6 Easy Ways to Get More Followers on Instagram
Over the past decade, social media has become an integral aspect of our daily lives. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow us to connect with people around the world, keep in touch with friends, and express our viewpoints. However, these platforms have a reach that extends far beyond communication. Facebook and Instagram have become invaluable tools for small business owners and large corporations alike to reach new customers, market new products, and spread information about their brands.
The growth of social media platforms has brought about significant change in the way corporations implement marketing strategies. In the past, it was sufficient for a business to take out advertisements in local newspapers and on television to reach customers. Now that young people have shifted their attention from the television screen to their phone, brands have to shift their focus as well.
This fundamental change in marketing strategies has also sparked innovation in technology that makes it easier for corporations and brands to leverage social media. Here are 6 ways that online marketers can grow their following and brand presence on Instagram.
1) Leverage automation tools to make your marketing easier
An easy way to gain a larger following on Instagram without much effort is by using an Instagram automation tool to engage with users even when you’re too busy to do so.
This Instagram automation software will determine your target audience, like and comment on relevant posts, and follow influential users to build your online presence, 24 hours a day. These tools are often the most effective way of building your brand if your company doesn’t have the resources to dedicate staff to social media marketing. Automation tools leverage artificial intelligence technology to optimize your activity and grow your followers organically.
2) Spend time to write engaging captions
On Instagram, the caption is just as important as the content that you post. One of the best ways for marketers to better engage with users is to tell a story through content. Never post a picture or video without giving followers context through the description of a post. Users will not be incentivized to spend more time on your profile or engage with you in the comments, but by writing thoughtful, in-depth descriptions, you can spark conversation, share a new idea, or develop a connection with a follower.
For instance, if you’re a caterer looking to sell your catering services, post videos of your chefs in the kitchen and describe the food that they’re making and the ingredients they’re using. Users will be very interested in the cooking process and will like and comment on your post. Additionally, users will tag their friends that they think will be interested in your content who will also engage with you. Telling a story through your posts is a great way to attract new followers and develop connections with users.
3) Interact with influential users
A great way to get users to engage with your brand is to interact with influential members of the community you market to. For instance, if you own a small business that sells pet supplies and accessories, seek out Instagram users that are popular in the world of pet care or accounts that post pictures of pets.
By interacting with these users in the comments, you’ll begin to get recognized by users in your target audience who will visit your profile and engage with your content. These influencers need not be industry leaders or even professionals, just members of the community that have credibility with your potential customers.
4) Follow trends in hashtags
A great way for brands to get exposure to a significant number of Instagram users is to follow developing trends in hashtags. Hashtags are words or phrases that people use on social media to organize related content and engage with a specific community. On Instagram, many users use hashtags as a means of reaching new audiences and finding content that they like. As a marketer, you can use hashtags to engage with users by looking at popular posts from influential users to pick up on new hashtags.
Once you’ve found a particular hashtag that is gaining popularity, you can develop content to a post that is relevant to that hashtag and use it to gain exposure to more users. You can also look to other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to get a better idea of what hashtags are trending and which communities each hashtag is popular with.
Of course, overusing hashtags or using the wrong hashtags can hurt your brand, but using popular hashtags in moderation can certainly boost your brand presence on Instagram.
5) Promote your brand on other platforms
An obvious way to drive traffic to your Instagram profile is to promote your brand on other platforms like Facebook and Snapchat. Many people are now using these platforms to replace traditional news media and print media that they use to spend time reading, which presents a great opportunity to get exposure to potential customers.
Post on other social media platforms and encourage users to check out your Instagram profile. You can even offer promotions and discounts for users that follow your account and engage with your content.
6) Use Stories to spread new content.
The rapid growth of Instagram Stories means that brands have a new medium for getting in front of Instagram users. A great way to drive traffic to your account is to post stories whenever you have a new piece of content on your page.
Tell users to visit your page and check out the new content. You can also work with other brands to cross-promote on each other’s Stories, which is a fantastic way to grow your follower base at little cost.
