Looking for ways to increase your following and engagement on Instagram? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of 10 ways to grow your platform.

Consistency

It is very important that your followers can keep a mental note of how often they can expect to see your content. Content can be posted at different paces for different social platforms. But for Instagram specifically, your goal should be to post at least 5-7 times a week. This may seem daunting for some. Coming up with 5-7 per week unique pieces of content is no easy task. But Instagram is an incredibly competitive landscape with over 2 billion users who are posting pictures, videos, and ads every single day. With this many users, there’s plenty of opportunity carve out a niche for yourself. In order to do this, it’s important to make sure that your content is consistently and readily available to be engaged with.

Pro Tip: don’t worry about posting too much. There are Instagram pages out there that post 7-8 times a day and have built massive followings as a result.

Responding to Comments and DMs

Getting a reply from an influencer is a very exciting feeling. So why not give that excitement to your followers as well? A comment or DM is a sign of a user who really resonated with what you posted. It means that they’re reaching out to connect. When you respond to their comment in a meaningful way, you validate their efforts, and you gain a much more engaged follower for your future posts. If you do this consistently over time, you’ll have thousands of engaged followers.

Please don’t just post your content and close the app. If you can, you should engage with your audience in real-time as they’re leaving comments. If you do this, you’ll give yourself your best chance for high engagement.

Adapting

Instagram is always evolving and changing. It seems like every two years, there’s a major algorithm shift in the type of content that Instagram supports. This can be very frustrating, and many people (including the Kardashians) have been protesting it. The best practice in this situation, however, is to adapt to the new norms. If the algorithm supports videos, make more videos. If the algorithm support content that includes certain features, be sure to include those features every time. In order to stay on top of the ever-changing Instagram landscape, we recommend following a few social media experts. That way you’ll know what changes are coming and how to adapt before it’s too late.

Cultural Awareness

Posting content that’s relevant to your followers is extremely key to getting great engagement. If your followers love Beyoncé, you should make a mention of her latest album release. If your followers care about animal rights, tell them about the cruelty-free products that you use/provide. Making your content relevant to the cultural conversations that your followers are already having is the best way to make them see the value in your brand.

Taking Requests

Sometimes you don’t even have to do any research on your followers. Sometimes they will directly tell you what they’d like to see from you. Direct requests from followers can be a godsend for content creators because they are free ideas that could lead to viral content.

This is another reason why engaging with your followers is so important. The more you build a relationship with your audience, the more they’ll be willing to make requests that could take your platform to the next level.

Collaborations

They don’t call it “social” media for nothing. So get social! Reach out to as many content creators as possible that are similar to you (or that you admire) and see if they’re interested in collaborating with you. This is one of the best ways to get new followers, because of the the exposure you’ll get from being on another creator’s page. The other content creator that you’re collaborating with essentially acts as as an ambassador for your personal brand, and vice versa. Remember that you’re not in this Instagram growth journey by yourself. There are many other creators with the same goal as you. Connect with them so that you can all reach your goals together!

Giveaways

There’s very few things that Instagram users love more than winning free items that they really want! Giveaways are a great way to get a huge amount of followers in a short period of time. Sometimes, however, convincing all the non-winners to stay following your page can be a challenge. Which is why if you’re going to do giveaways, you should do them consistently. That way all of your new followers will want to stay so that they can potentially win the next item.

Other Social Platforms

Don’t just put all of your focus on Instagram. Be sure to prioritize other platforms like TikTok and Twitter so that users can discover your Instagram through those platforms. Both TikTok and Twitter make it very easy to add links to your other social platforms in the bio. Take advantage, and grow your Instagram from all available avenues.

Instagram Stories

For influencers, this is the place where you can be your full authentic self so that your followers can connect with you as a human. Whether you’re posting clips of your everyday life or showing off your artistic expression, be sure that your story is a true reflection of who you genuinely are. This way your followers will want to engage with you even more.

Experimentation

Don’t be afraid to try new ways of doing things. Even if your brand has been presented in a certain way for a while, there is always room for improvement and evolution. Every now and again you should break up the routine, and post something that’s unusual to your brand so you can properly evaluate the results. What stops many people from trying something new is the fear that it won’t work. But the only real way to know is to try it and see. Think about it this way: if you don’t post it, you could be robbing yourself of the exact type of growth and engagement that you’re looking for.

We at Creator.co hope that this was helpful advice as you continue your content creation journey!