Instagram- an instant way to share your content with people at once. Over one billion people use this platform. This social media platform uses the power of visuals more than words to reach out to people. However, Instagram – just like any other social media – is seemingly a waste without following.
For some people getting followers might even be comfortable. However, what is difficult is getting active followers. These followers of yours need to engage in the content that you post. Followers eventually help you analyze where your business or page stands.
The best thing you can do is make yourself consistent and do not be afraid to try new content. Your consistency will eventually help you get quality content.
But we will go through other strategies that can help you drive traffic and eventually make your profile visitors your followers.
What can you do with Instagram?
Before you move on and understand the importance of followers, it is essential to know that Instagram can do much more than help you socialize.
One of the most important things that you can do on Instagram shares a visual image of your brand. A picture is worth a thousand words. So why use so many words? Instagram puts this phrase into action and, with time, has just proved it by its increasing numbers.
Creating a brand image is one of the most challenging aspects and may take years to form. However, with a platform like Instagram, you have the opportunity to connect with people that enjoy visual treats more than words.
But has Instagram been commercially successful?
You might have a common concern on whether this private looking social media can help you in marketing. Take a look at the following, which might blow your mind.
- Did you know that over 1 billion people from around the globe use Instagram every month? These are your potential followers
- Did you know that 500 million people use Instagram stories? All these people are your potential customers and your followers.
- Did you know that out of these 1 billion people, 63% log in every single day? This 63 % will help you reach people that are not logging in every day by engaging in your brand. Once these people become your followers, they will have the power to attract the remaining ones.
- Did you know that Instagram advertising potentially reaches 849.3 million people with one advertisement
- Did you know that up to 72% of people purchase something that they see on Instagram? If you are looking to build a brand with potential customers, then what is better than a 72% chance of getting customers?
With millions and billions of people using Instagram every day, your business has the potential to grow in a shorter span than with traditional marketing strategies.
But the real question arises here, how to get Instagram followers?
How will you get these very followers that make up a higher percentage of your potential customers?
Inorganic followers are not an option!
Before you learn the tricks and tips to get followers, it is essential to note that you get organic followers.
A large percentage of people tend to think it is okay to get paid followers. These followers are generally bots or inactive accounts that are just there to show numbers.
Getting these followers is the most significant damage you can do to your account. Imagine a page with less than average content or even less consistent posts having hundred and thousands of followers. Since they are mostly bots, there is little to no chance of potential customers and engagement on your page.
The following are reasons why inorganic or ‘paid’ followers need to stay away from your page:
- Paid followers can take over your account
Since most of these are inactive or bots, these accounts help hack into your page efficiently. - Instagram’s random sweeps can get you busted!
Remember, back in 2014, Instagram did this clean sweep. Was it done in 2018 again? This sweep allowed them to delete severely inactive accounts and bots by an overwhelming number. Result? Several companies lost more than half of their followers. The reputation of these companies was in question then. Is the brand credible? Why did the brand need to build a foundation on fake followers to market their brand? - You can get into legal trouble!
Another significant drawback of fake followers is if you are in a legal binding with a company, you can get into a lot of trouble for paid followers.
Even though many big brands have fake followers, it brings about terrible results. In 2018 when Instagram did a sweep, many brands were left in shock. One of the biggest brands that face backlash was Dove. One-quarter of the followers were fake. The irony of this was that Unilever CMO Keith Weed had already announced that the company would not work with an influencer with fake followers.
Hence, paid followers are one of the worst damages you can do to your brand. According to CNBC, paid followers cost brands up to $1.3 billion in 2019.
Read on as we tell you how to gain organic followers that help you bring about a better reputation of your brand.
How to build Instagram followers:
Consistency is key
The first and foremost thing to do after you set up your account is to be consistent. Regularly posting allows the page to remain active and for the Instagram algorithm to detect your page as authentic.
Social Champ is one tool that will help you with this. If you do not have time to continually post content, do it at once, and leave the rest. This method will help you by a high number to begin digital marketing at an early stage.
Moreover, you will be able to take a lot of analysis into account. Social Champ allows you to analyze your post so that you know what works for you and what does not.
Did You Know That Social Champ Allows Scheduling For Up To An Year?
Signup today to ensure that your profiles are always consistent with posting new and relevant content!
