8 Tips on How to Get Followers in 2026

8 Tips on How to Get Followers in 2026

8 tips on how to get followers in 2026. Everyone who has tried it on Instagram knows how challenging it is to gain even just a few followers. Once it was much easier, but now we’re in 2026 and with each passing year the level of social networking increases. That’s exactly why we decided to bring you an article in which we’ll provide you with 8 tips on how to get followers on your Instagram account. Let’s get to it.

Before we dive into this, you should know what enormous potential this social network has. It’s used by more than a billion users every month around the world. It’s therefore an interesting space where you can present yourself either as an individual or as a company.

If you’re already active here, you certainly know how challenging it is to gain additional followers. This is due to a very intelligent algorithm that the social network uses and also the huge competition that exists on Instagram. However, there are ways that definitely work and that you’ll read about in this article.

#1: Get more followers on your Instagram account with a modern, interesting, and well-developed profile.

If you have ambitions to gain as many followers as possible on your Instagram account in 2026, you should focus first and foremost on your profile.

This is something with which you’ll make a “first impression” on users. It’s precisely this way that you can attract them as much as possible to decide to start following you. Think of it this way: your Instagram profile is actually a modern-day website through which you present yourself. So make sure it represents you as best as possible. Be original in doing so. Some people even create profiles for their pets. That’s also a way to catch attention.

In reality, it only takes a few seconds for a user to decide whether they will follow you or not. It then depends on several aspects. First of all, they’ll quickly look through the content you have on your profile. Then they’ll continue with the description in the BIO and subsequently click on your stories as well.

Nowadays, this means that it’s not enough to have a uniform editing style and visually attractive content for each shot/video. You also need to pay attention to your profile picture, an interesting bio or profile description, actively add interesting stories and include the best ones in “story highlights”. This will represent you as a whole.

Get inspired by the best…

If these lines have scared you, there’s nothing to fear. Creating a perfect and aesthetically attractive account isn’t that much of a problem. Basically, you just need inspiration for it, which is plenty on Instagram. Based on research, you might find something and create something original.

For your profile to become successful, you don’t necessarily have to follow all the rules of “perfection”. Sometimes you can afford to make a pleasant and interesting change. Users will definitely appreciate that and your account will be “refreshed”.

On the other hand, however, your Instagram account must be perfectly aligned with you and with the target audience you’re addressing with your profile. In other words, you can’t just “do whatever you want” here. So you need to be careful with major changes. They can do more harm than good.

It’s also important to note that for 2026, the trend is that users themselves choose a certain style or aesthetic they want to follow on social media. They then tailor everything from images, through logos, stories to descriptions.

So if you’re creating stories, adding photos, commenting on other profiles, publishing videos on IGTV or anything else, don’t forget to use the same colors, shades, fonts, vocabulary, elements (such as gifs) and the like…

Break down and plan your posts

Today there are even tools that allow you to break down and plan your Instagram posts in the order you want them to be added. One of these tools is “LATER”. This planner is completely free and will help you create the best possible appearance and impression for personal promotion or your company.

We also add a few tips to make your Instagram visually perfect:

First tip – Try Adobe Lightroom

If you’re looking for a tool for your smartphone, which can absolutely perfectly edit and enhance your photos, you’ve come to the right place. Adobe Lightroom is a completely free application and you can find it on iOS operating system or on Android.

With it, you can perfectly customize everything at a professional level directly on your mobile device. For a successful Instagram profile you don’t need special equipment and knowledge of programs like Adobe Photoshop and similar.

Adobe Lightroom also offers the option of presets. It works so that you create unified settings (essentially a filter) and you can then apply it to all your photos. If you can’t create your own preset, you can buy one. If you want to appear professional, investment will be necessary.

Second tip – Use templates for Instagram stories

If you’re among the users who often add Instagram Stories (which you should definitely do for success), you should also focus on special templates, which are increasingly “trendy”. Thanks to them, your stories will be visually more cohesive and most importantly more interesting. People like to stop at nice graphics, after they’ve seen many boring stories from other people.

