the most out of your advertising and marketing {dollars}, nevertheless, begins with constructing a loyal and engaged viewers of followers on Instagram.

Whereas follower depend is just one success indicator on Instagram, growing 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 stepping into video with its Tales function. 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 means of Discover on Instagram and, due to this fact, viral potential. 

Manufacturers and creators ought to take into account including Reels to their Instagram technique attributable to their excessive engagement charges in comparison with Instagram posts. Common likes on Reels is 42% increased than that of posts, and Reels see 4 instances the variety of shares over posts. 

“Reels give anybody the chance to achieve 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, positive factors 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, maintain the following pointers in thoughts:

• Maintain content material distinctive and trend-driven. Determine tendencies on Instagram, TikTok, and throughout the net 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 steadiness between schooling and leisure in your Reels. This could be a mixture of how-to movies, suggestions, business data, humorous takes on viral tendencies, and product demos.

“Don’t promote your merchandise by means of Reels content material,” says Trilce. “Share information. Present suggestions in regards to the business 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’ll be able to see patterns and perceive completely different spikes in engagement that have an effect on your visibility on the platform. That manner, you’ll be able to double down on the content material sorts that deliver extra engagement and followers. 

📚 Learn extra: Learn how 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 save lots of time and assets. It’s additionally efficient at growing model consciousness and rising an viewers on Instagram. 

Whether or not it’s a short-form video or a prolonged tutorial, you’ll be able to enhance the attain of your Instagram content material by testing it on different platforms. And, if one among your TikTok movies goes viral, strive it (or an analogous idea) on Instagram.

Why is that this vital? Whereas a few of your viewers could overlap, you should have distinctive followers on every social app. “There are completely different folks on completely different platforms,” says Hugo Amsellem, angel investor and adviser at Jellysmack. “The overlap is barely 10% to twenty%. You’re not going to repeat the identical message to the identical individual throughout completely different channels.”

In an interview with Fashionable Retail, Nadya Okamoto, founding father of life-style interval model August, mentioned, “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 value (CAC), permitting the model to steer away from paid media as its fundamental acquisition channel. 

TikTok isn’t the one channel you’ll be able to cross-post on. The Instagram Reels format interprets nicely to YouTube Shorts and Pinterest Tales. For those who’re cross posting, nevertheless, be sure you perceive the preferences in every group and tweak to accommodate.

3. Optimize your Instagram profile 

Instagram customers will doubtless 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 vital step in gaining a brand new follower. That’s as a result of a powerful model is a sign to potential clients and followers that your account is for them (or not). 

Your Instagram profile is one among many touchpoints alongside the shopper journey. Your model ought to due to this fact present up in the identical manner it might in your ecommerce web site, different social channels, your product packaging, and buyer communications. 

Every little thing out of your avatar to your Instagram bio to your content material grid issues. “Your Instagram feed serves because the billboard in 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 some extent of consistency by means of character, filters, colours, or structure? 
• Am I taking full benefit of the clickable hyperlink in my bio? 
• Does the general mixture of parts successfully seize my model?
• Does my Instagram bio take full benefit of this house, conveying the appropriate tone and data?

On Letterfolk’s Instargam profile, constant coloration palette and graphics give the account knowledgeable 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 type to provide their content material a cohesive look and assist guests determine Reels they wish to watch. 

💡Tip: Use a software like Later, or use Instagram’s native scheduling function to plan and schedule Instagram posts and Reels to create the look and structure 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% mentioned that they belief influencer suggestions. 

When including influencer advertising and marketing to your technique, make sure 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 doubtless you might be to seek out success with the marketing campaign. 

Instagram influencer advertising and marketing examples

Residence items model Sarah Ellison partnered with fashionable 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 style 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 online marketing networks or Influencer marketplaces to match with creators which can be already open to working with manufacturers. 

5. Construct your private model alongside your small business

For those who run a founder model (principally, a model with a powerful tie to its founder’s story), construct out your private model’s Instagram account alongside that of your small business. 

Harnessing each the corporate account and your private account can improve model recognition, follower counts, and gross sales. It’s a tactic that works for style label ANINE BING. Along with the model’s personal Instagram profile, the corporate’s founder additionally drives engagement and consciousness by means of her private Instagram account.

One other nice instance of utilizing your private model to drive followers to your small business account is Katie Sturino. The physique positivity influencer shares fashionable content material sequence like “Supersize the look” the place she creates plus variations of celeb 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 function accounts

Sure Instagram accounts, typically known as function accounts, are people who curate the most effective content material in a particular area of interest—and a few have a large following. If you will get placement on these accounts, it has the potential to ship new Instagram followers to your profile. 

