Instagram has grown to more than one billion monthly users, and with that growth has come some changes to the algorithm that determines what people see. That means it’s not as easy to get new followers in 2019 as it was just a couple of years ago. It’s still a fun place to be, but it’s becoming more competitive as brands are starting to see such a return on their investment. Here are 12 ways to get more followers.
IMAGE: PEXELS
1. Buy Followers
The key is to buy from a trusted Instagram growth service that will supply active Instagram followers, rather than fake ones. Reputable services allow you to choose the types of followers you want, so you get real people who are part of your target audience.
And, because they don’t follow you all at once (because that’s unnatural), Instagram’s algorithms won’t flag your account for bot activity. This is an excellent way to boost your numbers and build your audience.
2. Complete Your Instagram Profile
People are going to use your profile to decide if they want to follow you, so taking the time to make sure it is complete is essential. Use your bio space to tell users why they should follow you, and what benefit they will get if they follow you. Make sure you also have a good Instagram profile photo – active Stories, and coordinating cover photos for any Instagram Highlights.
3. Use Hashtags And Location Tags In Your Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories is full of features – such as GIFs, shopping stickers, polls, questions, music, and more. Because there are so many creative tools to use, you can use them to make your brand stand out. But, that doesn’t mean you should forget the basics – and that’s using hashtags and location tags in your Stories to capture the local audience.
4. Make Use of Instagram Ads
Look at your Instagram Insights and find out what some of your most popular posts are. Then, choose one of them and use it to run an ad to get more followers. You control the budget and the targeting, so you can spend as much or as little as you want to get more targeted followers who are interested in what your brand has to offer.
5. Promote Instagram On Other Social Media Platforms
Of course, not all of your followers on Facebook and Twitter will also be on Instagram, but many people are on multiple networks. Some of your current followers may also follow you on Instagram, but if they don’t know you have one, you won’t be able to reach them there. That’s why it’s a good idea to cross-promote your content. Include your Instagram feed on your website. Include your Instagram in your email marketing.
6. Create A Custom Stories Filter For Your Brand
Use the Spark AR studio to create your own filter for Instagram Stories – like you’ve seen major brands do. When someone uses your branded filter in their Stories, viewers can see who created it and be able to try it out themselves.
This is a creative way to get more followers and get your filter in front of a new audience. The Spark AR studio is in testing stages, so it could be a while before you can use it – but we expect it to roll out to all brands in 2019.
7. Collaborate With Other Brands
Find some brands that are related to your company, but aren’t in direct competition with you. Then, approach them to find out ways you can work together to benefit both of you. For instance, if you’re a food product, reach out to food storage companies, or kitchen gadget companies to see what kind of partnership opportunities may be available.
8. Collaborate With Influencers
Influencers are people who have already built and established trust with an audience like the one you’re trying to attract. According to ViralRace, working with them can spread brand awareness and encourage some of their followers to come over and follow you as well. You can work with influencers in several ways – and there are influencers available for every budget.
9. Schedule Your Posts In Advance
Create a content calendar specifically for your Instagram in advance. Plan out the week or the month with a scheduling tool. This ensures you can highlight the events at the top of your list or draw attention to the content you want to promote the most – and then whatever you post outside of that is supplementary to your social media marketing. Plus, you can control the time they go live so you can get higher engagement levels from your audience.
10. Follow Other Creators In Your Niche
Not only can you scope out people to follow by looking at who is following them, but you can see the kind of content your audience likes to see and use their content for inspiration. If you take the time to engage with these accounts, you’ll also be seen by your ideal followers more often. Just don’t promote yourself and hijack their posts – that’s not what community is about!
11. Share User-Generated Content
If people use your products, ask that they tag you in any photos on their post on social media for a chance to be featured on your website or Instagram profile. This prevents you from continually having to come up with your own content to share, and makes your followers feel special.
12. Host A Giveaway
By hosting a giveaway where users must follow you, tag a friend, or create a post of their own and tagging you in it, you’re building brand awareness and gaining followers, while giving your audience something they want in return.
If you have them create a post of their own and tag you in it, the prize needs to be bigger because entering takes more time, but you’ll also have user-generated content you can use like in the point above. Using any combination of these methods will surely help your follower numbers grow.
If you are interested in even more social media-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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