How to build an Instagram following: 5 essential tips
When you first start an Instagram page for business or personal use it may seem like you will get lots of followers in no time. But then you quickly realize that it may not be as easy as you’ve imagined. The truth is, building an Instagram following is not an easy task, but it is completely doable if you have a good strategy. Here we give you 5 tips that will give you a quick boost of followers. After all, getting the first 10k followers on Instagram is the hardest part – after that the ball starts rolling.
1.Use Instagram engagement and support groups for a follower boost
The easiest way to get a quick follower boost on Instagram is to join one of the many groups dedicated to supporting other instagrammers. For instance, there are many of these engagement groups in different fields: fashion, travel, food, nature and others. Try picking some of the smaller groups to have a higher chance of actually being seen. Soon other people in these groups will start following you and linking your pictures and you should respond by doing the same. This strategy won’t bring you many sales but it will help your account appear more credible in those first few weeks after joining Instagram.
2. Repost photos by other people
Another easy way to grow your Instagram following is to repost photos and videos from other accounts. The only caveat is that Instagram requires you to ask the owner of the page for permission to repost, but most people won’t object and will quickly give you their permission. You should also always remember to credit the author of the content in the caption. So how do you find what to repost? Simply keep track of the Explore page and of popular hashtags to find popular content that was created by a user, not a commercial page. This will both bring new followers and save you time on trying to create tons of amazing content.
3. Invite your customers to shape photos with your products
When you’re just starting out it is important to get your brand validated in the eyes of the general public. One of the best ways to do this is to have your satisfied customers help you. For instance, you can announce a contest where people will have to post a picture with your product and a short review in order to enter. You can then repost the best reviews to prove your legitimacy. If you don’t really have any customers yet, find aspiring influencers with a few thousand followers and get them to review your products. Choosing influencers with a relatively small number of followers will help you keep advertising costs low, some of them may even agree to take your products as payment.
4. Use hashtags to boost your Instagram following
Whether you love or hate hashtags, there’s no denying the fact that they work. Using hashtags consistently under every post will help expose your account to a wider audience. Just make sure that the hashtags are actually related the the photo and that you’re not using the same set of hashtags under each post, as Instagram can punish you for that.
