I know, you desperately want to grow your Instagram followers but how do you do it so you have followers who are authentic, who really enjoy what you’re sharing and will engage with you online?
There are so many different ways to grow your Instagram account but if you want authentic followers you also need to accept it will take time and effort from you to make it happen.
As a company, we manage multiple Instagram accounts. These are a few of the ways we have found to be successful when you are wanting to attract authentic followers.
Know Who You Want to Attract Know Who You Want to Attract
Do you know who you want to attract? Think about what your brand offers, do you sell products, create content or have a passion which you’d like to connect with like-minded people? Whatever it is, you need to know who your ideal follower would be.
For example, our dream follower is a female content creator who as well as starting her own business helping other business owners, plus she is wanting to build a more personal blog to share her own passions and have multiple streams of income.
Once you have your ideal follower mapped out then you work on the next tips.
Hashtags
Using hashtags which your ideal follower will relate to is a great way for you to be discovered. Hashtags can be used as a way to search for posts, so if you want to attract a fashion blogger, think about what hashtags they might be using to show they are a fashion blogger.
Start researching different hashtags, you want some which relate to your image and caption, some which your followers might be searching for and some which say who you are.
Liking Posts
If you want engagement then you need to be giving it out. Click on some of the hashtags you use and like and comment on some of the different posts – Be genuine and leave proper comments rather than “Great shot!”. Think it through.
Follow Others
Follow accounts of people who are your ideal follower. Not only might they follow you back – Yay! They also will give you an insight into the type of posts your dream follower shares and engages with.
Of course, Instagram can be highly frustrating due to the follow/unfollow method which is when people follow you only to unfollow when you follow them back. This is something you could do but I wouldn’t recommend it if you want authentic followers. You want to keep your feed full of people who you enjoy engaging with and not because you’re playing the following game.
That being said, don’t be afraid to unfollow people if you no longer enjoy their content. It’s ok to unlike as you want to keep your feed a positive place where you like to spend time.
It is a marathon, not a sprint when it comes to growing your Instagram following. I know it can be frustrating at times but if you follow these tips consistently and engage, post and enjoy being on the app the over time your followers will grow.
The best part about authentic followers? When you are ready to share your product, service or a new blog they will be ready to show their support!
BONUS: Want your Instagram feed to look amazing?
Why not check out our Lightroom presets for mobile? These can transform your Instagram feed and give it a cohesive aesthetic look!
