There are no definitive “magic tricks” to getting followers on Instagram, but there are many things you can do to build a growth strategy on the platform.
Here are 20 steps you can take to achieve organic growth on Instagram:
1. Optimize your business’s Instagram account
First things first: optimize your business’s Instagram account. This simply means improving your account settings to increase its visibility.
If you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas:
- Choose a clear, memorable username that represents your brand, and upload a high-quality logo or profile photo.
- Write a short but engaging bio that reflects your brand’s tone of voice and includes keywords to improve searchability.
- Finally, don’t forget to add a “Link in Bio” page or a direct link to your business website (or anywhere else you want to drive traffic).
2. Develop a consistent publishing schedule
Whether you’re posting daily or multiple times a week, consistency is key. This helps set clear expectations about when your audience can expect your content, encouraging engagement. To make this easier, use social media management tools to schedule your Instagram posts in advance. This makes maintaining a consistent presence much easier.
3. Post when your audience is online
Post when your business’s audience is most active. If you’re not sure when that is, use social media analytics tools or Instagram Insights to identify the times when they’re most likely to engage with your content. Then, adjust your posting schedule accordingly.
That said, generally the best time to post on Instagram is between 7-9 am and 10 am-2 pm, with Tuesdays through Thursdays being the days with the highest level of engagement. However, you’ll need to experiment to find out what works best for your target audience, taking into account different time zones.
Hashtags are an effective way to categorize your content, allowing Instagram users to find posts about topics that actually interest them.
To maximize your use of hashtags on Instagram, monitor which ones are trending. Popular topics are often prioritized by Instagram’s algorithms, so using the search and explore features to keep up with these trends is a smart strategy.
Additionally, it is advisable to use a mix of popular and specific hashtags. Popular hashtags are great for broad exposure, while more specific ones help your posts stand out in crowded spaces. Therefore, a combination of both gives you the best of both worlds.
Choose a few hashtags that are relevant to your post’s content, your niche, and your target audience. Although Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags, use only the necessary ones to avoid your content looking spammy.
5. Organize contests and raffles
Let’s say your company has just launched a new product and you want to get the word out about it. Why not create buzz by organizing a giveaway or contest?
You can ask your Instagram followers to like, comment, share or tag people in your post to enter.
This is a fun way to increase engagement and expand your reach, as more people will discover your account through their friends.
6. Collaborate with influencers
Partnering with Instagram influencers who connect with your target audience can dramatically expand your business’ reach and grow your following by tapping into their already established fan bases.
Here are some tips to help you start your first influencer marketing campaign:
- Start by identifying influencers with a similar audience to your brand so that your content reaches the right audience.
- When budgeting for a campaign, remember that influencers have different levels of followers: from a few thousand to millions. This variety means you’ll likely find a suitable partner whose cost fits within your marketing team’s budget.
- Work closely with your chosen influencers to plan content and ensure you both benefit from shared exposure. This includes defining your campaign goals to maximize the impact of collaborative efforts.
7. Post Instagram stories
Instagram Stories keep followers engaged with dynamic, time-sensitive content that encourages interaction, creating a sense of community and immediacy.
If you need some ideas for Instagram stories, here are some:
- You can share stories that highlight the benefits of a product through customer testimonials or quick demos. You could also go behind the scenes to reveal the faces and processes behind your company’s brand.
8. Make live broadcasts
Hosting regular Instagram live streams is a great strategy for businesses looking to connect with their followers in real time, showcasing the authenticity of your brand and building trust.
These live sessions may include Q&As, product demos, tutorials, updates, and more.
To maximize engagement, integrate these live streams into your regular posting schedule, scheduling them during times when your audience is most active.
User-generated content includes any photos, videos, or stories created and shared by followers that showcase your company’s brand. This is great for building a library of authentic, relatable content that you can schedule, while also making your audience feel valued—a win-win.
To get started, encourage your Instagram followers to tag your brand in posts that align with their style. You could even create branded hashtags and host contests or challenges to motivate followers to post.
10. Use Instagram Reels
Over 2 billion people engage with Instagram Reels every month, and they get 22% more engagement than standard videos. Instagram’s algorithm powers highly engaged Reels – the more your audience likes, comments and shares your Reels, the more visible they will be, helping you reach an even bigger audience.
