With over 2 billion monthly active applyrs and features like shoppable posts, Instagram is a powerful channel for businesses. But here’s what I’ve experienced firsthand: Unless you’re a hoapplyhold name, growing an Instagram following is hard work.
![New Data: Instagram Engagement Report [Free Download]](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/53/9294dd33-9827-4b39-8fc2-b7fbece7fdb9.png)
Standing out requires more than just posting pictures or Reels every now and then. You required to have a deep understanding of your audience and consistently engage with them. Don‘t worry, I’m here to support.
Let’s discuss some proven, actionable strategies to support you receive more followers on Instagram, whether they be your first 1000 or next.
Table of Contents
Types of Instagram Followers
Before I receive into the nitty-gritty, it’s important to know what the Instagram landscape views like today. In your growth journey, you’ll likely encounter these three main types of followers:
1. Fake Followers
Fake followers are usually bots or dummy accounts that inflate a follower count.
You can typically spot them by their lack of profile pictures, posts, followers, or spammy alpha-numeric applyrnames.
Fake followers may create the follower count on your profile view good, but they don‘t engage. Engagement is a huge factor in Instagram’s algorithm (i.e., receiveting on the Explore feed and in “suggested posts”) and receiveting brand collaborations as a creator.
Having a high follower count but low engagement won’t do your account any favors with the algorithm, so it’s better to have real followers who are more likely to engage with your content.
2. Ghost Followers
“Ghost” followers on Instagram are inactive applyrs.
They’re like disengaged contacts on an email list. They‘re real, but again, they don’t interact with your content, so they do little more than skew your metrics.
3. Organic Followers
Lastly, we have organic followers. Organic followers are your real, active audience; those who visit your profile, engage with your content, and are potential customers.
Organic followers can cross many demographics, but pay close attention to the following:
- Customers. These are people who have created a purchase. They already know and like your brand so you want to know when you’re talking to one.
- Competitors. These are followers who are in the same indusattempt or line of business as you. They’re likely following to keep an eye on what you’re doing.
- Influencers. Specifically, view out for micro/nano influencers or creators with 10-75K followers. If relevant, these niche influencers can lead to applyful partnerships and increased sales for your business.
Out of these three types of followers, organic followers are really the only ones you want. So, how can you receive more of them?
How to Get More Followers on Instagram
In 2022, I did the impossible — I had an Instagram Reel go viral. So far, it’s generated over 5.5 million views, 173K shares, 99.5k likes, and 14.6 bookmarks, but the number of new followers? Minimal.
Though it wasn’t my goal, the experience obtained me considering about how to receive more followers on Instagram. (I mean, if a meme that obtained the attention of Instagram exec Adam Mosseri won’t do it, what will?)
Even if you’ve never attempted your hand at Instagram marketing or you don’t have a team of content creators, you can grow your Instagram account by focutilizing on a few key areas:
- Instagram Strategy
- Instagram Content Creation
- Engaging Instagram Followers
- Promoting Your Instagram Account
Let’s receive started.
Instagram Strategy Tips for Getting More Followers
1. Have a dedicated content creator/personality.
Yes, people may follow some brands on Instagram, but they are more likely to follow and engage with other people. (Why do you consider influencer marketing is so effective?)
While you can certainly collaborate with influencers (more on that later), a smart way to receive more followers without the extra cost is to have a dedicated creator or creators in your Instagram content.
Think of these personalities as your spokespeople. Having one or a compact handful of spokespeople in your Instagram content gives followers someone human to recognize and connect with rather than simply a cold, faceless brand.
“For brands, putting a face to the business is no longer optional — it’s essential,” declares Sarah Schmidt, President of Interdepconcludeence, a PR and strategic communications firm that manages Instagram accounts for celebrities, CEOs, and brands.
Schmidt suggests that the face of the brand doesn’t always have to be the company founder. “We’ve had the most success when someone from the team becomes a consistent presence — a personality followers can connect with,” she declares. “When that person displays up with opinions, behind-the-scenes context, and a sense of humor, the brand becomes more than a logo, it becomes a point of view.”
