8 Creative Instagram Tips to Increase Your Following

Having a large following on Instagram is not only about the pride and joy of having a significant amount of influence.

A large and engaged audience gets more eyes on your brand, which can increase organic traffic to your website. Fortunately, you don't need rocket science to get more people to follow your Instagram account.

Following the simple steps in this article, you can soon have an interactive, loyal, and growing following on Instagram.

8. Create Shareable Infographics

Remember those massive, printed posters that popped up everywhere in the 90s?

Those posters warned against global water shortages and extreme weather due to climate change. They’d often contained an image collage with percentages and statistics to communicate the gravity of the message.

Shareable infographics have taken the place of these well-remembered posters. By using infographics, you can help viewers visualize any message.

You can also use an infographic to transform complex data into visual stories. Infographics are appealing and educational, which is a good recipe for viral posts on Instagram.

When you have viral content, you automatically increase your followers.

You can create trending infographics by staying updated with the latest burning global topics and sharing what is relevant to your audience. If you can make your infographics interactive, it will be even more effective.

7. Use Instagram Reels to Draw Attention

Reels are Instagram’s answer to TikTok videos. You can make the most of this feature to draw more attention and followers to your profile. Reels offer a great way to visualize tutorials, tips, or fun activities.

Unlike standard posts, reels appear on Instagram’s Explore page. This feature can increase your brand’s visibility, especially when people share your content.

The best way to find success with reels is to diversify the content you promote with them. You can use reels to post customer testimonials, provide sneak peeks or launch online challenges.

6. Get to Know the Instagram Algorithm

Instagram’s algorithm can help you get more followers. But you have to put in some effort first.

The algorithm shows users content that piques their interest based on their previous interactions with similar content. Understanding this process will help you create content the algorithm deems good enough to prioritize.

For example, if you have a beauty brand, you could create a video series filled with makeup tips. Or you could promote a new foundation or lipstick.

Whatever you choose as a basis for your content, you must ensure that it’s a topic that will interest a wider audience. As soon as people interact with your content, your posts will show up in more feeds, and so on.

If you consistently post great content that people want to interact with, you’ll stay on Instagram’s algorithm radar, and it will reward you with more followers.

5. Optimize Content Using Relevant Keywords

Another often overlooked method of increasing an Instagram following is making content discoverable. The quickest way to do this is to add keywords and hashtags to captions and your Instagram bio.

Use this optimization method to make it easier for users to find your brand when they search for something related to your industry.

Use a mix of trending and traditional keywords and hashtags to boost your content’s visibility. Several online tools can help you find the latest keywords, which you can use to gain a competitive edge on Instagram.

4. Prioritize Engagement

Instagram engagement goes beyond an increase in followers. Engagement is about building a community around your brand. This process starts with finding users that value your content.

Start by hosting Q&A sessions or uploading polls to get to know your audience. Make sure you respond to comments and direct messages promptly.

A quick response from your side will show your followers that you appreciate their input. It is also the fastest way to get a word-of-mouth chain going.

People love good customer service and brands that engage with them. The more you maintain the engagement on your profile, the more your followers will spread the word about you.

You should also take some time to engage outside of your own profile. Comment on other posts, and leave thoughtful messages below related videos and infographics.

3. Embrace Unique User-Generated Content

Sometimes, you may find that a customer uses your product or service for unique purposes. Allow them to showcase their experience on your profile by inviting user-generated content (UGC).

This can serve as a testament to the influence your brand has on its audience. User-generated content proves genuine engagement and will inspire others to follow you on Instagram.

UGC is seen as more authentic and honest than brand-produced content. When potential followers or customers see real people reviewing and using your products, it instantly increases brand trust.

Don’t forget to credit makers of UGC on your feed. Also, consider featuring excellent content to spotlight the creator. Doing this will further encourage others to create and share valuable content to and from your account.

2. Mix Things Up With Stories and Instagram Video

You can draw even more followers with real-time content on Instagram Stories. Use Stories to update your followers on what’s happening behind the scenes or to increase engagement.

Instagram Video effectively replaced IGTV and is excellent for extended video content. With this feature, you can go into detail on topics that interest your audience, drawing new viewers in the process.

You can also use it to share detailed tutorials that may not fit into a standard post or reel.

Use Stories and Instagram videos to entertain, engage, and gather feedback with tools like polls, quizzes, and stickers.

1. Stay Updated and Adapt When Necessary

Instagram constantly provides new features, updates, algorithm changes, and trending topics. Maximizing a new feature in its early stages can help you get ahead of the competition. After all, online users appreciate brand profiles that offer fresh content.

Whenever you try out a new feature, ask your audience for feedback on your most recent posts. As you engage your followers, you’ll get a feel of the kinds of content they appreciate and those that you can further improve on.

In Conclusion

These tips provide crucial stops on the roadmap to Instagram success. The key, however, is continuous learning and engagement.

But remember that it’s not always about the numbers but the value you provide for your audience and the kind of community you build with your following.