As a content creator, it’s important to have a strong presence on Instagram. With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a great platform to share your content, build an audience, and grow your brand. So how do you grow your followers on Instagram?
In this blog post, we’ll share 21 actionable tips to help you get more followers on Instagram as a content creator.
1. Find your niche
As a content creator, it’s important to have a strong focus and specialty. By finding your niche, you’ll be able to better connect with your target audience and grow your followers on Instagram.
Some content creators make the mistake of trying to be everything to everyone. While it’s great to have a diverse range of content, it’s important to also focus on a specific niche so you can connect with a specific audience.
For example, if you’re a travel content creator, you could focus on sharing aerial photography tips, or if you’re sharing things about your pet, you could focus on your cute dachshunds.
When you’re able to better connect with your target audience, you’ll be able to grow your followers on Instagram more effectively.
2. Write incredible captions
Your Instagram caption is one of the first things people will see when they come across your post. And while a great photo is important, an incredible caption can be what really makes your post stand out.
A good caption will:
- Give context to your photo
- Tell a story
- Make people laugh
- Inspire people
- Connect with your audience
Tips for writing amazing Instagram captions:
1. Keep it short and sweet
The best Instagram captions are usually short and to the point. This is because people are typically scrolling through their feed quickly and don’t have the time or attention span to read a long, drawn-out caption.
That being said, don’t be afraid to experiment with longer captions from time to time. If you have a great story to tell or a particularly funny joke, go for it! Just make sure that the majority of your captions are on the shorter side.
2. Use emojis
Emojis are a great way to add personality to your Instagram caption. They can also be used to emphasize certain words or phrases, which can be helpful if you’re trying to make a point.
However, don’t go overboard with the emojis. A few strategically placed ones can add a lot of flavor to your caption, but using too many can be off-putting.
3. Engage with your followers
One of the best ways to connect with your followers is to engage with them in the comments section. Respond to as many comments as you can, and ask questions to start a conversation.
4. Use hashtags
Hashtags area great way to get your photos and captions seen by more people. When choosing hashtags, try to use ones that are relevant to your photo and caption. For example, if you’re posting a photo of your breakfast, you could use hashtags like #food, #breakfast, or #yum.
5. Find your voice
The best Instagram captions are the ones that are genuine and authentic. So, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through! Write in a way that feels natural to you, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of captions until you find your niche.
How to use Instagram Caption Generators
Did you know you can use AI to write your Instagram caption for you. Jasper AI for example is a great tool that can help you come up with clever, engaging, and on-brand captions for your photos. Jasper takes literally seconds to get started and you can start to use it for free.
Here’s how it works:
- Visit the Jasper website and sign up for free.
- Connect your Instagram account.
- Choose from one of Jasper’s many caption templates (or write your own).
- Jasper will analyze your photo and come up with a caption for you.
- Once you’re happy with the caption, hit publish!
If you’re looking for a little help crafting the perfect Instagram caption, give Jasper a try!
P.S Jasper is just one example of an Instagram caption generator tool. There are many others out there check out our post about the “10 Best Instagram Caption Generator Tools for Content Creators” to learn more!
Artificial intelligence trained to write original, creative Instagram Captions, content for your blog, and more! Stop spending so much time writing social media posts... let Jasper write it for you. Rated 5/5 stars in 3,000+ reviews.
3. Use hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to reach new people and grow your followers on Instagram. When you use relevant and popular hashtags, you can connect with people who are interested in your content.
However, it’s important to use the right hashtags. If you use too many hashtags or irrelevant hashtags, you could come across as spammy. This will turn people off from following you and interacting with your content.
Here are a few tips for using hashtags on Instagram:
- Use a mix of popular and niche hashtags
- Don’t use too many hashtags
- Use relevant hashtags
- Change up your hashtags occasionally
- Monitor your hashtag usage
To find the best hashtags for your content, you can use a hashtag research tool like Hashtagify.me. This tool will help you find popular and relevant hashtags to use in your posts.
4. Keep a consistent Content Calendar
Instagram is all about maintaining a consistent aesthetic. Your grid should look cohesive, and that means you need to be strategic about the content you post. A great way to do this is to keep a content calendar. This will help you plan ahead so that your feed always looks on point.
Creating a content calendar doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as planning out what you want to post and when. Once you have a general idea, you can start filling in the details.
Decide on a frequency that works for you and then start planning out your content.
If you want to be extra organized, you can use a content calendar like the one here from Tailwind:
- Do you want to post daily?
- A few times a week?
- Once a week?
If you’re not sure what to post, start by brainstorming ideas.
- What kind of content would fit well with your brand?
- What does your audience want to see?
Write down as many ideas as you can think of, and then start narrowing them down.
Once you have your content calendar planned out, all you need to do is start creating the content.
Tailwind is great because you can plan and schedule your Instagram at the same time.