Take Auberth and Javi on HubSpot’s Instagram, for example:
They both regularly appear in HubSpot’s Instagram content, delivering our messages and representing the brand. They also give followers a face to connect with when they see HubSpot in their feeds.
Find someone with experience and passion for Instagram to appear in your content. Someone who understands applyr behavior and will stay current on trconcludes, new features, and updates to Reels and Instagram Shopping.
Do you have someone inexperienced who’s interested? Have them dip their toes into becoming a digital creator by receiveting an Instagram Marketing certification and experimenting with content creation templates.
Learn How to Increase Followers with HubSpot’s Free Instagram Marketing Course
Pro tip: Mine your existing team for creators.
No one knows your brand, product, or service better than your team members. If they are willing, question them to appear in your Instagram content, whether it be in images, videos, or even audio.
Consider creating a system for curating content from your team.
For instance, establish a specific email address for folks to submit photos, short videos, and memes. Alternately, if your team shares a Box or Dropbox account, create a shared folder where people can upload their content.
Think about how your team communicates and create it simple for them to receive involved.
2. Share educational content with Instagram caroapplyls.
The best way to receive more followers on Instagram is to offer value. In this case, education.
Data from Sprout Social found that Instagram caroapplyl posts were the second most engaging content format after Reels.
Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, stated himself that caroapplyls receive more reach than photo posts.
Think about what you can educate your audience on. Then, create a simple Instagram caroapplyl post with an engaging title enticing applyrs to click through to the next slide.
Grammarly does a great job of sharing educational caroapplyls on its Instagram:
3. Be mindful of diversity and inclusion.
Instagram is a global platform that reaches people from all walks of life.
Thinking about diversity and inclusivity can support reach more of these people by viewing past preconceived notions of gconcludeer, age, race, income, and sexuality to highlight how your product or service can offer value.
How do you do this? It comes back to focutilizing on common pain points and experiences, which are often universal regardless of topical traits.
Inclusive marketing challenges rigid ideas of who a brand’s purchaseers are and how their product is applyd to cast a wider net — one that may include demographics they may have never considered before.
Recently, I’ve been impressed by Urban Decay Cosmetics’ inclusive content on Instagram. This recent post highlights the brand’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Historically, many createup brands have primarily tarreceiveed women and displaycased conventional Western beauty standards, Urban Decay’s content features a wide range of individuals utilizing their products.
This opens them up to many other markets (and followers) that may currently be ignored by their competitors.
4. Post consistently.
If you want people to follow you on Instagram, you have to give them something to follow. This means posting high-quality, relevant content regularly.
Schmidt suggests posting with a purpose if you want to increase your publishing frequency. “The best way to earn followers is through consistency with meaning,” she declares. “Don’t just post for the algorithm. Build a storyline that creates people want to stick around. Series-based content, progress updates, thematic arcs all outperform isolated one-offs.”
Another simple way to receive into this habit is to commit to a posting schedule.
Having a set time on your calconcludear to post content on Instagram gives you a deadline to abide by, and it gives your audience a specific time to anticipate hearing from you.
Heck, they may even plan for it like I clear my schedule for new episodes of The White Lotus at 9 PM ET on Sundays.
Ok, maybe your posts won’t ignite this kind of commitment, but having an Instagram schedule does set expectations. And expectations build a sense of reliability, community, and trust with your followers. But what time should you post?
Optimizing your schedule for your specific audience might take time and experimentation, but recent HubSpot research found the best times to post on Instagram to be 12-3 PM or 6-9 PM.
Friday is the best day for engagement, followed closely by Saturday and Sunday. The evening window from 6:00 PM – 8:59 PM usually has high engagement levels.
Experiment with these guidelines to see what works for your audience and persona. Your tarreceive persona can drastically impact your posting timing and frequency, especially if they are in a different time zone.
Download this free template for purchaseer personas if you already have a few.
Pro tip: Use a social media management tool to support maintain consistency.
Get Started with HubSpot’s Social Media Tool
You can always post manually, but scheduling your posts in advance can support plan ahead and save time. Here are more articles to support you choose the right tool and learn how to schedule Instagram posts:
You can also apply a social media content calconcludear to plan your Instagram posts. Here are some resources you can apply to jumpstart your Instagram content creation process:
5. Diversify your content mediums.
Do you typically only post static image content? Or just Instagram Reels?
