How to Get More Followers on Instagram: 12 Tactics for Instagram Growth

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Summary

How to get more followers on Instagram: 12 tactics for Instagram growth. Read on to discover the 12 best tactics (with tools and examples) that can help you gain a larger and more engaged audience on Instagram for your business.

13 min read — you will learn:

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

1. Optimize Your Bio

Make the most of those 150 characters. Your Instagram bio tells potential followers who you are, what you’re about, and what action you hope people will take after visiting your profile.

Your Instagram description should include:

• A clear description of what you do
• A glimpse of your personality
• A call to action (shop, read more, contact us, etc.)
• A link

Your link in bio is your only clickable link on Instagram, so use it wisely. Some businesses include a standard link to their website, while others change it regularly to reflect recent posts. However, if you want to make things easier, use link-in-bio tools like Shop Grid, which allow you to turn a single link into a catalog of links.

Also consider including a branded hashtag. For example, we encourage our fans to use #BufferLove when talking about our products. Adding a branded hashtag to our bio tells people which hashtag to include to get our attention. Plus, when someone taps the hashtag, they’ll see posts from fans who have used it.

2. Find Your Best Time to Post on Instagram

Notice how we didn’t say find the best time to post on Instagram? The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to when to post on Instagram to reach the highest number of people. However, there are ways to find the ideal times for your followers.

First, use Instagram Insights to find out when your audience is online. Tap the “Insights” button on your Instagram business profile, go to “Your Audience,” and then tap “See All.” From there, scroll down to find your audience’s most active times.

You should also consider when your content will be most relevant. For example, a detailed recipe video might perform better outside of working hours, as people are more likely to be cooking. In contrast, a coffee shop post might do well around 2 p.m. when people are browsing through the afternoon slump. Experiment with different posting times and monitor engagement.

If you’re looking for some additional guidance on when to post, Buffer’s Answers feature will provide you with three suggested posting times to maximize your reach on Instagram.

3. Post Consistently

A 2021 study of 14 industries shows that businesses share an average of four Instagram posts per week. However, we recommend posting at least once a day. Brands that get into a regular flow of Instagram posts typically see the best results. According to a Tailwind study, profiles that post daily gain Instagram followers faster than those that post less frequently.

Thanks to Instagram’s algorithmic timeline, consistency is a key factor in getting your posts seen. If your posts are shared regularly and receive good engagement, the Instagram algorithm will likely display your posts at the top of your followers’ feeds.

Quality is always more important than quantity, of course. Posting more frequently doesn’t necessarily mean a higher engagement rate. Focus on creating content that resonates with your target audience — more on this in section 9: Engage With Your Audience.

Instagram scheduling tools allow you to post consistently without having to worry about posting directly from the app every day. Check out How to Schedule Instagram Posts to Save Time and Boost Engagement, and discover our favorite Instagram scheduling tools (free and paid) along with scheduling tips.

4. Learn How the Instagram Algorithm Works

Many Instagram users initially panicked about the switch from a chronological feed to a ranked timeline. Since the change, however, the average post sees 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.

There are six factors that 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 refers to:

• 1. Interest: How much Instagram thinks a person will like a post based on previous activity
  2. Timeliness: How recent a post is
  3. Relationship: Accounts a person regularly interacts with
  4. Frequency: How often a person uses the Instagram app
  5. Following: Posts from accounts the person follows
  6. Usage: How much time a person spends on Instagram
  7. The Instagram algorithm aims to create the best content for each individual user. Although six separate factors may seem like a lot to worry about, the best thing you can do is consistently create high-quality content.

We cover each ranking factor in more detail in the article How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2021: Everything You Need to Know. We also include guidance on how to create content that suits each factor, and share tips on how to use the Instagram algorithm to your advantage.

5. Experiment With Different Content Types

Instagram is so much more than photos. Over the years, the app has introduced many ways to share content on the platform. Mixing things up with different content types is one of the best ways to gain more Instagram followers, as it gives you the chance to reach and connect with a wider range of people.

Remember: The algorithm tracks interest and tries to show people the types of content they interact with most frequently. So if one person likes and comments on Instagram Reels more often than other types of posts, they will likely see more Reels in their Instagram feed. However, if someone else interacts more frequently with carousel posts, they will see more of that type of content on their timeline.

Each content type has its own advantages. For example, Instagram Reels have an edge because they are the newest type of content and Instagram is always pushing 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 made Reels appear larger than photo posts on the Explore page. Since 200 million people check the Explore page every day, the extra visual real estate can significantly impact how many people you reach.

Instagram TV (IGTV) videos also appear 4x larger than photos on the Explore page. And since IGTV videos can last up to 60 minutes, this content type is ideal for long-form video.

Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, but they also have their advantages. Fifty-seven percent of brands believe that Stories were “somewhat effective” or “very effective” as part of their social media strategy. Moreover, if you have a verified account or at least 10,000 followers, you can add Instagram Swipe Up links to Stories to drive traffic to specific pages.

Meanwhile, carousel posts – a series of up to 10 images/videos in a single post – boast the highest engagement rate of all post types. Think of carousels as a mini-story or a teaser for longer content, such as a blog. In a single themed post, you can use text images, photos, video, or a combination of everything.

Are you confused by all the arguments for different post types? People like what they like. While studies can tell you what the average engagement rate is for each type of content, or argue for one over another, the best strategy is to use a variety. Mixing up your Instagram content will allow you to reach people with different preferences, and this expanded reach will help you boost your Instagram followers.

6. Find Your Brand Voice and Create Unique Content

People don’t follow your business on social media to see sales pitches. They follow your brand because they enjoy your personality and the content you create.

