12 tactics how to get followers on Instagram
13 minutes read
You will learn:
- Best practices that will help you expand your audience on Instagram
- The importance of a unique brand voice on Instagram
- How to post consistently and at the right time to expand your audience
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You spend hours planning and creating content for Instagram. For a brief moment after pressing the “Share” button, everything is fine. You are sure that you have published something great.
Then comes the silence. Or a few likes and comments from a handful of your followers. But how do you get followers on Instagram, if not by publishing great content?
For growth on Instagram there is no step-by-step guide. However, there are proven practices that will help you reach a wider audience and gain new followers.
Here are 12 ways to get more followers on Instagram.
1. Optimize your bio
Make full use of these 150 characters. Your Instagram bio will tell potential followers who you are, what you do, and what action you hope people will take after visiting your profile.
Your Instagram bio should contain:
- A clear description of what you do
- hints of your personality
- Call to action (shop, read more, contact us, etc.)
- A link
The link in your bio is your only clickable link on Instagram, so use it wisely. Some businesses put a standard link to their website, others change it regularly based on their latest posts. However, if you want to make it easier for yourself, use link-in-bio tools like Start Page, which allow you to turn a single link into a catalog of links.
CoolStays contains all the important aspects of a great Instagram bio.
Also consider including a branded hashtag. For example, we encourage our fans to use #BufferLove when talking about our products. By adding a branded hashtag to our bio, we tell people which hashtag to use to catch our attention. Plus, when someone taps on the hashtag, they’ll see posts from fans who used it.
At Buffer, we include our #BufferLove hashtag in our Instagram bio.
How to get followers on Instagram?
2. Find the best time to post on Instagram
Did you notice we didn’t say find the best time to post on Instagram? The truth is, there is no universal answer to when to post on Instagram to reach the most people. However, there are ways to find the ideal times for your followers.
First, use the Instagram Insights tool to find out when your audience is online. On your Instagram business profile, tap the “Insights” button, go to “Your Audience” and then tap “See All”. From there, scroll down and find the most active times for your audience.
The Instagram Insights service will help you find the best time to publish posts.
You should also consider when your content will be most relevant. For example, a step-by-step recipe video may perform better outside of working hours, as people will be more likely to cook. On the other hand, a post from a cafe could work well around 2 p.m., when people are going through their afternoon slump. Experiment with different posting times and monitor engagement.
If you’re looking for further guidance on when to post, the Buffer Answers feature will provide you with three suggestions for posting times to maximize your reach on Instagram.
The Buffer Answers feature uses data from your previous posts and follower activity to calculate the most appropriate time to publish.
For a more detailed guide, see our article How to Find the Best Time to Post on Instagram.
3. Post consistently
A 2021 study of 14 industries shows that companies share an average of four posts on Instagram per week. However, we recommend posting at least once a day. Brands that get into a regular flow of Instagram posts tend to achieve the best results. According to a Tailwind study, profiles that post daily gain Instagram followers faster than those that post less frequently.
Given Instagram’s algorithmic timeline, consistency is key to getting your posts seen. If your posts are regularly shared and generate good engagement, the Instagram algorithm is likely to display your posts near the top of your followers’ feeds.
Of course, quality is always more important than quantity. Posting more frequently doesn’t necessarily mean a higher engagement rate. Focus on creating content that will resonate with your target audience – more on that in section 9: Engage Your Audience.
Instagram scheduling tools allow you to post consistently without having to worry about daily publishing directly from the app. Check out the article How to Schedule Posts on Instagram to Save Time and Increase Engagement, where you’ll find our favorite Instagram scheduling tools (both free and paid) along with scheduling tips.
4. Learn how the Instagram algorithm works
Many Instagram users initially panicked about the transition from a chronological feed to a ranked timeline. However, since the change, the average post reaches 50% more followers than before. So forget about learning how to beat the Instagram algorithm. Instead, focus on learning how to use the system to your advantage.
What appears on each person’s timeline is determined by six factors: interest, timeliness, relationship, frequency, following, and usage.
Here is a brief overview of what each of these factors covers:
- Interest: How likely Instagram thinks a post will appeal to a given person based on their previous activity.
- Timeliness: What is the relevance of the post to the user? How fresh is the post
- Relationship: Accounts that a person regularly interacts with
- Frequency: How often a person uses the Instagram app
- Following: Posts from accounts that a person follows
- Usage: How much time a person spends on Instagram
- The Instagram algorithm tries to display the best content for each individual user. So although six separate factors might seem like a big concern, the best thing you can do is consistently create high-quality content.
We discuss each of the rating factors in more detail in the article How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2021: Everything You Need to Know. We also include a guide on how to create content that meets each factor, and share tips on how to use the Instagram algorithm to your advantage.
5. Experiment with Different Types of Content
Instagram is much more than just photographs. Over the years, the app has introduced many ways to share content on the platform. Mixing different types of content is one of the best ways to gain Instagram followers, because it gives you the opportunity to reach and connect with a wider range of people.