#Hashtag
Social media Hashtags are one of the best inventions in terms of digital marketing. Hashtags are a way if organizing, promoting, and drawing attention to a specific topic. There is barely a social media that does not use hashtags. Use as many hashtags as you think are good enough. Make them relevant to your post and be creative with them. People from all over Instagram tend to explore their interests through hashtags. Once your post comes up, they are more likely to follow you and engage in your posts that are relevant to their interests.
It is a misconception that hashtags are usable only on posts. A great way to increase your reach and followers is to create campaigns and device hashtags for them. Use it to draw attention. It serves as a great way to increase your engagement and even get new people up on Instagram, which will eventually be fruitful to you. Remember Coca Cola’s #shareacoke campaign? It started in 2011 in Australia and is still active in some parts of the world.
Hashtags also help start a conversation about a brand. Not only will you be gaining followers, but you will also have a chance to increase discussions about your brand.
Get a life, get going!
Instagram gives you the option to be live. Devise strong content for your brand for a live session and go live. Keep in mind to check what kind of content works for your brand through Social Champ. The analysis will give you a detailed guide to help you with the structure of the material.
Also, use tools to look at the engagement hours. The engagement hours help tell you what time of each day your TA is most active. Choose your live hours accordingly. Keep your live relevant and structured so that your audience has a reason to stay.
Another way to get life is stories. According to the Instagram press, there are about 500 million people that use Instagram stories every day. Stories stay live for about 24 hours before they disappear. This means that users have 24 hours to view your current story. This is a form of life, as well. Stories help you tell a non-filtered version of BTS and helps give a sneak-peak to users of what is coming.
Give to get!
Give paid followers a legal touch. Give your followers a special incentive to remain your followers. One of the best ways is the team follow back. Many people do these silent partnerships like a support group. While these followers are generally not very engaging, they are an excellent way to boost your numbers. Moreover, they are a great way to make some potential customers. The more consistent you are, the better the chance of your followers becoming your customers.
Another great way to get followers is through is to hold gifts and giveaways. Instagram Influencers find it one of the best ways. The contest does not need to be too hard. The basic rules usually include tags and likes on a post, followed by the condition to ask a small number of people. This helps people connect to a brand. Even if they are not interested in your brand, they may look forward to your competitions.
Boost, Boost, BOOST!
Just like everything that needs a boost, your Instagram might need boosts as well. One of the best things that you can do to attract people is to boost your posts. Boosting posts gives a chance for a more vast audience to view your posts. Boosts allow you to set your Target Audience and reach out to them individually. Boosts help you gain followers that are generally regular in engagement and relevant to the brand.
However, boost content is slightly different from regular content. When it comes to boosting posts, you will need to ensure that the posts comply with the community standards and does not breach any policies. Content is the key here.
Ads are your friend!
One more way to reach out to people is through Instagram ads. Instagram ads can help you reach millions of people at once. There are several different kinds of ads which we will discuss. Each of these ads is a way to attract people from that particular area of Instagram.
- Stories: As mentioned before, over 500 million people use Instagram stories every single day. These viewers make your potential followers and, eventually, customers. Story ads are most effective with vibrancy and engaging content. They appear in between regular user stories.
- Photo ads: Photo ads are simple visuals that reach out to make for an identity to your brand. These usually direct people to a product, but you can also invite them to your account. Offer an exclusive incentive for your followers.
- Video ads: Video ads are slightly better than photo ads. These are more interactive and vibrant. Video ads also give you a chance to use more words to communicate. However, the video key is timing here. No one would want to sit for 20 minutes to watch a video.
- Explore ads: Instagram’s explore a great way to explore your interest and follow accounts that intrigue you. Instagram explores features of ads as well. This is the perfect way to ensure that you get to your relevant audience. The rest is up to your content. If it is strong enough, you might get a couple of followers.
Ads are a great way to target people. Through advertisements, you may target audience in the following ways:
– Locations
– Demographics
– Interests
– Behaviors
– Custom audiences
Your presence matters
If you are doing everything right and still do not have followers, then it is on you! You may not show enough presence on the internet; then, you might not be visible enough. One of the best ways to make friends IRL is to go out and meet people. The best way to gain followers is to go out on different public blogs and Instagram accounts. Use your account to comment and engage in other people’s posts to get proper results.
There is a fine line between spamming and showing your presence. It is unethical, and you might have yourself reported if you try to spam people. Do not invite or offer something on other people’s accounts or posts. Just remain neutral and maybe throw a compliment here and there.