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5. Use attractive visuals
Instagram is a visual platform, so your images need to be on point. This doesn’t mean that you need to hire a professional photographer or invest in expensive equipment. But it does mean that you should put some thought into your visuals.
Your images should be high quality and stylish. They should also be cohesive with the overall look and feel of your feed.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are some tips:
- Use natural light whenever possible
- Edit your photos before you post them
- Pay attention to the composition
- Use filters sparingly
- And don’t forget about videos! Instagram is a great place to post short, engaging videos.
6. Host giveaways and contests
People love free stuff, so hosting a giveaway or contest is a great way to get your followers engaged. And the best part is, it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
There are a few things you need to do to make sure your giveaway is successful:
- To run a successful contest or giveaway, start by choose a prize that will appeal to your target audience.
- Next, come up with rules and requirements that are easy to follow.
- Pick a date and stick to it
- And finally, promote your contest or giveaway across your social media channels and make sure to use an eye-catching photo or video. Promote, promote, promote!
7. Take advantage of user-generated content
User-generated content is a great way to connect with your audience and add some variety to your feed. By encouraging your followers to use a specific hashtag, you can easily curate a collection of UGC that you can draw from whenever you need new content.
User-generated content (UGC) is any content—text, videos, photos, etc.—that has been created and published by someone other than your brand.
How to use generated content:
- Encourage your followers to use a specific hashtag
- Repost UGC from your followers
- Run a contest or giveaway
- Make sure you’re only reposting content that is on brand and aligns with your values. You don’t want to post anything that could potentially damage your reputation.
- Always give credit where it’s due! Make sure to tag the original creator when you repost their content.
8. Collaborate with other users and brands
It’s no secret that collaboration is key to success on social media. And when it comes to Instagram, there are a number of ways you can team up with other users and brands to help grow your following and improve your reach.
Instagram Takeover
One of the most effective methods of collaboration is hosting an Instagram takeover.
This is where another user or brand takes over your account for a day (or even just an hour), and posts content on your behalf. Not only does this give you a break from having to constantly create new content, but it also exposes your account to the other user or brand’s followers.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that the user or brand you’re collaborating with is relevant to your own niche, so that their followers will be interested in your content as well.
Shoutouts
Finally, you can also simply team up with other users or brands for shoutouts.
A shoutout is simply where one user promotes another by mentioning them in a post or story. This is a great way to get your name (and content) in front of a whole new audience, without having to do much work yourself.
Of course, these are just a few of the many ways you can collaborate with other users and brands on Instagram. So get creative, and see what kinds of partnerships you can come up with!
9. Use paid promotion
Paid promotion is a great way to get your content seen by more people, and it can be especially effective on Instagram. By promoting your posts, you can reach a wider audience and get more engagement.
When you use paid promotion, you’re essentially paying to have your content seen by more people. You can choose to promote your posts to people who are already following you, or to people who don’t follow you yet but may be interested in your content.
If you’re thinking about using paid promotion on Instagram, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- First, make sure that your content is high-quality and engaging. Promoting poor-quality content is a waste of money, and it won’t do anything to help you build a successful Instagram account.
- Second, consider the goals that you want to achieve with paid promotion. Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Get more engagement on your posts? Once you know what you want to achieve, you can create a promotion that’s tailored to those goals.
- Third, keep an eye on your budget. It’s easy to spend a lot of money on paid promotion, so make sure you set a budget and stick to it.
Paid promotion can be an effective way to grow your Instagram account and achieve your business goals. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be on your way to success.
10. Analyze your results and adjust your strategy accordingly
This is one of the most important steps in using Instagram for business. After all, what’s the point of putting in all that effort if you do not see results? Fortunately, Instagram provides a wealth of data that you can use to track your progress and adjust your strategy accordingly.
To access this data, simply go to your profile page and click on the “Insights” tab.
Here, you’ll be able to see how many people have seen your posts, how many people have engaged with them, and what kind of impact your content is having.
Use this information to figure out what’s working and what isn’t, and then make changes accordingly.
11. Use Geotagging
Geotagging photos on Instagram can help you get more views and engagement from your followers, as well as reach new users who might be interested in your content.
To geotag a photo, simply:
- Select the “Location” option when uploading a new image.
- Search for specific locations or browse through nearby options.
- Selected a location, your photo will be tagged with that location and anyone who views it will be able to see where it was taken.
How can geotagging help you grow your Instagram account
1. Increase views and engagement from your followers
If you consistently geotag your photos, your followers will become used to seeing your content in their feed. This way, when they see your photo pop up, they’re more likely to stop and take a look.
2. Reach new users
When you geotag your photos, they become accessible to anyone who searches for that location. So if you’re regularly tagging photos from popular places in your city, you could start showing up in the search results for that location – giving you the chance to reach new users.
