38 Ways To Get More Followers on Instagram (Without Buying Them)

 

Getting followers on Instagram doesn't require expensive tactics or joining engagement pods. Instead, a comprehensive list of free tips can help you grow your following without breaking the bank. It emphasizes that the best strategies for gaining followers on Instagram are accessible to everyone.

How to get followers on Instagram

1. Develop a thoughtful Instagram marketing strategy

Starting with a clear plan is crucial for gaining followers on Instagram. While increasing follower count is a good start, it's essential to connect this goal to broader business and social marketing objectives, such as boosting brand awareness, increasing sales, or driving website traffic.

 

Sticking to these business-driven goals ensures consistency in your Instagram account. This consistency allows you to craft a compelling brand narrative that attracts new profile visitors and cultivates a loyal following over time.

 

2. Define your target audience

Understanding your target audience on Instagram is essential for creating effective content and gaining followers. By asking specific questions about their demographics, habits, and challenges, you can tailor content that resonates with them. This approach not only helps attract followers but also ensures ongoing engagement by consistently delivering relevant content.

 

3. Create a consistent brand story and aesthetic

Define your brand succinctly, like you would in a tweet—it’s your modern elevator pitch. Once you establish your brand identity with a consistent voice, personality, and visual style, your posts will be instantly recognizable. This coherence creates a cohesive Instagram grid. Use Instagram Stories for content that doesn’t quite fit your main feed’s aesthetic.

4. Design a visually appealing Instagram grid

Creating a cohesive aesthetic for your Instagram grid begins with ensuring your content has a consistent visual style. This involves making sure your posts are not only high-quality but also visually captivating. It's important that each post complements the others when viewed together on your grid.

 

5. Master Instagram SEO

To gain followers on Instagram, ensure your content is visible by playing strategically with the platform's algorithm. This includes optimizing your Instagram bio and posts with relevant keywords to increase visibility and attract followers.

 

6. Write compelling captions

While Instagram is known for its visual content, well-crafted captions are essential for enhancing reach and engagement. Key strategies include placing important words prominently, incorporating calls to action or questions, maintaining a conversational tone, and offering valuable or intriguing content in your captions.

 

7. Create shareable infographics and memes

To increase your Instagram following, leverage visually appealing infographics and memes that are likely to be shared. Encouraging your current followers to share your posts can help attract new followers. Additionally, protect your content by watermarking or subtly incorporating your logo into posts, ensuring proper attribution if your content gets repurposed.

 

8. Conduct Q&A Sessions

To foster a loyal audience, offer valuable content such as hosting live Q&A sessions if you're an industry expert. Model these sessions after Reddit's "Ask Me Anything" format to engage with your audience in real-time. Utilize live polls to gather feedback on topics like increasing Instagram followers and likes. Additionally, use the "Ask Me a Question" sticker in Instagram Stories to collect audience questions and share your responses, further boosting interaction and connection with your followers.

 

9. Share behind-the-scenes content

To build a strong rapport with your Instagram followers, reveal behind-the-scenes aspects of your brand. This transparency humanizes your brand and fosters genuine connections with your audience. Authenticity is key in gaining real followers who support your brand. Avoiding artificial content is crucial, as authenticity resonates more deeply with followers and helps maintain a positive brand image.

 

10. Engage with trending topics

To increase your Instagram followers, capitalize on trends to potentially go viral. Participating in ongoing and pertinent discussions signals your engagement and awareness to your audience.

 

11. Know what’s trending on social media and use it to your advantage

To optimize your social media strategy, it's crucial to stay informed about overall trends in social media. This includes understanding your followers' preferences, the dynamics of building trust and loyalty online, and identifying the type of content your audience desires. This knowledge empowers you to align your social media efforts with audience expectations, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.

 

12. Embrace Instagram Stories and highlights

To increase your Instagram followers, utilize Instagram Stories, which are used daily by about 500 million active users, representing a significant portion of the platform's audience. Stories offer interactive features like Polls and Questions to engage followers effectively. Enhance visibility by incorporating hashtags and location tags in your Stories. Preserve your best Stories by pinning them to highlights on your profile, where you can customize cover photos and showcase valuable content to new visitors.

 

13. Post consistently and at the right time

Interactions with your posts indicate to Instagram's algorithm that your content is valuable, which in turn expands your reach. To grow your Instagram following, aim to post consistently—around 3 to 5 times per week, according to analysis. Although Instagram no longer uses a chronological feed, posting timing still plays a significant role in engagement.

 

14. Schedule your posts and Stories

To streamline content management on Instagram, consider using desktop tools such as Hootsuite to schedule and publish posts. This approach enables you to maintain a cohesive grid that narrates a coherent story while dedicating time to creating impactful captions instead of improvising on the spot.

 

15. Review your content calendar once you’ve scheduled

After scheduling your content, it's essential to assess your content calendar from a strategic perspective. Ensure it aligns with your brand identity, delivers value to your audience, and maintains a visually cohesive appearance. This overview allows you to spot any gaps or missed thematic opportunities, like seasonal events, to optimize your content strategy effectively.

