Of course, you want to drive more traffic to your site, raise brand awareness, and build relationships with your customers.

With Instagram, you have the potential to reach one billion monthly active users, and 500 million daily active users.

In addition:

  • 90 percent of Instagram users follow a brand
  • 70 percent of shoppers turn to Instagram when looking to make a purchase
  • 50 percent of Instagram users visit a website after seeing it in Stories

So how do you turn this information to your advantage? By building your list of followers. You want targeted fans, though, not just casual browsers who’ll swipe away from your account in seconds. Our social media management experts can show you how.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

Start off right

It all begins with a strong business profile. Remember that your Instagram business handle should include the name of your business, or as close to it as possible.

Next, make sure your profile includes the keywords someone is most likely to use when searching for topics on Instagram. For example, if you sell used clothing, include those keywords in your profile, along with “vintage,” “retro,” or “pre-owned fashion.”

And because sustainability is a hot topic these days, show users what they can get if they follow you: “Follow me to learn how to make your favorites last forever,” or “Follow me for tips on keeping your old clothes out of the waste stream,” in addition to a link to your landing page.

The idea is to give people a reason—preferably more than one—to follow you.

Content, content, content

If you want to rank higher in the Instagram algorithm, you need original content, according to Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. In April of this year, he announced that the platform would consider originality (vs. reposts) in its ranking.

And while reposting clever memes and content from other accounts may interest followers for a while, fresh, engaging content is what keeps them coming back for more. You don’t have to spend hours creating a Reel, but you do have to put some thought into everything you post.

Another way to keep users’ interest is to vary your approach. If you only do Reels, you’re missing out on the other valuable features the platform has to offer your business, including Stories, Instagram Live, and videos. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life!

That means posting content that is:

  • interactive, such as polls
  • entertaining, such as humor
  • informative, such as hints and tips

Hashtags are key

Variety is also useful when creating your Instagram hashtags. They are how users will find your posts in searches, so be sure to plan them carefully.

You can add up to 30 Instagram hashtags to any feed post, but research has shown the optimal number for the best response is about 11 hashtags. (Instagram recommends using three to five.) On the other hand, don’t overdo them—they can create visual clutter on your post, and ultimately annoy followers.

How do you decide which hashtags to include? Brainstorm the different hashtags someone might use to find you in a search or be specific to the topic of content you are posting.

Get help

The good thing about social media is its shareability. If one of your fans posts something you love, ask if you can repost it. Not only is it flattering to the user, but user-generated content (UGC) is also a great way to increase engagement from fans. One study found that UGC results in up to seven times more engagement on Instagram.

More engagement results in higher priority on the Instagram feed, which in turn leads to more new followers on the Explore tab.

In addition, UGC can help with your own workload, offering ideas and content that can free you from having to create original content yourself.

Encourage UGC with a branded hashtag, or encourage them to tag your brand on the platform.

Looking for more ways to increase your follower base? Contact us today! Our social media management experts can guide you through the ever-changing world of marketing with this valuable tool.