Instagram isn’t just about photos of your pet, or your lunch, or the view from your hotel room window. It’s also a great way to grow your business and network with other entrepreneurs, business professionals, and potential customers. But how do you get more Instagram followers to actually see what you share? Here are 7 of the best strategies for getting more free Instagram followers, along with some ideas on what to use them for once you have them.
1) Create an Engaging Profile
When you’re just starting out on social media, it can seem difficult to grow your account in a meaningful way. If you want people to follow you, you have to give them a reason—and that begins with creating an engaging profile. Use a high-quality image of yourself as your profile picture (tag it #nomakeup or #wearingsoberlook for extra bonus points) and include information about yourself—including where you work, what your job title is, etc.
2) Use Hashtags
Use hashtags in your posts. Hashtags are words with a pound symbol, e.g., #travel or #dogs. If you use them correctly, hashtags can help boost your Instagram engagement—meaning people will like, comment on, or share your photos—since they’ll be more easily discoverable.
3) Post Quality Photos
The first thing people will see when they arrive at your profile is your photos. If they’re dull, you could be losing followers before you even get started. To grow your account organically—without resorting to hashtags or commenting—post quality photos with a unique viewpoint that show off something interesting about you or your brand.
4) Interact With Others
It’s important that you interact with others on Instagram. You can’t just post pictures of your life and hope people will follow you. The best way to get your account noticed is by interacting with others. Comment on their posts, like their photos, or leave a thoughtful comment on what they’ve shared. This helps other users connect with you as well.
5) Buy Followers
Buying followers can be a great way to make your account look more popular, even if you’re a brand new user. These can cost anywhere from $20-$100, depending on how many you buy. Buying followers (and likes) is frowned upon by some users—but they’re not against Instagram’s terms of service as long as you’re using a third-party provider.
6) Engage with Brands
Brands are social media users just like you, so it’s a good idea to treat them as such. If you see a brand doing something on your feed that you love—say they post beautiful photos of their products—then consider following them and engaging with their account (if they allow comments). Like, comment or even follow if they interest you enough. By doing so, brands will be more likely to interact with you in return.
7) Have a Plan Before Going Live
Getting an account on Instagram is easy. The hard part? Getting followers. You can’t just post once or twice a day and expect people to start following your account. Instead, you have to have a plan in place before ever posting on Instagram—and it starts with getting your first followers (aka growing organically). Here are a few ways you can do that. Create Engaging Content: When looking for new content ideas, try focusing on topics related to your brand or business. People want to see what you’re about, so if they see posts from other users engaging with your brand, they will be more likely to check out your account and follow you as well. Once they like what they see, they may even share some of their own content too!