You can get these templates in a simple way. Nowadays there are plenty of them in the form of applications on your phone. Among the most well-known are Canva and Unfold. Thanks to them, you will have stories that no one in your surroundings will have. That’s a great competitive advantage!

Third tip – Use the “Highlights” feature

Try it on yourself. Go to any Instagram profile and analyze how you interact with it. You will definitely check out the section of selected stories, which are located under the description. These can help you get a better picture of what kind of person or company you’re following.

If you plan to present yourself mainly through stories, keep in mind that they will only last “just” 24 hours on your profile. Also, you need to carefully consider what sections you’ll create, how you’ll name them, and what videos you’ll use. You don’t need to use all of them. You should only use the best ones. Ideally, those that interest users and will motivate them to click the follow button.

If you’re not sure what specifically to add to “highlights”, try “digging through” your older stories. You’ll definitely find something that turned out well and can represent you perfectly. If not, it doesn’t matter, you can create and add content here gradually.

In story highlights there are various options how you can present yourself. As a person, you can choose the most important attributes that characterize you. As a company you can add individual products, collections, discounts, promotions, news and similar. There’s really a lot. However, you need to be a little creative.

Warning: Even with these “highlights” don’t forget about the visual aspect of your profile, which we’ve focused on so far. Make sure the thumbnail images of your highlights are unified, in the same colors, shades, and graphics.

#2: Use hashtags and location tags in your “Stories.” You’ll get more followers. Instagram is constantly trying to improve its stories. That’s why we’re witnessing new features being added here quite frequently. Even today you can insert quite a lot here. We’re talking about hashtags, your location, GIF images, stickers, polls, questions, music and so on.

Thanks to such a wealth of great tools, you can be very creative on Instagram. Especially when you’re interested in reaching as many new followers as possible. You should know a few basic facts about Instagram Stories, which you may not have thought of before.

First of all, it’s the fact that they can also be seen by users who don’t follow you. Stories are also shown on Instagram’s “Explore” page. That’s an important finding. If someone is interested in your video or photo, there’s a high probability they’ll continue to your profile and theoretically click the “follow” button.

Hashtags and location can work wonders on Instagram!

However, if you want your Story to reach the mentioned “Explore” page, you need to follow a few rules. One of them is using location tags and the other is using hashtags. The locations and hashtags themselves have their own stories (you can verify this when you click on them sometime).

Your Story will get there only if you tag it to that place using the aforementioned method. Subsequently, someone who doesn’t follow you can reach your profile through your story. Nowadays, not many users follow these rules. Thanks to this, you can have your “competitive advantage”.

When your story is added to a certain hashtag or location, Instagram will notify you in the form of a notification. You can then view this page (hashtag or location) by viewing who saw your story.

There are even tricks if you don’t want someone to see the hashtags or location you’ve tagged. It’s simple. After you add them here, make them as small as possible and change them to the color of your background. You can also cover hashtags or location with GIFs or stickers. No one will know they’re hidden there.

The advantage of stories is also the possibility of live streaming. If you find yourself somewhere you think is worth it for your followers, use it. People today want to be as current as possible. Instagram also pushes Live streaming to the forefront, so many more people will come across you at that moment than is normal.

#3: Share Selfie photos and get more followers on Instagram

People on Instagram follow various personalities. They like faces. We are social beings, perhaps that’s why it’s pleasant for us to look at them on social networks too. So you need more of this content. Add Selfies to Instagram.

If you want to be popular on your Instagram, you have to show yourself. That’s a simple principle. If you promote yourself as a person, your face will work as your brand. Don’t neglect this point. According to research, selfies and images with faces have up to 38% more “likes” than regular photos. That can’t be a coincidence

Remember that selfies don’t have to be just photos. They can also be videos that can be edited before posting. You can set a filter, stickers, text or for example music here. Thanks to this, your audience will get to know you better also in terms of what you like.

