How To Grow Your Instagram Following

One of the biggest goals I hear is " I want to grow my Instagram following." or "I want more active followers on Instagram." This weeks post is going to be all about how to attract followers that will be active and engage with your posts on Instagram.

If used correctly, Instagram is a powerful tool for finding new customers, connecting with people who are interested in what you are doing and networking with people in your field.

The true "secret" trick is to have a solid social media strategy. One of the worst things you could do is wing it.

#1: Optimize your bio to attract new followers

Your bio is the first thing people see and it is important to use that space to its maximum potential.

There are 5 main parts of the bio:

-Username

-Name

-Profile Photo

-Bio

-Website URL

The goal is for someone to look at your bio and know who you are and what you do within 5 seconds. 

Your username should be something related to your business or your name. Mine is my name (@stellaparsons94) the reason I choose to use my name above my business name is because I use my Instagram for my personal blog, my virtual assistant business and other projects I work on.

Your name is a little different than your username or handle however I still recommend using your business name or your real name.

#2: Use Hashtags

Hashtags are the best way for people to find your page. Make sure you are using all of the hashtags available to you (Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post) Think of these as keywords. You want your hashtags to be things people are looking for.

#3: Plan Ahead

Write and schedule all of your posts ahead of time. Trying to do it every day is a pain and it can be exhausting. I do all of my content writing and scheduling for social media Sunday night. This way it is not something I need to worry about during the week.

#4: Tag Brands & Other Users

If you are writing about another person or if you are featuring a product in your post go ahead and tag them in the post. It will help expand your reach and other people/brands/business appreciate the shoutout.

#5: Use Geotags

On Instagram, a geotag is the same thing as your location. At the very least, I always geotag whatever city I am in at the time. If I am at a location (other then home or where I am staying) I will more often than not tag that location. Adding geotags will expand your reach to the people who are located around you.

#6: Use Call To Actions

Ask your followers a question they would want to answer. This will help with your engagement and it will give you an opportunity to interact with your followers some more.

#7: Reply To Comments

Take a few moments every day to respond to the comments people left on your posts. Even if it was a comment like "Nice!" or "Cool!". It may seem like responding to these types of comments are a waste of time, but by responding to it you are encouraging that user to go back and look at your page.

#8: Post Every Day

Consistency is key! 

You do not need to post something on Instagram every single hour or even every few hours but you need to post something at least every day. Consistency will help propel you forward and keeping fresh content will help you gain more followers.