There are function accounts for each area of interest: journey, style, images, pets, and extra. For instance, @discoverearth curates journey content material from creators and photographers world wide for greater than 6.6 million followers.

The primary picture right here, shot by Instagram consumer and aerial images model KG Airview, was amplified to Uncover Earth’s following—an viewers that’s an in depth match for its personal.

To get picked up by these accounts and have your content material broadcast to tens of millions of Instagram followers, use frequent hashtags that these accounts use, tag them in related content material, or try their particular submission pointers. 

This can be a nice approach to acquire new followers on Instagram who already have interaction with content material like yours. 

7. Construct a hashtag technique

Your objective on Instagram is to have interaction your present viewers regularly whereas additionally rising your account. Posting constant and interesting photograph and video content material will maintain present followers loyal, however how do you entice new followers together with your Instagram posts? 

Utilizing hashtags is one approach to present up in search outcomes for customers in search of content material like yours. A standard technique is utilizing fashionable Instagram hashtags that customers typically search. These hashtags, nevertheless, are usually saturated.

On the time of writing, these are the highest 10 hashtags on Instagram:

1. #love
2. #instagood
3. #style
4. #photooftheday
5. #lovely
6. #artwork
7. #images
8. #joyful
9. #picoftheday
10. #cute

The hashtag #love has been utilized in greater than two billion posts. The probabilities of standing out from different fashionable 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 business and get to know which hashtags your audience is utilizing. 

A social media hashtag generator software like Iconosquare or Later can assist you discover hashtags for your small business account. These are paid apps that provide help to generate steered hashtags primarily based on reputation and relevance. 

For those who’re on a finances, you’ll be able to nonetheless discover related hashtags by typing goal key phrases into the search bar within the Instagram app. Strive completely different key phrases that describe your model and merchandise, constructing out your hashtag key phrase record as you go.

Doing competitor analysis is one other hashtag discovery tactic. Take a look at the content material of your prime opponents on Instagram. What hashtags are they utilizing on their hottest posts? 

Making a hashtag record

Your key phrase and hashtag analysis ought to lead to an inventory of tags you need to use constantly throughout your content material. For instance, should you run a males’s sock enterprise in Toronto, your last record of related hashtags may appear like this: 

• Model key phrase hashtags: #mybrandname #mensfashion #mensaccessories #mensgoods #style #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.

Unbiased bakery Small Scale Bread makes use of hashtags related to the product, location, and season in its Instagram submit asserting new fall goodies.

✏️ Notice: To bump older content material, you’ll be able to add hashtags to feedback or use the edit function 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 need to use hashtag stickers (which might be discovered within the Instagram Stickers menu when making a Story) or simply hashtag instantly in your submit 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 the place you’ll be able to add location tags, hashtags, and consumer account tags.

8. Submit on the proper instances

A strategic method to your social media content material calendar includes analyzing consumer habits 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.

For those who’re simply beginning out, strive consulting the most effective instances to submit on Instagram primarily based on advertising and marketing analysis. Chances are you’ll discover, nevertheless, that your individual viewers doesn’t observe this commonplace. That’s why it’s vital to tweak your method as insights roll in. 

To automate the duty of posting on time, think about using a social media scheduling software to routinely publish your posts when your viewers is probably the most engaged—even when it’s whenever you’re sleeping.

📚 Learn extra: Uncover the Finest Time To Submit on Instagram

9. Have interaction together with your opponents’ followers

Your direct opponents’ followers are an excellent focus in your efforts. In any case, they’ve already indicated they’re interested by a product or model like yours. 

The 5 kinds of engagement on Instagram are:

• Observe a consumer
• Like a submit, Story, or Reel
• Touch upon a submit
• Tag a consumer in content material
• Ship a direct message

Partaking 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 clients. Eighty-eight p.c of shoppers say that authenticity is a crucial 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 suitable accounts and creators

Along with influencer advertising and marketing on Instagram, you’ll be able to accomplice 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, should you promote activewear, a water bottle or sensible watch firm would doubtless have viewers overlap. 

Right here, hosiery model Rachel partnered with clothes model Rose Buddha to run a giveaway providing a prize of 1 yr’s price of clothes. The manufacturers and merchandise are aesthetically suitable with out being instantly competing.

11. Use location tags to spice up native discovery

Apart from 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 photograph or video was taken.

