Are you struggling to find more people to follow you on Instagram? Having as many high-quality followers as you can on your Instagram profile is essential if you want to be successful with marketing your brand.
The more followers you’ve got, the more people who can get to know your brand and potentially become your customers. However, not all brands in the industry try to figure out how to get followers the right way. This is why we wrote this article.
Below, we’ve got tips and tricks to help you save time, so that you can use proven, smart methods to increase your follower count, and avoid strategies that aren’t going to work. Let’s dive in.
Scheduling Your Posts
When you choose to share your Instagram stories and posts is going to have a huge impact on how well your account grows. Here are the do’s and don’ts of scheduling your posts, as it relates to your industry and niche.
Scheduling Do’s
Make sure that you find the best time to post on Instagram, based on your audience and analytics. The right time of the day to post on Instagram is going to be different for every business, so you definitely need to do your own research before you come to a decision. We suggest that you use your Instagram insights that you will find on your business profile, so that you can see when your community is most active.
These are the times of day that you’ll want to post. Make sure that you know what works best by playing around a little bit and posting at a few different times. The other essential thing to do when you post your content to Instagram is to post it consistently.
Being regular with your posts is going to help you gain more followers, because when people visit your Instagram profile, they will start to learn when to expect another post, and they will be more likely to engage with each post that they come across.
Scheduling Don’ts
Of course, it is important to post consistently, but we still think that posting too much is a thing as well. We don’t suggest that you post more than a couple of times a day, because this can give the impression that you are being spammy. Instagram users don’t want to be overwhelmed with posts.
You need to make sure that you find the right balance for your profile and remember that your Instagram feed is different from your Instagram stories. This means that you can post more consistently on your Instagram stories than your feed, which is going to give you plenty of opportunity to get eyes on your videos and images.
The nature of the content that you share in your Instagram stories is different to that of the content in your feet. Your content in your Instagram stories are short and sweet and users are able to get a glimpse into your daily life without feeling like they’re being bombarded.
Using an Instagram Growth Tool
There are plenty of Instagram growth tools out there that can be helpful when it comes to growing Instagram followers, but you need to make sure that you choose the right company for your growth. Here’s what we think you need to look out for.
Instagram Growth Tool Do’s
Make sure that you use a safe growth tool that can help you obtain high-quality followers for your profile. Tools like Growthoid focus on real, organic growth, which is going to help you get real followers, and not fake profiles.
There is definitely no point in growing an Instagram follower count if all of the people that are coming to check out your profile a fake. Growthoid uses genuine engagement to help you get ahead. A high-quality growth tool like this is going to save you time, and help increase that follow count on Instagram.
Instagram Growth Tool Don’ts
Make sure that you aren’t using dodgy growth tools. How can you tell if a growth service is dodgy? Well, we think that any platform that promises a specific number of followers is a bad idea.
Most of the time, services like this are spamming, which could result in your Instagram profile being suspended or banned. Of course, this is the last thing that you want to happen, which is why you need to stick to organic growth tools that actually care about your Instagram profile’s reputation.
Hashtags
Hashtags are an excellent tool to help you increase your follower count on Instagram. Let’s take a look at the do’s and don’ts of using hashtags.
Hashtag Do’s
Make sure that you are always using hashtags that are relevant to your content. There’s no point in including hashtags that aren’t relevant. Hashtags can be relevant both to the specific post that you are putting up, or your industry in general.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, then check out some similar businesses within your industry, and look at the hashtags that they are using on their content. As you can see on the post below, they have included hashtags that are both relevant to the subject of the content, as well as their business in general.
Make sure that you are using 30 hashtags on every post. There’s no reason to use less than 30, especially when you can make the most of them to really expand your brand’s reach. Also, try to switch it up a bit, and think about variety as much as you can when it comes to the type of hashtags you use.
If you’re struggling to come up with enough hashtags, then we suggest that you use 10 popular hashtags, 10 mid-sized hashtags, and then 10 small niche hashtags. Mixing things up like this ensures that you can get a good variety of hashtag sizes.
Beyond the rule of using hashtags on every post, and making sure that you get up to that 30 number every time, we also suggest that you make the most of hashtags for Instagram stories as well. Instagram stories can be categorized into different groups based on hashtags, which means that when you open a particular hashtag, you will see all of the stories associated with that tag.
There are a couple of ways that you can use hashtags on your Instagram stories. The first is that you can put the hashtag in a sticker, another is through a location tag, or you can just type it out as a hashtag in text.
We also suggest that you include a couple of hashtags in your bio. People won’t be able to click on these hashtags, but if you are a brand, you might want to include your branded hashtag here, so that followers can easily associate and visit that hashtag. You can see an example of this in the profile below.