 

16. Use relevant hashtags

Hashtags, pioneered by platforms like Twitter, continue to play a crucial role in organizing social media content. Strategically using hashtags on Instagram can help attract followers organically, including the creation of branded hashtags. Relevant hashtags increase content discoverability, reaching users beyond your follower base, as Instagram users can follow specific hashtags. While you can use up to 30 hashtags per post, it's advisable to find the right balance through experimentation, tailoring the number to maximize engagement for your account.

 

17. Tag your location

To increase the visibility of your Instagram content, consider adding a location tag. This feature simplifies content discovery for users searching by location. For businesses with physical locations, tagging them encourages customer engagement and enables users to explore related posts and Stories. Attaching a location tag while posting from events or conferences enhances networking opportunities with attendees, exposing your profile to a targeted audience likely interested in your content.

 

18. Tag relevant users

Tagging other users boosts your exposure to their followers and encourages creators to share your content. This practice is crucial when sharing user-generated content—always credit the original creator with tags to maintain goodwill and proper attribution.

 

19. Encourage others to tag you

To expand your Instagram reach, encourage other users to tag your account. This approach is particularly beneficial if your physical location features a visually appealing backdrop that attracts engagement on Instagram.

 

20. Cross-promote your Instagram account on other networks

To maximize your Instagram visibility, link your Instagram account to your website and cross-promote live videos and promotions on your other social media channels.

 

21. Embed Instagram posts in your blog

Embedding your Instagram posts in your blog is a simple method to share content and redirect traffic to your profile, potentially converting visitors into new followers.

 

22. Use Instagram QR codes

Using your Instagram QR code at networking events and conferences allows people to follow you quickly by scanning the code, eliminating the need to type out your username. To find your Instagram QR code, tap the three lines icon on the top right of your profile and select "QR Code."

 

23. Get featured on feature accounts

Feature accounts on Instagram, which repost content based on hashtags or tags, can significantly boost your follower count if they share your post. With a wide array of feature accounts covering various niches and interests, exploring them is key to expanding your audience.

24. Aim for the Explore page

Getting featured on Instagram's Explore page is challenging but beneficial for growing your account. You can also opt to pay to appear in the Explore feed through advertising placements.

 

25. Follow relevant accounts

Engaging authentically with others on Instagram can encourage them to check out your profile and reciprocate by following you. Social listening is effective for discovering relevant conversations and influential users (often called influencers) to connect with and follow.

 

26. Leverage user-generated content

Utilize user-generated content by reposting photos where people feature your product, location, or service. Always remember to tag the original creator and express gratitude for showcasing your offerings.

 

27. Engage with existing communities

To effectively participate on Instagram, engage with the communities relevant to your interests by liking, commenting thoughtfully, and sharing content from credible users. Avoid using generic comments that might appear automated or insincere.

 

28. Work with influencers in your niche

Partnering with influencers in your niche is a powerful strategy to attract new followers. If you're not currently collaborating with influencers, it's worth exploring this approach to enhance your Instagram presence.

29. Host Instagram takeovers

You can invite influencers or brand advocates to temporarily run your social media account, letting them promote your offerings. This strategy can draw attention from their audience to your brand, serving as a promotional tactic.

30. Collaborate with other brands

Collaborate with other brands on Instagram to potentially increase follower counts for everyone involved. Common strategies include hosting joint contests featuring products from multiple companies or partnering on charity fundraisers.

 

31. Try Instagram Live collaborations

A significant majority of global social media users are interested in branded Live content. Collaborating with another brand or creator can significantly boost your chances of attracting new followers.

 

32. Use Instagram Reels

The popularity of short-form video content is evident from TikTok creators. By producing captivating or amusing Instagram Reels, you can tap into this trend to engage your audience effectively.

 

33. Pin your best comments

Utilizing Instagram's pinning comments feature can enhance your follower strategy in multiple ways. You can extend your post's narrative in the comments, engage more deeply with your audience, and highlight impactful comments from others to boost engagement. This feature effectively manages discussions on your posts and creates additional opportunities for interaction.

 

34. Run contests

Despite potential post-contest unfollows, maintaining engaging content can retain new followers acquired during the promotion, emphasizing the importance of consistent quality posts for sustained follower growth.

 

35. Offer exclusive content or discounts

Utilize your Instagram account to offer exclusive content and discounts, providing special codes and links in your bio. This strategy taps into people's desire for exclusivity and bargains, potentially increasing engagement and follower loyalty.

 

36. Highlight user reviews and testimonials

Showcasing positive user reviews and testimonials on your Instagram page can enhance your brand's credibility and trustworthiness, potentially increasing follower loyalty. Consider addressing negative reviews transparently as well, demonstrating a commitment to improvement.

 

37. Consider advertising on Instagram

To learn more about setting up and running Instagram ad campaigns effectively, consult a comprehensive Instagram ads guide for detailed instructions and best practices.

38. Learn from your analytics

 

Instagram analytics tools offer insights into post performance, including impressions, reach, engagement metrics, and top posts. They also provide demographic data about followers, aiding in targeted content strategies.