Alexis Kestler
Instagram is the social media that is constantly rising. And it just keeps being interesting to users, which are always seeking new way to grow Instagram.
Instagram seems to be the social media that is constantly rising, no matter how many new platforms launch. And with that, it just keeps being interesting to businesses, brands and marketers, which are always seeking new (and great) ways to grow Instagram accounts. This is what we will write about.
But it seems it is not easy anymore to gain new followers. We already researched some methods to improve Instagram account (you can find them here), but as competition is getting better and stronger, we are always opened to find new ideas. Thankfully, Instagram is adding new features and it helps us to grow.
Let’s start with the tips!
1. Use IGTV
IGTV (Instagram TV) is a new feature Instagram released, and it is concentrated on videos. The main goal is to share long(er) and high-quality videos. All social media are updating and adapting to the needs of their users. Instagram probably realised that people are posting more and more videos, and this is the result.
It is an independent app which enables you to post videos up to one hour. Their goal is on mobility, so videos can be created on smartphones, displayed in portrait mode and full screen. It is connected to your account, so it broadcasts videos of the people you already follow and vice versa. It is not live streaming, though. The goal is to have a comprehensive video, that is well done and high-quality.
Instagram TV has already reached huge popularity. It is easy for users to just pick what they like or what they are in the mood for, and watch it, kind of like real TV. So, it can just go bigger and better from here. For businesses, this means an opportunity to create a series. Why series? After every episode, it will leave your followers craving for more. Have a theme and a style you will repeat in every episode, so you will be recognisable and consistent. Promote your series on your IG account by counting down the launching time.
2. Cooperate with influencers
Adding influencer marketing to your plan to grow Instagram may help you to develop brand awareness, gain new followers and increase sales.
If you use Instagram, you must have to stumble upon influencers at some point. They do exist and promote in other networks, but this one is the most popular and fulfilling for this type of marketing. IG users are more likely to comment, share and like the content than any other social media users.
So, if you want to grow your Instagram account, this kind of partnership can work great for you. If you don’t know how to find influencers, you can try some online searching tools, like this one. But for local or small businesses which are targeting people from your region, you should consider finding someone near you. It may be more suitable.
3. Write your posts descriptions well
As we said in our first tip, Instagram was just photos at the beginning. As it grew to more videos posts, some other things also changed. Among them, post descriptions became longer and more engaging. This is the point where you need to change your descriptions also (if you still didn’t) and let your followers get to know you, your business, your goals and missions.
The average length of post description has doubled in the last 4 years. And it seems that everybody likes it! At first, influencers embraced it, but now it seems that businesses are also writing about their missions and causes. If you put some efforts into your text, together with engaging and high-quality photo (or video), it will certainly show results. Letting your followers “in” will build a meaningful relationship with them. And bring new ones.
4. Be suggested to users
When you visit an Instagram profile you probably noticed a “suggested for you” section. This is where you want your business to be when users open some accounts that are similar to yours.
Instagram algorithms work in mysterious ways. Or maybe not? We can not guarantee that our tips will put you to “suggested” section, but it will increase your chances for sure.
If you check your profile (from someone else’s account) you may notice that the profiles that are suggested to users are some not just similar to yours, but also the ones you communicate with or tag them. Instagram can recognize that you have a relationship with them.
First of all, if your bio is not completely filled in, you should do it. Describe your business, your goals, put some related emojis, and of course – link to your web site. It is important to put some keywords here, also. The ones that describe you, but connect you with related business as well.
Instagram is not a passive network anymore if it ever was. Try to anticipate in conversations, like posts, comment them and engage as much as you can. If you have a good relationship with some of your competitors, tag them.
5. Give your account some credits
And by that, we mean stop treating it like something secondary.
In order to grow it, you should treat your Instagram account like whole another web page for your business. Your feed is the most important thing a user will see (just below your profile information and bio), especially the last few posts. And this is why you should put a huge effort into every post.
We think that having a certain theme is a great thing to do. If your posts are recognizable and fit and look nice on your profile, that may be crucial for the first few seconds when people are deciding to follow you or not. The time of just posting random stuff is far gone. Your posts need to be well connected and if it’s possible try to use the same filter so they look alike, but they are all different. Take a look at this example:
Stunning, isn’t it?
Aesthetics became something that is attracting us and makes us want to follow that person. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just try to be consistent and stick to the theme of your brand. That will fill the users’ expectations, and that is very important.
PS. If you decided to listen to our first tip and join IGTV, it would be perfect to connect these two themes.
6. Use Instagram stories highlights
Not so long time ago, Instagram decided that you can save some of the best stories in your “highlights” section, which is placed right under your bio. This is a great way to introduce your business. Create a series of stories you will use every time you launch something new and make sure they fit your theme. We have some examples, of course:
Lack of inspiration? Imagine every highlight is one page of your web site. What would you put there? But, some great people and influencers already did it great, so try to look and search for some ideas. Also, you can find tons of free covers/icons that you can match to your theme.
7. Post selfies
If you have a private Instagram profile, have you ever noticed that your selfies get much more likes and attention then the rest of your posts? According to statistics, 38% more. If you think it is not professional, we don’t talk about duck-face-selfies here, yet about a way to make your business feel more personal. Because your followers (and the ones you want to capture) are real people and they want to be able to relate to you.
If you have more team members, you can use this to present them, like a “get to know” series. Or, you can post a video of yourself presenting your business to new followers. There is a lot of professional options, so don’t worry about it. People want to know what is behind the scenes, and this could grow your Instagram account a lot.
8. Promote your IG account
Considering the fact that you are reading this post, we believe that a part of your marketing strategy is to get more followers on your Instagram. You should share a link to it as much as possible on your other social media. Also, we hope it is already connected with your website. If not, you should integrate it there now.
If you already have a lot of followers on other social media, this is a great and easy move. Call them to action (to follow you on Instagram) and watch your audience grow. But be aware that you will have to offer different content on different networks to make them interested.
If that is not the case, cross-promoting will help you both ways.
This is really an easy task. Followers you already have (no matter how much) on some other networks already like your brand. if they click on your call-to-action link and see your great profile, it’s a guaranteed win for you. Just give them that “find out more” hint, and – of course – there should be more.
9. Use stories
We already mentioned IG stories highlights, but we want to also say a word or two about how to grow your Instagram by using stories and filters.
Use stories to announce something that you are preparing, and not to post the actual stuff. Why? Because the story will disappear in 24 hours. So, a great option is to announce something that you are posting tomorrow. Call your viewers to action, in a way that you explain where to go to check this new feature (your website e.g.).
When you create it, make sure to actually tell a story. Again, it is not just about posting random stuff. You need to make your viewers interested in what you have to say and offer, make them wondering about what will happen “tomorrow”. If you tell a good story they will come back.
What also developed lately on Instagram is story filters. Before you could use a few, like bunny ears, but it has become a library with thousands of them. You can find anything you can think of! And if not, you can create it by yourself.
Finding new ways to attract new followers may seem like a difficult task at first. But Instagram is continually developing and adapting to new needs, so if you follow that, you are on the right way.