Hashtag Don’ts
Now that you know everything that you should be doing with your hashtags, then let’s talk about what you shouldn’t be doing. First of all, don’t use spammy hashtags. Tags asking for your audience to like your content for a like back are often used by spam accounts.
If you use these hashtags, then your account could end up getting flagged for spam. We also don’t suggest that you use the same hashtags on every single piece of content you put up. Try to mix things up so that your profile is always fresh.
Try some general tags that work well for your brand, and can be rotated out, based on what content you’re putting up. Then, consider each post individually, and what hashtags are going to work best with that post. This is where a hashtag generator can come in handy if you are struggling to come up with ideas.
We don’t recommend that you use hashtags that have over 1,000,000 pieces of content associated with them. This is because your content is likely to get lost, so using that tag is going to be a complete waste of time. We suggest that you try to use hashtags that have 500,000 posts or less associated with them.
Video for Instagram
Including video content on your Instagram feed is becoming more popular. Here is what you need to know about the do’s and don’ts of adding videos to your Instagram profile.
Instagram Video Do’s
The first thing that you need to know is that you definitely need to make videos for your Instagram. While this seems like nothing more than common sense, you would be amazed at how many brands aren’t making the most of this opportunity. Millions of Instagram users watch videos on the platform each day, and with features like IGTV, coming up with video content has never been easier.
Our next point when it comes to videos is to make several different kinds of videos. Don’t just post videos to your Instagram feed, post them to your Instagram stories, and IGTV. Check out the brand below that relies heavily on sharing videos to inspire its community.
Make sure that each video has a high-quality thumbnail. When you custom-make your thumbnails, people are more likely to click on your video. Also, adding stickers or text is helpful to explain what the video is about. Last, make sure that your videos are high-quality.
If you are filming the video yourself, make sure that you use a good camera, as well as a good microphone. The final file should be MP4, and the dimensions should be 864 x 1080. When you have videos that are high-quality with really good audio, you are more likely to get views from your audience.
Instagram Video Don’ts
One of the biggest mistakes that businesses make is taking too long to grab the attention of the user. At the end of the day, people are scrolling through their feeds quickly, which means that you don’t have a lot of time to encourage them to engage with your video. In fact, you’ve got about 3 to 5 seconds to make an impression. This means that any piece of video that you create needs to be engaging straight away.
It is also important to make sure that you are not creating long videos. Remember, people have short attention spans. According to a lot of people in the industry, the optimum length for an Instagram video is 30 seconds.
Remember, when it comes to your Instagram stories, you are limited already by only being able to share clips that are 6 seconds long. This makes it easier to cater to the attention spans of your community.
We also think that it’s important not to overlook things like onscreen text and subtitles. Remember, you want your video accessible to everyone so adding on-screen text to explain what is going on can be really helpful.
Instagram Bio
Your Instagram bio is potentially one of the most important elements when it comes to your Instagram profile. Here’s how to make the most of it.
Instagram Bio Do’s
The first important thing to remember about your Instagram bio is that you’ve got to have a searchable, descriptive name. Your username needs to be easily searchable. This means that when people type in a phrase into the search tab on Instagram, your profile needs to be the first thing that comes up.
The more descriptive your name is, the easier it is going to be for people to find you. We also suggest that you include a link to your blog, website, or anywhere else that you want to send your audience. This is a great way to encourage people not only to interact with your Instagram content, but with your content over on your website, and even other social media platforms.
Instagram Bio Don’ts
The last thing that you want to do with your Instagram bio is forget your call-to-action. Your Instagram bio is an optimal place for a call-to-action, where you ask your followers to do something. You can see how Apple has made the most of this in their profile below.
Also, don’t shy away from using emojis. Just make sure that you use them appropriately. The right emojis can go a long way in enhancing the mission, vision, and personality of your brand. For example, check out the organic baby clothing company below, and how they have used the green plant emoji to showcase their commitment to being a green, environmental company.
Lastly, don’t forget to include the basics. It’s easy to get caught up in coming up with the best emojis for your Instagram bio, but if you aren’t including your phone number, email address, or company’s physical address, then you are missing out on opportunities to encourage your audience to interact further with your brand. Check out the example below.
Instagram Stories
Instagram stories is a pretty popular feature on Instagram, which is why you definitely can’t overlook using it. Let’s check out what you should do and what you shouldn’t be doing with your Instagram stories.
Instagram Story Do’s
Make sure that you use everything that is on offer with Instagram stories, from GIFs, questions, countdown, quiz, and music, to filters, stickers and polls. These features can make your Instagram stories more interactive for your followers, as you can see in the example below.
We also recommend that you include a call-to-action to ask your audience to take action. If you’ve got more than 10,000 followers, you can also include a link to your website, and encourage your users to swipe up so that they can visit your homepage.
You can also save your Instagram stories to your highlights, like you can see in the example below. This way, people can check them out way after the 24-hour time limit is up.