3. Get featured by Instagram
Instagram sometimes features photos from specific
Geotagging can also be useful for businesses on Instagram, as it allows customers to easily find out where you’re located and what products or services you offer.
12. Leverage new Instagram features + formats
As Instagram continues to grow and evolve, so do the features and formats that are available to users. And while some of these changes can be a little difficult to keep up with, they also present new opportunities for businesses to connect with their audience in more creative and engaging ways.
Reels
One of the most recent changes to Instagram is the addition of Reels – a new short-form video format that sits alongside traditional posts and stories. Reels offer businesses a way to share quick, fun videos that showcase their products, services or just give followers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on behind the scenes.
But why should businesses care about this new feature? Well, for one, Instagram says that Reels are being watched by more than 400 million people every day. That’s a lot of potential eyes on your product or brand!
Plus, Reels also offer businesses a chance to be featured in the Explore section – giving you even more exposure to potential new customers.
Stickers
Another great way to spice up your content and connect with your followers is through the use of stickers. Instagram offers a variety of fun and engaging stickers that can be used in both Stories and Reels, giving you a chance to add some personality to your content.
Plus, some of these stickers also offer interactive features that can help you boost engagement and reach new audiences. For example, the “Ask me anything” sticker allows businesses to answer questions from their followers in real-time, while the “Countdown” sticker can be used to generate excitement around upcoming events.
Guides
If you’re looking for a more long-form way to share information with your followers, then you may want to consider creating an Instagram Guide. Guides are similar to blog posts, but they’re designed specifically for the Instagram platform and can be a great way to share tips, tricks, or even product recommendations with your audience.
To create a Guide, simply head to the “Create” tab and select “Guide” from the list of options. From there, you’ll be able to choose a cover image, add a title, and start adding content to your Guide.
Stories
Another great way to connect with your audience on Instagram is through Stories. This feature allows businesses to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours, giving you a chance to show a more personal side of your business and connect with your followers on a deeper level.
And while Stories may not be permanent, they can still be a powerful marketing tool – especially when used strategically. For example, you can use Stories to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business, announce new products or sales, or even run quick polls or surveys.
Lives
Instagram Live is another great way to connect with your audience in real-time. This feature allows businesses to stream live video content directly to their followers, giving you a chance to answer questions, show off new products, or just give your audience a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes.
Not only is Instagram Live a great way to connect with your followers, but it also offers businesses a unique opportunity to build hype around upcoming events or product releases. Plus, because Lives are recorded and saved after they end, you can repurpose this content later on down the line.
13. Never buy fake followers
No matter how tempting it may be to take a shortcut and buy fake followers, resist the urge! Not only is it unethical, but it will also eventually come back to bite you. And even if you’re not caught, your fake followers won’t engage with your content, which means your Instagram account will look pretty inactive compared to accounts with real followers.
6 Reasons why you should never buy Instagram followers:
- Ruins your reputation: When people realize you have fake followers, they’ll start to see you as dishonest and untrustworthy.
- It’s a waste of money: Buying fake followers is a total waste of money since they’re not real people who will engage with your content.
- You could get banned: If Instagram catches you with fake followers, they could ban your account.
- It’s short-term gain for long-term pain: Even if you do manage to trick people with fake followers at first, eventually, they’ll catch on, and you’ll have lost their trust.
- Less engagement: Fake followers won’t engage with your content, which makes your account look pretty inactive.
- It’s just plain wrong: Buying fake followers is dishonest and unethical.
If you’re looking to grow your Instagram account the right way, focus on creating great content and building a real, engaged following.
It’s just not worth it to risk your account for a few fake followers. Play the long game and focus on building up quality, engaged following organically. Your efforts will pay off in the end!
14. Optimize your Instagram bio and profile
Your Instagram bio is the first thing that people will see when they visit your profile, so it’s important to make a good impression. Here are some tips on how to optimize your bio and profile:
- Use keywords in your bio to help people find you.
- Make sure your profile picture is professional and represents you well.
- Use a link tree such as SmartBio to direct people to your website or other social media channels.
- Fill out your bio completely, including your website and contact information.
- Use hashtags in your posts to make them easier to find.
- Create highlight covers for your best content.
- Use emojis in your bio to add personality.
- Mention your other Instagram channels to cross-promote and gain followers more quickly
By following these tips, you can optimize your Instagram bio and profile to attract more followers and customers.
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16. Time your post when people are online
It is important to time your posts on Instagram so that they are seen by the largest possible audience. The best time to post depends on your audience and when they are most active on the platform.
To find the best time to post on Instagram, consider using a tool like Later or Hootsuite to track when your followers are most active. You can also use the Insights feature on Instagram to see when people are engaging with your content the most.
