Did you know that four out of ten Americans say they regularly use Instagram? While the picture-sharing app’s popularity has never been higher it does come with a slight problem.
Because there’s so much content on Instagram now it can be hard to stand out from the competition. Whether you’re an influencer or a small business, growing your Instagram can seem impossible.
In this article, we’ll go over nine factors that heavily influence the rate your Instagram grows. That way, you can get some helpful tips on how to naturally build your following. Let’s get started!
1. Consistency
There are two ways that consistency can help grow your Instagram account. First, a consistent theme can attract a particular audience. Make sure your posts revolve around two or three particular types of themes.
Selfies, art, vacation photos, screenshots, memes, and food photos are just some of the examples.
Second, you should also be consistent with how regularly you post. Ideally, you want your followers to see you at least once a day. If you are inactive for weeks it can be easy for people to forget about you.
2. Hashtags
Hashtags are Instagram’s primary method of sorting through content. It’s also a fantastic way to put your posts in touch with people. With Instagram, you can use up to thirty hashtags per post.
However, we don’t recommend this. If you’re including this amount, you’re likely using hashtags that don’t apply to your post. This can get you flagged for spam by Instagram.
Instead, include three to four hashtags that are as relevant as possible. Try and include ones that are currently trending in whatever niche target audience you’re going after.
3. Quality Content
At the end of that day, it doesn’t matter how good you are at promoting your Instagram content. If it’s not something people want to see, it likely won’t do well.
The best way to create consistent growth is to regularly post high-quality content. So, how do you do this? Research whatever it is you like to post! If you post food content, keep up to date on the latest recipes and trends.
Or, if you post a lot of selfies, watch makeup tutorials or lighting videos. Enjoy posting artistic photographs? Enroll in a photography course. There are always ways that you can improve on your content.
4. Regular Instagram Stories
Instagram stories only last for twenty-four hours. However, they play an important role in growth and engagement. How? Whenever you post a story your profile picture appears in a circle at the top of your follower’s timeline.
By posting regular Instagram stories you’re constantly reminding your audience that you post content they might like. What’s more, tons of follower engagement features come with Stories.
As such, they’re a great way to build a closer relationship with a lot of your followers.
5. Audience Feedback
As we mentioned before, there are a lot of ways that you can engage with your followers using the Instagram Stories features.
If you’re a business, we recommend using the “Ask Me Anything” feature to gauge what your audience likes, and doesn’t like, about your products. You can also do this using the poll feature.
Or, if you’re an influencer, ask your followers about what types of products, shows, or things they like. This is a great way to get a sense of the type of people that follow you. Then, you can cater your content more specifically.
6. Mentions
Instagram is a social media platform and mentions are a great way to get involved on the social side. If someone mentions you, it can expose your username to a whole new segment of Instagram followers.
In the meantime, mention other people or businesses that you support. This can slowly help expand your reach.
7. Authenticity
Being authentic can be tricky. But, it works when it comes to growing your audience. If people can tell that you are passionate about what you post, they’ll want to see more.
So, try to only post content that you care about. When you’re genuinely authentic, people will be able to tell.
8. Instagram Algorithm
The Instagram algorithm is a fickle beast. It’s constantly changing and updating. Sadly, due to its nature, some of your posts might get buried in the sea of content. However, there are some ways of taking advantage of the algorithm.
For example, posting at times when there are a lot of people online will cause the algorithm to instantly bump your posts to the top. The peak hours can be different for certain markets.
But, most of the time it’s around noon from Monday to Friday. So, posting at these times can help with your Instagram engagement.
9. Purchasing Likes
Sadly, these days you can do everything right and still not get a lot of engagement on your posts. That’s just the nature of the Instagram algorithm.
The good news is that there are some ways that you can pay to improve your post engagement. However, keep in mind that there’s a right and wrong way to buy Instagram likes.
Avoid businesses that provide you with likes from ghost accounts. Instagram will detect these accounts and flag you. Instead, go with providers like these experts that offer likes from real accounts at affordable pricing.
Want to Learn More About Growing Your Instagram? Keep Reading
We hope this article helped you learn more about the factors involved in growing your Instagram. As you can see, Instagram growth is all about combining different aspects of the app.
These days, it’s not enough to just have great content. You also need to know how to market and promote it. But, as long as you follow the advice in this guide, you’re off to a good start.
Did you love this article? If the answer is yes, then odds are that you want more like it. Luckily, we’re always adding new content to our site. So, continue diving in to learn everything you can about a diverse range of subjects.