Instagram Story Don’ts
When you are coming up with a good Instagram story idea, don’t put elements or text around the edges. If you have included your text too close to the edge, then users might not be able to see it.
Make sure that you put buttons or polls in the center of the page as well. Anything that is interactive should be towards the middle of the page. It’s also important not to reuse content that you have already uploaded.
It always needs to be fresh, otherwise your audience is going to be disappointed, and wondering why they are seeing the same thing again. Lastly, it’s a good idea to use polls and stickers, but just don’t overuse them.
Promoting Your Instagram
Promoting Your Instagram Do’s
Make sure that you network with people within your industry, and tag other brands in your content, so that hopefully you will receive a shout out in return. A lot of people employ this tactic, as you can see from the example below.
We also recommend that you make a point of working with Instagram influencers. Influencer marketing is a great way to increase your Instagram follower count. Influencer marketing is more popular on Instagram than other platforms. Take the example below.
Promoting Your Instagram Don’ts
Make sure that you don’t come across as too salesy. Remember, people love the idea of investing their money in experiences, not products. One of the things that is so appealing about Instagram is that it is a human-centric space.
This means that if you want to encourage others to follow you, it’s important to share images of people enjoying your products, and let the content speak for itself, without trying to make a hard sell.
Also, we suggest that you try to cross promote as often as possible. One of the best ways to get more followers for your Instagram profile is to connect with customers on other social media channels.
There will be people out there that like the idea of your business but might not even realize that you’ve got an Instagram profile. Maybe you should think about adding your Instagram icon at the bottom of your emails or talk about your Instagram giveaway over on your Twitter profile.
Content Creation
Content Creation Do’s
We highly recommend that you get creative and diverse when it comes to the type of content that you put out there. From behind-the-scenes content to giveaways and contests, interactive content, promotional content, customer testimonials, and video content, as you can see that there are many different avenues to take when it comes to your content. Make sure that you consistently upload a variety of different types of content, and to keep your audience interested.
We also suggest that you always make sure that your content is high-quality. There are a number of different ways that you can do this. You can use an editing tool or you can recruit the help of a professional photographer. Whatever you do, just make sure that your content is always high-quality.
Content Creation Don’ts
Don’t use stock photos when it comes to your Instagram content. There are too many Instagram users out there these days that post the same photos from stock image websites. Make sure that you aren’t doing what everyone else is doing, because the more original you are with your content, the more likely you are to stand out.
Creating Captions
Your captions can make a big difference to whether or not you get more followers on your Instagram profile. Let’s take a look at some helpful captioning tips.
Caption Do’s
Make sure that you’re always including a bit of personality in your captions. Remember, your captions are great way to represent your brand voice, so make sure that everything you include in your captions in is in line with the personality of your brand. Whatever that brand voice is, you need to make sure that it is able to be effortlessly infused with your captions.
We also think that emojis can be a great element to include in your captions. Just make sure that you don’t overdo it. Check out the example below for a good number of emojis that aren’t overwhelming or coming across as spammy.
Another thing that you need to remember about your captions is that it is important to include a call-to-action. We think that almost every single one of your captions should include a call-to-action, where you invite your audience to like the image, or visit the link in your bio, or perform another action. Check out the example below.
Caption Don’ts
We don’t suggest that you make your captions long. Instagram is the wrong platform to be writing a book. We think that short captions perform a lot better. Ideally, you want to keep your Instagram caption between 138 and 150 characters. This translates to roughly 75 words.
However, you will notice that a lot of brands on Instagram keep their captions even shorter. We think that the captions that are shorter get the most amount of engagement. Check out the example below.
Audience Engagement
One of the most important aspects of growing a successful following on Instagram is engaging with your audience. Instagram is all about community, so the more engaged you are with your community, the better you are going to do.
Audience Engagement Do’s
Make sure that you are responsive to direct messages, as well as comments that you get on your content. People are more likely to send a message or leave a comment on a piece of content if they feel like the brand is going to respond to them. This is a great way for you to network with your audience, so that you can get a good idea of what content they like, and what to keep putting up on your Instagram stories.
Make sure that you are posting consistently. You don’t want to spam anybody but putting out regular content is the best way to make sure that you stay at the forefront of your audience’s minds. Consistent posts can help to increase your Instagram follower count and ensure that your existing followers stay engaged.
Audience Engagement Don’ts
Don’t forget about things like Geo tags. Including a location tag in your posts can really help with audience engagement. This is because new users might find your post under the location that they have searched, which is going to encourage them to interact with even more of your content. Check out an example of this below.
Final Thoughts
We believe that getting more Instagram followers on your Instagram profile is a must for any brand, and if you follow these do’s and don’ts, we believe that you can get more of the right followers. These tips can not only help you increase your follower count, but they can help you grow your brand in general. Good luck!