14 Ideas to get more followers for your Small Business on Instagram

For businesses having a strong online presence, especially on social media, is of utmost crucial for being successful in this digital era. However, gaining followers on social media sites like Instagram and selling products over there is a tricky thing. If appropriately strategized, one can gain a substantial number of genuine followers in a period of 3 to 4 months. If you are concerned about how to increase Instagram followers, you are at the right place. 

This blog will discuss 14 tried and tested strategies that you leverage to get more Instagram following.  

How to Get More Followers on Instagram

• Join Engagement Groups to increase follower count

By joining Instagram pods or engagement groups, you will get followers and likes from your specific niche. Although it is not an excellent tactic to use for the long term, you will be able to get a few thousand followers in a short period. The most challenging part for any Instagram strategy is getting initial likes and followers as you are not well-known as a brand. Once you get a fair number of initial followers, you can always leave these groups and focus on long-term strategies. 

• Repost content of other Instagrammers  

While starting, no one has an exact idea about their content strategy, i.e. what form of content is good for the business, the quality and specifications of videos, colour combinations, etc. However, you can always reshare posts of accounts that are already successful in your genre to get an organic following or profile engagement. Nevertheless, while doing so, make sure that you give credits to the original creator and not get flagged. 

• Harness external sources like Buzzfeed to grow your Instagram account

Using community platforms like Reddit, Buzzfeed, Quora and others can help you tap into a massive audience base that you can channel back to your Instagram account. External linking will also boost your visibility on the search engine results. 

• Urge customers to tag you in their posts. 

There is no more effective marketing strategy than social proof, i.e. when your customers vouch for the products. Urge your customers to be an ambassador for your products. You can also customize some deals or offers for customers that share your products or tag your account in their posts. 

• Have consistent style to enhance engagement 

In the world of social media, there is no strategy that is more valuable than being consistent. As a business owner or content creator, one must be aware that people follow an account on speculation, i.e. the content that one will post in the future. Being consistent in style or theme is the core of any successful marketing campaign, as it engraves trust in viewers.  

• Leverage hashtags to boost visibility 

Ask any digital marketer about increasing Instagram followers; the first thing you will hear is to use hashtags. On Instagram, you can use as many as 30 hashtags in a post. The catch 22 with hashtags uses the specific ones that suit your account, post, and genre. 

You might have been confused about whether to use niche-specific hashtags or use as many as possible. Let me tell you, it all depends on your end goal. While using more hashtags increases visibility, having niche-specific tags in your post enhances the likelihood of being discovered by a relevant audience. 

• Tag places around your location to tap into the local audience 

If you have a local business like a restaurant, coffee shop, or apparel outlet, leveraging the geotag feature of IG will make it easier for people to find you. It will also enhance your visibility on specific location feeds. 

• Embed Instagram feeds on other platforms  

As a business owner or content creator, you must have your website or other social pages. Embed your IG posts on those platforms to gain followers. You might feel like there is no much conversion of embedding your post, but the results will mesmerise you in the long run. 

• Follow people who are followers of your competitors. 

The best way to increase followers is to connect with people who follow brands. Check out your competitors to find the right audience to engage with. While picking your competitors, it is better to opt for smaller brands, as big brands have a loyal customer base. You can start by commenting on the posts of your competitors but try not to sound like sales.  

• Connect with Influencers

Another effective strategy to increase followers is partnering with influencers. You can ask them to give shoutouts for your brand. In general, influencers have loyal followers, and they can help you get new followers, increase sales, and provide practical insights regarding how to improve Instagram followers. However, you must do proper research of the audience base of influencers to assess whether they are paid or organic.  

• Host events and giveaways to boost customer engagement 

Events & giveaways are some of the easiest ways to lure in more followers. Again, you can use IG Pods or Facebook groups to make people aware of the giveaways. It can aid you in getting new IG followers quickly, especially if you don’t have a dedicated audience base.

• Partner with others to grow organically 

The partnership is a quick way to increase your IG followers. However, it is all about give and take. You need to figure out your USP to offer to your partner to forge a successful partnership. 

• Leverage Instagram Guides to lure more followers 

Instagram is always coming out with new ways to share content. One of the latest ones is Instagram Guides, where you can share content in a fun way. It provides a rich format for presenting your content using tips and recommendations. You can add an intro, title, videos, text, and much more in Instagram guides. 

• Utilize IG analytics 

Although analytics won’t increase your followers directly, it can provide you with various relevant information regarding your audience, content, profile, performance, etc. It will help you shape your IG strategies and answer the question that is itching you the most, i.e., increasing Instagram followers.   

Conclusion

Besides the strategies mentioned above, you can also leverage Instagram analytics tools available in the market to increase your Instagram followers. One more thing, use Instagram bio smartly to gain the most out of it. Bio is the only place where you can add links. Lastly, keep innovating, researching, and be consistent in your post for growing your audience base.

Frequently asked questions