Areas not solely have their very own Instagram feed but in addition their very own Story the place you’ll be able to floor your content material to locals and vacationers looking the situation.

Native companies can get probably the most worth out of location tags by posting usually to those feeds and likewise participating with posts from potential clients 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 life-style of its residence, British Columbia. 

12. Manage your Instagram Tales into Highlights

One of many parts of your web page that shouldn’t be missed is Story Highlights. Instagram Tales disappear after 24 hours, however you’ll be able to 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 instantaneous credibility to the enterprise. 

Life-style model Frank Inexperienced makes use of highlights to group content material sorts together with cleansing suggestions, new product collections, collabs, present guides, and buyer info.

Story Spotlight concepts

You’ll be able to manage Tales in numerous methods to draw extra Instagram followers. Listed below are a number 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 kind (DIYs, product launches, behind the scenes, and so forth.).
• 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 have a good time your loyal clients. 

13. Ask for extra followers in Instagram posts

Don’t be afraid to often ask your audience to observe you. The identical manner 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 ways 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 generate income on Instagram.

14. Run a giveaway

Probably the greatest methods to incentivize a observe is by working a giveaway. Usually, manufacturers and creators ask customers to finish a number of actions in an effort to enter. These embrace:

• Following the account (and the accounts of any collaborators)
• Liking the competition submit 
• Tagging one among extra pals
• Leaving a remark
• Clicking out to an entry type on the model’s web site (this additionally helps construct an e-mail record)

Tags deliver you a possible new follower, pushed by a trusted advice, and engagements are favorable to the Instagram algorithm, that means your submit 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 submit to their Tales, gaining exponentially extra attain for the model and contest. 

✏️Notice: Observe Instagram’s promotion pointers and concentrate on 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 kind 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 overview from an actual buyer. This will increase buy confidence. 

And, whenever you share a submit 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 can assist you acquire extra followers on Instagram—and extra gross sales. Shoppers are 56% extra doubtless to purchase one thing after seeing a photograph of the product shared by different clients. 

E-book Wurm typically reposts content material from joyful clients on to its Instagram web page, thanking them for his or her buy and tag. 

UGC greatest practices

Your greatest 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 clients can submit photos.
• Add a name to motion in your Instagram bio.
• Run a contest and ask for video or photograph critiques as entries. 
• Attain out to smaller influencers and supply free merchandise for an sincere overview.
• Add a postcard or callout in product packaging asking clients to share their experiences on Instagram.

💡Tip: Use a Shopify App like Social Pictures to tug UGC out of your Instagram followers into your web site to show on product pages. These develop into visible critiques that assist different clients see your product in motion.

16. Use Instagram Stay

Instagram Stay is a function that lets you broadcast dwell video to your followers. It really works very like a Reel or Story however is recorded dwell and has further interactive options that allow you to have interaction instantly, monetize your content material with Instagram badges, and save Lives to repurpose into evergreen content material.

On this Instagram Stay, influencer Alfredo Lewis hosts a dwell 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 suitable audiences. 

Listed below are a number of suggestions for utilizing Instagram Stay 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 dwell viewers unique entry (strive Instagram Stay Buying).
• Go dwell 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 the best way to or product tutorial and reply viewer questions in actual time.
• Interview creators or different suitable manufacturers and promote upfront throughout each accounts. 

17. Strive Instagram Advertisements

You’ve realized the best way to construct instagram followers by means of numerous natural and paid strategies, however there’s one final tactic utilized by many entrepreneurs and types on Instagram. Paid adverts are an amazing choice to realize followers rapidly in case your social media technique features a finances for paid promotion. 

Instagram Advertisements are accessible by means of a self-serve platform that lets you set your individual objectives and budgets. They can assist you attain Instagram customers with matching pursuits or in places the place you do enterprise. 

This advert by Type Laundry might be recognized by the “Sponsored” tag underneath 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 steered accounts.

Your Instagram account is a robust gross sales channel

Now that you just perceive the best way 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 achieve new audiences. Don’t overlook to have interaction together with your current followers and tweak your social media technique as tendencies evolve and new Instagram options develop into obtainable.

Rising your Instagram followers is barely step one in utilizing the platform to achieve your small business objectives. Your Instagram account is one among many social media platforms and channels the place you’ll be able to floor your model to new followers and clients. When you’ve constructed an viewers, you’ll be able to unlock much more alternatives to monetize your private model or convert follows into gross sales.

Characteristic illustration by Eugenia Mello
Extra reporting by Mark MacDonald