Reels give you 90 seconds to stand out. Use this time wisely to grab attention with creative, impactful content that resonates with your business’s audience.
For example, you could showcase behind-the-scenes footage, a product, a quick tutorial, or participate in a trend relevant to your brand, such as a dance, viral audio, or challenge.
Whatever your choice, make sure every second counts.
Cross-promotion on other platforms is key to maximizing your team’s social media management efforts. Why limit yourself to Instagram when you could also leverage TikTok, Facebook, and other platforms to gain more exposure?
Some examples of how to achieve this are:
- Share your Instagram Reels on Facebook and TikTok.
- Include Instagram posts in blog posts and newsletters.
- Post your Instagram Stories on Facebook, etc.
12. Invest in Instagram ads
To reach a broader or more targeted audience, consider running paid ad campaigns on Instagram. These ads appear directly in users’ feeds, in Stories, Reels, or the Explore tab, and look just like regular posts, though they’re marked as “Sponsored.”
Before launching your first campaign, keep these tips in mind:
- Define your business’s overall goals. Then, use Instagram’s targeting tools to reach your company’s ideal audience based on their demographics, interests, and more.
- Don’t forget to use engaging and eye-catching images to grab your target audience’s attention and test different ad formats like carousel, Reels, Stories, feed posts, Instagram video ads, etc. to identify which one delivers the best results.
13. Participate in trends and challenges
It’s essential to stay up to date with current Instagram trends in your business’s niche to stay on top of the game.
The easiest way to do this is to use social listening tools to monitor what’s trending online. Tools like Brandwatch can help you identify when a trend is emerging or peaking, as well as when it starts to lose relevance (at which point it may not be worth investing time and effort into it).
14. Highlight testimonials and reviews
With 34% of consumers turning to Instagram to read reviews, it’s crucial to leverage this platform to showcase positive testimonials from your customers.
Some fun ways to incorporate this into your team’s content calendar are:
- Share customer testimonials via Instagram Stories to highlight the benefits of your product or service.
- Include customer quotes in your post captions, accompanied by engaging product images.
- Pin a testimonial post to the top of your Instagram feed so new followers immediately see evidence of your customers’ satisfaction.
Behind-the-scenes content is a surefire way to capture your audience’s attention. Show the human side of your brand, give it personality, and leverage its authenticity to connect more deeply with your audience.
Some ideas include:
- Introduce your team.
- Show new products arriving at your warehouse, being created or packaged.
- Bring your audience to an industry event you’re attending.
- Take a look at the process of creating videos for Instagram.
16. Create highlights on Instagram
Highlights are a permanent collection of Stories, videos, and/or clips that sit beneath your Instagram bio and profile picture. Think of them as folders that let you organize this content by topic. You can give each highlight a descriptive title and add a custom image that represents what’s inside.
Highlights are a perfect way to showcase your brand values. Just remember to update them regularly to keep them relevant.
17. Organize account takeovers
Capture your audience’s attention and grow your following by inviting influencers, industry experts, or members of your team to interact with your company’s followers.
These guests can “take over” your account for a day to share fresh content and expand your reach. When influencers with a large following engage with your Instagram account, they introduce your business to a larger, more relevant audience, which could result in an increase in followers.
18. Join relevant Instagram pods
An “Instagram pod” is a group of accounts that actively engage with each other by replying to Stories, commenting on posts, and liking them. Participating in a relevant pod increases engagement with your business’s content, which could improve performance in Instagram’s algorithm.
However, be strategic when choosing the pods you participate in. Make sure they are within your business niche and have an audience you want to reach. Look for authentic pods with real interactions to focus on long-term growth and not just spikes in engagement that don’t lead to meaningful connections.
19. Promote exclusive offers
Create a sense of excitement and urgency by offering Instagram-exclusive discounts, early access to sales or new products, “buy one, get the second half off” promotions, and more.
By offering exclusive deals, you’ll attract more Instagram followers and reward existing ones, giving them a reason to stay active.
20. Encourage tagging and sharing
One way to encourage people to tag and share your Instagram content is to include clear calls to action, such as “tag a friend.” You could even offer incentives, such as a discount, for those who tag 10 of their friends, for example.
Similarly, you could ask your Instagram followers to share your posts on other platforms like Facebook. All of this is effective in expanding your business’ reach and reaching potential followers.