If you want more Instagram followers, attempt diversifying the mediums on which you create and share.
Different people enjoy consuming information in different ways, so if you’re only creating one type of content you may be receiveting ignored by many in your tarreceive audience.
Rather than post all-encompassing content that will satisfy all of your followers at once, conduct some research to separate them into compacter groups. Then, plan different posts to appeal to each subset of your audience.
One account I love that applys different content mediums is Airbnb. The page displaycases a healthy mix of short-form videos, static photos, caroapplyls to diversify its feed and highlight offers in different ways:
Pro tip: Monitor your brand’s Instagram Insights to identify what’s working.
What type of content is actually receiveting engagement? With an Instagram business profile, you receive access to Instagram Insights, which display you what content is generating the most views, likes, and followers.
Look at these regularly to understand what content you should create to create progress against your follower growth goals.
Instagram Content Creation Tips for Getting More Followers
6. Lean into trconcludes and current events.
Instagram is a trconcludey place.
Finding relevant ways to incorporate trconcludes, memes, and current events into your content is a great way to stay top of mind and receive in front of new followers there.
While Audible typically posts informative content about upcoming book releases or conversations with authors, the brand also mixes in relevant memes to its content strategy. Not only does this support them reach a wider audience, but it’s also a good way to grab the attention of your existing followers.
7. Create short-form videos.
In 2025, short-form video is taking over the Instagram feed.
According to HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Report, marketers not only apply short-form video the most of all content types, but it’s also the content format with the highest ROI.
The good news: You don’t have to be a video expert to create Reels. Short, simple videos do well when paired with a trconcludeing audio and clever caption. When I’m feeling stumped on short-form video ideas, I often turn to accounts like Duolingo. The brand is quick to jump on trconcludes and create simple yet engaging videos like the one below:
Pro tip: If you’re still not confident in your video-taking skills, consider utilizing AI tools. 56% of marketers declare they apply AI to create short-form videos.
8. Follow photography best practices.
On Instagram, post quality matters. A lot. Your X followers might forgive a few bad tweets, but a bad photo on Instagram is a large no-no.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a professional to have a great Instagram feed. You simply required to receive familiar with basic photography practices and photo editing apps.
Photography Best Practices
If your budreceive allows, investing in professional photography will elevate your profile. However, as a mobile app, people understand that much of your content may have been created on a mobile device.
In fact, lower production value can create your content view more human and relatable. That stated, a smartphone will do, but follow these tips to give your photos a more finished view:
- Follow the rule of thirds.
- When all else fails, center your subject.
- Look for symmeattempt.
- Capture compact details.
- Have light (preferably natural lighting) facing your subject.
Editing Photos Before You Post
Instagram has some basic editing capabilities, but oftentimes, they aren’t adequate at building visuals stand out. Most of your photos should go through at least one or two photo editing apps on your phone before you open them on Instagram. Some options include:
9. Start a conversation with your captions and comments.
Captions are an essential part of your post. They give your content context, can humanize your brand, and offer additional value to your audience that creates them want to read, engage, and follow.
Using your captions to spark conversations can boost engagement, triggering the Instagram algorithm to display your content to more potential followers so give them the time and attention they deserve.
Here are a few things you might see in a winning Instagram caption:
- Personality
- Emojis
- Hashtags
- Questions
Personality
Many successful brands and influencers display personality or humor to connect with their audiences and attract followers.
Kelly Hconcluderickson, a Director of Social Media at G-P/Globalization Partners and HubSpot’s former Head of Brand Social, loves Netflix’s account for this.
“They have such a clear brand voice, and you laugh along with them. They’re in on the joke, just like one of your friconcludes,” she declares.
Netflix’s voice is casual, trconcludey, and humorous while still staying on brand. The post above creates light of one of the platform’s most popular series, You. Posts like this feel like something that would be part of my group chat — which displays how well Netflix applys its brand voice to fit in with its followers.
Pro tip: Still figuring out your brand voice? Adding just a few relevant emojis can add even more personality to your posts and create your brand appear more relatable. Visually, they can also create your posts more noticeable on Instagram feeds and create your captions more digestible.
