Having an Instagram account with a respectable following can open a lot of doors. Whether you’re looking to build your personal brand, grow your business, become an influencer or achieve some combination of the three, you’ll want to put a little time and energy into attracting the audience that’ll propel your vision forward.
Want to expand your reach and grow your Instagram audience even larger than it is today? Here are five smart tips to help make it happen:
Know your audience.
How on earth are you going to grow your audience if you don’t even know who you’re trying to attract? An Instagram account targeting mindful twenty-somethings is going to look vastly different than one aimed at working mothers. Determining your audience might force you to ask some tough questions, but if you can find the answers you’re looking for, you’ll have a much clearer focus when it comes to developing Instagram content and will see an uptick in followers much faster than if you just play around and “see what works.”
Related reading: 3 Reasons Bloggers Should Use Instagram
Stick to a theme.
There’s nothing wrong with curating an awesome personal Instagram filled with random snaps of your dog and your daily lunch, with the occasional selfie and action shot added in. However, if your strategy is to grow your Instagram audience, you may want to consider your approach a little more carefully and give yourself a bit of an identity through embracing a theme. Whether you choose to develop an Instagram profile to highlight your outdoor adventures or your adventures in the kitchen, you’ll grow your audience faster with a more refined focus.
Hold a contest!
Let’s be serious – who doesn’t want the chance to win something cool? If you’re looking for an easy way to add lots of followers to your account, consider running a giveaway or other contest on your Instagram page. If your Instagram presence is large enough, you may be able to get someone to sponsor your post by donating a prize to give away, but if you aren’t quite there yet, consider making a small investment and picking up something fun to attract those likes, shares and follows.
Use those likes!
You’ve got an unlimited number of likes to give out on Instagram. There’s never any harm in spreading the love and liking a few photos, but to use this as a strategy to really grow the number of followers you’ve got on Instagram, you’ll want to spend some time liking (and commenting on!) photos in your niche. To make an even bigger impact and increase the chances you’ll get a follow out of it, like several photos on the same account’s feed – it’ll help you build a connection and show you’ve actually spent time on their profile, making them more likely to do the same in return.
Take your hashtags seriously.
Your hashtags are one of the biggest tools you have to gain visibility on Instagram. If you’re on a mission to grow your Instagram audience, you’ll want to spend some time carefully considering the hashtags you tie to your posts. Don’t automatically tag your most with the most popular hashtags – these won’t do much to boost your following, as it’s easy for your pictures to get lost in the feed. Instead, look for more niche hashtags that’ll allow your images to stand out.
Put these tips into action, and you’ll be well on your way to growing your Instagram audience. Which tip are you most excited to implement? Leave a comment and let me know!
