Instagram has taken the social media world by storm, and marketers are flocking to it like never before to utilize its amazing power. It’s easy to see why: Instagram is the third most popular social media network with over 400 million users and growing like crazy. Brands can’t afford to be on this powerhouse platform — but where should you start? How do you gain those precious first few (and highly engaged) followers?
Here are six tactics that will help you generate thousands of highly-targeted Instagram followers who care about your brand.
Use Hashtags Strategically
Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post, which is more than Twitter which only offers 21. You can use up to 30 hashtags per comment on Instagram, but this isn’t recommended because it hurts the user experience and looks spammy. Use your hashtags strategically by adding one or two in your main caption and then add 10-20 in the comments section for when you start getting likes and followers. There are some extremely successful brands out there who rarely hashtag anything, so don’t feel like you need to rely heavily on them just because they’re trendy. You’ll get better results by sticking with a mix of 5-10 relevant tags in each post. This allows you to find the most relevant content while also being a part of the conversation.
Use Instagram Growth Services
Another great way to grow your Instagram following is by using one of the many services created to help scale your marketing efforts. There are lots of great benefits that come along with hiring an IG growth service company including accessing advanced techniques not known by most marketers. An expert team of marketers will be able to help you gain Instagram followers by providing actionable insights along with better targeting, more reach, growth hacking techniques, and much more. Even though these services are mainly used by serious influencers, they are also a great option for those just starting on Instagram or those that have been around for a while but are looking to take the next steps towards bigger and better things.
Create User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC marketing is gold because it gets people talking about your brand without doing any of the work. If you’re not using UGC yet, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your brand. There are several ways you can go about creating UGC – here are just a few ideas.
First, ask your users to send in photos of themselves using or wearing your brand’s product. This allows them to feel more involved with your company which creates loyalty and word-of-mouth branding opportunities for you. Secondly, if you have an event coming up or something fun going on at your office, hold an Instagram contest where the winner gets free entry. People love free stuff so they’ll jump at the chance for this type of user-generated content. Lastly, ask current customers for their feedback via hashtags, and you’ll get flooded with awesome content.
Be Consistent
No one wants to follow a brand that posts once every few weeks and is only relevant when they do. If you want your brand to be noticed on Instagram, then you need to post at least once per day every single day of the week. Your Instagram profile is how most people will interact with your brand and if you can’t keep up with publishing content regularly they’ll move on very quickly. It takes time and dedication to maintain a consistently high level of activity on Instagram, but in the end, it’s well worth it for all of the benefits that come along with having thousands (or even millions) of highly-engaged followers.
Leverage Photos & Videos
There are several ways you can go about using video on Instagram. The first is live streaming, which allows your followers instant access to breaking news and exclusive announcements as it happens. This is only available for verified accounts but if you’re lucky enough to have one then definitely take advantage of this function. The second way you can leverage videos is through storytelling, where you share user-generated or behind-the-scenes content that your followers will find fascinating and be interested in sharing. Lastly, if you want to get creative then try visual storytelling with Instagram Stories. The possibilities are endless when it comes to this feature so do some research and figure out the best way for your brand to take advantage of Instagram’s video content!
Use Instagram Ads
Lastly, another great way to increase your following is by using Instagram ads. Just like Facebook or any other popular social media platform, Instagram has its very own advertising system. These ads are highly targeted based on age, gender, interests, etc., so when you run a campaign the people that see it are guaranteed to be interested in what you’re selling. CPC (cost per click) is often lower on Instagram than other social media platforms, which makes it an attractive option for marketers looking to gain more followers without spending too much money in the process. If you have a solid budget and campaign set up then promoting your Instagram page is worth trying out!
Conclusively, there are several ways to grow your Instagram followers, but no method is more effective than simply working alongside an expert team. Combined with the right amount of creativity and engagement, you’re sure to see results in no time. Good luck!
