The Ultimate Guide on How to Grow Your Instagram Following
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So you’ve set up your Instagram account and posted a few photos. But, it’s not exactly going viral… There are 232 million users on Instagram, and that number is continuing to grow. In order for your brand to stand out in this sea of red and blue squares, you need to start growing your following. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to do so.
Create visually-appealing content
One of the best ways to grow your following is to create visually-appealing content. And on Instagram, that means a mix of photos and videos. If you have the time or resources, consider hiring a photographer to capture your brand's story through images. When it comes to video, try using Stories – the live video feature on Instagram where users can share quick clips for 24 hours before they disappear. If you don’t have that much time or money to spend, take advantage of natural light and consider filming near a window or in front of a white wall. Dress your models in complementary colors and keep them as close together as possible so that they fill up the frame better and make it more eye-catching. Lastly, avoid filters if possible – they may change the look of your picture entirely!. Hit your social media marketing goals..
Utilize your current audience
One way to grow your following is to utilize your current audience. For example, if you have a blog with a large following, you could ask readers to follow you on Instagram. You could also create an Instagram post asking people to follow your account for more content in the future. You can also collaborate with other brands or influencers who have a similar audience to your own. By collaborating with someone else, you’ll be able to reach more than just your own followers. These methods are effective because they rely on the power of two audiences rather than one.
Don’t rely on organic growth alone
The best way to grow your following is by using a mix of both organic and paid growth. While it’s great to be posting on Instagram so often, you will not always be lucky enough for your account to go viral. Organic growth is a slower process, but if you are willing to put in the time and effort, it can work wonders. Organic growth refers to people discovering your account without any help from marketing campaigns or ads. This means that you need people to find your account organically through word of mouth or browsing the app. When someone follows your account, they will then be able to see all of the content that you post on their feed. If there is a strong connection between what you post and their interests, they will continue following your posts on a regular basis and eventually grow into a loyal follower. One way to achieve organic growth is by joining communities relevant to your brand’s niche. For example, if you own an athletic clothing company, join communities dedicated to running or fitness enthusiasts – even just commenting “good morning!” can show that you are interested in interacting with them as well as promoting your products/services. Another way would be by communicating with influential users who have similar accounts (and followers) as yours – these individuals could share your posts with their followers thus increasing exposure for both of you!
Host a contest or giveaway
A great way to grow your following is by hosting a giveaway or contest. It’s affordable and easy to set up. You can offer your followers something of value, like a product or service. When you do this, you’ll not only be growing your following but also expanding your customer base. When someone enters the contest, they will have to follow you in order to do so. And when they do follow you, they are then more likely to engage with your posts in the future which will help you expand your following exponentially. To make sure that you don’t get any spam followers and that the people who enter your contest actually want what you are offering, we suggest having an email sign-up form on your website before the contest begins and making it clear in the description of the post that an email address is required.
Utilize paid advertising
One of the easiest ways to grow your following is through paid advertising. This method is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to grow a business on social media. Not only are you able to tailor your ads to your ideal customer, but paying for ads will also increase your brand visibility. Now, while many people assume that using paid advertising is expensive, it really depends on which platform you use and how much you spend. For example, with Facebook Ads, you can start small and gradually increase your budget as your page grows. It’s possible that you may never have to spend more than $5 a day on Facebook ads if you don’t want to. Some other inexpensive platforms include Twitter Ads and Instagram Ads – both start at a cost of $1 per day. However, if spending money isn’t an option for you or if it's not in your budget, there are still plenty of free methods for growing your following.
Conclusion
With the right strategy, it's easy to grow your Instagram following. Utilize your current audience, host a contest or giveaway, and utilize paid advertising to grow your account. You'll be able to avoid relying on organic growth alone and be able to grow your account with a greater success rate.