Want to know how to get more Instagram followers? You don’t need to pay for fake followers or use bots – just follow our guide.
Are you new to social media or just trying to build your online brand? You’re probably wondering how to get more followers on Instagram.
Check out our detailed guide where you’ll learn how to organically increase your Instagram followers.
5 simple steps to get more Instagram followers
Step 1. Lay the foundation
Step 2. Create great content
Step 3. Make sure you’re discoverable
Step 4. Engage your community
how to get more Instagram followers
Step 1. Lay the foundation
A well-thought-out Instagram marketing strategy
If you want to be effective on social media, you need a clear plan.
Getting more followers on Instagram is a great starting goal. But followers alone won’t create a successful Instagram account. Your goal must be part of a broader plan that aligns with your business strategy and social media marketing objectives.
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Think about why you want more followers on Instagram. What do you really want to achieve? Perhaps you want to:
- increase brand awareness
- increase product sales
- increase traffic to your website.
Focusing on these business objectives will help you keep your Instagram account consistent. It will help you tell a compelling brand story that attracts new profile visitors and helps you build and maintain loyal followers.
Define your target audience
Ask yourself a few questions about who you’re trying to reach:
- Where do they live?
- What do they do for work?
- When and how do they use Instagram?
- What are their pain points and challenges?
Answering these questions will help you create content that resonates with people on Instagram who are most likely to follow you.
They will also help you consistently deliver content that keeps your audience engaged in the long term.
Creating a consistent brand story and aesthetic
Maybe you want to show how your product is made. Or humanize your brand by sharing an employee’s perspective. An aspirational brand might showcase a lifestyle or the achievements of your customers.
No matter what you’re trying to do, it’s important to maintain a consistent brand voice, personality, and appearance.
Your posts should be easily recognizable at first glance. Think of your Instagram network as one cohesive whole. To share content that doesn’t quite fit the look of your main channel, you can always use Instagram Stories.
Your products don’t have to look the same either. You can use styling to give your grid a unified appearance, just like @themillerswifecustomcookies does:
Source: @themillerswifecustomcookies
Using keywords to appear in search results
Before people start following you on Instagram, they need to find you. However, not all text on Instagram is searchable. Only two fields on Instagram contribute to search results: name and username.
Your username is your login name on Instagram. It should be consistent with the username you use on other social networks, because this also makes it easier for people to find you. Use your brand name or a variation of it that people will likely use when searching for your brand.
Your name can be in any form, but with a maximum of 30 characters. You don’t want to use keywords, but including the most relevant keyword in the name field can make it easier for people to find you.
For example, writer Claudia Laroye (@itsclaudiatravels) includes the key phrase “travel writer” in her Instagram name. Now people searching for travel content or writers are more likely to find her.
Source: @itsclaudiatravels
Optimizing your Instagram bio and profile
Two-thirds of visits to business profiles on Instagram come from non-followers. If your bio and profile convince them to click the follow button, these visitors can become followers.
Your profile contains a field with your name and username (mentioned above), your website, and your bio.
Your bio can have a maximum of 150 characters, so make full use of it. Express your brand identity and show new visitors why they should follow you. What content can they expect?
This bio from @abstractaerialart summarizes the account’s purpose and promise in a quick and easily digestible way:
Source: @abstractaerialart
If you have a professional account (business or Creator), you can include additional information in your profile, such as contact details, business type, and location.
Step 2. Create great content
Design a beautiful Instagram grid
Sure, it may seem obvious, but it’s crucial when thinking about gaining followers on Instagram. Every post in your Instagram feed must be of high quality and visually engaging.
When new users visit your profile, the content should make them want to see more (and click the Follow button).
Give a shoutout to commercial photographer @nelsonmouellic for this visual accomplishment.
Write compelling, long captions
Instagram is a visual social media platform, but great Instagram captions will help you get more reach and engagement.
Here are some key strategies to keep in mind:
- Put the most important words at the beginning. If the caption is longer than 125 characters, users will need to click “more” to see the full text. Make the most of your opening words to inspire them to click further.
- Ask a question. This makes it easy for your audience to leave a comment. This increased engagement will help expose your account to more people.
- Use emoji. Emojis add some variety and can make your caption more appealing. Just make sure you’re using these emojis correctly!
- Try different caption lengths. Our data shows that long captions have a better chance of increasing engagement, but ultra-short captions can also be very effective, where the visual itself speaks for itself.
Will Tang from Going Awesome Places posts great photos with detailed captions that tell the story behind the shot. In his Instagram bio, he describes himself as a “creator of ridiculously detailed itineraries and guides”. This means this approach to captions is very fitting.
