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

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Summary

How to Get More Instagram Followers: 12 Tactics for Instagram Growth. Read on to discover the 12 best tactics (with tools and examples) that can help you build a larger and more engaged audience on Instagram for your business.

13 min read you will learn:

• Proven 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

1. Optimize Your Bio

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

Your Instagram bio should include:

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

Your bio link 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 it easier for yourself, take advantage of link-in-bio tools like Shop Grid, which allow you to turn one link into a catalog of links.

Also consider including a branded hashtag. For example, we recommend our fans use #BufferLove when they talk about our products. Adding a branded hashtag to our bio will tell people which hashtag to include to catch our attention. Plus, when someone clicks on 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 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 Instagram Insights to find out when your audience is online. Click the “Insights” button in your Instagram business profile, go to “Your audience”, and then click “View all”. From there, scroll down and 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 work hours, as people cook more often. On the other hand, a café post might do well around 2pm when people are going through an afternoon slump. Experiment with different posting times and monitor engagement.

If you’re looking for some additional guidance on when to post, Buffer’s optimal posting time feature will provide you with three posting time suggestions 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 publishing posts at least once daily. Brands that get their Instagram posts into a regular flow 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 element in getting your posts displayed. If your posts are regularly shared and receive good engagement, Instagram’s algorithm is likely to display your posts at 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 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 to 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 at the shift from a chronological feed to a ranked timeline. Since the change, however, 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 leverage 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’s 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 their previous activity
  2. Timeliness: How current the 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 that a 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. While six separate factors might seem like a lot to worry about, the best thing you can do is consistently create high-quality content.

We cover each of the six ranking factors in more detail in the article How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2021: Everything You Need to Know. We also include guidelines on how to create content that fits each factor and share tips on how to leverage the Instagram algorithm to your advantage.

5. Experiment With Different Content Types

Instagram is much more than photos. Over the years, the app has introduced many ways to share content on the platform. Mixing it up with different content types is one of the best ways to gain more Instagram followers because it gives you a 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 engage with most often. So if one person likes and comments on Instagram Reels more frequently than other types of posts, they’ll likely see more Reels in their Instagram feed. However, if someone else engages more often with carousel posts, they’ll see more of that type of content on their timeline.

Each content type has its advantages. For example, Instagram Reels have an advantage because they’re the newest type of content, and Instagram always promotes new features. Since launching 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. Given that 200 million people check the Explore page every day, additional visual real estate can significantly impact the number of people you reach.

Instagram TV (IGTV) videos also appear 4x larger than photos on the Explore page. And because 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 one post – can boast the highest engagement rate of all post types. Think of carousels as a mini-story or preview of longer content, such as a blog. In one thematic post, you can use text images, photographs, video, or a combination of everything.

Are you confused by all the arguments for different types of posts? 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 your Instagram content will allow you to reach people with different preferences and this expanded reach will help you strengthen your Instagram followers.

6. Find Your Brand Voice and Create Unique Content

People don’t follow your business on social media to see sales opportunities. 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 are considered unique farms. Juggling Daisies is about fun stories, cute photos, and healthy content. Meanwhile, Such and Such Farm has a rougher style that includes swearing and humor.

Ask yourself what tone you want to have. Funny? Informative? Playful? Cynical? Your personality should also reflect what you’re passionate about. Such and Such Farm believes in sustainably grown products, so many of their Instagram posts speak to their farming practices. What topics do you focus your Instagram content on? 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 personality of the account and create branding guidelines to keep you 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 grab people’s attention – great Instagram captions keep it. Captions give you a chance to provide more context or details about the photo or video you’re sharing. Plus, using keywords in your captions will help you appear in search results in the app.

Instagram captions can be up to 2200 characters. Of course, not every caption needs to read like a blog post. Play with different lengths. Some photos pair nicely with a short, witty caption with a few emojis, while others can benefit from something longer and more reflective.

The average length of Instagram captions is growing, but most brands still don’t reach the 2200 character limit. In 2020, the average was projected to be 405 characters, compared to 142 in 2016.

So when do you go long and when do you keep it simple? There’s no hard and fast rule. Like content types, it’s best to mix it up. Look at these two posts from Andrea Jones from OnlineDrea. One post has a short caption, while the other specifically directs 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 the same way as other networks.

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

If you want to gain more followers on Instagram, hashtags are crucial. By using hashtags, your content is visible through search or filtering when people tap the same hashtag from another post. People can even follow their favorite hashtags so that top content with that hashtag appears on their Instagram feed.

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but don’t try to game the system 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. 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 groups of hashtags. Then you can choose from your pre-saved groups and add hashtags to your scheduled Instagram posts.

9. Engage with Your Audience

Engagement is crucial 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 gain 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 a chance to communicate with a potential follower, you should take it. Every comment is an opportunity to gain a new follower (or retain a current one), so make sure to respond to every comment you receive. If your hands are already cramping at the thought of tapping on your phone, don’t worry..

But don’t just wait for your followers to start the conversation. Create opportunities for engagement. In Instagram Stories, use Instagram stickers like open-ended questions and polls. Ask questions in your photo captions. Encourage people to tag friends in the comments with challenges 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 gain more Instagram followers by increasing engagement.

10. Collaborate with Others

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

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

Influencer marketing is another way to expand your Instagram following. 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 have a big impact. In fact, content from micro-influencers has higher engagement rates than content from larger accounts. You can search for micro-influencers to set up a collaboration, or simply re-share user-generated content (UGC).

Remember those branded hashtags we talked about in section 1: Optimize Your Bio? By clicking on a branded hashtag, you’ll have access to an entire catalog of content.

When we first launched Buffer’s Instagram, we challenged fans to use #BufferStories and #BufferCommunity. We used these hashtags to find and re-share user-generated content. In one year, we grew our Instagram followers from 4,250 to 21,000.

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.

Collaborations are also opportunities to showcase your values and personality through association. The businesses and people you connect with and support say a lot about your own brand. Partnerships can be especially powerful for local businesses too. Consider partnering with your neighbors so you can 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 search through your website pages to find your Instagram profile.

Add a link to your Instagram account to:

• Email footer
• Footer or sidebar of your website
• 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 Instagram followers 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 bother with 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, views can give you an idea of when your content is most likely to be seen. Your end goal will determine which metrics matter most.

Watch for trends. Does a certain type of image get more views or engagement? Post more of those images and see how your followers respond. Do certain hashtags result in more likes from people who don’t follow you? Use those hashtags more often and watch for new followers.

In our Instagram Analytics guide, you’ll learn more about Instagram metrics and how to use them to support your marketing strategy.

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