The IG Guide: How To Get More Follows On Instagram?

Instagram has become a significant part of the social media landscape in Hong Kong, with around 3.46 million users as of early 2023. This platform is particularly popular among younger demographics and urban dwellers, who use it to share their daily lives, follow trends, and engage with content from around the world. The high penetration rate of smartphones and fast internet speeds in Hong Kong further fuel Instagram’s popularity, making it a go-to platform for both personal and professional use. Brands and influencers leverage Instagram to connect with their audience, showcase products, and build a loyal following, contributing to the vibrant digital culture in the city.

Due to its popularity and widespread use, it comes as no surprise that Instagram has become quite a useful tool in digital marketing. The platform’s features, such as Stories, Reels, and IGTV, allow for creative and dynamic content that can capture attention and drive engagement. Additionally, Instagram’s advanced targeting options enable precise ad placements, ensuring that marketing efforts reach the most relevant audiences. This combination of visual appeal, user engagement, and targeted advertising makes Instagram a powerful asset for any digital marketing strategy. If you are looking to increase your follower count on social media to be able to expand the reach of your brand, read on as this article shares some easy but foolproof tips on how to get more followers on Instagram.

Optimise Your Instagram Account

The first and perhaps most important tip on how to increase Instagram followers is to optimise your account. Instagram users often find you through your content on the Explore page. If intrigued, they visit your profile, which is a crucial step in gaining followers. A strong brand signals to potential customers and followers that your account suits them. To put it simply, your Instagram profile is one of many customer journey touchpoints. So, make sure your brand appears consistently across your ecommerce website, other social channels, product packaging, and customer communications.

Everything from your avatar to your Instagram bio to your content grid is important. Your Instagram feed acts as a billboard for your brand, serving as a customer’s first touchpoint and capturing your brand’s essence. When optimising your Instagram account, consider these questions:

– Do the elements communicate consistency through personality, filters, colours, or layout?

– Am I fully utilising the clickable link in my bio?

– Does the overall combination of elements capture my brand effectively?

– Does my Instagram bio convey the right tone and information?

Build an Effective Content Strategy

Instagram success requires a clear content marketing strategy that highlights your brand’s unique aspects and helps create engaging content. This boosts engagement, strengthens your community, and attracts new followers. Here are some tactics to make your Instagram marketing strategy effective:

1. Schedule Instagram posts in advance: Brands rely on the Instagram algorithm for reach, but posting at optimal times can increase visibility. Maximising engagement is beneficial. Scheduling content with tools like Sprout, which allows for Stories, Carousels, Reels, and Posts, ensures control and organisation. Additionally, cross-posting from other networks also helps.

2. Keep a consistent content calendar: Momentum is crucial on Instagram. Random posting will not attract followers. Consistently creating valuable content builds and retains your audience. Regular posting is essential, though the exact frequency can vary. Most brands post daily or nearly daily, aligning with research on optimal posting frequency.

3. Have a strong brand and Instagram aesthetic: With over 200 million businesses on Instagram, standing out requires a strong, recognisable brand. Consistency in colours, aesthetics, and post style helps users remember and recognise your content.

Engage with Your Audience

Making your Instagram followers happy leads to audience growth. Top Instagram accounts have fans and communities, not just followers. For many, this involves building customer relationships. Here are some ways to engage and build relationships on Instagram:

Create content that highlights your brand’s personality: Showcasing your personality and the people behind your brand helps connect with your audience on a deeper level. This includes inspiration content, humorous content, storytelling posts, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, and posts raising awareness for social causes. However, always ensure that your content aligns with your brand voice and values. Avoid appearing needy, solely sales-driven, or robotic.

Make meaningful conversation with your audience: 60% of marketers use Instagram as a service channel. The platform is ideal for engaging with followers. Popular post ideas often involve asking questions and engaging in dialogue. Being supportive and responding promptly shows that you care. This applies to brand mentions or direct messages (DMs). So, be sure to always respond to questions, messages, mentions, or comments, as this can influence someone into becoming a long-term follower or customer.