Remember: The algorithm looks at interest and tries to show people the types of content they interact with most often. So if one person likes and comments on Instagram Reels more often than other types of posts, they’re likely to see more Reels in their Instagram feed. However, if another person interacts more often with carousel posts, they will see more of this type of content on their timeline.
Each type of content has its advantages. For example, Instagram Reels have the advantage because they are the newest type of content and Instagram always promotes new features. Since the launch of Instagram Reels in 2020, the app has moved the Reels button to the center position in the menu bar and Reels are displayed larger than photo posts on the Explore page. Given that the Explore page is checked by 200 million people every day, this extra visual space can have a major impact on how many people you reach.
Instagram TV videos (IGTV) are also displayed 4x larger than photos on the Explore page. And because IGTV videos can be up to 60 minutes long, this type of content is ideal for long-form video.
Instagram Reels and IGTV videos take up more space on the Instagram Explore page.
Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, but they also have their advantages. Fifty-seven percent of brands believe Stories were “somewhat effective” or “very effective” as part of their social media strategy. Additionally, if you have a verified account or at least 10,000 followers, you can add Instagram Swipe Up links to Stories and drive traffic to specific pages.
Meanwhile, carousel posts – a series of up to 10 images/videos in a single post – have the highest engagement rate of all post types. Think of carousels as a mini story or teaser for longer content, such as a blog. You can use text images, photographs, videos, or a combination of everything in one themed post.
DLC Anxiety uses a carousel post to explain how to reframe anxious thoughts.
Are you confused by all the arguments for different types of posts? People like what they like. So while studies may tell you what the average engagement rate is for individual types of content, or argue for one at the expense of another, the best strategy is to use a variety. Mixing content on Instagram allows you to reach people with different preferences and this expanded reach will help you increase your Instagram followers.
6. Find Your Brand Voice and Create Unique Content
People don’t follow your business on social media to see sales offers. They follow your brand because they like your personality and the content you create.
What works for one business may not suit your brand – even if you operate in similar industries. For example, the hobby farm Juggling Daisies and the farm Such and Such both consider themselves unique farms. Juggling Daisies focuses on fun stories, cute photos and healthy content. Meanwhile, Such and Such farm has a grittier style that includes swearing and humor.
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Ask yourself what tone you want to have. Funny? Informative? Playful? Cynical? Your personality should also reflect what you enjoy. Such and Such farm believes in sustainably grown products, so many of their Instagram posts talk about their farming practices. What topics do you focus on with your Instagram content? Everything you share on your business account should showcase your brand’s personality and values.
Juggling Daisies shows its unique personality in its bio and Instagram posts.
Think of your business account as a person. Design your account’s personality and create brand building guidelines to stay consistent. Brand guidelines should include notes on tone, style and values along with your brand’s colors and fonts.
7. Write Great Captions
Nice photos catch people’s attention – great Instagram captions keep it. Captions give you the opportunity to provide more context or details about the photo or video you’re sharing. Using keywords in captions can also help you appear in search results in the app.
Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters. Of course, not every caption needs to be written like a blog post. Play around with different lengths. Some photos work well with a short, witty caption with a few emojis, while others could benefit from something longer and more thoughtful.
The average length of Instagram captions is growing, but most brands still aren’t approaching the 2,200 character limit. In 2020, the average is expected to be 405 characters, while in 2016 it was 142 characters.
OnlineDrea uses both short and long captions on Instagram.
So when should you go long and when should you keep it simple? There’s no hard rule. Like content types, it’s best to mix them. Look at these two posts from Andrea Jones of OnlineDrea. One post has a short caption, while the other explicitly directs you to a longer explanation in the caption.
8. Research and Use Hashtags
We’ve explored hashtags quite a bit on the blog, but they seem to be as important nowhere on social media as they are on Instagram. The right hashtags can expose your image to a large, targeted audience, and Instagram users don’t seem to get tired of hashtags the way they do on other networks.
Start by finding hashtags that would appeal to your target audience. Free Instagram tools like Display Purposes and AutoHash will help you find relevant hashtags for your Instagram posts. For example, using the Display Purposes tool, you simply enter a few words about your image and it will recommend the best hashtags you can use.
If you want to gain more followers on Instagram, hashtags are essential. Using hashtags allows your content to be discovered through search or filtering when people tap on the same hashtag from another post. People can even follow their favorite hashtags, so the best content with that hashtag will appear on their Instagram timeline.
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but don’t add more just to reach 30. TrackMaven recommends nine hashtags for maximum engagement. Just make sure you’re not using the same nine hashtags all the time. Instead, group your favorite hashtags by category so you can quickly add a few relevant hashtags to each post.
Using the Buffer Hashtag Manager tool, you can create and save groups of hashtags. Then you can select from pre-saved groups and add hashtags to your scheduled Instagram posts.
Hashtag Manager will help you create a library of hashtag groups, so you can get greater reach for each of your Instagram posts.
