Manisha Sukhyani September 1, 2021 After spending hours on creating Instagram content, you hit the share and wait for something great to happen. Probably, more likes and shares.
Much to your disappointment, there’s a pin drop silence.
Or maybe a handful of likes and comments along with 1 or 2 followers. Makes you wonder what else you need to gain more followers on Instagram, if not great content?
Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof guide to increasing your Instagram followers without following anyone. However, there are tactics you can try now to reach your targeted audience.
Below, I will share five actionable tricks to gain more Instagram followers.
Let’s get started.
1. Optimize Your Instagram Bio
Your brand’s Instagram bio works like a homepage of your business. It’s a picture of who you are, what your business is about, and what action you expect people to take when visiting your profile.
Instagram gives you the limit of 150 characters to answer all these questions.
Make sure your Instagram bio includes:
- A brief description of what you do
- Unveils your brand’s personality
- A call to action (e.g., read more, buy now, contact us, etc.)
- A link (to your website, products, freebies, etc.)
Instagram gives you the space for only one clickable link. Use it carefully. Some brands include a link to their website, while some go for links to recent posts and keep them updated. You can also put links to your product pages with specific keywords. Support your bio and link with a branded hashtag or campaign.
For example, Marisa Peer, the author of I Am Enough, keeps a link to her courses, uses her branded hashtag and her other Instagram handle.
2. Find Profitable Hashtags
One of the most reliable ways to obtain Instagram followers is via hashtags. Hashtags make your content more discoverable. People use hashtags on Instagram the same way they use keywords on Google. If users put the same hashtag you use on Instagram; they may land on your post.
For beginners, look for less popular hashtags. Let’s say the hashtag #inspiration has more than 200 million posts attached to it. Making your Instagram posts stand out in a sea of countless content is like knocking at the wrong door.
Instead, search for hashtags that your targeted audience is more likely to take interest in. If they find your content valuable and relevant, they may end up following your account.
For example, The Moms Co. does a great job at using hashtags relevant to a particular skincare product. With hashtags like #haircareroutine and #naturalhaircare, the brand targets a specific audience looking for daily routine, natural hair care products.
Instagram permits up to 30 hashtags per post, but TrackMaven suggests using nine hashtags for optimum engagement.
3. Mention Popular Influencers
Influencers are well known for stealing the show. Mentioning them in your Instagram posts makes your brand shine too. It’s a sure-fire way to boost your engagement as well as your followers.
But it takes a super-specific approach.
An influencer’s relevancy to your brand depends on how often they use hashtags and create content similar to your brand. You have first to collect the list of highly relevant influencers. Once done, create a post that resonates with your brand and influencer’s content and mention them with their @username.
4. Use Captions to Engage Followers
Great photos catch users’ attention—great Instagram captions make them stay longer on your post. Captions add more context or details to your photos or videos. Plus, adding keywords in captions make your post show up in search results of the app.
You can upto 2200 characters in Instagram captions.
- Use the first line to grab instant attention with the help of empathetic language, capitals, emoji, or some extra space between letters.
- Add value with a mini-blog or “how-to” guides in your captions.
- Use dot points to help users stay focused.
- Ask a question at the end of your captions.
- Encourage followers to ask their questions, share opinions or share your post.
Play with different combinations using different lengths.
Here’s an example of Casey asking her followers to share their favorite non-milk milk after sharing her recipe.
5. Schedule Your Posts Wisely
Before you ask what’s the best time to post on Instagram, let me tell you:
There’s no thumb rule for when to post on Instagram.
It’s all about what works best for you. And you have many ways to figure out the ideal time to post and gain maximum followers.
Your Instagram insights reveal the best day and time of the day when your followers are most active. Also, don’t forget to check out your audience’s location so that you can post during local hours. These metrics will help you schedule your posts for the time when you can maximize your engagements.
In Conclusion: Stay Consistent
Brands postings regularly on Instagram tend to receive the best results. As per Tailwind Study, profiles with daily posting gain more followers on Instagram than those who post less frequently.
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