How to get more Instagram followers

Here’s what you should do if you want to really boost your following on Instagram and get followers that really value your content.

Use geotags to engage locals

Through Instagram your can reach people all over the world. And that’s great! But maybe you’re not that type of business. Maybe you want to target a more specific, local audience. That’s when Instagram geotags come in handy.

Let’s take a look first at what an Instagram geotag really is. Geolocations are gathered from your physical location, based on where your mobile phone is.

How does this actually work technically? Well, this information can in fact be obtained in many different ways, for example through your IP address or through cell phone towers, WiFi access points, GPS coordinates or a combination of these.

In your smartphone settings, you can choose whether to let the Instagram app access your geolocation.

There are a number of different ways to use geotags in Instagram. Besides adding your location to your regular feed posts, you can also add location stickers to your stories.

Mention ’em often

Having a nice-looking photo isn’t always enough, you need a good caption too. The caption can be what sets your image or video apart from everyone else’s. It’s important because it gives you a chance to provide a context to your post. So don’t just add 30 hashtags and a generic description, put some thought and effort into your caption.

And while we’re speaking of captions. Use them to mention other people that are relevant for your post. But avoid overdoing it, only use mentions when you really have someone to mention.

Be creative! Ask questions directly to some of your most important brand advocates, using mentions in the captions section.

Tag people in your photo

Tagging other people in a photo or video is another great way to extend your reach. Make sure you only tag relevant accounts and avoid tagging the same accounts each time, as it can be perceived as spammy.

How to do it: After you’ve prepared your photo or video and added filters, tap Tag People from the screen where you write the caption. Tap on someone in the photo and choose the person you want to tag. You can move the tag to a different place in the photo if you want. Click Done.

Focus on smaller hashtags

Using the right hashtags is one of the best ways to increase your following on Instagram. By using relevant hashtags, you extend your reach and allow new people to discover your content. But stay away from the largest and most overused hashtags.

If you want to avoid spam bots and reach users who are really interested in your content, you will benefit more from using niche specific hashtags. When using hashtags with several hundreds of thousands of posts or more, your images will drown in minutes.

Smaller and medium-sized accounts will benefit the most from hashtags, but if you already have a massive following, using hashtags is less relevant. Profiles with huge followings are more likely to appear in the “Explore” section due to already having high engagement on their posts.

Tip: Always check how popular a hashtag is before using it. In the app you can check how many posts are associated with a certain hashtag. It takes a little time but it’s worth the extra effort. Save a set of hashtags that you will be using on a regular basis.

To avoid appearing too often in the same hashtags, which can be the case if you’re using the more niche specific ones, save several different sets that you can alter between.

Promote your stories through ads

Did you know you can use Instagram Stories for advertising and to promote content? Yes, it’s true. And while ads are not in general a good way to increase engagement, it’s a good way to extend your reach.

We’re not talking about paid followers here or targeted “follow us” ads, we’re talking about interactive and interesting content that makes people want to follow you by their own free will.

The ephemeral format is great for engaging your audience as it allows them to swipe through the frames, pause or click and tap through them. When you utilize the interactive nature of Instagram Stories when you create your ads, you’ll get the most out of this new feature.

In Facebook Business Manager you can create carousel ads with Instagram Stories and include up to three photos or videos per ad. Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to create ads for Instagram Stories through Business Manager.

Engage in others content

If you want others to engage in your content, you need to engage in theirs too. Choose some of the most important hashtags for your brand or business and follow them on a regular basis to see what’s new in your industry.

Always check the most recent posts and the top posts for your top five to ten most important hashtags. Only comment on the most interesting or relevant content and make sure your comments are of good quality.

Just liking photos randomly will appear as spammy and your account might in worst case get temporarily or permanently blocked or suspended. Post quality comments, not just an emoji or a single word.

When you engage in others content, you’re more likely to get discovered by new potential followers in an organic way, and that’s what you want.

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