Tips For Improving Your Instagram Growth Strategy

Over time, I’ve read a lot of different Instagram growth strategies, many of them promising you hundreds of new followers every day if you follow their advice. Some work, but most don’t – at least, not to the extent advertised.

However, most methods have some very striking similarities, which numerous marketers are employing – and that work.

In this blog post, I want to look into the effectiveness of some of these proposed methods – and find which tactics can actually help you improve your Instagram growth strategy.

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Why would you want to dedicate your time and other resources to Instagram strategy?

The simple answer is —because Instagram growth can have a positive impact on your bottom line. Instagram is the place where your existing and potential customers hang out. Building a robust Instagram presence have many business benefits, including:

• increasing brand awareness and establishing your company as an industry leader
• reaching brand new audiences
• generating new leads and impacting your sales levels

Social media are here to stay and you may as well benefit from what they have to offer.

Let’s see the Instagram insights ahead of us today.

What is Instagram growth?

Top Instagram growth tips

• Using Instagram hashtags, the right way
• Your Instagram schedule
• Take a look at Instagram hashtags analytics
• Diversify your content
• Use UGC
• Follow targeted users on a regular basis
• Be active and engage
• Cross-post

How to grow your Instagram?

What is Instagram growth?

Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, let’s define Instagram growth first.

Many will measure Instagram growth in the number of new followers, likes, and comments under their posts.

Other will take into account their hashtag performance or estimated social media reach.

All of these metrics, are insightful social media KPIs. We would like to encourage a slightly different approach.

If Instagram is an integral part of your marketing strategy, you should measure the growth in terms of business KPIs.

Why do you invest in building an Instagram presence and increasing reach? Because a strong social media presence can positively impact your bottom line.

Growing your Instagram account can help you:

• sell your products directly from the platform
• provide exquisite customer service
• expand your customer base by reaching brand new audiences
• establish your brand as an industry leader

Growing your Instagram account will help you get one step ahead of your competitors.

Which instagram growth methods should you implement to have a robust growth?

Top Instagram growth tips

Using Instagram hashtags, the right way

If you’ve been using Instagram for a while now, then you probably know the importance of using the right hashtags. They are the best tool you have at your disposal to help you reach more people and, consequently, also drive more engagement and activity on your Instagram posts.

In a recent test made by the Social Media Lab to find out whether they could get 100 new Instagram followers in 24 hours, the tactic they used for hashtags was as follows:

• Pick 30 relevant hashtags
• Make sure they’re not too popular, bust also not too infrequent – the sweet spot, in this case, was having anywhere between 50k to 300k images per hashtag. The goal was to get the images in the top 9 for the hashtag in order to increase visibility; if there are too many images for that hashtag on Instagram, it’s close to impossible to achieve this, particularly if your profile isn’t hugely popular already

• When you post your hashtags, don’t put them in the image caption – rather, put them in a comment. Neil Patel, too, recommends this – it looks better, for one, and secondly, as he puts it, hashtags aren’t there to be seen so much as they are there for people to be able to find your content.

Your Instagram schedule

OK, brace yourself; you’re probably going to have to increase the amount of content you publish on Instagram on a daily basis.

One image or 2 a day is simply not enough; there’s too much content, too many people who are posting more and better content and if you can’t keep up, yours will probably just get lost in people’s Insta feeds.

So, apart from the obligatory 1-2 photos per day, Instagram experts recommend:

• 5-30 Instagram Stories
• 1 live video per day (Neil Patel also recommends you start it at the exact same time each day, so you can get more people to join in every day)

This might sound like a lot of work, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be; Stories are easy to create and live videos don’t have to be too long.

Ideally, you should plan your Instagram content strategy in advance, so that you are ready for anything, anytime:

• Candid shots from around the office as well as from outside the office (teambuilding trip, anyone?)
• Photos of your lunches – there’s nothing that performs better on Instagram than food. Except maybe for cute dogs. And cute cats. And other cute animals. But apart from that, food rules social media, and particularly Instagram.
• Motivational, funny, and interesting quotes
• Sneak peeks at upcoming products
• Branded content – promotional shots and videos, photos of your products or services, and so on
• Interesting stats (just turn them into an image)

This way, you can keep an eye on the top posts being shared with these hashtags, which helps you understand what kind of content resonates with audiences.

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Take a look at Instagram hashtags analytics

A social media listening tool will collect additional data that will help you grow your Instagram presence.

Let’s discuss the benefits of social media monitoring for Instagram growth.

All the examples are based on Brand24, a media monitoring tool. Brand24 collects only publicly available mentions and is 100% compliant with Facebook API and GDPR rules.

