How to Get More Instagram Followers: 15 Tactics to Build an Engaged Audience
Instagram is a powerful platform for businesses to connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive sales. However, to reap the benefits of Instagram, you need a solid following of engaged users. Here are some strategies to help you increase your Instagram followers for your business:
Focus on Creating High-Quality, Valuable Content
The most important strategy for growing your Instagram audience and building an engaged community is consistently creating and sharing high-quality, valuable content.
What constitutes high-quality content?
- Visually appealing photos and videos
- Clear, compelling captions
- Content that aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience
- Content that educates, entertains, inspires or provides value for your followers
Post content regularly and ensure each post provides value to your audience. Avoid spammy posts that are overly promotional. Craft creative content that followers want to like, comment on, and share.
Leverage Relevant Hashtags to Expand Your Reach
Hashtags are critical for extending the reach of your posts on Instagram. Including relevant hashtags makes your content discoverable by users who don't yet follow you.
How to use hashtags effectively:
- Research hashtags used by competitors and influencers in your niche
- Identify the most popular hashtags to reach a broader audience
- Also, include niche hashtags that are more targeted to your audience
- Create branded hashtags unique to your business that followers can rally around
- Limit each post to 5-10 relevant hashtags - avoid hashtag spamming
Getting strategic with hashtags will connect you with new users organically.
Host Giveaways & Contests to Attract Followers
Giveaways and contests can create a buzz and excite your audience. The prospect of winning prizes or special offers will entice users to follow you.
Tips for running successful contests on Instagram:
- Offer prizes that appeal to your target audience
- Keep contest rules and entry requirements simple
- Promote the giveaway through posts, stories, and your Instagram bio
- Leverage influencer partnerships by having influencers help promote your contest
- Use contest apps like Gleam to efficiently manage entries and pick random winners
The boost of new followers from contests creates the potential for growing an engaged community if you continue providing value after the contest ends.
Interact with Your Audience to Build Loyalty
Responding to your audience through comments likes and direct messages shows followers you value them. Regular interaction leads to higher engagement and loyalty over time.
Ways to interact with your Instagram audience:
- Reply to comments with thoughtful responses
- Ask engaging questions in captions to spark discussion
- Like and comment on followers' posts and engage in their Stories
- Share user-generated content featuring your brand and thank them
- Respond promptly to DMs and inquiries
Building relationships with your followers makes them more likely to stick around, be vocal brand advocates, and refer you to new followers.
Collab with Micro-Influencers in Your Niche
Influencer collaborations expand your reach to new audiences instantly. But you don’t need mega influencers with millions of followers. Micro-influencers with engaged, niche followings are ideal and more affordable.
How to leverage micro-influencers effectively:
- Identify micro-influencers who are a natural fit with your brand
- Offer influencers free products in exchange for organic promotion
- Pay influencers reasonable rates for sponsored posts, stories, and reels
- Give the influencer creative freedom to promote you in their authentic voice
- Track results using unique links, codes, and trackable hashtags
Aligning with the right influencers gives your account and posts instant credibility in front of new potential followers.
Run Ads Strategically to Supplement Organic Growth
Instagram and Facebook ads can accelerate follower growth when used strategically alongside organic efforts. Effective ads showcase your brand’s value proposition creatively.
Tips for running successful Instagram ads:
- Test different captions, visuals, and calls-to-action
- Target your ads based on demographics, interests, and behaviors
- Measure conversion rates and cost per result to identify optimal target audiences
- Set specific goals for each ad campaign like followers, engagement, or sales
- Continuously optimize your ads to improve performance
Ads expand your reach rapidly. Coupled with organic community-building efforts, ads provide fuel for long-term growth.
Check Insights to Identify Peak Times for Engagement
Your follower demographic and habits will impact when your posts get the most traction. Use Instagram’s native analytics to determine the best times to post.
How to use Instagram Insights effectively:
- Track daily and weekly trends of when your followers are most active
- Test posting at different times and days to see what resonates best
- Pay attention to when your posts receive peak engagement
- Schedule posts and go live when it aligns with your followers’ habits
- Adapt your posting schedule over time as your audience grow
Optimizing your posting times will result in higher engagement rates and more opportunities for new followers to discover your account organically.
Consistency is Key to Sustainable Growth
Building a genuine following on Instagram doesn’t happen overnight. But sticking with it long-term and consistently applying the right strategies will compound your growth.
Patience and persistence are required. Stay focused on your audience, polish your content strategy, and interact authentically day after day. By delivering real value, you’ll convert casual visitors into loyal brand advocates.