Post content that is meant to be shared further.
Your audience wants to engage with content that is useful and inspiring. When planning posts, therefore think about the types of content that other people might enjoy sharing.
People love to share infographics. Satisfy this desire by supplying your followers with your expert insights. If someone embeds your Instagram posts in their blog, you will gain a completely new audience of potential followers.
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People can also reshare your posts in their Instagram Stories. These posts are clickable, so anyone who wants to learn more can click through to your original post. This is another easy way to expand your reach to new audiences and potential new followers.
Embrace Instagram Stories
If you want to get more followers on Instagram, you need to use Instagram Stories. Every day, half a billion Instagram accounts use Stories, and 45% of the most-followed Stories are from businesses.
People who use Stories are highly engaged. In addition, you can use hashtag and location features in your stories and expose them to people who don’t follow you yet.
Utilize the most interesting moments of stories
You’ve put a lot of effort into a story on Instagram and aren’t prepared to say goodbye to it after 24 hours? Pinned highlighted stories are a great way to introduce your brand to people who visit your profile. Fill these highlighted moments with great information and content so that new visitors can see why they should follow you.
Also remember to customize the cover photos on your highlighted stories. Vega, a nutritional supplement manufacturer, maintains its brand through its own green highlights and is plant-friendly.
Source: Vega on Instagram
Post consistently
Your existing followers want to see content from you. That’s why they followed you in the first place. So give them what they want!
When users interact with your posts, these engagements tell Instagram’s algorithm that your content is valuable. These interactions then increase your reach. So if you provide your existing followers with something great to interact with, it can help bring in new Instagram followers.
How often should you post? According to our analysis, between 3-7 times a week.
Post at the right time
Instagram uses an algorithm, not a chronological feed. However, timing is still important for the algorithm.
Hootsuite’s social team found that the best time to post on Instagram is on weekdays between 8:00-12:00 PST or 4:00-5:00 PM PST.
However, your audience may have different habits than ours. A tool like Hootsuite Analytics can show you the best time to post content for your audience based on previous engagement, impressions, or visits.
Schedule your posts and stories
What if the best time to publish a post on your account is three in the morning? (Hey, it happens.) Use a desktop Instagram tool like Hootsuite to schedule and publish directly to Instagram.
Scheduling Instagram posts in advance allows you to plan a cohesive grid that tells an overarching story. It will also allow you to spend time creating excellent captions, instead of trying to come up with something funny on the fly.
Step 3. Make sure you can be found
Use relevant hashtags to reach new users.
Unfortunately, Instagram post text is not searchable. But your hashtags are. Thoughtful hashtag use can be a good way to gain Instagram followers for free. You can even create your own branded hashtags.
Relevant hashtags can help people find your content. Instagram users can even follow hashtags. This means that your content tagged with a hashtag can appear in the feeds of people who don’t yet follow your account.
You can include up to 30 hashtags in an Instagram post, but don’t overdo it. Instead, experiment a little to find how many hashtags work best for your specific account.
Avoid hashtag tricks like #likeforlike, #tagsforlikes, or #followme. These can temporarily boost your follower count. However, these people don’t care what makes you and your content special. They won’t help you build a meaningful and engaged audience on Instagram.
Instead, focus on using highly targeted hashtags specific to your photo, product, or business, as stylist Dee Campling does in this shot #wfh.
Tag Your Location
If the location of your post or story is clear, it’s worth adding a location tag. It’s another easy way for people to find your content on Instagram.
If your business has a physical location, tag it and encourage customers to do the same. Users can then click on this location and view all photos and Stories posted from your store, restaurant, or office.
For example, this is what appears when you search for the Van Wonderen Stroopwafels business location in Amsterdam:
Source: Instagram
If you’re posting content from a conference or event, adding your location can help you connect with other attendees. Your account will reach a highly relevant group of new potential Instagram followers.
Tag Relevant Users
You can easily tag Instagram users who appear in your photos. Simply use the @-menu in the caption or Instagram’s tagging feature within the post.
Users are notified that they’ve been tagged, so tags encourage them to view and share the post. Your post will also appear on the Tagged tab on their Instagram profile.
You can also tag users in your Instagram Stories. They can then share the content in their own Story with just a few taps. If they do, their viewers can click through to your account.
However, be careful. Tagging someone just to get their attention is not a good idea. Instead, only tag users who appear in your photo or are relevant to your post’s content.
