Get More Instagram Followers
With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a powerful platform for building brand awareness and driving engagement. However, competition is fierce, and organically growing your follower count can be challenging.This article explores 23 smart tactics you can use in 2023 to get more Instagram followers without paying for ads or followers.
Optimize Your Profile
Your profile serves as your homepage on Instagram. Ensuring it's optimized will make a good first impression on visitors and encourage them to follow you.- Fill out your bio - Use all 150 characters to briefly describe your brand and add a link to your website.
- Use an eye-catching profile picture - Opt for your logo, product image or creative graphic that captures attention.
- Set a clickworthy link in your bio - Send visitors to a landing page, best content, or sales page.
- Add Stories highlights - Curate Stories into highlights like "Our Products" or "Client Testimonials" so visitors can learn more about you.
- Categorize your posts - Organize your feed into sections using Instagram's post categories feature.
Craft Shareable Content
Posting engaging content regularly is key to being discovered on Instagram and getting more followers.- Post at optimal times - Use Instagram Insights to determine when your audience is most active, then schedule posts during those high traffic windows.
- Go behind-the-scenes - Give followers an inside look at your brand with fun BTS photos and videos.
- Showcase products or services - Post photos and short videos demonstrating what you offer.
- Share user-generated content - Regram happy customer photos/videos and reviews.
- Do polls and questions - Interactive polls and "Ask me anything" boxes can boost engagement.
- Post instructional content - DIY tips, tutorials, and how-tos related to your niche help build authority.
- Use relevant hashtags - Research popular niche hashtags and use a mix of high-volume and precise hashtags.
- Host contests or giveaways - Encourage followers to like, comment and tag friends to win prizes.
Optimize Your Posts
Fine-tuning your posts to make them as discoverable and shareable as possible will get them in front of potential new followers.- Use optimized captions - Include strong CTAs, branded hashtags, user tags and quality captions that will make people engage.
- Tag other relevant profiles - Strategically tag complementary brands, influencers and partners to expand your reach.
- Geotag locations - Enable geotags to help people nearby find your posts.
- Share to a feed first - Posting to your Instagram feed before sharing to Stories boosts reach.
- Use the Link sticker - Add a clickable link to Stories with the "Link" sticker so people can easily access more info.
- Check analytics frequently - Use Instagram Insights to see which types of posts perform best and make data-driven decisions about your content.
Collaborate with Influencers
Influencer marketing is a powerful tactic for getting more Instagram followers by tapping into creators' engaged audiences.- Find relevant influencers - Search hashtags and locations related to your niche to discover potential influencer partners.
- Analyze engagement - Ensure influencers have an engaged (not botted) audience aligned with your target demographic before reaching out.
- Do giveaways - Offer free products/services and ask influencers to host a giveaway with their followers.
- Pay for sponsored posts - Negotiate sponsored Instagram feed or Story posts promoting your brand.
- Guest post - Provide blog content or guest expertise as added value for influencers to feature.
- Cross-promote - Share influencers' content to your followers and ask them to do the same for your account.
Leverage Instagram Ads
Paid ads allow you to target specific demographics and promote content directly to Instagram users likely to follow you.- Promote engaging posts - Select dynamic, high-performing organic posts and put budget behind them to boost reach.
- Run lead generation ads - Drive sign-ups for newsletters, webinars or other offers with lead gen Instagram ads.
- Advertise to lookalike audiences - Target users with interests/behaviors similar to current warm followers and customers.
- Retarget website visitors - Remind people who've already visited your website to follow you on Instagram.
- Test a variety of creatives - Try different images, captions, calls to action and placements to see what converts best.
- Set follower-based objectives - Structure campaigns around IG follower goals vs general reach or engagement objectives.
Connect Across Social Channels
Leveraging your other social profiles helps expose your Instagram to new pools of potential followers.- Link from Facebook - Share your Instagram posts and Story highlights in your Facebook feed, ads and storefront.
- Cross-promote on Twitter - Add your Instagram handle to Tweets and retweet user mentions.
- Pin IG posts on Pinterest - Convert Instagram posts into sharable Pins.
- Embed on your blog/site - Add Instagram feed widgets and embed posts onsite to connect your properties.
- Link in email newsletters - Promote your Instagram handle, content and live streams in email, receipts and invoices.
- Cross-reference in bios - Include links to your Instagram on other social platforms like YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.
Run Instagram Contests
The right contest can quickly expand your reach and get more follow signups.- Partner with aligned brands - Team up with brands in related niches to co-host and cross-promote contests.
- Offer exciting prizes - Give away sought-after products, gift cards or experiences to generate high entry volume.
- Make entry requirements clear - State contest rules like follow, like, comment and tag in the caption.
- Promote heavily - Count down to the contest deadline on IG Stories and work it into other marketing.
- Keep it short - Run contests for 1-2 weeks to drive urgency around entries.
- Announce on a contest schedule - Build anticipation by running contests on a predictable cadence like monthly or quarterly.
Engage With Your Audience
Building relationships with followers and responding promptly shows you value your community.- Like and comment on posts - Search relevant hashtags and engage with posts daily.
- Reply to DMs - Set up notifications and respond to direct messages and comments quickly.
- Thank new followers - Send quick DMs thanking new followers for joining your community.
- Ask for feedback - Solicit product reviews, suggestions and opinions with polls and questions.
- Go live regularly - Stream Q&As, AMAs, tutorials or behind-the-scenes footage.
- Share user generated content - Repost great photos or videos your followers tag you in.
Make Following Frictionless
The easier it is to follow you, the more new followers you'll convert.- Add an Instagram follow button to your website - Install a Follow button on key pages like your homepage, blog and product pages.
- Link in email signatures - Include your Instagram handle in your professional email signature.
- Show handle and buttons in stores/events - Display signage promoting your Instagram at physical locations.
- Add links in other bio sections - List your Instagram URL everywhere your bio appears like internal company sites.
- Include on presentation decks - Add your Instagram handle to brand presentation templates used by your sales teams and leadership.
Key Takeaways
Craft an optimized Instagram profile that conveys your brand and links to important pages.
- Create and promote high-quality, engaging content consistently.
- Use relevant hashtags and user tags to increase discoverability.
- Partner with influencers, run contests and ads to expand your reach.
- Promote your Instagram across all your digital properties and physical locations.
- Make following you as quick and easy as possible for interested audiences.