Once you know when people are online, make sure to schedule your posts for those times! This will help ensure that more people see and engage with your content. And remember: Just because you’re posting at the best times doesn’t mean you should spam your followers with multiple posts per day.
Quality over quantity is still the best strategy on Instagram (and all social media platforms)!
15. Link to your account from elsewhere
If you want to grow your Instagram following, it’s important to link to your account from other places on the web. This will make it easy for people who are already interested in your work to find and follow you on the platform.
There are a few ways to do this:
- Add a link to your Instagram profile in your email signature
- Include a link on your website or blog
- Share your username on other social media platforms, and encourage people to follow you there
Linking to your Instagram account from elsewhere is a great way to increase your visibility and attract new followers. So make sure to take advantage of all the opportunities you have to do so!
16. Pick a memorable handle
When it comes to creating a strong Instagram presence, having a great handle is key. Your handle is how users will find you and your content, so it’s important to make it memorable, unique, and reflective of the type of content you post. If you’re stuck on what to choose, here are some tips for coming up with an amazing Instagram handle.
- Keep it short and sweet. A long or complicated handle is difficult to remember and hard to search for. Keep your handle concise and easy to remember.
- Use keywords that describe your content. If someone is searching for a specific topic, using keywords in your handle will help them find you more easily.
- Be creative! Brainstorming with friends or family can help you come up with ahandle that’s both unique and reflective of your content.
- Have fun with it! Your handle is a chance to show off your personality, so don’t be afraid to get creative.
- Use relevant hashtags. If you’re active on other social media platforms, using the same hashtags in your Instagram handle can help you build a cohesive online presence.
- Check for availability. Before settling on a handle, be sure to check that it’s not already being used by someone else.
- Consider your future content. As your content changes and evolves, your handle should too. Choose a handle that will be relevant to the content you plan on posting in the future.
- Don’t stress too much about it. At the end of the day, as long as your handle is reflective of the great content you’re posting, you’re doing it right!
Creating a great Instagram handle is an important part of building a strong online presence. By following these tips, you can choose a handle that’s both memorable and reflective.
17. Leverage your link
Your Instagram bio is one of the most important aspects of your profile – it’s what makes people want to follow you, and it’s a great place to promote your content. But did you know that you can also use your bio link to drive traffic to your website or blog?
Here’s how:
1. Use a URL shortener
There are lots of free URL shorteners out there, like bitly and goo.gl. Using a URL shortener will make your bio link look cleaner and more professional.
2. Use keywords in your URL
Choose a keyword that represents your brand or niche, and include it in your shortened URL. This will help people find your website when they’re searching for something specific.
3. Leverage Link Trees
Link trees are a great way to promote multiple links from your bio. They’re basically just a landing page with a bunch of different links that you can direct people to.
4. Use an attention-grabbing headline
Your headline should be something that will make people want to click on your link. Be creative – try to think of something that will stand out from the rest of the content in someone’s feed.
5. Include a call-to-action
Tell people what you want them to do once they get to your website. Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Read a particular blog post? Watch a video? Whatever it is, make it clear in your call-to-action.
Using your bio link effectively can help you drive traffic to your website or blog, and ultimately help you grow your online presence. So take some time to optimize your link, and make sure you’re making the most of this valuable space on your Instagram profile.
18. Hop on trending reel sounds
If you’re looking to create a viral reel, one of the best ways to do so is to hop on trending sounds. By using popular, trending songs in your reel, you’re more likely to get views and engagement from users who are already listening to and searching for those tunes.
Not only that, but adding trendy music to your content can also make it more visually appealing and fun to watch.
Here’s how to find trending reels on Instagram:
- First, go to the “Explore” page and click on the “Reels” tab.
- Next, scroll through the featured and trending sounds until you find one that you like.
- Once you’ve found a song, you want to use, simply click on it and start filming your reel!
- You can even check how many other creators have already created a reel with this sound. this helps you identify how popular the song is.
Remember to be creative with your content and have fun with it. The more original and enjoyable your reel is, the more likely users will be to watch it and share it with their friends.
So what are you waiting for? Start creating those viral reels today!
19. Organize your stories in highlights
Organizing your stories in highlights is important because it allows you to keep track of the most important events in each story. This can be helpful when you want to review a story or share it with others.
When you organize your stories in highlights, you can also add new details and information that you may have forgotten. This can help you improve the quality of your stories and make them more enjoyable to read.
Another great tip is to create a highlight all your affiliate links. This will enable you to monetize your Instagram audience and turn your content into income.
Finally, organizing your stories in highlights can help you save time when you are looking for specific information. This is because you can quickly scan through the highlights to find what you are looking for.
If you’re looking to grow followers on Instagram as a content creator, then make sure to check out these 19 tips. From using bio links and calls-to-action to hopping on trending reel sounds, these tips will help you get the most out of your Instagram profile and grow your online presence.
Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments below.
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