Potentially relevant users you might tag include:
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Other relevant businesses
- Colleagues or employees
- Someone who taught you a skill or told you about something you’re sharing in the post
- Anyone who appears in the photo
Encourage Others to Tag You
Another way to introduce your Instagram account to a new audience is to ask other Instagram users to tag you. When they tag you in a post, their audience will see your tag and can click on it if they want to learn more.
Your bio is a great place to ask people to tag you on Instagram.
For example, Visit the USA asks Instagram users to tag them for a chance to be featured on their account.
Source: @visittheusa
Cross-promoting your Instagram account on other networks
If you want to gain Instagram followers for free, you need to make it easy for people to find you.
Your Instagram profile should be easily discoverable. If you’ve already built a following on another social network, let those fans know about your Instagram account.
Share the link to your Instagram profile and give your existing followers on that social network a reason to check it out. (For example, an exclusive coupon code, event, or Instagram contest.)
When BlogHer hosted Jameela Jamil on Instagram Live, it didn’t forget to promote her on its Facebook page as well.
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If you’re just setting up your Instagram account, make sure you’ve published some content before promoting the account elsewhere. Aim for at least 12 posts.
You can also highlight some of your best Instagram posts on your other social channels. Consider boosting these posts with paid advertising so that your other social media followers can find and follow you on Instagram.
Embedding Instagram posts into your blog
You’ve already seen several embedded Instagram posts in this blog. These clickable posts allow users to go directly to the relevant Instagram post or profile.
Embedding your own Instagram posts into your blog is an easy way to share your content and increase traffic to your profile. Every new visitor to your Instagram profile is a potential new follower.
For example, let’s say Hootsuite wants to announce a transformation of our mascot. Sure, we could share a few photos of Owly’s new look.
But we could also embed an Instagram post like this:
Whenever you’re sharing visual content on your blog, such as photos, charts, or infographics, you can embed an Instagram post instead.
Share Your Instagram Account on Other Communication Channels
When sharing your Instagram account, think beyond just your social channels.
You can include a link to your Instagram account on your website, in your email signature, and in online newsletters. The link doesn’t have to be large either. You can use a small Instagram icon.
If you’re promoting a new Instagram account, a quick email blast is a great way to quickly gain free Instagram followers.
And don’t forget about your offline materials. You can include your Instagram handle on coasters, posters, packing slips, business cards, or packaging. It’s a simple way to drive more free Instagram followers to your account.
Use Instagram QR Codes
Your Instagram QR code is a scannable code that allows other Instagram users to follow you instantly. It’s another easy way to promote your account on physical materials, such as packing slips, signage, and product packaging.
Your QR code is also a great way to gain new followers in real time at networking events and conferences. People you meet in person can scan your code and follow you without having to type in your handle. Try printing it out and tucking it into a name badge holder for easy access.
To find your Instagram QR code, tap the three-line icon in the top right corner of your Instagram profile and select QR Code.
Try Getting Reshared by Someone Bigger
Feature accounts are Instagram accounts that curate and share content based on a hashtag or tag. Some of these accounts have massive followings. If they share one of your posts (along with your handle), they can send you a new stream of Instagram followers.
There’s a feature account on Instagram for nearly every niche and interest, so start exploring.
For example, @damngoodstitch features posts about embroidery. This account has over 180,000 followers.
Focus on the Explore Page
The Explore page appears when you click on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the Instagram app. According to Instagram itself, it is a place where “you can find photos and videos you might like from accounts you don’t yet follow”.
Half of Instagram accounts visit Explore monthly. This is a huge opportunity for brands looking to expand their audience.
Getting on the Explore tab isn’t easy. Fortunately for you, we have a whole article to help you get there.
You can also pay for entry into the Explore feed by selecting Explore as your ad placement location.
Source: Instagram
Step 4. Engage Your Community
Follow Relevant Accounts
People should only be tagged in an Instagram post when the content directly relates to them. However, you can follow anyone you like. And when you follow an Instagram user, there’s a good chance they’ll check out your profile and consider whether to follow you back.
Instagram’s “Suggestions For You” section is also a helpful resource for finding relevant accounts to follow. These suggestions appear on your Instagram feed between posts, between Stories, or on the right side of the screen on a computer.
Just remember not to follow too many other accounts too quickly. Your follower ratio—the number of people who follow you compared to how many you follow—is important for credibility.
And don’t follow people just to grab their attention, and then unfollow them once they follow you back. That’s a bit of a silly move and it will hurt your reputation on Instagram.
Collaborate with Existing Communities
Like all social networks, Instagram is about the communities that form within it. So make sure you participate in those spaces.