To boost your Instagram growth, it’s vital to track the performance of your hashtags online. That way, you will get some important Instagram metrics:

• the social media reach of your posts — to see how many people could have seen your Instagram post
• the total number of type of interactions — to see whether your posts are engaging your community
• trending hashtags within your industry — to boost your social media reach and find new users interested in your content

Moreover, Brand24 will help you collect all mentions with your predefined hashtag. That way you can react to all posts mentioning your brand.

Does it sound interesting? Give it a spin! Brand24 offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required)

The more you mix up your Instagram content strategy, the better – and some of this content, you can prepare in advance to make things easier on yourself.

For example, some of the materials that you can prepare ahead of time include: product images, motivational, interesting, and funny quote images, and any promotional content. For the rest of them, keep your eyes open every day and take in the world around you: what would your audience like to see from your world?

Diversify your content

Back in the day when Instagram was first invented, you could only share photos. Once Facebook bought the social media platform, the content you can post diversified.

If you want to work in increasing your Instagram reach, you should explore everything Instagram has to offer.

Posts content to your feed regularly, use Instagram Stories, and prepare content for IGTV. You might attract slightly different audience with each type of content which will help you organically grow your Instagram presence.

Use UGC

UGC stands for user-generated content.

Sharing user-generated content can help you grow your Instagram by reaching brand new audiences.

How to do that?

Create a hashtag campaign for Instagram users that will promote your branded hashtag. Then, choose the posts you want to promote on your feed and credit the authors.

User-generated content can do wonders to your Instagram growth strategy. Not only will you engage your followers, you will also get a lot of unique and often very creative content you can use on your social media.

Follow targeted users on a regular basis

Another essential step in a successful Instagram growth strategy is to find and follow targeted users.

Instagram allows you to follow as many as 50 users an hour before they get angry. But, it still might not be the best idea to follow 50 people every hour, 8 hours a day – a few dozens a day is great to start with.

First, start by locating some of your top competitors, who share an audience with you – preferably, a very engaged audience.

Look at accounts that not only cater to the same audience, but that also gets lots of engagement on their posts – that usually shows that they have an engaged audience, which is the best kind of audience to have.

Otherwise, what’s the point? You could have loads of followers, tens of thousands, but if they couldn’t care less about you, your business, or what you post, what’s the point? It might look (and feel) good to see you have so many followers, but it’s actually much better to have fewer, but very engaged followers.

Surprisingly, I don’t find this to be the case on other social networks – or, at least, not to the extent they were before. For example, in my case, some of my posts that have the least engagement actually drive the most traffic, while posts with plenty of comments and likes, barely get any traffic. It’s a strange time for social media marketing; but alas, I’ve digressed enough – Instagram, as opposed to Facebook and Twitter, still thrives on engagement.

So, as I was saying earlier, find top competitors who have over 50k followers and plenty of engagement on their posts.

Once you’ve found at least 10 accounts, write them down in a spreadsheet and start following their followers – as I mentioned before, never more than 50 per hour, as per Instagram’s regulations.

Be active and engage

I’m not going to spend too long on this as the headline really says it all: be active and engage.

It’s not enough to just post content, you also need to engage – and it’s a great way to reach new people and get targeted users to follow you and engage with you back.

Always put 5 or so minutes aside every day to engage: leave comments, respond to each and every comment you get on your content, like images and videos, and so on.

It will not only help you boost your Instagram engagement, but it can also help you get more followers on Instagram – so, if you find any users that fit with your audience, reach out to them by liking their content and leaving comments. It will put you on their radar – and it could lead to a follow-back from a genuinely interested and engaged user.

Cross-post

You probably are active on more than one social media platform. That means you can easily post the same content on different social media channels.

This Instagram growth hack has a few benefits. You will be able to engage your followers across different platforms and direct some of the traffic towards your Instagram account. Remember to offer exclusive content on Instagram, so your potential followers have an incentive to follow your account.

Take a look at other visual social media platform, Pinterest. If you use a service like IFTTT, you can easily connect two accounts and post Instagram photos directly to Pinterest.

To build Instagram growth, you can also add link to your Instagram account to your newsletter or Intercom chat. That way, you make your potential followers aware of the social media platforms you’re active on.

Use Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is a recently developed functionality that empowers users to construct and distribute brief video recordings with their supporters. If you aspire to increase your fan base on Instagram, utilizing Reels can prove to be a wise tactic.

It not only enables you to express your inventiveness and persona, but it also places you in front of a larger audience. Instagram’s algorithm exhibits a preference towards Reels and endorses them on the Explore page, thus rendering them more conspicuous to individuals who may not already follow your account.