9. Engage Your Audience
Engagement is key to growth on Instagram. Many brands make the mistake of focusing on likes and comments without considering the people behind those metrics. If you want to truly gain more followers on Instagram, you need to engage your fans in the conversation.
Keep in mind that just because someone sees your content doesn’t mean they currently follow you. If you have the opportunity to communicate with a potential follower, you should take it. Every comment is an opportunity to gain a new follower (or keep an existing one), so be sure to reply to every comment you receive. If your hands are already cramping at the thought of tapping on your phone, don’t despair. With the Buffer Engage tool, you can respond to comments from your computer.
But don’t just wait for your followers to start a conversation. Create opportunities for engagement. Use Instagram stickers like open-ended questions and polls in Instagram Stories. Ask questions in photo captions. Encourage people to tag their friends in comments using challenges like “Tag your best friend you’d invite on this cruise!” or “Tag your friend who loves wine and would do this wine tasting with you.”
Need more ideas? Check out our tips for Instagram engagement to learn how to gain more Instagram followers by increasing engagement.
10. Collaborate With Others
Another great way to gain followers on Instagram is to collaborate with others through partnerships or influencer campaigns.
A great example is our Blume brand spotlight. Blume gets access to Buffer’s followers through an original Instagram Story post and accompanying Highlights. Meanwhile, Blume will share the spotlight with their fans, bringing their audience to Buffer. It’s a win-win for both sides.
Instagram Highlights spotlight with Janice Ayan from Blume
Influencer marketing is another way to increase your Instagram followers. If you have a budget, you can pay content creators to promote your brand. However, if you’re hoping it will be simple (and low-budget), micro-influencers (1,000-10,000 followers) can be very effective. Content from micro-influencers has a higher engagement rate than content from larger accounts. You can search for micro-influencers and collaborate with them, or simply reshare user-generated content (UGC).
Remember the branded hashtags we talked about in Part 1: Optimize Your Bio? Just one tap on a branded hashtag and you have access to an entire catalog of content to choose from.
When we first launched the Buffer Instagram account, we asked our fans to use #BufferStories and #BufferCommunity. We used these hashtags to search for and reshare user-generated content. Within one year, we increased our Instagram followers from 4,250 to 21,000.
We discovered Jona Woona through our branded hashtag and reshared the content on our own account (with permission from the original creator).
Why is UGC so popular? “It conveys authentic experiences about the brand’s products or services from previous customers, which increases brand credibility,” says Ramon Berrios from Trend.
Collaborations are also opportunities to showcase your values and personality through associations. The companies and people you connect with and support say a lot about your own brand. Partnerships can be particularly powerful for local businesses as well. Consider partnering with your neighbors to reach a hyper-targeted audience.
How to get followers on Instagram?
11. Link to your Instagram from elsewhere
Make it easy for people to find your Instagram. No one should have to hunt through your website pages to find your Instagram profile.
We use the footer of our website to link to Buffer’s social media accounts.
Add a link to your Instagram account:
- Email footer
- Website footer and/or sidebar
- Bio on other social media platforms
- Team members’ social media posts
12. Analyze your results
One way to figure out how to get more Instagram followers is to look at what your current fans respond to. You can track several Instagram metrics directly in the Instagram Insights app or through third-party analytics tools like Buffer.
Don’t get obsessed with vanity metrics like likes and comments. Instead, think about what these metrics tell you. For example, if you’re testing a new hashtag, metrics like new followers and reach will tell you more about the value of that hashtag than likes from your current followers. However, if you’re experimenting with different posting times, impressions can tell you when your content is most likely to be seen. Your end goal will determine which metrics matter most.
Data analysis will help you discover trends and understand what content resonates with your audience.
Track trends. Does a certain type of image get more views or engagement? Post more of those images and monitor how your followers react. Do certain hashtags lead to more likes from people who don’t follow you? Use these hashtags more frequently and watch for new followers.
Read our Instagram Analytics guide to learn more about Instagram metrics and how to use them to support your marketing strategy.
How do you manage your Instagram marketing?
If you want to grow consistently on Instagram, you need to provide your target audience with quality content regularly. While partial social media is fine for personal accounts, businesses need to be more strategic. All the tactics we’ve discussed will help you get more Instagram followers, but they’re not boxes you can check off once. It’s essential to keep track of your social media content strategy.
Planning and scheduling posts takes time. Managing engagement can also be demanding. With the Buffer app, you can manage all aspects of your Instagram marketing strategy, from planning to analysis, all in one platform.
So, do you know How to get followers on Instagram?
Michal Záruba is a digital marketing specialist and a consultant in social media and SEO. For more than 8 years, Michal has been helping brands grow online through strategic content, search engine optimisation and effective communication on platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
On the blog, Michal shares practical tips on how to combine SEO, social media and brand building into one working strategy, focusing on how companies can use modern tools and algorithms so that their brand gains not only reach but also trust.
Alongside creating content, Michal lectures on digital marketing, trains teams and follows new trends in AI and search.