If you have a business, try showing the world who works in it

If you want to promote your business through stories, it’s not a bad idea to try to interview your employees on some topic (if they agree of course). Your profile will then look much more human and pleasant.

You’ll have a better chance of finding your future customers here. In 2026, the trend is already that people don’t want to know just the brand itself but also the people behind it. You can also introduce your products and operations to them in the same way.

There are no better people for a company than its employees to tell something about it. They are in contact with the company every day and know it best. Moreover, if someone comes to you to physically shop and meets a person they saw before on social media, they will feel that they already know them a bit. The purchase will therefore be much more pleasant for them and there is a higher chance they will come to the store.

So think about how to get as many faces and interesting content on your social network as possible. That is what sells best these days and will sell for a few more years to come.

#4: Create ads and campaigns on Instagram that will help you with the question of how to gain followers on Instagram.

There is enormous competition on Instagram these days. No wonder, with a billion users visiting monthly. That’s exactly why it’s hard to get noticed for free. But that doesn’t matter at all. There is an option for promotion through paid ads. If you target them well to the audience you want to reach, it’s a great opportunity to build a successful profile.

A big advantage of advertising campaigns on Instagram is that their setup is not difficult at all. Actually, absolutely anyone can handle it and for a minimal amount you can get quite a lot of followers. However, you need to follow all the principles we mentioned above to make the ad as effective as possible.

There are several types of ads you can create. For example, you can promote the photos or videos you have on your profile or even stories that will be shown to people while they’re browsing stories of other users they follow.

As for targeting your post to your audience, it’s really not very difficult on Instagram. The social network has tools to help you with that so you’ll manage it easily… You can choose your audience here by age, interests, gender, place of residence and so on.

So if you want to promote, for example, a company that sells sweets in the center of Bratislava, you will definitely choose a lower age group, mark a specific location and use beautiful photos that will make people’s mouths water. That’s a guaranteed path to success.

Create more attractive campaigns than the competition

When creating a campaign, you need to think about the fact that there is a lot of competition here. They will probably use similar strategies as you. But try to be smarter. Look at the most popular posts or stories on their profiles and try to explore why people like them so much. Then adjust your ad accordingly. You will appeal to people much sooner than other “boring” companies or individuals.

Good advice in conclusion: With each campaign, try to get your audience directly to your profile. Of course, you can also direct them to your website, for example, where they can buy products (if you sell any). The problem is that in the long run it won’t pay off that much for you.

If someone comes to your profile, starts following you, it is very likely that they will stay there. In other words, you will have a better chance in the long term of selling some products than with one-time transactions through ads.

#5: Promote your profile content on other platforms to gain more followers on Instagram

Of course, your priority is to get as many fans on Instagram as possible. But you need to look at it in a way that you can also promote yourself on other platforms that these users follow. We’re talking about social networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and so on. You can also use websites, etc…

It’s ideal in this case when you’re starting on Instagram and you already have profiles created long-term on other channels. Thanks to this, you have a certain group of fans who will happily open Instagram and decide to follow you on this social network too.

You can also try to direct people to your profile in a completely targeted way. Create an attractive competition or simply suggest that people can ask you any questions directly on Instagram. You can also try to create, for example, a viral hashtag. Nowadays, you need to be creative in order to reach a wide audience. This is a guaranteed way to gain followers on your Instagram account.

Don’t forget about your website and blogs…

If you use a website, don’t forget that you can add an Instagram plugin to it. Thanks to it, users can get there very quickly and can start following you. There are countless such plugins on WordPress (currently the most widespread web platform). Similarly, these plugins can be connected with Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and so on.

If you have created a YouTube channel where you have your group of followers, address them directly in the video. It’s a simple way to gain old and new users within another social network. People nowadays love videos. They watch them carefully. If you do a little advertising there, no one will be angry with you. After all, you’re promoting yourself.