Share User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) includes videos, photos, written reviews, audio, and more, created by fans, customers, or followers about a brand. UGC essentially humanises your brand and adds credibility, thereby acting as a trustworthy review from real customers, which boosts purchase confidence. Sharing a customer’s post can strengthen their loyalty to your brand and encourage referrals and repeat purchases. Now, while your biggest fans will share their experiences without prompting, encouraging them can also help.

Here are some ways to encourage more UGC:

1. Create a branded hashtag feed for customer images.

2. Add a UGC call to action in your Instagram bio.

3. Run a contest asking for video or photo reviews as entries.

4. Reach out to smaller influencers and offer free products for honest reviews.

5. Include a postcard or callout in product packaging asking customers to share their experiences on Instagram.

Make Use of Tags and Hashtags

Location tags and hashtags are essential tools on Instagram, helping your target audience find your posts and profile more quickly. One of the most effective tricks on how to get followers in Instagram is to utilise the power of tags and hashtags. Here is how to use these tags to grow your following:

Find hashtags where your followers hang out: Instagram hashtags have been a key feature for a long time, but they are not as effective as they once were. Simply adding hashtags to your posts will not attract new followers due to the platform’s noise. So, focus on industry-specific hashtags that are relevant to your customers.

Use geo-tagging to attract local followers: Instagram reintroduced location stories, now searchable on a map. This feature allows users to find top posts and stories in specific locations, like a coffee shop or mall. Tagging your location basically makes your content visible to people nearby or those checking out the tagged place.

Collaborate with Content Creators or Other Brands

Instagram advertising can boost your reach, but influencer partnerships add trust and credibility to your promotions. Research shows that 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations. When incorporating influencer marketing into your Instagram marketing strategy, ensure that the partnership fits both your brand and the creator. Aligning your target audience with the creator’s followers increases the chances of campaign success and gaining followers. Here are two ways to expand your reach with collaborations:

Find and work with influencers in your niche: Influencers have loyal followers who trust their recommendations. Collaborating with niche influencers, especially those with small but engaged followings, can enhance your brand’s reach and credibility. However, finding the right influencers can be challenging due to the vast number of creators and varying authenticity.

Partner with brands similar to yours: Strategic brand partnerships can significantly increase your Instagram reach and engagement. These partnerships offer fresh content perspectives, making the experience enjoyable for everyone, including your audience. Consider your customers’ interests beyond your products to guide partnerships. Look for brands that align with those interests without direct competition.

Do Some Giveaways

Doing a giveaway is another effective way to gain followers on Instagram. Brands and creators often ask users to complete specific actions to enter such giveaways. Among the most common giveaway entry actions are:

– Following the account (and any collaborators)
– Liking the giveaway post
– Tagging friends on the post
– Leaving a comment on the post
– Filling out an entry form on the brand’s website (which also helps build an email list)

These actions basically enhance your Instagram presence. Tags can bring new followers through trusted recommendations, and engagements boost your post’s reach due to the Instagram algorithm. However, keep in mind that when setting up a contest or giveaway on Instagram, there are some rules and guidelines you must follow. This includes setting eligibility requirements, tagging content accurately, and asking users to agree to an Instagram release.

Conclusion

Instagram marketing is crucial for both brands and individuals, offering a powerful platform to build and engage with a vast audience. Its visual-centric nature and diverse features enable creative expression and effective storytelling. To maximise their reach and grow followers, users can employ strategies like creating high-quality content, using relevant hashtags, and collaborating with influencers. Consistent posting and active engagement with followers through comments and direct messages also play a vital role. By optimising profiles with clear bios and compelling visuals, brands and individuals can attract and retain a loyal following, making Instagram an indispensable tool in the digital marketing landscape.

References

https://www.shopify.com/blog/14288561-how-to-build-a-massive-following-on-instagram
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-get-followers-on-instagram/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/instagram-followers