What works for one business may not suit your brand – even if you’re in a similar industry. For example, Juggling Daisies Hobby Farm and Such and Such Farm both consider themselves unique farms. Juggling Daisies is about fun stories, cute photos, and wholesome content. Meanwhile, Such and Such Farm has a rougher style that includes profanity and humor.

Ask yourself what tone you want to have. Funny? Informative? Playful? Cynical? Your personality should also reflect what you are passionate about. Such and Such Farm believes in sustainably grown produce, so many of their Instagram posts talk about their farming practices. What topics do you cover with your Instagram content? Everything you share on your business account should showcase your brand’s personality and beliefs.

Think of your business account as a person. Design the account’s personality and create branding guidelines to stay consistent. Brand usage 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. Plus, using keywords in captions will help you appear in search results within the app.

Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters long. Of course, not every caption needs to read like a blog post. Play around with different lengths. Some photos pair nicely with a short, witty caption with a few emojis, while others may benefit from something longer and more reflective.

The average length of Instagram captions is growing, but most brands still don’t reach the 2,200-character limit. In 2020, the average was estimated to be 405 characters, up from 142 in 2016.

So when do you go long and when do you keep it simple? There’s no hard and fast rule. Just like with content types, it’s best to mix it up. Take a look at these two posts from Andréa Jones of OnlineDrea. One post has a short caption, while the other specifically redirects you to the caption for a longer explanation.

8. Research and Use the Right Hashtags

We’ve explored hashtags extensively on the blog, but they seem to be nowhere near as important 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 experience hashtag fatigue in the same way as on other networks.

Start by finding hashtags that would appeal to your target audience. Free Instagram tools like Display Purpose and AutoHash can help you find relevant hashtags for your Instagram posts. For example, with Display Purpose, you simply type a few words about your image and it will recommend the best hashtags to use.

If you want to gain more Instagram followers, hashtags are essential. Using hashtags makes your content discoverable through search or filtering when people tap on the same hashtag from another post. People can even follow their favorite hashtags so that top content featuring that hashtag appears on their Instagram timeline.

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but don’t play games just to hit 30. TrackMaven recommends nine hashtags for maximum engagement. Just make sure you’re not using the same nine hashtags over and over again. Instead, group your hashtags by category so you can quickly add a few relevant hashtags to each post.

With Buffer Hashtag Manager, you can create and save hashtag groups. You can then choose from your pre-saved groups to add hashtags to your scheduled Instagram posts.

9. Engage with your audience

Engagement is essential for growth on Instagram. Many brands make the mistake of focusing on likes and comments without considering the people behind those metrics. If you really want to get more Instagram followers, you need to engage your fans in conversation.

Remember, just because someone sees your content doesn’t mean they’re currently following you. If you have the chance to interact with a potential follower, you should take it. Every comment is an opportunity to gain a new follower (or retain an existing one), so make sure to respond to every comment you receive. If your hands are already cramping at the thought of tapping your phone, don’t worry.

But don’t just wait for your followers to start a conversation. Create opportunities for engagement. In Instagram Stories, use Instagram stickers like open-ended questions and polls. Ask questions in your photo captions. Challenge people to tag friends in the comments with prompts like “Tag your BFF you’d invite on this cruise!” or “Tag your wine-loving friend you’d taste this wine with.”

Need more ideas? Check out our Instagram engagement tips to learn how to get more Instagram followers by boosting engagement.

10. Collaborate with others

Another great way to gain Instagram followers is by collaborating with others through partnerships or influencer campaigns.

Our brand spotlight with Blume is a great example. Blume gets access to Buffer’s followers through an original Instagram Story and accompanying Highlights. Meanwhile, Blume shares the spotlight with their fans, bringing their audience to Buffer. It’s a win-win.

Influencer marketing is another way to grow your Instagram following. If you have the budget, you can pay content creators to promote your brand. However, if you’re hoping to keep things simple (and low-budget), micro-influencers (1,000–10,000 followers) can make a big impact. In fact, micro-influencer content has higher engagement rates than content from larger accounts. You can search for micro-influencers to set up collaborations, or simply reshare user-generated content (UGC).

Remember those branded hashtags we talked about in Step 1: Optimize your bio? With a single tap on a branded hashtag, you’ll have an entire catalog of content to choose from.

When we first launched Buffer’s Instagram, we encouraged fans to use #BufferStories and #BufferCommunity. We used these hashtags to find and reshare user-generated content. Within one year, we grew our Instagram following from 4,250 to 21,000.

Why is UGC so popular? “It conveys authentic product or service experiences from a brand’s previous customers, which increases brand credibility,” says Ramon Berrios from Trend.

Collaborations are also an opportunity to showcase your values and personality through association. The businesses and people you partner with and support say a lot about your own brand. Partnerships can be especially powerful for local businesses as well. Consider partnering with your neighbors to reach a highly targeted audience.

11. Link to your Instagram from elsewhere

Make it easy for people to find your Instagram. No one should have to dig through pages of your website to find your Instagram profile.

Add a link to your Instagram account to:

• Email footers
• Your website footer or sidebar
• Bios on other social media platforms
• Team member posts on social media

12. Analyze Your Results

One way to figure out how to get more followers on Instagram is to look at what your current fans are responding to. You can track several Instagram metrics directly in the app using Instagram Insights or through third-party analytics tools like Buffer.

Don’t get hung up on vanity metrics like likes and comments. Instead, think about what the metrics are telling 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 give you an idea of when your content is most likely to be seen. Your ultimate goal will determine which metrics matter most.

Track trends. Is a certain type of image getting more views or engagement? Post more of those images and see how your followers respond. Are certain hashtags resulting in more likes from people who don’t follow you? Use those hashtags more often and watch for new followers.

Check out our Instagram Analytics guide to learn more about Instagram metrics and how to use them to support your marketing strategy.

You can also find tools to boost your Instagram here >>

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