If you’ve been using Instagram as a marketing tool with little to no success, it’s time to step up your game and grow your audience organically. Attracting more followers is vital in marketing because as your audience grows, you will have additional opportunities to engage with them and provide them with unique experiences. Paying for likes and followers on Instagram will probably cause the algorithm to flag you and reduce your visibility on users’ home pages.
Furthermore, most paid likes are meaningless because you aren’t actually connecting with your followers, aka people you want to buy your product. So, if you’re really looking to step up your Instagram game in 2023, grab a notepad and keep reading.
1. Post Reels
Regularly post interesting Instagram Reels videos to broaden your audience and attract more followers. Other than Live videos, reels are now the only type of video on Instagram, and they’re really simple and entertaining to create. Don’t be discouraged by Reels’ format if you haven’t started using them yet. Similar to Instagram Stories, Reels makes video marketing simple and entertaining, and this is exactly the kind of content people watch the most.
2. Find out what works
When it comes to what kind of posts you should make it’s important to learn that not everything is guesswork. You can learn what your followers and Instagram users want to see using insightful analytics data. You can take a peek at basic profile statistics immediately through the Instagram app if you have a business account.
But if you want to learn more about the kind of posts that perform the best, it’s advisable to use an Instagram analytics tool. With these tools, you can test everything from the best post types to the captions that engage your followers the most, helping to influence your continuing content strategy.
3. Learn how to use hashtags
Using hashtags on Instagram makes it simple for people to find you or simply stumble upon your content while browsing through their feeds. Using hashtags, you can join conversations, jump on trending issues, and demonstrate your support for hot topics. People searching for those hashtags will be able to find your material in the search results if you use the right hashtag.
But some general hashtag decorum before we move on! Try to keep the hashtag count to a maximum of 3 to 5. Your followers will think you’re spammy if you use too many hashtags.
It’s also advisable to incorporate hashtags into your caption, so it doesn’t seem like blatant marketing.
You can also tuck them away at the bottom to hide them. We know your business Instagram profile is for marketing, but people don’t really like having it be that obvious.
4. Use interactive stickers
Great news for comedy lovers. You can now use the same stickers you’ve been using in Stories on Instagram Reels. Your engagement will increase if you include interactive stickers in your Stories and videos. Higher engagement signals to the Instagram algorithm that your material is interesting, which raises the visibility of your posts and increases the number of new users who see them.
5. Optimize your profile
The first thing a new user will see when they click on your profile is your Instagram bio. It’s crucial to get your bio perfect because what you write there and how appealing it is may determine whether someone clicks the “follow” button or scrolls through. Tell users who you are and what your brand stands for in the tiny area you have available in your bio.
Emojis related to your brand can also be added to your bio to make it more aesthetically appealing. The bio area also has room for a link, but don’t be fooled. Instagram users aren’t really fond of this, so if you’re planning to include a link in your bio make sure it’s short and optimized.
6. Be consistent
The worst thing you can do while trying to grow your Instagram following is to post material at random, strange times. You don’t want to do anything that will make users who were lucky enough to follow you at first regret it. To prevent this, maintain a consistent publishing schedule. To avoid spam, businesses shouldn’t publish more than a few times daily. But whichever beat you choose, keep it steady.
By sticking to a routine, you can give your audience a unified message and keep them informed about your company. Post a variety of content if you want to get the most out of your content calendar.
Final Thoughts
Focusing on the appropriate kind of followers—those who truly care about your brand—is essential if you want to gain more followers. To truly expand your audience, familiarize yourself with trends and the algorithms that operate behind the scenes. Campaigns can significantly increase the size of your audience, especially if they include user-generated content and sponsored Instagram advertising. Make sure you’re looking for real people who have a sincere interest in your brand when you want to gain new followers
