The number of followers you have is a sign of trust and quality for most of us, so growing your online community is essential for every influencer. In the age of authenticity, it’s crucial that your rise to fame on social media is executed organically.
So, if you’re certain that it’s your time to shine, then here are five simple ways to grow your Instagram following organically.
Video Content
When the world is racing at breakneck speed, we rarely manage to focus on anything for long. While text and images are still crucial for growing your following on Instagram organically, in 2022, you must implement video into your social media strategy.
Statistics show that more and more people opt for video content each year. In 2020, on average, a person spent 18 hours a week watching videos compared to only 7.5 hours per week three years ago.
If you're not already using Reels to grow your Instagram following, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. Reels (short videos on Instagram) are still one of the most effective ways to attract a new audience to your Instagram account. Unlike most other Instagram features, Reels feed viewers are offered interesting content from both users they follow and users they haven't yet followed. This means that Reels videos can quickly go far beyond the subscriber list and go viral, which will help increase your visibility and gain more followers.
To get the most out of Reels:
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Add keywords and hashtags to video descriptions that accurately describe the video
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Use trending sounds and music
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Make short and catchy videos to encourage repeat viewings
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Create original content
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Add screen text for viewers who are watching the video without sound
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Strive for high-quality video footage (rather than uploading TikTok watermarked videos)
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Experiment with popular trends, give users a behind-the-scenes look or shoot before-and-after videos.
Need some inspo? Check out these accounts for regular posts about current trends and 'how-to' videos, including timestamps for viral sounds:
Consistency
When it comes to Instagram growth, consistency is key. Later recently analysed over 81 million feed posts (excluding videos) to find out how posting frequency affects average reach and engagement rates. One of the key findings was that accounts that post more often tend to have more followers. However, creating quality content with real value for your audience should always prioritise quantity.
It's hard to pinpoint the best number of posts per week, as it varies with your growth goals and number of followers. In any case, it makes sense to follow this advice: the more consistent you are, the more Instagram algorithms support you. If you post regularly, your posts get the best coverage and engagement.
Hashtags and Tags
Instagram hashtags are one of the most effective growth tools available, and they should not be neglected. Research shows that the reach rate on an Instagram post increased from 24% to 35% as hashtags increased from 1 to 30. In the long term, for an account with 20k followers, this is an additional 2.2k accounts covered by each post.
If you are unsure which hashtags to use, try checking which hashtags influencers with the same target audience/theme use.
Don't forget to tag Instagram pages dedicated explicitly to content like yours. Whether it's aesthetic, fashion, or just a brand you're wearing today — if the content is high quality or on topic, there is a good chance that your content will be used, therefore exposing you to new audiences and increasing your following.
See below for all your inspo needs:
Interaction
Interacting with your followers, brands, and other creators is also important for Instagram growth. It is essential to respond to comments and DMs, and interact with the content you were tagged in. It builds your followers' loyalty and develops more intimate connections, increasing the quality of your following. Try utilising Instagram native features, such as polls and questionnaires, to drive engagement.
Try commenting under posts with content similar to yours; this will attract more followers to your page. Comment on blog posts with a similar target audience, ask questions and suggest ideas for the next post. Showing a keen interest and competence in topics will get new potential subscribers to notice you.
To help grow your social media organically, it's also great to collaborate with other brands and influencers to participate in a 'followers exchange.' Recently Instagram has introduced a new user collaboration feature — Joint Publications. Now users can invite other people as co-authors of their posts. Co-authorship on Instagram will help increase followers, reach, and engagement from the combined audience.
Cross-Platform Posting
If you're looking for additional ways to grow your Instagram followers, cross-promoting your account on other platforms is a great place to start. Attracting Instagram followers from other social networks is a great way to increase your number of followers for free, not only at the first stage but for continuous growth.
TikTok is the primary platform for Instagram cross-promotion. On TikTok, one of the first things you can do to generate traffic on Instagram is to link your Instagram account to TikTok. You can then create multiple TikToks that encourage viewers to click through to your Instagram profile. TikTok following is growing exponentially in 2022, and you can expect at least 10% of those users to follow you on Instagram.
Content creators often overlook Pinterest, but it is a fantastic platform that you can use without original content. Repurposed content with the right keywords can drive traffic directly to your Instagram page.
Where does this get you? Repurposing content and using platforms such as Pinterest or TikTok will allow you to reach new followers on those platforms and expand your audience on Instagram. This may also allow you to tap into new target audiences you may not have interacted with before.
Use all the social networks that you plan on creating content for. Link back to your other social media profiles in all of your bios.
BONUS TIP: Don't forget to tag your location in every post. It can increase your engagement!
Increasing your Instagram followers may seem like a daunting task, but it's definitely possible to do so organically with the proper techniques and strategies. It's a combination of posting creative content, targeting the right audience, and taking advantage of new Instagram features and trends.
