Did you know that out of 1 billion active users on Instagram, about 200 million checks at least one business account every day? This is proof that Instagram is an amazing platform for brands. However, considering the fact that there are 25 million business accounts on the platform, it can be difficult to stand out without a well-planned Instagram growth strategy.
The good news is, organic Instagram growth is possible without having to resort to dubious practices and risking getting shadowbanned.
In this post, we will go through 5 tips that will help you to organically grow your Instagram followers.
1. Create Engaging Content
In order to attract people’s attention, the first thing you need to do is create engaging content. According to studies, Instagram images get 23% more engagement than Facebook images, so the more compelling your content is, the higher the chances are that people will like, comment, and share it.
When creating content, be sure that your target audience can relate to it. In order to do this, you’ll need to research your audience first and understand its needs and interests.
In addition, think about what type of content you should focus on. According to Statista, carousel posts drew the highest level of engagement from page followers in 2021, whereas video content gets 38% more engagement than posts containing images.
2. Be Consistent
Next, take a look at your posting frequency and schedule. If you have never researched the successful times to post on the photo-centric platform, a study found that the best time to post on Instagram is Wednesday from 10 to 11 am, Friday from 7 to 10 am, and Saturday from 7 to11 am.
In general, smaller businesses might only post several times per week, whereas larger brands should post more frequently (several times a day). Posting consistently sets up an expectation and your audience will look forward to your next post.
Finally, you should also pay attention to content quality consistency. Considering how crowded Instagram is, quality is the only way to stand out. Poor quality or stock images won’t help you grow your Instagram following as there are many brands that invest in the creation of original and interesting content.
This part is related to being consistent with your branding. If you are looking for a free tool that can help you to create minimalist designs for your social media content templates, check out Mojomox.
Related Reading; Best IG tools to help you grow your audience and following.
3. Work With Influencers
Influencer marketing can be an excellent tool for building brand awareness. And when people become interested, they often start following the brand on Instagram.
Influencer marketing has definitely skyrocketed over the last few years, but there are still ways to incorporate an influencer strategy into your Instagram marketing budget, even if you are a small business. The trick is to look for micro and nano-influencers that have fewer but often more engaged followers.
If possible, try to work with influencers who already love your brand. Instead of paying for shoutouts from randomly chosen Instagram influencers, find ones who genuinely like your products. As recommendations from these influencers are sincere, the collaboration will feel much more authentic and bring significantly better results.
4. Follow and Engage With Your Competitors’ Followers
Your competitors’ followers are your target audience because they are already interested in the industry and probably in the type of content you’re sharing. Be sure to take things slowly as following more than a hundred people a day might get your account banned.
Besides following your competitors’ followers, you should also dedicate time to connect and engage with them, by liking, sharing, and leaving comments to their posts. This is a great way to make them notice you and, ideally, follow you back, making it simpler for your to increase the number of followers organically.
Related Reading; How To Growth Hack your Instagram Account
5. Run Contests and Promotions
People love freebies, discounts, and giveaways. But although research has shown that over 70% of consumers would like for sales or discounts to be published on brands’ social profiles, only about 18% of marketers believe that this type of content is what people want to see on social platforms. This discrepancy means that there is plenty of room to grow your following by giving your audience what they need.
When running promotions and content, make following one of the requirements for entering, along with tagging friends for extra exposure. If you are consistent when it comes to organizing contests and giveaways (for instance, run them every month or every quarter), your audience will be more likely to check your profile and expect the next one.
Final Thoughts
The fierce competition on Instagram has forced brands to look for less conventional marketing tactics in order to stand out from the crowd. The organic growth strategies discussed here will help you grow your following and boost engagement levels, and the best part is that most of them are free or very low cost, so you don’t have to stress about breaking the bank.
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