While it may have been a seemingly casual platform for lunchtime selfies and celebrity buzz, Instagram has exploded as a major hub for several marketers. The popular photo-sharing platform recently passed 700 million users, many of which are more than happy to use the platform to purchase products and engage with brands. So, there’s an opportunity for your brand on Instagram, but the questions which came first into the mind are “how do you begin building a following? ” or “how to get followers on Instagram? or how to increase Instagram followers?”.

There are 3 simple actions that one needs to keep in mind and plan strategically: ATTRACT, ENGAGE, and RETAIN.

How to Increase Instagram Followers?

We all know that Instagram is an effective way of marketing digitally amongst the youngsters but here the question arises that how to increase Instagram followers to build a powerful network of business. Here are the 5 tactics by which you can easily increase your Instagram followers:

• Create compelling exclusive content for your page
• #HASHTAGS, #HASHTAGS, #HASHTAGS for Instagram followers
• The power of Direct Message(DM)
• Be Social: Engage with your followers
• Incentivize (Captivate your audience on a long-term basis via content or shoutouts)

Okay, Let us elaborate it a little bit further for you:

1. Create Compelling Exclusive Content for Your Page

The primary focus of your imagery should be telling a story that’s focused around your brand, and then use creation tools to ensure it looks good visually. Choose images that will appeal to your target reader and Instagram followers and you’ll be more likely to attract them to your brand. It furthers your relationship with your Instagram followers, keeps them coming back again and again, and encourages them to interact with your brand on an individual, and long-term, basis. How can you do it?

Well, use Instagram to reveal products you haven’t shared on any other social media platforms

Make a short video of your business opening a new store, you taking a trip, or attending a conference or an event.

You may also like: How to Get Real Instagram Followers in 2021 | Top 10 Tactics That Will Work

2. #HASHTAGS, #HASHTAGS, #HASHTAGS for Instagram Followers

Hashtags you use on the Instagram matter more than they do on almost any other social media site, except perhaps for Twitter. Using hashtags to describe your images allows them to be found in a variety of ways. A few tips and tricks which can help you in writing the best lot are:

• Pay attention to the trending hashtags and try incorporating them into your own brand value.
• Do not use the same hashtags again & again. Using the same hashtags sends your content to the same kind of people. So, use a different set to bifurcate your audience(Instagram followers) that you are targeting.
• People may differ on this. But studies show that at least 11 hashtags for one post have better engagement than any lesser hashtags in a single post.
• Don’t write hashtags inside the content of your caption. Instead, write them as your first comment. Insta will still register the hashtags as if they were a part of your caption. This helps to keep your caption clear, thus conveying the message properly and not confuse the reader among numerous hashtags.

3. The Power of Direct Message(DM)

Having real, human conversations online is the cornerstone of social media success. To have those conversations, you need to know as much as possible about the people(Instagram followers) you’re talking to. Do they read your blog and work in the same industry as you? Do your Instagram Direct gives you a non-traditional communication channel that’s more human and personal so you can form deeper connections with the people(Instagram followers) who matter most to your business. Often, people do not use this method due to the fear of rejection. But, one has got to start from somewhere.

So, regularly message your followers or your potential customers and keep the message real, authentic, human, and powerful. Do ample research before sending a personal message and be prepared to not get any response most of the time. But when you do get one, make the most of that opportunity.

4. Be Social: Engage with Your Followers

The whole point of running a business on Instagram is to engage with your Instagram followers. Make sure that you interact with your audience by liking and commenting on other people’s or Instagram follower’s videos and pictures. Did someone post a picture of your product? Reach out—like or comment on that post.  

Collaborating with other Instagram influencers in your industry can be a very powerful way to promote your brand. You may opt for someone outside your industry to get more Instagram followers.

Make your Instagram followers famous – Share Instagram follower’s photos on your social sites. Show your customers you appreciate them by acknowledging their cool photos, and share them with your Facebook fan or Twitter followers. Eventually, they’ll start to notice you, engage with your work, and the audience will be exposed to your brand as a result.

Whether you’re a small one-shop business or a large multinational, you have relationships with other businesses. If they’re on Instagram too, partner up, and get them to post your products on their Instagram feed.

If you want more engagement on your posts, ask for it. Questions open up conversations. Ask your followers what they think of a new post you made, and more. Use questions to get your people talking about your business. For example, ask your Instagram Followers if they have used your product today. Add a unique hashtag and give your consumers a hub to share photos of how they used your goods with each other.

Another great way to grow your following is by letting a special guest post on your behalf. By allowing someone else to share, your audience gets a new viewpoint, a tone of voice, and a visual presence that only adds even more interest to your account.

5. Incentivize

We want Instagram followers to not only follow the page but engage with the content on a long-term basis. This requires you to be active on the platform. Giving your Instagram followers a shoutout through regrams and tagging isn’t just fluff, either. In fact, 87% of today’s brands are taking advantage of user-generated content which signals the power of engaging followers on a regular basis.

You can carry out Instagram contests with cool prizes/giveaways, or provide a discount coupon for your followers or give one-of-a-kind photos that cause your followers’ jaws to drop.

If you’re tired of sitting around and hoping that new Instagram followers will fall into your lap, you might want to consider a “share for share” campaign: one brand exchanging content with another brand for the sake of sharing. You should seek out other Instagram accounts that are relevant to your Instagram followers and industry, are not direct competitors, and have a similar amount of Instagram followers as your own account. Share for share campaigns benefit both parties who gain exposure to totally new audiences and boost their follower counts accordingly. This will make them keep coming back to your page for more.

Regardless of your follower count, post consistently to be seen regularly. Keep your frequency high and consistent depending on your convenience. It is recommended to post 3-4 times a week. Know the best time to post so that you get maximum engagement. Use analytic tools to monitor when your photos are getting liked and commented on. Find out when your hashtags are being used. Then post your fresh content at these most active times.

Final Takeaways

Finally, keep improving content quality and strategies to up your Instagram and improve your business.

So, there you have it. How to get followers on Instagram? and 5 simple ways to get you better connected to your audience.

The “social” element of “social media” is what’s most important, so as long as you keep your users’ (Instagram followers) best interests in mind, you’re going to see a positive result.

Read Next: 9 Latest Social Media Trends for 2021 That Will Boost Your Business

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