Are you wondering how to get more followers on Instagram? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Today, the social networking platform is crucial for all businesses both big and small. Moreover, it’s constantly referred to by consumers as a source of credibility. With that being said, the number of followers you have and the level of engagement you receive will definitely impact potential leads. In the following article, we will be discussing how to gain real followers on Instagram and how to get more followers using hashtags and Instagram advertising.
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Best Ways to Gain Real Followers on Instagram
Growing a real, organic audience is crucial for your Instagram presence. Sometimes, brands might take it the easy way and choose to buy followers. However, the Instagram algorithm is designed in a way that filters out fake accounts or interactions. This means that paying to buy followers is not the right way to go.
Also, consumers have come to notice the ratio between Instagram followers versus likes. If you have 100,000 followers but only 200 likes on your post, consumers will know that these followers are not organic. This can cause you to lose a lot of credibility. Instead, replying to your active followers’ comments and questions will give your credibility and will increase engagement. Here are a few great ways to build up your brand reputation and Instagram following:
1. Optimization
First and foremost, it is crucial that you optimize your account. This means updating your bio, profile pic, username, image captions, and more. Without illustrating these elements in a clear and captivating manner, it will be difficult for users to know what your brand is and what it has to offer.
Your brand identity should be nicely explained in the bio of your profile by keeping short and sweet. Next, the link to your website should be included. This, however, may be altered depending on a recent post whereby you might caption an image to a particular product “link in bio.” In addition, be sure that your username clearly illustrates your brand name and is search-friendly.
2. Consistency is Key
This is often one of the most difficult strategies for people to do, particularly if they are managing more than one profile or handling other duties. A great tool to help you post consistently and plan in advance is marketing automation software. These automation software will allow you to schedule posts up to weeks in advance and save you from repeating mundane tasks.
It’s important to note that a brand should not post more than a few times a day in order to avoid spam – unless there is a particularly special event going on. There have been multiple studies on what the best time to post on Instagram is. However, you may also use Instagram’s analytical tools to discover insights on the most engagement every day of the week based on your current followers.
3. Spark a Conversation
Knowing your audience personas, wants, and needs will make it easier to spark up a conversation. You want to post content that viewers actually want to see – and this is easier said than done.
Keep up with the latest trends in your industry and remember that the smallest changes could make a difference for the visitor. By posting catchy images and videos supported by strong captions, viewers visiting your page will become interested in what you have to say. As a result, they might comment on a recent post or send an inquiry through a direct message.
It’s important to be responsive as this could impact turning a visitor into a follower. The more conversations grow around your feed, the more likely it is that organic visitors will visit your page. Another tip to keep in mind is practicing copywriting tricks to turn your followers into leads.
4. Sponsorships and Brand Collaborations
Brand-related user-generated content on Instagram is a great way to increase your recognition. This builds social proof and demonstrates that you have a loyal following. Finding influencers on social media and working with them to generate a higher following is another great strategy. The cost will vary depending on the size of the influencer (nano, micro, mid, mega) and their particular niche.
How to Get More Instagram Followers Using Hashtags
Let’s take a look at one of Instagram’s greatest features to gain more followers. A year after the launch of Instagram in 2010, the app introduced hashtags to users as a way to organize their posts around events, places, or topics.
Hashtags are a core function that allow users to increase their exposure to people from all over the world who search for the hashtag. In other terms, hashtags can be seen as a free way to promote your posts on the platform, allowing you to possibly gain more Instagram followers. Millions of users use and search hashtags every day, so it makes sense for you to use some in order to gain more Instagram followers.
One way to use hashtags to gain more Instagram followers is to use industry-specific hashtags on your posts. You want people to follow you because they are interested in what you offer and who you are. Using hashtags that are relevant to your content is a great way to make sure you are reaching the right people. This allows you to create a target audience of Instagram users who would be browsing specifically for a topic.
For example, if you are an artist trying to grow your following, it would be ideal to target people who are interested in music. You can do this by using hashtags such as “#musicproducer #beats #beatmaker” etc.
Custom Hashtags
Another way to gain Instagram followers using hashtags is by creating your own custom hashtag. This allows you to reinforce your brand on the platform and creates an identity for browsing users to discover. When a potential follower finds you via another highly targeted tag, they’ll be more likely to follow after seeing your top posts. If you are running promotional campaigns, using your custom hashtag would encourage users to use it as well. This can capture the attention of their connections, potentially your next Instagram followers. If you are a business that sells products, use your custom hashtag outside the platform and print it on receipts, billboards, etc. This encourages clients to follow you on Instagram and even spread the hashtag themselves.
Gain Instagram Followers Using Instagram Advertisements
Gaining followers using Instagram advertisements is a great way to improve your brand recognition. The cost of Instagram advertising depends on several factors such as the bidding model you choose: CPC or CPM. The average amount most businesses can expect to pay is between $0.20 and $6.70.
Using Instagram ads on both your stories and posts will allow for maximum reach. When creating an ad campaign on Instagram, you can choose the location and demographic you would like the ad to be run in. The location is the geographical area and city you are targeting while the demographic includes things like gender, age, and language. Once you hit the right target audience, you boost your chance of generating new followers.
Instagram has advanced their targeting options so that you can choose between a core audience, lookalike audience, or custom audience. Creating multiple sets of ads and trying them out to determine which has the best return is a must. That way, you can see which audience set is working the best.
Customizing Your Instagram Ad
Adjusting the audience setting is not the only feature when creating an Instagram ad. You also have the budget, format, and content. The two budget options are daily and lifetime. No matter what your bid is, it must be based on the conversion rate for your business. You then must decide on either automatic (meaning the Instagram algorithm chooses for you) or manual (you do it yourself) bid amounts.
For the format, you can choose between a single image, carousel (multiple images), a story, or a video. This choice will depend on what your ad is about and the overall objective. In some cases, a video might be much more captivating than an image. For the content, you must always include a call to action (CTA). In fact, Instagram has made it easier by providing a set of options to choose from such as “sign up now”, “watch more”, “contact us”, etc.
Need Help?
At SEO Design Chicago, we have a team of experts that can help you gain more real followers on your Instagram account. Be sure to check out our Instagram advertising page which will help you decide if Instagram ads are right for you, the cost, the strategy and so much more. In addition, we provide practical examples as a reference for you. Our team at SEO Design Chicago works to create an advertising campaign specifically for your business – and our numerous case studies across a variety of industries demonstrate excellent results.
FAQs about Getting More Followers on Instagram:
- Why is gaining real followers on Instagram important?
- Is it advisable to buy Instagram followers?
- How do I optimize my Instagram account?
- What are hashtags on Instagram?
- How much does it cost to advertise on Instagram?
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