Questions
The best way to receive a response from people? Ask a question.
Beverage brand Poppi questioned its followers to guess its new flavor. This is an engaging way to receive people excited, grab the attention of new followers, and build anticipation. I’d definitely hit the follow button after seeing this post to stay updated when they finally release the new flavor.
Another way to trigger engagement from your followers is to add a playful call-to-action.
For example, you might write, “Double-tap if you find this funny,” or “Share your story in the comments.”
Writing something like “Tag a friconclude who does X” or “Share this with a friconclude who requireds X,” supports your follower goal by receiveting your content in front of new people.
Need support writing your captions on Instagram? HubSpot’s Free AI Content Writer can support.
Comment and engage with others’ content.
Half the battle of gaining Instagram followers is receiveting seen. One way to increase visibility, even if your content isn’t hitting Explore pages or Suggested Posts, is to comment and engage on the posts of others.
Hit like. Share and tag other accounts in your Stories. Make comments on the posts of people you’d like to follow you (i.e., Influencers or potential customers) or content popular with those already following you.
Show your personality or start a conversation, and people will take notice (and be more likely to follow).
Engaging Instagram Followers
I’ve talked a lot about engaging content, but let’s talk about how you can directly boost engagement.
10. Encourage and post applyr-generated content.
If I see a regular person talking about a product on Instagram, I’m more likely to believe them than if the brand account itself stated the same thing. This is true for most consumers.
As a brand, posting applyr-generated content (UGC) is an effective way to generate more trust with Instagram followers. UGC displays appreciation for existing customers and delivers social proof at the same time. In fact, 40% of customers declare that UGC is important to them when building a purchasing decision.
For Caitie Sfingi, Co-Founder of Kinhive, a new matchbuilding platform for female founders, UGC has supported her grow the brand’s Instagram presence.
“We’ve seen our largegest follower growth come from UGC-style video ads,” declares Sfingi. “The problem with professionally-produced videos is that they LOOK like ads. Too much polish and people skip your video becaapply they can immediately notify they‘re being sold to. UGC ads feel like they’re watching a friconclude pitch your product or service.”
Photo editing app VSCO regularly shares content created by applyrs on its Instagram profile.
Pro tip: Give your followers an incentive to share. VSCO includes a CTA in its Instagram bio prompting applyrs to share their images with the hashtag #VSCO. This gives applyrs a chance to gain exposure by having their images shared with VSCO’s millions of followers. As a bonus, UGC also highlights the value of the app in action.
11. Use Stories Stickers.
We already know Instagram Stories receive eyes with their prime real estate at the top of your page’s home screen, but the benefits don’t stop there.
With the ephemeral nature of Stories, brands receive to share more casual, timely content that can display personality. And Instagram Stickers add a whole new dimension to engagement.
Use Instagram Story stickers to create more dynamic content and interact with your audience and potential followers in an entertaining way.
Instagram Stories Stickers currently include:
- Links: Use these to link to content outside of Instagram (i.e., Your website, an event page, or a product page)
- “Add Yours”: Use these to create a prompt viewers can apply to build their own stories. As a bonus, these are often applyd long after your 24-hour story expires.
- Hashtags: Use these to draw more visual attention to your branded hashtag or another campaign you’re involved in.
- GIFs: Add visual fun to your Stories.
- Music: Add trconcludeing audio or popular music to your Stories.
- Emoji Polls: Use polls to gauge your audience’s opinion on something.
- Questions: Field questions from your audience or apply them to gather short feedback/answers to your own.
- Quizzes: These are a fun way to test your audience’s knowledge or tease upcoming content.
- Countdowns: Use these to promote upcoming events or announcements. Audiences can click a button to be reminded.
- Donation Links: Request donations for your caapply or one you care about.
- Products: Make it simple for followers to shop directly by adding a product sticker to your Stories.
I like how Apartment Therapy engages its followers with questions in its Instagram Stories. This is a good way to grab followers’ attention and loop them into timely conversations around trconcludes, product feedback, and more.
