10 Tips to Increase Your Instagram Followers

Instagram has gained such massive popularity in recent times that it recorded a whopping 800 million monthly active users in September 2017, up from 600 million in December 2016, according to data published by Statista.

Teens and young millennials actively share photos and videos on this highly visual social networking platform. And all these active users aspire to continue to grow their following on Instagram. I know this because my niece constantly complains about how her following isn’t increasing as quickly as she would like.

So, I decided to help not just her but many other Instagram users I know who are trying to increase their follower numbers. Here are ten tips that will help.

10 Ways to Grow Your Instagram Followers

Stick to a Niche:

I have seen many people making the common mistake of focusing on almost everything that is in trend on their Instagram accounts. This only confuses people regarding your niche, passion, and authenticity. Please stick to one or two niches, be it beauty, fitness, or travel, and explore them to the fullest.

Combine Multiple Images:

Take multiple shots and then combine them into one collage-like image, using apps like Diptic to get more attention for your photos.

Write Descriptive Captions:

You have posted a picture, but to generate engagement and foster sharing, you need to use words to tell an enticing story alongside the photo. You can even ask questions to increase engagement.

Like Pictures of your Target Audience:

Neil Patel shared that when he liked 100 random photos of other Instagram users, he generated 21.7 likes on his photos and 6.1 more followers. Enjoying the posts of others helps you network with people outside your friend circle, thus increasing the likelihood of gaining more followers.

Comment for More Followers:

People like each other’s photos all the time. But very few of them take a moment to comment on those pics. Get into the habit of commenting on others’ uploads, and they will do the same for you.

Be Consistent in Posting Content:

Even if you post high-quality videos and photos all the time, if you do it once a week or after ten days, it won’t help increase your Instagram followers. I recommend posting at least one or two high-quality and high-resolution videos and photos daily and gradually increasing them to 4-5 posts.

Be Creative with Hash Tags:

Hashtags are a great way to share your photos with a broader audience on Instagram. Using popular hashtags like #love, #tbt, #instagood, and #photooftheday is a great way to get your images found in search. However, I would recommend not just sticking to one-word, apparent hashtags. Try to mix them up to create creative hashtags that tell the audience funny, ironic, or outrageous stories.

Use Popular Filters:

Use popular filters like Normal, Earlybird, Hefe, X-Proll, Rise, Valencia Amaro, etc., to change the look and feel of the photos and videos, depending on your intent and brand preference.

Timing is Everything:

I have seen that posting a photo on Monday at 5 PM PST increases the likelihood of getting more comments and likes, as does posting on Wednesday or Thursday at 3 PM PST. Research the most effective time to post for your time zone.

Brutally Edit Your Account:

Eliminate all the pointless images of food, selfies, and other random shots, and leave the account with only the best, high-quality photos.

Gaining followers on Instagram becomes easy when you have some unique and exciting to say with your images. So, get creative and use these tips to be Insta-famous!

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