Growing Your Instagram Following
Part 2
We are back to continue with tips to grow your Instagram following. Last week we mentioned using reels, enhancing the captions for your posts, optimizing your hashtags, and more. If you haven’t read Part 1, be sure to go back and check it out! Let’s get right into more tips!
Clearly show your value
When a user visits your Instagram profile, they should be able to see what you will offer them at a glance. Similar to a good first impression, a user should know immediately if you are offering something that will benefit them. Knowing what you are offering them and the value of your content will allow a user to know whether they should click that follow button. Providing a variety of information and content is okay (and important for interest), but you should generally have a theme that makes your value clear.
Promote yourself on other platforms
If you have multiple platforms, it is likely that you are advertising other platforms on your Instagram profile. In the same way, make sure you are also advertising your Instagram profile on your other platforms! Connect your TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram accounts to provide a loop for followers of each platform. You should provide your Instagram handle on other sites as well such as Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Create an Instagram Challenge
You probably remember the Ice Bucket Challenge of several years ago and the huge following it produced. A challenge is a great way to gain new followers and get your Instagram noticed. Challenges are especially useful as an Instagram Reel. Creating a catchy and fun hashtag is a simple way to get users involved in the challenge!
Branded Hashtag
Catchy hashtags are a huge trend when it comes to events such as milestone birthdays, weddings, and more. They are a great way to involve users and have all posts about a particular event or topic in one place. Create a fun hashtag for your brand (that people will associate with you) and use it for all of your posts. Anytime you request feedback or interaction with a post, ask participants to use your branded hashtag!
Accessibility is Key
Providing accessible content is an important part of any platform, especially Instagram. Add subtitles or text to videos or stories for those who are unable to hear what you are describing or saying, and provide descriptive alt text for your posts. Describing visual details in videos is also helpful. Finally, capitalizing on individual words in your hashtags is very helpful for screen readers. It’s important to make your content “visible” to everyone!
Stay Consistent!
Great content is imperative when it comes to Instagram, but consistency is just as important! Posting frequently and consistently can help your content become more visible. Users visiting your profile may also choose not to follow if you aren’t consistently posting. Providing quality content on a consistent basis helps make you more valuable to potential followers.
What’s in a Name (or bio?)
The information in the “Name” field of your Instagram bio is searchable to users, so it is a good idea to include words that are linked to you or the services you provide. For example, including “design” in your bio as a graphic designer can help users find you more easily. If you can find a way to incorporate your niche into your bio, you may find yourself growing your Instagram following more quickly.
There you have it – lots of valuable (and simple) tips to help grow your Instagram following. If this feels overwhelming, try changing or updating 2-3 of the items we’ve mentioned in these posts. Once you have that done, try a few more. Every little change can help!
