15 Tips for Growing Your Instagram Following

Instagram is all the hype today, with a user base of over one billion active users and the highest engagement rates in the industry, it is the top choice for brands. What started as a humble photo-sharing app has turned in a juggernaut of social media with ever-growing formats like stories, video, collages, multi-image posts, live stream etc.

Here we try to list out a few tips and tricks for anyone starting out and wants to grow their following on Instagram, you need to begin with a comprehensive strategy. Millions upon millions of accounts are producing content on Instagram. You need to be able to stand out.

1. Avoid being too transparent or too commercial.

No one really wants to feel like they’re being sold to. They may want to learn about new and unique products, but only those that are going to solve a problem in their lives. If you introduce content from their perspective, you’ll eventually have a better chance at conversion.

2. Spend as much time as possible reviewing the competition.

You need to get acclimated to what your audience is seeing, and they aren’t seeing only your posts. They’re seeing the posts of many other accounts that are similar to yours. You need to follow as many people as possible and see what they’re posting to get ideas for how to separate your videos from the pack.

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3. Focus your hashtags.

Your hashtags need to be as specific as possible. If you’re selling a car, you aren’t just posting “#cars,” you’re posting “#TataNexon” You want to be able to narrow down to an audience that is likely to be interested in your content. Hashtags are everything on Instagram, and you can post as many as you’d like.

4. Vary your video content.

That can range from brief product updates to lengthier, behind-the-scenes videos. Posting varied types of videos will help you build your audience and give you data regarding the type of content that your current audience seems to like the most. Your analytics information will let you drill down to the content your core audience is interested in.

5. Consider how-to videos.

Look to create videos that have real substance for your audience. How-to videos are particularly beloved because they show your audience an actual skill that they may need. How-to videos also tend to be shared quite a lot, both on Instagram and on other platforms.

6. Keep it simple and short.

Most Instagram videos should be shorter than 26 seconds. Aim for a video that’s as brief as it possibly can be. People have fairly short attention spans today. They also have a lot of content to get through, and yours is only one out of potentially hundreds (or thousands) of accounts they’re following.

7. Leverage other social media.

If doing so make sense, reshare your Instagram posts via your other social media accounts, and likewise direct your Instagram audience to follow you on other platforms. Your social media accounts will be able to feed into each other, supporting each other and ultimately improving your overall following.

8. Pay attention to the times that you post.

Most people are available during the evenings on weekdays and throughout the weekend. But the timing can be different, depending on your demographic. Pay attention to which posts of yours get the most traction, and when they were posted; that will help you home in on the optimal times.

9. Improve the quality of your videos.

On average, high-quality videos are naturally going to get more shares than low-quality videos. Your videos should be professionally shot and polished, and they should always come with captioning: Many people aren’t going to be willing to view a video that has loud audio.

10. Be as consistent as possible.

Sometimes consistency matters more than quality: As long as you’re posting regularly, you should be able to develop a following over time. If you aren’t posting consistently, even the best content may end up ignored.

11. Tag your posts geographically.

When you post a video, you have the option of tagging where you are. This is particularly important if you’re trying to capture a demographic in a specific location. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, you don’t want to market to everyone—just those who are likely to come by.

12. Keep your content branded.

Add logos and watermarks to your content. If it’s shared online, you want it to point back to your account. When people casually watch a video, they may not remember whose account they were viewing… but they will notice branding and a logo on the video itself.

13. Post to Stories.

Your Instagram Stories are held in a separate section of the app, and therefore have greater levels of visibility. Think about what you can contribute to your Stories every day. Some people may not see your individual posts, but they may be willing to catch up on your Stories from time to time.

14. Get to know the Instagram app.

The app itself allows you to do things like add text, images, and stickers, all of which can add some additional flair to your videos. Instagram is also adding new features, such as Shopping, which highlights products inside of videos and images—perfect for marketers.

15. Look at your comments.

As people like and comment on your posts, like and comment back! Interacting with your community is going to lead it to growth. Interacting and engaging with an audience is the best way to get conversions in the future; it’ll also give you insights into what your audience is thinking and what content they like and appreciate the most.

Conclusion

Over time, you’ll get a better feel regarding what content is most likely to be shared on Instagram. Just like anything, it’s a skill: You need to be mindful about your growth and your techniques in order to get better.