Instagram has become one of the best choice for many brands who want to expand their online influence and establish connections with customers.

If you are asking yourself “How can I get followers on Instagram?”, then you have come to the right place. We have compiled 20 wats to help you gain real followers on Instagram.

20 Tactics for Instagram Growth

Way #1. Optimize Your Bio

A good Instagram bio explains what you do in a few short sentences or bullet points. With only 150 characters, you have to be super clear and concise about what you do and who you do it for.

Here are some suggestions for creating great Instagram Bio.

1. Choose a username that’s simple, recognizable, and easy to find.
2. Choose the perfect instagram profile picture.
3. Tag related accounts & share your brand’s hashtag in your instagram bio.
4. Add a call-to-action for the link in your instagram bio – consider using an app that enables you to use one URL with multiple links.
5. Strategically use instagram stories highlights in your instagram bio.

Way #2. Use Keywords to Appear in Searches

Before people can follow you on Instagram, they have to find you. Not a lot of the text on Instagram is searchable. In fact, only two fields on Instagram contribute to search results: name and username.

Your username is your Instagram handle. It’s a good idea to make it consistent with the handle you use on other social networks, since this also makes it easier for people to find you. Use your brand name or a variation of your name that people are likely to use when searching for your brand.

Your name can be anything you like, up to 30 characters. Keyword stuffing is never a good idea, but it can be useful to include your most relevant keyword in the name field to improve discoverability based on search.

Way #3. Find Your Best Time to Post On Instagram

In our Instagram Statistics, we said that engagement with posts spikes in the early evening between 6:00–8:00pm, or 18:00–20:00 local time, where it is at its highest. 

However, different Instagram accounts may perform differently. You’d better test to find your best time to post on Instagram.

Way #4. Keep A Consistent Content Calendar

Once you’ve created and optimized your profile, it’s time to start posting. It’s a good idea to have a solid number of great posts before you start engaging people. That way, when people visit your profile, they’ll have a first impression of your content.

Then, you’d better to plan your post. By scheduling content in advance, you can get content out even when you’re super busy. Also, your entire team can see campaigns and schedules more efficiently. Most importantly, your audience will be prepared for your post, and ready to tune in.

Way #5. Experiment with Different Content Types

Knowing what types of content performs well on Instagram is vital for your Instagram content strategy. You should experiment with different content types and find what your audience love best.

Here are some ideas for your Instagram content types.

• Lifestyle posts
• Open-ended questions
• Behind-the-scenes
• Fun facts
• Brand story
• Video content
• Timely content
• Actionable advice and tutorials

#Way #6. Create Unique Content

People follow your brand because they enjoy your personality and the content you create. Instead of asking for a follow, you should create unique content so users have a reason to follow you.

The secret to attract users on Instagram is to focus on anything that makes you special. Try to share content that others cannot share. Share detailed knowledge about your field. Show the behind-the-scenes content of your business. Provide advice that can only come from the experience of running a business.

These kinds of content will attract people because they are detailed, valuable and irreplaceable.

#Way #7. Post Content That’s Meant to Be Re-Shared

What type of visual content gets shared the most on Instagram? Let’s have a closer look.

• Inspirational quotes
• Human faces
• Landscapes and scenery
• Food
• Historical photos
• User-generated content
• Animals
• Behind-the-scenes
• Real-time trends
• Video stories

#Way #8. Embrace Instagram Stories

More than 500 million Instagram accounts use Stories every day. Whether publishers are trying to grow brand awareness, grow traffic to videos or newsletters outside of Instagram, or share sponsored posts, Instagram Stories allows them to publish fun disappearing content that infuses brand voice and personality.

Instagram Stories last 24 hours on your profile before disappearing, but a video inside your Story can be up to 15 seconds long before cutting to the next piece of content.

#Way #9. Create Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels are a fun and creative way to get new followers on Instagram. 

Why? They have incredible reach (you can get thousands of views) and if your account is public, they’re discoverable via the Reels tab.

Reels allows you to record and edit short videos up to 60 seconds in the Instagram Camera. You can add effects and music to your reel or use your own original audio.

Note: Reels isn’t currently available to everyone. Keep in mind, some accounts may be able to see reels, but won’t be able to record them.

#Way #10. Research and Use Hashtags

Hashtags help you get discovered by other people. On Instagram, you can add up to 30 hashtags.

Search for relevant hashtags for the topic(s) you post. 

Then, create lists of them for each subject you post about. Pick ones with 500,000 or fewer existing posts. Those search results update slower. You can also add 1-3 top, bigger hashtags to get ‘quick’ engagement for the post for the first few minutes.

Save them in your phone app. When you publish the picture, just copy and paste them to the caption or the first comment.

Don’t forget to use hashtags in your Stories!

#Way #11. Write Compelling Captions

A strong visual on Instagram can make users “slow their scroll” and stay locked on your post, but a carefully thought out caption can do a lot heavier lifting in terms of marketing.

Here are some tips for write a good Instagram caption.

• Make the most of the first sentence
• Include a call to action or ask a question
• Use emoji’s and have fun with them
• Use hashtags
• Learn from awesome examples of great captions

#Way #12. Engage with Your Audience and the Community

When someone leaves a comment, don’t ignore it or just say “Thank you”. Try to communicate with your audience.

Not only interact with fans, but also interact with other accounts. You can start by leaving a comment under someone else’s account which is relevant to your content.

#Way #13. Pin Your Best Comments

One of Instagram’s little-known features is the ability to pin up to three comments for each post.

You can pin your favorite comments from other users, especially if they are creating a lot of engagement. It can help you manage the conversation on your posts, creating more opportunities for engagement and connection.

#Way #14. Collaborate with Influencers

Another great way to gain Instagram followers is to collaborate with influencer.

Here’s an important stat for anyone thinking about how to get more followers on Instagram: 60% of consumers say they’d follow a brand on Instagram after seeing it promoted by an influencer they trust.

#Way #15. Collaborate with Other Brands

Don’t be afraid to reach out to other brands to see if there’s a way that you can work together on Instagram. The right kind of collaboration could help everyone involved get more Instagram followers.

#Way #16. Tag Your Location

In order to find products or services close-by, many people search for local businesses on Instagram.

Luckily, the platform offers just the right feature for your businesses – location tag. So if you want to be found, you have to make sure your location is correctly tagged. 

#Way #17. Tag Relevant Users

You can tag Instagram users featured in your photos with an @-mention in your caption or by using Instagram’s tagging functionality within the post. Either way, they’ll receive a notification when you do so.

Tagging someone encourages them to engage with the post and share it with their own following. Your post will also appear on the Tagged in tab of their Instagram profile.

#Way #18. Run Contests

Many accounts run contests to attract users. They ask fans to leave a comment under the post, repost the post, tag friends, etc. to expand the post reach. This is an effective way to build trust with new followers, and get more eyeballs to your page.

#Way 19. Link to Your Instagram from Elsewhere

Add your Instagram account link to:

• Email footers
• Your website’s footer and/or sidebar
• Your blog post
• Bios on other social media platforms
• Social media posts from team members

#Way 20. Consider Advertising On Instagram

Okay, this isn’t exactly a way to get Instagram followers quickly. Instagram ads can be a powerful way to reach new followers by getting your content in front of people.

Summary

Instagram continues to grow in popularity with audiences, so taking advantage of these tips to get followers will help you increase your reach.

Ultimately, it’s important to focus less on the number of followers you have, and more on the quality of content you create.