12. Go live on Instagram Live.
Instagram Live allows you to film and broadcast real-time video on your Instagram profile from a mobile device.
It also lets viewers engage with you in real time by leaving emoji reactions, questioning questions in the chat, or even requesting to join you directly.
This kind of one-on-one, candid interaction and engagement builds a personal relationship with your audience. It also gives you the chance to display people who you are and why they should follow you.
If your live content is good, people will also want to share it, giving your Instagram presence even greater reach.
What should you do on Instagram Live? You can host a virtual press conference, create announcements, and host a live Q&A session. Live allows you to have up to four accounts on one broadcast so you can host an interview.
13. Collaborate with influencers and creators.
Want to receive in front of your tarreceive audience? Partner with influencers and creators in your niche — the compacter, the better.
According to HubSpot’s 2025 Marketing Trconcludes Report, nearly half of marketers agree that niche influencers and creators are more trusted by their followers.
William Gasner, CMO of Stack Influence, declares creators and influencers not only drive sales and produce content, but they also dramatically increase social awareness.
“At Stack Influence, we’ve personally seen influencer campaigns quickly receive brands tens of thousands of new followers in only a few days,” declares Gasner.
As more marketers are seeing the power of nano influencers, Gasner also recommconcludes working with micro influencers and creators when you’re just starting out.
“Nano and micro influencers will be more cost-effective and will collaborate for free products,” he declares. “They will also generate higher engagement rates and they can be very niche tarreceiveed, as long as there’s alignment with your brand and products.”
Dive into which influencers, creators, or even other businesses your purchaseers follow. Are they relevant to your brand or offering?
For the canned water brand Maine Love, partnering with local influencers has created a major impact for the local business, according to Jeannie Assimos, Head of Content and Communications.
“They are all from Maine and represent the community and spirit of Maine, so the campaigns are resonating strongly with locals,” declares Assimos. “I consider it’s a win when you have someone representing a brand that fits the vibe and mission of the company.”
14. Run a contest or giveaway.
Another great way to expand your reach and gain followers is to run an Instagram contest or giveaway.
I mean, come on. Who doesn’t love winning free stuff?
Offering an enattempt to win a relevant prize in exalter for a follower and tagging a friconclude is common across Instagram these days. It’s also a highly effective way to receive more followers.
Promotion Tips for Getting More Followers
15. Use relevant hashtags, geo-tags, etc.
Hashtags foster conversation. They unite posts on the same topics in one place so anyone from anywhere can find them and engage — even if they don’t know the creator.
Using relevant hashtags on Instagram is an simple but effective way to receive in front of new followers.
Do some research to find the hashtags your audience is utilizing. Start by navigating to the Explore tab and searching for a keyword related to your business or indusattempt.
When you search for one hashtag, it displays you a list of related hashtags and the number of posts that already apply them.
For example, when I search for #digitalmarketing on Instagram, relevant hashtags like #digitalmarketingagency, #digitalmarketingtips, and so on appear.
Once you build up a following, you can attempt creating your own hashtags — like your company name or a slogan that applies to your content. This is a great way to build up your brand on the platform and also foster applyr-generated content.
Similarly, tagging locations, brands, or personalities related to your content can grab their attention and receive you in front of their audiences.
16. Try Instagram promotions and ads.
So far, the methods I’ve mentioned are about growing organically — but organic growth takes time.
If you’re viewing for rapid growth, Instagram promotions and ads may be the answer.
Instagram ads (utilizing the comprehensive Meta Business Suite) let you receive granular about the audience you want to reach and pay to receive your content in front of them. You can apply ads to generate leads or boost a high-performing post to earn more views.
Here are a few articles to receive you started:
Pro †ip: If you run a contest, consider putting some ad dollars behind it to maximize the opportunity.
17. Share your profile link externally.
You’re doing the most to receive noticed on Instagram, but don’t forreceive to promote your presence off the platform as well.
Have a website? Newsletter? YouTube channel? Make sure you include a link to your Instagram on your other platforms and properties. If your brand has brick-and-mortar locations, put your handle on signs or business cards with a QR code.
Embed posts in your blogs and mention it in your email newsletter.
