Follow these easy steps to quickly boost your follower numbers and engagement with more likes and comments.

Instagram made the announcement a few months ago they were going to warn and limit accounts that were using third party apps or growth services to grow their Account with fake likes and followers. This caught my attention because around six months ago, I tried out an Instagram growth service in exchange for writing an article about them. I took down the article because I was concerned about recommending a service that could result in someone’s account being suspended. It is still possible to boost your following! It just takes a little work on your part.

I actually had a pretty good experience overall, with a few minor glitches. (like following some questionable accounts and about 20% unfollowed me soon after) I was glad I gave it a try, but I don’t plan on doing it again and actually turned down another free month of promotion, even before Instagram made their announcement. I gained about 2,000 new followers in a couple months, which was great, but I also was following 2,000+ new people and my feed was clogged up with a lot of stuff I didn’t care to see. I’m still actually going through and unfollowing or muting accounts that I’m just not interested in. The good news is that the majority of followers do appear to be actual real people I’d be interested in following.

The biggest benefit of my promo time was really seeing how the Instagram machine works and learning how to mimic what the growth service did, just on a smaller scale.

The secret to gaining more followers on almost any social media site is the same: Follow others with similar interests, engage by liking, commenting, etc, on their feed, and hope for a follow back and return engagement.

Here’s How to Boost Your Instagram Safely:

1. Post at least once a day! It’s hard to promote an account with no activity. If you don’t post on your feed, then post on your stories.
2. Respond to comments on posts. This also helps up your engagement.
3. Return the favor and comment on those people’s accounts.
4. You will gets lots of direct messages. Most of them will sound like a form letter, because they probably are. I’m pretty sure there’s a fill-in-the-blank form somewhere for fitness coaches because they almost all sound the same. But you should read through them and answer back. You may find some new accounts you actually connect with.
5. Post an Instagram story. Stories only last 24 hours, but your photo will be at the top and it helps people take notice.
6. People will start to find and follow you! Follow back if you like their feed. Don’t just blindly follow back. I find those people who have nothing in common with your interests just unfollow anyway.
7. Use an app and go through people who are not following you back or have unfollowed you. My current favorite is just called  “Followers.” Unfollow those you wouldn’t follow in the first place. For those who look interesting, try liking and commenting on their feed and give them a little while to follow back before unfollowing.
8. Don’t expect a follow back from everyone, and keep following if you are actually interested in their content. Everybody doesn’t have to follow back!
9. If you continue doing this, and liking new accounts, you will see your account continue to grow, even after you stop hustling.
10. If you let your account go quiet and need to rev things up again, go back to step one.

Bonus Round – you can also boost engagement and followers through “Follow Loops.” This is where everyone posts a certain picture and then follows everyone who comments and also posts the picture. I have tried a couple and almost everyone unfollowed within a few days. I am not a fan of the loop.

Leave me a link to your Instagram page in the comments and I will happily give you a follow! Want to follow me to? Find me on IG at @SewGeekMama

The post 10 Steps to Boosting Your Instagram Followers and Engagement appeared first on Geek Mamas.