The best way to make your presence noticed is to partake in discussions. The idea is that once people know you exist, they are more likely to turn to your account and become your followers. Moreover, if their interests match yours, you may also get the right amount of engagement from them.Bye oh same old URL
One way to get followers is to keep doing something new on your profile. Bio URL is one of the most underrated things on Instagram. You are usually allowed to put up one URL into your bio, which is mostly a webpage or your Facebook handle.
How will that benefit you?
It won’t!
Use the bio URL to divert users to different posts of yours, videos, or other things. One of the best tricks is to put a ‘link in bio’ CTA on your post. This will allow users to reach out to your profile. People who generally just see you on their timeline do not direct to profiles. However, with this tactic, you will be able to direct them to your profile. Eventually, your viewer might turn into a follower.Get trendy, get cool!
Digitizing is the best way to look cool! Don’t know how? Simple, just get in with the trends. There is so much going on in the world every day. Internet challenges, games, trending hashtags, all these are the way to coolness for you.
Make sure to participate in all kinds of trends on the internet. Your followers will have something to see and maybe even do every time. Also, your word will have a lot more weight once your followers find that you are up to date with everything that is going on. As mentioned above, trending discussions are a great way to go.
Community is your family
No matter what you are, a brand, and a personal account, or even a blogger or influencer, do well! Community outreaches and engagements are a great way to earn some good following. Believe it or not, even in this cruel world, a substantial number of people want to do something good for the community. Through your Instagram, you can give them the option to do something good. It can be as little as donating in a charity or doing something more significant, like planting trees in local parks or anything else.
These programs help your followers understand that you are humane at the end of the day, and by following you, they can get a chance to help as well.
How to retain Instagram followers?
Once you start with these marketing tips, your followers will begin building. Building followers means that now you have to retain them too. What if someone followed you just to win a giveaway? Or what if someone followed you so that you could follow them? Or worst, what if someone finds you annoying?
Retaining followers can be difficult. You cannot physically do anything to retain your followers. However, there are a few things that might keep your followers interested in your profile.
- Analyze your followers
The first thing that you need to do is to analyze your followers. There are plenty of free apps that help you keep track of followers. While these apps generally might look very useful, they are if used correctly.
These apps help you find a pattern in the people that unfollowed you. Once you get the design, you can strategize your content accordingly. Analyzing the pattern of unfollowing will also help you build followers. You do not want to have followers that make your numbers inconsistent.
- Analyze your content
A great way to retain your followers is to see what is wrong within yourself. You always have to guess what works for you and what does not. Social Champ is an app that will help you through this. Analyzing content on Social Champ allows you to see what works with your target audience and what does not.
Help from apps like these helps you redefine your strategies. At this point, it is mostly about the content. Your followers will always want to see something new and what interests them.
The big thing about content is to keep in mind that it is all about trial and error. The digital audiences are much more unpredictable than the regular audience. You will need to invest your time in strategies and see how well they work.
Pro tip: Reuse your hottest content in different ways. This allows users to see what they like in various forms. However, it is accessible to overuse content. Play it smart!
- Analyze your hashtags
Remember that hashtags are the best way to increase followers. Keep in mind that they are an excellent tool to retain followers as well. One widespread mistake people make while using hashtags is that they do not go exclusive. If you choose incredibly general hashtags, they might not work. Your post will easily get lost in the billions of posts under that hashtag. Be smart when you use them.
Use extremely vague, extremely vivid, general, and exclusive hashtags. In short, play around with your hashtags as much as you can to get the best out of them.
- Analyze your time
It is the most important thing to be consistent if you want to retain your followers. But consistency barely matters when the time is wrong. Imagine your followers being active at night, and you being active in the day time. Between those hours, there are a hundred other posts that gain important and make their way in their feed.
This is why it is essential to use hours and figure out when your audience is most active. It may be difficult for this, which is why an app like Social Champ is excellent. You can easily schedule your posts through several days and times. The app posts it automatically. Hence, you do not have to worry about continually setting an alarm of when to post.
Get started!
Building Instagram followers is more about strategizing than picking up a specific tip or trick. This is not an instant process. You will have to work hard and keep an eye on your account more than once a day.
Some support, a few strategies is how to build Instagram followers. Social Champ is a great way to get yourself started in digital marketing. It helps you in ways that save a lot of time without compromising on your accounts sanity.