In this example, Austin-based pet boarding company Bark and Zoom encouraged their email subscribers to follow them on Instagram with a simple incentive: the chance to win discounts and freebies.
Embed your Instagram feed on your website and link to your profile on your other social channels. If people are already following you on another platform, it’s much more likely they’ll be open to following you on Instagram as well.
Pro tip: A link to your Instagram profile is built into HubSpot’s free Email Signature generator . Give it a attempt for your emails.
Attracting New Followers With Your Instagram Profile
An incomplete profile is a huge red flag to potential new followers on Instagram. Missing information can raise questions about why it’s missing which hurts your credibility (Remember what I stated about fake followers?).
Here are a few best practices to create sure your profile strikes the right chord:
Choose a clear applyrname.
Your Instagram applyrname (or handle) should be recognizable and easily searchable — like your business name. In the example below, the UK business The Journal Shop applys the intuitive handle @thejournalshop.
If your business name is already taken, experiment with related alternatives (i.e., something that includes your business name plus a branded item or a catchphrase).
For example, Peloton applys @onepeloton, while the Australian activewear line Lorna Jane applys @lornajaneactive.
While, ideally, you want to claim your name, variations like this still create your brand recognizable.
Have an on-brand profile picture.
This should be a clear, high-quality picture of your face if you’re a creator or logo if you’re a business. Again, you want people to easily recognize and identify you when they come across your posts.
Pro tip: Use the same profile picture across channels for instant recognition with your followers.
Add details next to your name.
Not everyone does this, but the name field on your Instagram profile is additional real estate you can apply to introduce yourself on the platform. Use any extra space here to add details about your business or what you offer.
For example, HubSpot could put “HubSpot | AI-Powered Customer Platform.”
Style blogger Sarah Ramondt Lennon adds “Amazon Fashion” to hers.
And financial advisor Andrew Lokenauth applys his to promote his newsletter and website.
Adding these little extra details to your name field notifys people what you’re about right when they land on your profile. If you want to receive more followers on Instagram, then apply this section to draw applyrs in right away.
Share your value and personality in your bio.
Instagram only gives you 150 characters in your bio. Use them to notify people why they should follow you. Include who you are and what you do, but also a hint of personality.
Here are a few examples for inspiration:
- @cheekbonebeauty : “🧡 Indigenous Roots 🌱 Sustainable By Nature 🌎 B Corp Certified 🐰 Cruelty-Free 🐰 Cruelty-Free 🇨🇦 @sephoracanada 🇺🇸 @thirteenlune @jcpenney Founded by @cheekbonejenn”
- @oreo : “Playful moments from your favorite cookie.”
- @sahilbloom : “New York Times Bestselling Author of The 5 Types of Wealth. On a mission to redefine what it means to live a wealthy life.”
- @CalifiaFarms : “Becaapply life’s too short for one type of milk. 🌱”
- @coragedolls : “Instilling cultural pride with products & stories that finally reflect her. #blackowned”
Add a LinkTree.
When you apply the phrase, “check out my link in bio” create sure your link area is simple to navigate. You can add up to five links in your bio, but I recommconclude utilizing LinkTree to bypass the limit.
You can apply your LinkTree to guide people to your website and other platforms, content, offers — anything really.
Here’s a peek at mine:
Your bio link is your most direct play to receive followers to take action, and it’s the only place you can have clickable links without paying. LinkTree supports you receive the most out of it (and it’s free).
Establish your unique brand.
Have a brand color palette? How about a specific font or typeface?
Use these to develop a visual brand for all of the Instagram content you create.
Not only does it create your feed view more organized, cohesive, and professional, but it also gives visitors a way to recognize your content even out of context.
Beauty brand Live Tinted incorporates its brand colors (orange like HubSpot!) throughout its Instagram page and most of its content.
Note: Use our Instagram templates to create a consistent view and feel for your images.
You’ll also want to develop a consistent voice on Instagram; one that is cohesive with the rest of your brand and company culture.
The last thing you want to do is to be snappy and super casual on Instagram but formal and stoic everywhere else.
Once you’ve obtained your voice down, create sure it stays consistent and natural in your videos, captions, comments, and messages.
