It doesn’t matter if you have launched just a 1-person company or you are in a 100-person team. For growing your business on Instagram in 2021, you need to know how to Increase Engagement on Instagram and get more followers.
Why do you need more Instagram followers? Because the platform has 500 million daily active users and 80% of them, search on Instagram for a specific product or service. There is a mass audience active looking for the products you sell or the services you offer. You can also buy Instagram followers from different social media engagement tools.
To get you started, we have collected 7 winning strategies from successful marketers and Instgrammmers that will help you get more followers.
7 ways to gain Instagram followers
1. Find your target audience
Finding the audience that will be interested in the content you create and share is the first step to gain more followers on Instagram. It will help your fan base grow if your audience likes your content and shares it with their peers as well.
Instagram Insights is a powerful analytics tool by Instagram itself that provides a lot of useful information. You can track the performance of each of your posts, know your top posts, the number of visits to your profile, etc. It can help you identify your target audience by showing the demographics of the people who are most interested in your content.
Narrowing down your current audience makes it easier to create content for potential new followers and customers with similar interests. You do not want to waste your time by targeting an audience that won’t take interest in your content and your products and services won’t appeal to them.
2. Use high-quality images
Instagram is a visual platform and using high-quality images in your posts that stand out is extremely important to gain more Instagram followers.
It is not necessary to be a professional photographer or a graphic designer, but you shouldn’t use unappealing content. You can use several filters and tools like boomerangs or layouts on Instagram to create good content. If you want to design images, posters, etc., you can use Canva. It has ready-made templates that can be edited without having any professional expertise.
Good and attractive images will help you gain more followers and these methods mentioned above won’t cost you much.
3. Find and use the right hashtags
Hashtags are one of the elementary sorting functions for Instagram content. Using specific keywords in hashtags can help your content reach the target audience and eventually increase your followers count.
Instagram supports 30 hashtags per caption. Though you can add all the 30 hashtags under your post, it won’t bring you more engagement. According to several studies, using 6-8 hashtags in posts’ captions is the best practice.
Research your market and find the hashtags that your competitors and customers use. Begin by searching for the best and popular hashtags and then experiment with the ones that are most relevant to your post and brand.
4. Interact with your Instagram followers
Instagram is a social network and that is why initiating interaction with your audience should be a crucial part of your Instagram marketing strategy. This is a great way to grow your audience and obtain new followers.
You must be wondering how to communicate with your audience effectively, so here’s how you do it. Instagram provides several ways to start a conversation with your audience like DMs. Replying to their comments on your posts is also a great tactic to connect with them. Post stories using Instagram tools such as polls, Q/As, etc.
Interacting with your audience directly is an opportunity for you to show some personality and provide answers. Your comments go a long way to build trust not only with the person with whom you interact but also with others who see the exchange. It is your responsibility to make your brand feel more human.
5. Use Instagram Ads for maximum reach
Instagram allows you to create stories and feed ads to promote your profile. By using Instagram ads to promote your post, your target audience would see it. If your post is engaging enough, they would visit your profile and probably follow you.
Use both types of ads- feed and story, to create campaigns that broaden your reach. Ad promotions help you increase brand awareness, and make your posts appear to maximum people’s feeds. On Instagram ads, you can also choose your target audience which takes your posts in front of the right people who may show interest in your profile, products, and services.
6. Add Stickers to Instagram Stories
Instagram Story Stickers are engaging visual elements that you can add to your stories. They can help you know about your audience, their interests, and what they want and expect from your brand. With the help of engaging stickers, your audience will also get to know you.
We have created a list of stickers that you can use to engage with your audience through Instagram Stories:
- Location- a geotag through which local audience can connect with you
- Quiz- a sticker through which your audience may ask questions to you
- Hashtag- increases the reach of your stories
- Poll- your audience can choose one out of the two choices you introduce
Stickers make Instagram stories more engaging and useful.
7. Share user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is basically the content created and shared by a brand’s audience or customers, such as videos and photos. Sharing UGC will not only cut down your marketing cost but also attract more users and act as social proof.
If someone tags your brand in a post, share it on your profile. Sharing tagged posts on your profile helps people see how your current followers feel about your brand. This will lead to stronger relationships with potential influencers. Just make sure you always get permission before posting their content. It is polite and gives the user a sense of protection that shows how much you respect their privacy.
Conclusion
Instagram is an important social media platform that can help you showcase your brand in front of the entire world. Your competitors are already using it, so why aren’t you?