If you have a company, don’t hesitate to use your Instagram in your email communication. Every day, you and your employees send dozens or perhaps hundreds of emails. Often it can be email marketing where there are really thousands of those emails. Imagine how many people read these emails. Every day you can gain new fans!

# 6: Gain more followers by creating your own filter in stories.

If you use filters on Instagram, you are automatically also a user of augmented reality. This topic was once science fiction. Today it is already an ordinary reality of our time and you need to adapt to it. You certainly know those ears that turn your face into a dog on Instagram. Similarly, various love filters and so on. This is all AR.

Back in 2018, Facebook allowed various companies to create their own filters with augmented reality. It launched the Spark AR Studio program. Various world brands certainly took advantage of such an opportunity. Today we know filters from Adidas or for example Gucci. Famous personalities also have their own filters.

As soon as someone decides to use a filter from a brand, viewers will see it very quickly. Moreover, they will be encouraged to use it too. That’s a fantastic opportunity for people to get to know you and start following your profile on this social network. Until recently, only selected companies could create such filters. Today, however, the possibilities are much more open. Thanks to the Spark program, practically anyone can try to create their own filter.

If you create your own filter, you should not forget about:

Sharing. First of all, enable this function. Thanks to this, practically anyone will be able to use your filters and you will always be advertising your profile. The name of the filter from the selected company will always appear under the photo and profile name in the story. This is also a way to gain followers on your Instagram account.

Add your own logo, which you should have if you’re serious about it on this social network. Your logo or icon, by which people recognize you, can be added directly to the filter. Every time people select it, they will find it by your logo and remember your profile.

Thanks to this, they will get to know you better. It’s not just good for gaining new followers. If you become famous and successful on Instagram over time, this way you can effectively build brand awareness.

Don’t forget about humor: If you want to create Instagram filters, you must not forget that they must have humor. Users must have a reason to use them. If you only promote your brand in a boring way through filters, it won’t help anything. However, if you find something funny, the filter can become very popular very quickly.

# 7: Collaborate with brands and other users to gain more Instagram followers

Collaborations have a major impact in the marketing sphere. Notice, for example, the fashion industry. On Instagram, it works the same way. You can agree with another profile that is in a similar situation as you to jointly create a marketing campaign. You can also create a collaboration, for example, with companies. If you have some creative skills, sell them in exchange for publishing the collaboration on their Instagram (if their profile has thousands of fans).

If someone reaches your profile thanks to a collaboration with another profile or company, there is a high probability they will click the “follow” button. The user may not know your brand and may not even love it. What matters in this case is that they are loyal to the other profile/brand. When they see that you are collaborating with them, they want to start following you too.

# 8: Build partnerships with influencers, a good way to gain followers on Instagram account

If you want to promote your brand, product, or say a creative profile, one of the best ways to do it is to reach out to an influencer. This is someone who builds long-term relationships with their followers and they buy products based on their recommendations.

For everything to work as it should, you need a person for long-term cooperation. In the case of a company, they can also function as your “ambassador”. If you have a regular profile and want to gain visibility, look around to see if any of your acquaintances might be acting as an influencer. If so, try to contact them to see if you could do some collaboration. Don’t forget that long-term collaborations are especially worthwhile. With a one-time post, you won’t gain that much.

When selecting an influencer, make sure it is someone who could advocate for your interests. You don’t have to stick to just one person. You can certainly contact multiple influencers. But keep in mind that these people often make a living working on Instagram. Collaborations can be quite financially expensive.

Also pay attention when selecting to make sure the influencer’s audience is real. Nowadays, anyone can pay for followers for a few euros. The problem is that these are not real people and are just “dead” profiles. They will have no value for you whatsoever.

We hope we helped you gain new followers

In the article, we tried to summarize several tips that are generally not talked about much. If it inspired you in your future work, we would be happy if you would share it among your friends… Write your observations and tips in the comments that work for you on Instagram!

More tools for your Instagram can be found here