Although there are over 800 million active accounts per month, success on Instagram is still very much possible. Let’s see how you can do it!
Blowing Up Followers on Instagram
1. Create a Visually Appealing Instagram Grid
It may seem obvious, but it’s actually a key part of the strategy for getting new followers on Instagram. Every post on your grid should be eye-catching and coherent. When a new user visits your profile, a look at the overall content should make them want to see more of it. This desire is what will make them follow you.
2. Like, Comment, and Follow New Accounts
Take 5 minutes a day to like and comment on the posts that appear in your feed. By doing others a favor, you draw attention to your account. Your followers’ followers may see the comments and potentially follow you as well.
This technique has been tested by Neil Patel. According to him, for every 100 likes he made, he generated 22 likes on his own posts and got 6 followers.
Similarly, by becoming a follower yourself, you will draw attention to your account. These people will receive a notification of a new follower and their curiosity will push them to go see your profile. If they like what they see then there is a good chance they will follow you back.
3. Respond to Comments in the First Hour
The Instagram algorithm loves when publications generate a great number of interactions within the first hour. Your content will be suggested to about 6% of your audience to test if your publication is interesting or not before expanding its visibility.
To maximize the interactions on your newly published content, like and reply to all the comments. Ask questions and push your followers to interact as much as possible, as fast as possible.
The more interest your publication will generate in the first hour, the more likely it will go viral, and the more people will follow you. After this timeframe, the number of likes and comments will have less impact.
Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWsmtSHvQ8O/
4. Don’t Buy Fake Followers
Buying followers doesn’t work anymore. This trick might increase the number of followers in theory, but not in practice. It will actually get you the opposite effect, as it’s very easily noticeable. The level of interaction will be very low, and the few comments under your photos will be of poor quality. Your real subscribers may feel used and unsubscribe quickly.
After all, only real Instagram followers who care about your products and interact with your brand are worth any effort. A fake follower count may boost your ego, but it will crush it in the long run as it’s going to get exposed.
5. Offer Giveaways
Instagram giveaways will always increase your following, especially if you set it as a requirement. All the tagged accounts will have to give you a follow for the participant to be eligible.
By inviting people to produce their own content in your giveaway, you can also reach more people. Your post will be shared around, and people will start recommending you to their friends.
Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CS-ZWInBjaE/
Blowing Up Sales on Instagram
1. Optimize Your Biography
Two-thirds of hits to professional profiles on Instagram come from non-followers. These people are all potential customers, but only if your biography convinces them. They won’t contact you if your profile isn’t clear, complete, and engaging.
In addition to the username, your profile should include your website in a clickable format. Make the most of the 150 characters you are allowed in your bio to convey your brand identity and make new visitors want to follow you. What kind of content can they expect?
If you have a professional account, you can also add additional details to your profile, such as:
- Contact information
- Type of business
- Location
Use all the fields that are relevant to your business to give Instagrammers all the information they need to find your products or services.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/superstarseo/
2. Write Mini Sales Pages in Your Captions
Instagram may be a visual platform, but writing impactful captions will help you increase your audience’s engagement. This is the key to attracting free leads through your posts.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Start with the most important words: if the caption is longer than 125 characters, users will need to select “more” to see it in full. Make the most of those first few words to make them want to read the whole thing.
- Ask a question: this encourages your audience to respond, and interaction will give your account more visibility.
- Use emojis: Emojis catch the reader’s eye and are suitable for most types of accounts.
- Experiment with different sizes of captions: Instagram allows for long captions of up to 2,200 characters. This means you can use them to tell a story if your post lends itself to it. Extremely short captions can also be very effective when the visuals are communicative enough.
3. Create a Story Around Your Brand
You may want to satisfy curious minds by revealing how your products are made. Or share some stories about your employees to enhance the human side of your brand. If you want to inspire people, highlight the positive impact your brand has on your customers. And to get closer to your audience, share some facts about yourself while keeping it professional.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRnbijvjTp/
4. Find a Hashtag That Grabs the Attention of Potential Buyers
We can’t talk about Instagram without discussing hashtags. This is just as important as keywords in SEO. Hashtags allow you to categorize content and give your posts more visibility. By using popular hashtags, you will have a better chance to attract the attention of your potential buyers. However, these tags must be relevant to the posted content.
The ideal is to put 20 hashtags. Never copy and paste the same tags in all your publications because Instagram might take you for a robot and you might get less visibility. Geolocation can be very useful to reach people close to the place where the picture was taken.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWTdTzzP-VI/
5. Do Lives with Famous People
Instagram is the perfect platform to leverage live video, a trend that is growing rapidly on social media. With interactive features like questions and comments, you can interact with your audience in real-time and create that all-important engagement to expand your reach.
Live videos are broadcast within your brand’s story. When the live video ends, you can:
- Let the video disappear
- Replay it in your story for up to 24 hours
- Import it to IGTV
Users receive a notification when an account they are following starts a live broadcast. So it’s a good way to get their attention.
Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CV-LIazKzIJ/
It’s Your Time to Blow Up on Instagram!
Now you know how to get followers on Instagram and how to get them to buy your products or services. From this point on, it’s all about the quality of your content and your ability to interact with your audience.
Using Instagram well and having clear goals from the start will greatly increase your chances of success on this platform. It’s your time to blow up on Instagram!
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