12 Tactics How to Get Followers on Instagram

12 tactics how to get followers on Instagram

13 minutes read
You will learn:

• Best practices that will help you expand your Instagram audience
• The importance of a unique brand voice on Instagram
• How to post consistently and at the right time to expand your audience

<< You can get help for example by buying followers or likes, just click here >>

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 to get followers on Instagram, when 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 the most 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 include:

• A clear description of what you do
• hints of your personality
• A call to action (buy, 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 link to their standard website, while others change it regularly according to 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 they talk about our products. By adding a branded hashtag to our bio, we tell people which hashtag to include to get our attention. Plus, when someone clicks on the hashtag, posts from fans who used it will appear.

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 maximum number of people. However, there are ways to find the ideal times for your followers.

First, use the Instagram Insights tool to see when your audience is online. On your Instagram business profile, click the “Insights” button, go to “Your Audience” and then click “See All”. From there, scroll down to find the most active times of your audience.

The Instagram Insights service will help you find the best time to post your 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 work hours, as people will be more likely to cook. On the other hand, a post from a coffee shop might fit well around 2 PM, when people go through an 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 post 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 suitable time to post.
You can find a more detailed guide in 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 the 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 making your posts visible. If your posts are regularly shared and gather good engagement, the Instagram algorithm is likely to display your posts near the top of your followers’ feeds.

Quality is of course 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 worrying 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 over the transition from a chronological feed to a ranked timeline. However, since the change, the average post has seen 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.

Six factors determine what appears on each person’s timeline: interest, timeliness, relationship, frequency, following, and usage.

Here is a brief overview of what each of these factors involves:

• Interest: How likely Instagram thinks a user will like a post based on their previous activity.
• Timeliness: How relevant is 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
• Instagram’s algorithm tries to display the best content for each individual user. While six separate factors may seem like a big concern, the best thing you can do is consistently create high-quality content.

We discuss the individual rating factors in more detail in the article How Instagram’s algorithm works in 2021: Everything you need to know. We also include a guide on how to create content that fits individual factors, and share tips on how to use Instagram’s 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 followers on Instagram because it gives you the opportunity to reach and connect with a wider range of people.

Remember: The algorithm looks at engagement and tries to show people the types of content they interact with most frequently. So if someone 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 frequently 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 of being the newest type of content and Instagram always promotes new features. Since Instagram Reels were launched in 2020, the app moved the Reels button to the center position in the menu bar, and on the Explore page, Reels appear larger than photo posts. Given that the Explore page is checked by 200 million people every day, this additional visual space can have a significant impact on how many people you reach.

Instagram TV videos (IGTV) also appear 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 one post – have the highest engagement rate of all post types. Think of carousels as a mini story or preview of longer content, such as a blog post. You can use text images, photos, 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 each type of content, or argue for one at the expense of another, the best strategy is to use a variety of types. 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 company 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, the Such and Such farm has a rougher style that includes profanity and humor.

OFFERS

Publish flawlessly. Analyze effortlessly. Engage authentically.
Buffer is a complete social media toolkit that allows you to focus on what you enjoy in your business.

Start Free Right Now

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 cover in 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 the account’s personality and create brand guidelines so you can stay consistent. Brand creation guidelines should include notes on tone, style, and values along with your brand’s colors and fonts.

7. Write Great Captions

Nice photos grab 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 within 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, funny caption with a few emojis, while others might 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 was expected to be 405 characters, while in 2016 it was 142 characters.

OnlineDream uses both short and long captions on Instagram.

So when should you switch to long and when to simple? There’s no hard rule. Just like with content types, it’s best to mix them. Look at these two posts from Andrea Jones of OnlineDream. One post has a short caption, while the other explicitly directs you to a caption with a longer explanation.

8. Explore and Use Hashtags

We’ve explored hashtags extensively on the blog, but they don’t seem to be as important anywhere on social media as they are on Instagram. The right hashtags can expose your image to a large and 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. Using the Display Purposes tool, for example, 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 several 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 every Instagram post.

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 these metrics. If you want to truly gain more followers on Instagram, you need to engage your fans in conversation.

Keep in mind that just because someone sees your content doesn’t mean they’re currently following 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 don’t forget to respond to every comment you receive. If your hands are already cramping at the thought of typing on your phone, don’t worry. 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, such as open-ended questions and polls in Instagram Stories. Ask questions in photo captions. Challenge people to tag their friends in comments with prompts 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, where you’ll learn how to get 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 gains access to Buffer’s followers through an original Instagram Story 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 easy (and low-budget), micro-influencers (1,000-10,000 followers) can be very effective. Content from micro-influencers has higher engagement rates than content from larger accounts. You can search for and collaborate with micro-influencers 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 Buffer’s Instagram account, we encouraged 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 of a brand’s products or services from previous customers, which increases brand credibility,” says Ramon Berrios from Trend.

Partnerships 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 too. 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 search 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
• Footer and/or sidebar of your website
• 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 ultimate goal will determine which metrics are most important.

Data analysis will help you uncover trends and understand what content resonates with your audience.
Track trends. Does a certain type of image get more views or engagement? Post more images like that and watch 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 quality content to your target audience 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 gain more Instagram followers, but they’re not boxes you can check off once and be done. The key is to maintain control of your social media content strategy.

Planning and scheduling posts requires time. Managing engagement can also be challenging. 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 now know How to get followers on Instagram?