7 Ways to Grow Your Instagram Account Organically
It’s almost a decade since Instagram was launched and its feed and application have passed through numerous iterations. With every single tweak to the algorithm as well as the unveiling of new functionalities/features, businesses should keep up to enable consistent account growth.
A quick question is, what defines the growth of an Instagram account? For some, it is the amount of following (number of followers). To have a tremendous following, the account should be characterized by enormous engagement, exposure of brands as well as equally compelling content.
Otherwise, why should you receive the much-hyped following? You probably already have some hint on how your Instagram account appears, what has made it grow or not.
If you’re experiencing stagnant growth or you might be looking to install some oomph into your approaches, you need to learn a couple of tips and a few Instagram SEO tips. A note on the growth of an Instagram account, though: services that are known to tout growth by buying likes, as well as followers, are prohibited by the rules and regulations.
These unauthentic and rather fake engagements to attain growth will not only harm your account but will also result in you being banned.
Consistency is paramount
It’s very important to have your basics right. In order to have your Instagram account grow, it’s not wise for you to insert all your legs into a proverbial basket and say that only a single post will go viral. The majority of posts won’t go viral, implying that you must discover a better method of parading these posts before your audience.
Be on the lookout for your schedule and frequency of posting as well as the quality of your content. In this guide on the best times for posting content on Instagram, Wednesdays at 1100hrs and Fridays from 1000hrs to 1100hrs are recommended times.
For steady engagement, Tuesdays all through to Fridays from 1000hrs to 1500hrs are recommended. For brands, it’s recommended to always dig into the analytics and determine the best times for posting.
Posting consistently builds an expected timeline for your followers to be eager for the following posts. Reputable and large brands are known for posting several times daily while the small entities may just post a couple of times in a week. Whichever method you’re committed to, always ensure that your schedule is consistent.
Finally, the consistent quality of your content dictates the attraction your audience has towards your account. Nowadays, there is loads of noise on Instagram feeds and account owners should stand out. Below are the X ways to grow your Instagram account organically.
#1. Thoroughly research your target audience
Research target audience on instagram insight
There is no long-lasting benefit of promoting one’s content to viewers who lack interest in it or you and who won’t like it back. In no time, they will unfollow your account and you will be left astonished by what went wrong. In this kind of situation, we say there is no loyalty.
Getting your target audience right means you’re going to gain a tremendous engagement rate, and this implies that all that you post appears higher in the feeds of your followers. As a matter of fact, it is a win-win situation. There are several things that you must do to know your target audience.
First, getting an overview of the demographic features of the follower-base consisting of age, sex, and location. Afterward, researching more in-depth statistics such as when the followers are online or the kind of language they use.
Secondly, be on the watch out for your rivals having the same audience – the kind of imagery they post, do they include captions? If yes, what do they say about them and what is their time? Mainly focus on the highly successful post your rivals post breaking them down to acknowledge the best reasons these posts work very well.
Lastly, if you are after knowing something, go ahead and ask. Ask the audience the sort of content and which account they’re following. In your next post, go ahead and ask them.
#2. Always plan ahead
Okay, you have an idea who your target audience is, you already know what your rivals are up to, and you probably know the sort of content that works excellently in your niche. From this end, it is the right time to strategically think about the content you’re about to post.
Simply, avoid posting things you aren’t sure about, but always stick to your brand, and make use of Instagram tools like scheduling tools to assist you in planning your feed well, ensuring that all the things befit visually before posting.
The overall look and feel of the feed are dictated by planning. If you fail to plan and you just post things randomly, definitely you will regret running out of content, and that will discourage new followers.
#3. Like and comment on Instagram accounts that resemble your own
As above-mentioned, mere likes and follows for just doing it won’t help anything, but there is no harm with liking and commenting on an account with similar content enables you to earn some level of exposure. Always ensure that you do it on your own, don’t use bots, and ensure that you’re making an effort to be real, and never be spammy.
There is no essence of writing an essay for that sake, but refer to that actual post and give your opinion or ask a question about the post. Set half an hour to a whole hour daily to engage on Instagram.
#4. Use relevant hashtags
For sure, hashtags are great tools for discoverability. Nevertheless, you don’t necessarily have to use the whole 30 hashtag allowance provided on Instagram. Instead of using the 30 various hashtags and facing the risk of at least one of them being banned, try using a fewer number of them and ensure they are the best-researched hashtags that purely reflect the content.
For instance, about 10 hashtags are enough. Recall, your content needs to deliver what’s promised by the hashtags. You should keep in mind that making your hashtag lines popular makes you competitive and making it easy for your content to be found.
#5. Promoting your Instagram on other channels
Promoting Instagram Post on Other Channel
Don’t miss the chance to promote your own Instagram account organically on other channels where you have accounts. Think particularly about the various channels like Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and all those that reach a huge audience.
You can include a widget that displays feeds on your Instagram. Also, you can create a post that announces the competition you are running on your Insta intending to bring your Facebook audience to your Instagram. It’s possible to embed your posts in blog posts, then run pop-ups on the site, among others.
Besides, there is the window to share Insta stories on Facebook although the business doesn’t yet make access to the Facebook stories. Additionally, you can add an Insta icon to an email signature.
#6. Using tagging and geolocation
Example of using tagging and geolocation
A wise method of growing your Insta account organically is by using geolocational tags, specifically if the posting is being executed from a renowned as well as instagrammable place! Additionally, if you are working in conjunction with a different brand and/or posting content from another person, ensure you have tagged them in the caption. Hoping they will pay the favor in return, and this thrives in all ways – if a person wants to share the content, learn to send them a request that they have to tag you.
Using modern stories features to maintain the content fresh
Question: have you attempted all the possible features offered on Instagram? Well, if not, you need to try. Having a vastly curated feed is a goal, but never miss the spontaneous and other unedited content that enables you to create stories. If your brand is aligned with this kind of content, there are countless fun features for experimenting with like face masks, stickers, filters, etc. You can play around with Boomerangs, go ahead and create a poll asking opinions on a matter, and the like. Indeed, there is enormous potential to interact with your follower-base and attract more to your Insta account. If you missed it, now it’s your chance to try it.
#7. Using collabs and influencer marketing
The old clique, “two heads are better than one” also applies here. Getting a mention/repost from another account serves you better than concentrating only on one’s account. You can find an Insta-soulmate – either a person or brand having the same target audience.
Agree that you’re going to give one another shoutouts, or feature one another’s content, or more importantly collaborate in creating a project that you both share a course to converse. Although finding the right influencer can be tricky, when done correctly, it’s not a bad idea. You will see an influx of new following and potential clients. But only choose that right guy when forming a collabo!
Conclusion
Patience is key when building your Insta account. Never get disappointed by the slow phase. Never buy followers and abide by the above-mentioned ways to succeed. You can also find out reel ideas for businesses by clicking the link.