Our Road-Tested Tips to Organically Gain Instagram Followers in 2021
“I have been an OG Instagram user since 2012! How come this high school kid made his account last month and already has 500k followers!?”
Life could be unfair but remember your follower number on Instagram is not dependent on your user timespan but the category, content quality, and most importantly, your strategy.
Now, you might be thinking of spending money to buy tons of followers and engagements -- DON’T! This will not only sabotage your account’s growth in the long term, you might also risk getting banned! (Or worse yet, shadow banned so you don’t even know it)
Follow this guide and grow your Instagram account organically without spending a dime.
1. Consistency
Consistency is the key to success. Growing your Instagram account is not an exception.
When you post regularly, you are letting your followers know what to expect from you whether it is a story, reel or static post. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram suggested posting 2 feed posts weekly and 2 stories daily as the ideal frequency for growing followers.
Image by @lindseyrranger
2. Create A Solid Instagram Bio
Your Instagram Bio is literally your self introduction and value proposition online. In this era of information overload, the average attention span is 8 seconds and declining. Also, users do judge a book by its cover, BIG TIME. Make sure your Instagram Bio creatively explains what your brand or what you do loud and clear. Then, you have a higher chance of standing out amongst other Instagrammers in the same niche.
Here are some key things you could incorporate in your Instagram bio:
Boost Discovery With Search Term(s) In “Category field” (eg. Blogger)
Include specific keywords to target your niche audience (eg. Denim expert)
Show Your Personality (Professional? Witty? Mindfulness?)
Add Location in Bio (To boost local discovery)
Include Other Account Handles To Cross Promote (Utilize all space!)
Awards/ Notable Mentions
Provide Your Email/Phone Number For Viewers (Open to business opportunities!)
Include Link To Your Website or Blog Using https://linktr.ee/
Include CTA (Follow! Hit this link to get free writing tips!)
Space Out Your Text With Emojis (Make yourself more lively!)
Image by @bukobaba.essentials
3. Value! Value! Provide Value!
Before posting anything on your feed, reflect what value you are providing to your audience. If you aim to increase followers and engagement on your account, you need to persuade them with the content you create and value you provide. Don’t expect your account to bloom overnight by posting a photo of your midnight snack.
Let’s say you are building your Instagram account as a fitness model. Yes, we know you are fit, but are you providing personalized tips such as workout routines and nutrition plans to help your followers to achieve their fitness goals too?
Making people laugh also brings a lot of value because you are brightening up their day and de-stressing them when they are on their way home in transit after a long day at work!
Your online identity equates to what content and value you put out there. Although social interactions have evolved due to the massive boom of social media, let’s not forget about utilizing the platform to provide value and elevate each other!
Excerpt from @ubcyogaclub
4. Post What Your Viewers Want To See
As we have mentioned earlier, information on Instagram is uncontrollably overloaded. A single scroll can easily skip 5 posts on your home feed (We experimented with this multiple times). How can you ensure viewers spot your post in a millisecond, stop scrolling, and tap into your profile?
You have to be an ambitious attention seeker by posting eye-catching and high quality media that aligns with your niche. If your niche is denim lovers, posting details of the denim fading process in high resolution would be golden. If your niche is vegan diet lovers, posting a salad bowl with a bounty of colorful and nutritious ingredients with the recipe will likely get immediate likes and post saves!
Since people view Instagram in portrait orientation, posting portrait photos and videos is one of the most user-friendly things to do. Moreover, portrait photos stay longer on the screen and take up more ‘real estate’ when viewers are just mindlessly scrolling through. You are not only competing with other content creators but also viewers’ limited attention span!
Image by @michaelchoosefood
5. Using the right hashtags
Hashtags are the gateway to content discovery.. Adding hashtags on your photos is paramount to your Instagram growth since people can find your photos easier by searching for specific terms.
Should I just jump to the most popular hashtags then? #love has 2.1B posts! #happy has 649m posts! No, the chance of people spotting your post is like finding a needle in a haystack! If you are lucky, these popular hashtags might potentially grant you additional engagement but they won’t bring you loyal and interested followers.
The easiest way is to learn from the best. Pick some high-performing competitors in the same niche and find inspiration from them, but as a content creator, you want to be creative and set up your own set of hashtags for your account.
There are 3 types of hashtags that you can use:
1.) Brand keyword hashtags
#mybrandname #misterfreedom #apc #therealmccoys #sugarcane #levisoriginals
2.) Product category keyword hashtags
#selvegedenim #unwashedjeans #14ozdenim #denimoftheday #denimgame #ruggedjeans
3.) Location-specific keyword hashtags
#vancouver #vancouverdenim #604denim #604fashionbloggers
6. Hop On The Bandwagon! (IF appropriate)
Staying on top of trends can always increase your exposure and engagement on Instagram. If it’s breaking news or a new social trend that has everyone dancing to the same tune, trends or a national day for donuts/coffee/some other topic...Seize the opportunity! Research the important events of your niche and mark them on your social calendar and create high-quality content accordingly!
Image by @dunkin.ducks
However, before hopping on the bandwagon, consider if your niche viewers are genuinely interested in the content related to the trend. For instance, Down Low Chicken Shack has an amazing deal of Fried Chicken Coleslaw sandwiches for only $2 each. Do you think your vegan fans appreciate that?
7. Posting At The Right Time
Timing is everything. Being consistent, creating valuable content for your niche and using the right hashtag strategy are crucial for Instagram growth. Posting at the right time will yield results in multifold with the same effort.
According to Hootsuite’s Instagram Engagement Report [2021 Version], between 10 AM and 3 PM (CDT) is the best time to post on Instagram.
The general data depicts the optimal posting time for all users. It is a fabulous starting point for you to follow! However, engagement levels vary depending on what day of the week we post and what type of company you run. We recommend you follow this chart and make some adjustments according to your own Instagram analytics. There is no absolute correct formula for every account, so tweak and adjust these best practices to make it your own!
Image by Later Media
There are a lot of different ways to grow your Instagram account whether organically, with paid ads or through influencer collaborations. (HUGE TREND!) If growing your Instagram is what you need, stay tuned on our blog posts and follow us on all of our social media to stay connected! We will be providing a lot of valuable insights and content to you every week!