10 ways to increase your real followers on Instagram

Using strategies and ways to increase your real followers on Instagram is key to the success of your business social media work. Did you know that Instagram has almost a billion users by now? Yes, that’s right. It is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms with a lot of potentials.

For this reason, many people and famous stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo ($975,000 per post), Kim Kardashian ($910,000 per post), Ariana Grande ($966,000 per post), and Kylie Jenner ($1.2million per post) are now using their Instagram account for monetization.

If you want to monetize your Instagram account, you will first need to grow your number of followers and your post engagement. It doesn’t mean that you should download some apps and get fake followers. It doesn’t work that way as fake followers do not provide active engagement. You will have to grow them organically.

Here is a complete guide to why real followers are essential and ways to grow your Instagram followers organically.

Why real followers matter on Instagram 

Many people think followers are followers. It doesn’t matter if they are real or fake, but it does matter. It matters even more if you want to monetize your account and have a broad reach.

The Instagram algorithm is all about engagement. The engagement rate helps you rank high and be visible to a broader audience. However, fake followers don’t engage.

If you have significant fake followers, then your engagement rate will go down. It will affect your visibility, and you will not be able to become successful. For this reason, it is essential to grow your Instagram followers organically.  

Real followers will:

• Increase engagement.
• Help you have a broad reach. 
• Increase the trust people put in your business or account.
• Lead to more money.

Here is data from Hootsuite that will help you understand how Instagram can help your business gain a broad reach: 

• The potential advertising reach of Instagram is more than 849 million users
• More than 70% of teenagers say that Instagram is the best platform for brands to reach out to them about new products
• You can reach a youth audience of more than 50 million on Instagram
• Almost 90% of Instagram users live outside the United States
• It is the most popular and widely used social media platform by teenagers

Now that you know why Instagram matters and could be very profitable to your business, it is time to understand how to grow your Instagram followers. 

Effective Ways to increase your real followers on Instagram

These ways are not just one-time solutions. You will have to incorporate these practices into your business digital marketing strategy and be consistent to see excellent results. Here are the top ways to grow your Instagram followers organically: 

1. Work on optimizing your account 

Account optimization is vital for every platform. So, of course, you will have to optimize your Instagram account too. It means that every detail should be filled and provided to your audience.

The first thing your audience will see on your Instagram account is your bio. It would help if you optimized it by adding keywords and adding a link to your business site. Adding your link will obviously drive more visibility and traffic towards your site.

Other than that, you need to add a quality profile image and create a proper username. Do remember that your username should be easy to search for. If it has complicated words, then you will not be searched or found by as many users.

Optimization also includes using the right keywords and hashtags. Using hashtags correctly can help you increase traffic and engagement. Did you know that brands witness a higher engagement level if they use at least six hashtags in their caption or first comment?

So, using these hashtags correctly can help gain more followers as a result of higher engagement. 

2. Post consistently 

Many people make the mistake of posting randomly. Doing so will not grow your Instagram followers at all and actually may even hurt your branding. That is why I always recommend you have a consistent posting schedule. There are some great social media scheduling tools that can help you automate the process if your business needs to. Buffer, Loomly, or Social Oomph are some good examples you can give a try.

Did you know that almost 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day? You can take advantage of that by posting regularly on your stories. However, this doesn’t mean you should spam. 

The golden rule here is to post a few times a day but keeping it consistent. Here again, I need to emphasize the importance of being consistent with your Instagram activity.

You can also take a look at your analytics to understand the best times to post. The right timing will increase your engagement rate and help you grow your Instagram followers faster.

3. Create a theme for your aesthetic 

It is essential to keep your account visually pleasing if you want to grow your Instagram followers. Many new users will not go through your account if they don’t find it visually appealing. The attention span of people on these platforms is low, so you need to grab it. 

To make people stay, give them something they can fall in love with after looking. Think about the feeling you want to create when people go through your account. You can then revolve your photography and content around that feeling. 

For example, if you want new users to think your account is lively, artistic, and bright, you need to create such a theme. All your pictures and content should revolve around this theme.

Doing so will help you grow your Instagram followers as people love consistent themes. If you look at all successful businesses’ Instagram accounts, you will find a consistent theme within.

4. Engage with your followers 

People love it when influencers or businesses respond to their messages on social media. They are more prone to recommend such accounts to their communities as well. So, answering your messages is a great way to grow your Instagram followers organically.

Also, try to be more personal with your followers. Take out some time every day to engage with your followers. Reply to their comments and create a conversation with them.

If they have any queries, then be sure to answer them on time as well. It will increase the loyalty and trust of your existing followers. Such commitment will push them to recommend your account to their family and friends as well.

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth marketing. It is as relevant as it used to be ten years ago. People always rely on other people for trusted advice and recommendations. 

5. Geotag all your photos 

Have you been traveling or visiting a new place in your city? Be sure to geotag it on Instagram! This way, other people who have used the same geotags will be able to see your pictures. They can then decide to go visiting your profile and eventually follow you.

It is a great way to grow your Instagram followers by location. People that have visited the same area will see your post and follow you. Apart from that, people looking for specific locations may stumble across your post too. 