Get involved by liking, commenting on, and sharing content from other trusted users in your community. Avoid generic comments (like “Amazing post!”) that look like they’re coming from bots.
Engaging with other posts helps attract attention (and potential new followers) in two ways:
- People get notified when you like and comment on their posts. They may check out your profile to return the favor.
- If others find your comments thoughtful or interesting, they may check out your profile.
Collaborate with Influencers in Your Industry
Here’s an important statistic for anyone thinking about how to get more followers on Instagram: 60% of consumers say they would follow a brand on Instagram if an influencer they trust promoted it.
If you’re not already collaborating with influencers, you should definitely consider it. Fortunately for you, we have a full guide to influencer marketing to help you.
Collaborate with Other Brands
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other brands and find out if you could collaborate on Instagram. The right kind of collaboration could help everyone involved gain more Instagram followers.
Think about companies you already work with in other ways. Maybe you’re connected through a local business improvement association or shopping district. How could you collaborate on Instagram?
One common option is to organize a contest with products from multiple companies, as Rocky Mountain Soap Company did with Annika Mango from @borntobeadventurous.
Try Collaborating on Instagram Live
Live videos continue to grow in popularity, and Instagram is a great place to leverage this trend. Users are notified when an account they follow starts broadcasting live, so a live video really captures attention.
To get your Live video in front of a new audience, take advantage of the “Go Live with a Friend” feature and host a live video with someone else in your industry. Ask the other person to host the Live video and then invite yourself as a guest. The two of you will appear on a split screen and introduce yourselves to all your followers.
For example, Design Emergency hosts a live broadcast on Instagram every week where they interview key figures from the design world.
Using Interactive Features in Stories
Instagram Stories offer many interactive features that engage users, such as polls, questions, and chat stickers. These stickers represent a simple and effortless way to engage your audience with your content.
Poll stickers increased the number of views of three-second videos in 90% of beta campaigns on Instagram for this feature.
Source: Instagram
If users encounter your story from a hashtag or location page, they can engage immediately. It’s a great way to get them to learn more about your brand by following you.
Pin Your Best Comments
One of Instagram’s lesser-known features is the ability to pin up to three comments to each post.
You can use this feature in several ways to get more followers on Instagram.
- Using pinned comments, you can extend your caption to more than 2,200 characters and continue the story in the comments. This allows you to engage in more detailed and deeper storytelling, which may be useful for some accounts.
- Pin favorite comments from other users, especially if they create great interest.
This feature will help you manage the conversation about your posts and create more opportunities for engagement.
Step 5. Keep Learning
Creating an AR Filter
Augmented reality filters for Instagram Stories are photographic effects that Instagrammers can use to edit photos taken with the front and rear camera of their mobile phone.
Those posts with puppy ears? Those are created using an AR filter (augmented reality). Those “Which [vegetable/pizza/emoji/etc.] are you?” posts? Yes, they also use AR filters.
Every Instagram user can now create their own AR filter. Created filters live in a dedicated section of your Instagram profile.
Source: @paigepiskin
If your filter is not promotional or branded, it will also appear in the Instagram Stories effects gallery, where any Instagram user can find it.
How will creating an AR filter help you get more followers on Instagram? Your account name will appear in the top left corner whenever someone uses your AR filter. It can be clicked on and can bring more new visitors to your profile.
Source: @gucci
Create Contests
Instagram contests are a great way to gain more followers. Just make sure the entry process includes a request to follow you and comment on one of your photos while tagging a friend.
Your post will also be seen by tagged friends who may decide to follow your account.
Supporting user-generated content within a contest can also help you reach more people. People will learn about your profile from posts created by their friends. This is an effective way to build trust with new followers and get more eyes on your page.
Consider Instagram advertising
Okay, this isn’t exactly a way to get free Instagram followers. But Instagram ads can be an effective way to quickly gain new followers by getting your content in front of people who wouldn’t otherwise see it.
And unlike buying followers, using Instagram ads is completely legitimate and an effective way to quickly gain more Instagram followers with minimal investment.
Target your audience by location, demographics, and even by key behavior and interests. You can also create a lookalike audience based on people who already interact with your business.
Besides the feed, you can also advertise in Instagram Stories and the Explore feed.
Learn from Instagram Insights
Instagram’s analytics tools will provide you with data on impressions of individual posts, their reach, engagement, top posts, and other data. You can also discover demographic information about your followers, including gender, age, and location.
Regularly checking this data will help you identify areas where you can adjust your strategy to gain more Instagram followers.< >
Track what time of day your Instagram followers are using the platform so you can post at times when people are most likely to see and engage with your content.
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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.