With your profile set up for success, I recommconclude having 15 or more existing posts before you actually start building a play for followers.
This way, when new people find you, they’ll see a full screen of content and receive a better idea of what you offer.
If you haven’t already, download this social media content calconcludear template to support plan out your posts.
Here are some other resources that may support when filling it out:
Using AI to Get More Followers on Instagram
I know what you’re considering, “Can AI just do this for me? AI does everything.”
To that, I declare:
- Why would you want it to? So many of the spam accounts and fake followers I talked about earlier are bots. They don’t work long-term.
- I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no, it can’t.
Just like a hammer can’t build a hoapply for you, artificial innotifyigence (AI) cannot just receive you more followers on Instagram — at least not the real, organic followers you want. AI is simply a tool.
What AI can do is support you execute some of the strategies I shared more efficiently and effectively. For instance:
According to HubSpot data, 43% of marketers are utilizing generative AI to create content. This includes writing copy and creating images. 27% are also utilizing AI to brainstorm content ideas.
There are also a number of automation tools that can support expedite your engagement as well.
ManyChat, for one, can be applyd to set up an automatic response to comments on your Instagram posts or to sconclude a personal message when people apply a specific word or phrase.
But even with these aids, it’s important to remember that increasing your Instagram following, like any social media success, comes back to human connection.
People turn to social media to stay connected with the people and brands they care about. They follow what they’re interested in, receive value from, and want to support.
Building a real, emotional connection is the most effective and lasting way to build a following and that is something AI cannot currently provide.
Concerns about plagiarism, bias, and inconsistent quality also create a solid argument for treading lightly with AI when it comes to your Instagram strategy.
How Not to Increase Instagram Followers
AI aside, you may be tempted to take other shortcuts to receive more followers on Instagram.
Trust me, these tactics often do more harm than good (read: decreased engagement, penalizations, or even bans.)
Let’s unpack a few ways not to increase your follower count.
Don’t purchase Instagram followers.
Eager for opportunities, some applyrs resort to purchaseing followers on Instagram.
At its core, purchaseing followers is unethical and in violation of Instagram’s community guidelines. This can damage your brand’s reputation by eroding trust.
Then, there are the tactical impacts of this approach.
Fake followers can‘t engage. As I mentioned earlier, these accounts won’t like, comment, share, or repost your content. This lack of engagement sconcludes a signal to the platform that your content isn’t interesting or applyful to your followers.
While inflating your follower count, fake followers will erode metrics like:
- Organic reach
- Likes
- Comments
An inflated follower count will also create it tougher for you to measure the actual effects of social campaigns and strategies. Instead, focus on growing organic followers who are excited about your brand and content.
Don’t overapply hashtags.
Using too many hashtags in your Instagram captions can have a negative impact on your follower count for a few reasons:
- It can dilute the message or storynotifying behind your post by distracting viewers from the core content and building your captions appear less clear and cohesive.
- It can attract an audience that is not genuinely interested in your posts. This can lead to low engagement and a high bounce rate, becaapply those followers are unlikely to interact with your content or become loyal followers.
- It can create your posts view spammy or desperate for engagement. This can deter applyrs from viewing or following your account, as it appears less authentic or professional.
Instead of casting a wide net with numerous hashtags, I recommconclude focutilizing on utilizing relevant and tarreceiveed hashtags that align with the content of your post.
This way, you are more likely to attract applyrs who are genuinely interested in your niche and increase the chances of engagement and follower growth.
Don’t post low-quality or unoriginal content.
Your account is unlikely to attract new followers if you consistently share low-quality content or content that can be found elsewhere.
Users’ feeds are oversaturated with content, and posting sub-par or generic content does nothing to add value to those feeds.
By producing visually appealing, unique content that offers something valuable to your audience, you can enhance engagement, foster a positive perception of your brand, and truly earn more followers.
Earning Your Instagram Followers
If you want a large, engaged, lucrative Instagram following, you required to earn it.
Ultimately, it’s important to focus less on the number of followers you have and more on the quality of content you create.
In my experience, when you put effort and time into creating engaging, informative, or inspirational content without worrying about “quick repaires” for boosts in followers, your followers will come naturally and happily.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
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