That is why it is one of the best ways to grow your Instagram followers organically. You will see an increase in real followers as soon as you geotag a location. So make sure to tag all your photos from now on and see the rise in followers yourself.

6. Collaborate with influencers or brands 

Always make use of other Instagram accounts in your niche that have a comprehensive list of followers. You can collaborate with these accounts on a project as both of you will benefit from it. They will be able to profit from your followers, and you will benefit from theirs.  

Collaborating with other Instagramers is a guaranteed way to grow your Instagram followers organically. However, you have to make sure that the influencer or brand you are collaborating with is within your niche. This way, you will be able to reach your target audience effectively.

Here are a few reasons why you should collaborate with influencers and why they are essential: 

• Businesses make around $5 for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing
• 67% of marketing professionals engage with influencers for the promotion of their content
• 79% of influencer marketing happens on Instagram 
• 91% of millennials trust online reviews by peers or influencers 

7. Create a hashtag 

Features like hashtags have hundreds of possibilities and opportunities. It is all about finding these possibilities and using them to your advantage to grow your Instagram followers. If you want high engagement, then create a personalized hashtag and work to drive it viral within your community.

However, do make sure it is unique and that no one else is using it. You can then encourage your followers to use the same hashtag to help you gain more followers. 

To make the most out of this activity, you can repost the images of the accounts who have used your hashtag. Doing so will give them due credit, and they will engage more happily with you. Doing such activities helps build a stronger and more engaging community.

It shows your followers that you care about them and appreciate their efforts. It also provides you with new content that you can post on your account. So, if you want to grow your Instagram followers, creating a hashtag may just be your ticket to the wall of fame.

Once your followers use it, and it starts trending, you will see a boost in your follower’s list in no time.

8. Post content your audience wants to see 

Of course, this seems like a no-brainer, but many people still miss out on this. You need to effectively analyze your target audience and learn about their behavior and preferences. It will help you understand the kind of content your audience wants to see.

There are also different trends of various content as some content perform better than others on Instagram. So, you need to pay attention to detail and curate content your audience will love. 

That means paying attention to the captions, filters, timing of your post, and how it looks overall on your profile. Everything will make a difference when it comes to attracting followers.

Invest in an Instagram analytic tool and take this analysis even further. They are actually some great free alternatives such as Pixlee or Socialbakers. Whether you opt for a free or premium Instagram analytics tool, It is a long-term investment in your account that will reap a significant ROI. Use any of the tools to analyze the captions, filters, and everything else to understand what works the best for your target audience.

It is also essential to see what your competitors are doing and then incorporate their strategies into your work. That doesn’t mean that you should copy them. Instead, take some time to learn their tactics and apply them to your profile to improve your engagement even more. This way you will stay ahead of your competitors.

9. Start a conversation 

If you want to grow your Instagram followers, then start evoking subjects that matter.

Also, and according to a study, 68% of consumers want to engage with images, 50% want to engage with video content, and 30% want to engage with text posts. That means that the captions and text you write are just as crucial as your post’s visual content. That is why you need excellent copywriting and photography skills to boost your followers.

People want to engage with brands and influencers more than ever. They love joining in on conversations and giving their opinions. They do this more with brands that respond to their followers. 

So, try to get the conversation by posting polls in your stories or using your post caption to talk about a specific trending topic. It will increase your engagement significantly and help you attract new followers as well.

New consumers that visit your profile can only be converted if you secure their loyalty. When they see you posting and talking to your followers, they will automatically trust you more. It will result in them following you.

Try starting a conversation in your next post and talk about a trending topic to get the conversation started efficiently. You will see for yourself how many people will join the conversation and engage. 

10. Host a giveaway or contest 

People love free stuff. That is why hosting a contest or giveaway is an effective way to grow your followers on Instagram. They are also great at increasing your reach to a broader audience.

Your followers will comment, they will tag their friends, and you can include rules that promote your brand. This way, the algorithm of Instagram will help you reach out to a broader audience.

You will receive more likes, and visibility as more users will be able to see your profile. Many influencers and big brands use this technique to appeal to a broader audience. After all, people love to win free things, and they tag their friends too in such posts.

Here are many reasons why hosting giveaways are essential and how they can help you grow your followers on Instagram: 

• Contests have a conversion rate of almost 35%
• More than 62% of participants suggest their friends take part in the giveaway too
• Business acquire more than 34% of customers through giveaways
• Instagram accounts that conduct giveaways grow followers 70% faster than accounts that don’t do contests
• Giveaway posts get 3.5 times more likes than regular posts

Final thoughts 

These are the top ten ways you can grow your followers on Instagram. All of these are tried and tested methods that will provide you and your business with immense value. Just remember that you have to be consistent with your efforts. 

If you want to gain real followers, then you will have to utilize all these ways consistently. Once you do, you will organically increase your reach and grow your followers on a daily basis. So, try these out now and see the excellent results yourself.

Now, that we have established your Instagram profile, it is time to start making money using your profile. For that, I have created a list of 6 foolproof strategies on how to make money on Instagram.

If you have any question do let me know in the comment below, I will make sure to answer your queries.