To fully exploit Reels, try to devise captivating, informative, or amusing content that resonates with your desired audience. Incorporate trending music and hashtags to amplify your reach and stimulate reposts. With a well-planned approach, Instagram Reels can function as a potent tool to augment your fan base and enhance engagement on the platform.

Create Instagram ads

Investing in Instagram advertisements can prove to be a potent strategy for expanding your digital footprint on the platform. Instagram ads possess the ability to focus on specific age groups and areas of interest, resulting in a wider and more engaged audience.

Instagram’s ad platform offers the possibility of monitoring one’s ad campaign’s performance and making the necessary adjustments to enhance its efficacy over time. Through a deliberate and precise investment in targeted and well-conceived Instagram ads, you can boost your online visibility, acquire new followers, and steer traffic towards your website or other social media accounts.

However, you must remember that creating impactful ads necessitates considerable time, effort, and a comprehensive understanding of your intended demographic. Consequently, investing in meticulous planning, testing, and optimization is fundamental to guarantee that your Instagram ads yield the anticipated outcomes.

How to grow your Instagram?

To sum up, a solid Instagram growth strategy requires:

• A solid daily content schedule: 1-2 photos a day, one live video per day, and at least 5 Instagram Stories – the more, the merrier
• Always use relevant hashtags – find up to 30 relevant hashtags and post them in a comment, rather than in the posts’ caption
• Follow targeted users – find top competitors and follow their followers (up to 50 per hour)
• Engage – engage with other users on a daily basis and be an active user on the platform

What other Instagram growth tactics work for you?

FAQ

What is good Instagram growth?

Good Instagram growth refers to an increase in Instagram followers, engagement, and brand awareness that is sustainable and beneficial over the long term. This encompasses various aspects such as:

1. Increasing followers: Gaining more followers on your Instagram page is an indicator of good growth. It signifies that more people are interested in your content and want to see more.
2. Boosting engagement: Besides the number of followers, high levels of interaction, such as likes, comments, shares, and saves, indicate that your audience is actively interested and engaged with your content.
3. Enhancing brand presence: A well-crafted Instagram bio and consistent, quality content can help strengthen your brand’s presence and credibility on the platform, attracting more followers and engagement.

What is a normal organic growth rate on Instagram?

The organic growth rate on Instagram refers to the natural and non-paid increase in engagement and followers over a certain period. It’s challenging to define a “normal” growth rate as it can greatly depend on the type of content you’re producing, the engagement level of your target audience, and the effort you’re putting into gaining more Instagram followers. However, considering various factors, a normal organic growth rate could range anywhere from 1% to 4% per month. It’s important to note that these numbers can fluctuate and should be seen as a guideline rather than a definitive rule.

Why is organic growth important on Instagram?

Organic growth on Instagram is vital as it demonstrates genuine interest and engagement from your followers. Here’s why:

1. Authentic engagement: Organic growth translates to genuine interactions on your Instagram feed. This means your content resonates with your audience, leading to higher engagement rates.
2. Increased reach: Organic growth helps boost the visibility of your Instagram accounts, leading to an increased reach among your target audience.
3. Brand credibility and trust: A well-curated Instagram profile with organic followers indicates authenticity, which enhances your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.
4. Sustainability: Organic growth, though slower, is more sustainable in the long run as it’s based on building a loyal and engaged audience.

How do people grow their Instagram so fast?

Growing an Instagram account quickly usually requires a strategic approach and a considerable amount of effort. Here’s how:

1. Quality content: High-quality, unique, and engaging content is crucial in attracting and retaining followers.
2. Consistent posting: Regularly posting content keeps your Instagram page active and increases your visibility, helping to boost your follower count.
3. Engaging with your audience: Responding to comments and messages, liking, and commenting on other posts, and being active in the community can encourage more people to follow your account.
4. Using relevant hashtags: Hashtags can significantly extend your reach and visibility, making it easier for people interested in your content to find your posts.
5. Collaborating with others: Collaborations or shout-outs from larger accounts can drastically increase your visibility and follower count.
6. Avoiding fake followers: While purchasing followers might give an immediate boost to your follower count, they are likely to be fake Instagram followers who won’t engage with your content. This can hurt your account’s credibility and engagement rates in the long run.

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Author bio:

Highly regarded on the world speaker circuit, Lilach has graced Forbes and Number 10 Downing Street. She’s a hugely connected and highly influential entrepreneur. Listed in Forbes as one of the top 20 women social media power influencers and was crowned the Social Influencer of Europe by Oracle. She is listed as the number one Influencer in the UK by Career Experts and is a recipient for a Global Women Champions Award for her outstanding contribution and leadership in business.