Hi everyone! This will be the hottest article of February 2021: how to increase Instagram’s followers ethically, systematically, and with 5 easy to apply strategies.
Instagram is an incredible platform with over 1 Billion monthly active users. With so much competition, you absolutely need valid strategies to outclass the competition, let your target audience find you, and obtain likes and comments to your posts.
This is a must-read article. Therefore take 5 minutes of your time and read it carefully. I can guarantee you that if you use these 5 strategies that I’m going to reveal, your Instagram profile will take off.
First of all, if you really want to increase your visibility on Instagram (and in other social networks), you need to understand the game’s rules. In other words, you need to know how the Instagram algorithm works and how to use it to your advantage.
The most important question you must ask yourself is this one:
“ What is the primary goal of the social platform you are using? “
Yes, because all the social networks (even Facebook, Youtube, Linkedin and others) want your subscribers to stay in the platform, spend most of their time in the platform to show ads to their subscribers (and earn money from advertisers).
You should learn by heart the sentence I have just written above. Read it again and again, because it is extremely important.
In order to retain Instagram’s users inside the platform, Instagram has released many updates and tools. In the beginning, for example, you could only post pics. Then they introduced stories, short videos, long videos (IGTV), and the last tool is “REELS”.
Each of these tools has different objectives. Some of them are great tools to increase your followers, others are used to establish a deep relationship with your followers.
If you want to increase your followers, you have to ask yourself this question:
“What is the most used and most effective tool that Instagram provides to reach the maximum number of people? “
When I’m writing this article (February 2021), the most important and effective tool that you can use to increase your followers is called “REELS”.
Strategy #1: REELS
Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools.
You can share Reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.
Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.
Please pay close attention to what I’m about to say.
Every time a social platform introduces a new tool, it needs to understand if the last tool is really appreciated both by the content creators and the platform’s users.
For these reasons, Instagram amplifies the reach of the organic content published via “REELS” in this case, and this is the primary reason you should use it to reach more people for free.
Keep in mind that Instagram has introduced “REELS” tool to compete with the other big social network called “TikTok”. TikTok was the first to introduce these types of short videos, and Instagram has copied the same format to keep its users to continue utilizing the platform instead of migrating on Tik Tok.
The first strategy I want to suggest to you is to create REELS more often 🙂
These are 4 ideas on what you may share in a reels’ video:
1) A short story about yourself or anything else;
2) Sharing your point of view regarding a specific topic;
3) Create a “How-to” video tutorial to help people achieve a specific result;
4) Resume 5 or 10 things that are important in a particular situation you want to illustrate.
Inspiring people can be one of the most successful key factors to gain followers.
I want to focus your attention on how important is the “REELS” tool today.
If you are looking for new content on Instagram, you can see tons of REELS as suggestions: this is an excellent indicator of how important this tool is and how often Instagram is pushing it in the platform.
Moreover, Instagram has developed a specific icon at the bottom of the app, thanks to which you can immediately access the REELS published.
Strategy #2: CAROUSELS
Carousels are extremely powerful because they increase the user’s attention to your content.
To be sure that you know what I’m talking about, carousel is Instagram’s option that allows you to put several images on the same post (instead of one image only). In this scenario, and if the content is related to the user, he/she invests more time by scrolling to the right or left to discover what you have published.
There are tons of examples of carousel created. Pay attention to what other people do by using every tool Instagram lets you use and then use your imagination and creativity.
Keep in mind that, especially today, likes don’t have the same importance as they had years ago. What really matters to Instagram are these 2 metrics:
1) The number of shares of your post (but you can’t know this data);
2) The numbers of time your post has been saved from the user.
These last 2 parameters give Instagram an immediate idea if what you are publishing is important to your target audience or vice-versa.
As I told you before, the more your follower enjoy your content, the more Instagram push your profile and let it see to other people.
Carousels are great tools to give information to your followers, for example:
– 10 ways to create an instant first impression!
– 6 reasons why you should invest in Real Estate!
– 8 effective strategies to increase your mailing list!
In a nutshell, carousels are a sort of mini-guides through which you give information about a specific content. For example, think of this article as 5 images in a single carousel to communicate the most effective strategies to grow your Instagram profile.
Strategy #3: STORIES
Stories are extremely important if you want to create an impact with Instagram. Thanks to the stories, you can involve your follower by sharing your daily life, personal or business, or both of them.
Stories are a very personal and intimate tool able to create a special connection with your target audience. Most of the time happens that a stranger becomes follower after watching several stories, and if he/she feels connected to you, he/she decides to follow you.
Moreover, stories are constantly pushed in the “search and explore” tab. It gives you an idea of how important the story-tool is and why you should use it every day, in different hours per day, to inform your clients/followers/prospects what you are doing daily.
Be confident to share information or just to say “hello”; keep in mind that you are creating a relationship with your follower.
Try to share something that can attract people’s attention, even if it is not so related to your target audience.
For example, try publishing some content outside your business world, something regarding a specific passion that you have, for example. You have no limits.
Experiment with new things and even funny things every day.
Strategy #4: USE DIFFERENT SOCIAL PLATFORMS
This is an interesting and very effective strategy that you can use to acquire followers on Instagram. Obviously, it takes time, but it’s worth it 🙂
For example. Let’s suppose you have a Youtube channel, and while sharing some information on your video, you can warn your audience to follow you on Instagram too because you have shared other valued content.
I made an example by using Youtube, a social platform that I’m in love with, but you can use the same concept with any social platform you desire.
Keep in mind that every social network you want to use has its rules and guidelines. Later on, I will probably do a specific post on how to build a community inside Youtube and Facebook too.
Strategy #5: EASY and FAST IMPROVEMENT
This is the easiest improvement that you can and should adapt to increase your followers base. When you identify a story, a carousel, a post that is shared or appreciated more than usual, my suggestion is to invest some money by sponsoring this content. Use paid advertising to promote a successful content.
It will increase your followers in a fast and easy way.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
Based on the tools and strategies that I have shared with you above, I highly suggest you start looking at Instagram’s profile with a different perspective. Now that you are aware of the most successful tools that produce results start looking at how successful people on Instagram are using these strategies.
Find the best post, the most engagement posts, and try to reverse engineering what an author/influencer did to receive such an engagement.
I do not suggest you copy and paste what others are doing. I’m inviting you to learn what others are using to obtain more likes and views and “steal” the best strategies based on what you have learned.
Using the same strategies, adopt and adapt your style and communication method to persuade your target audience to follow you.
Last but not least, your primary goal is to satisfy your audience with excellent content. They should be eager to consume your content inside of the Instagram platform.
Good luck 🤞
Megan