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With Instagram turning 10 in 2020 and having 1 billion active users every month, it is safe to say that this social networking app has grown exponentially from being a photo-posting app to providing a platform for many users to create a source of income and sales channel for their business. Having a large Instagram following can not only mean more sales but can lead to more views on the blog and building a stronger community for the brand. There are many ways to grow your audience on Instagram. Let us consider some of them

1. Have an Instagram strategy– To be effective at using any social media channel, you need to have a clear plan in place. More followers on Instagram do not lead to having a successful Instagram account. Gaining follower needs to be a part of your business strategy and your social marketing objectives. You need to list down your objectives to grow your Instagram followers

• Do you want to increase brand awareness?
• Are you looking to boost product sales?
• Do you want to drive traffic to your website?

Focussing on the business goals will ensure the consistency of the Instagram account and help in putting across a brand story that appeals to the prospective audience and help build and maintain the following.

2. Create a consistent brand story– It is important to create and maintain a consistent brand look and personality. The post should be recognizable at a glance. Even if the product portfolio is varied, the styling should be consistent with the look and feel of the brand.
3. Post regularly highly engaging and high-quality content– To remain visible, create interest amongst the audience, and grow the audience base, it is essential to post regularly. Ensure that every post on the Instagram grid is high quality and visually engaging. The content should generate interest in any new user who visits your profile which will lead to the higher following. A highly engaging good quality content also encourages people to like, comment and share the post, which helps in reaching new followers.
4. Use relevant hashtags to reach new users-Hashtags are a good way to get followers on Instagram. By including relevant hashtag can help users find content in the search or by simply clicking on a hashtag from another post. Instagram followers often follow hashtags and your content that has the same hashtag can appear in feeds of users who may not be following you on Instagram. Hashtags should be used wisely for them to be effective.
5. Like other people’s photos– Some activities lead to you getting in front of your target audience. One of such activities is liking photos of other people. It is a well-known fact that some of the most successful people on Instagram simply liked a lot of photos when they started. By liking photos on the same account helps in getting the attention of the user and they start to notice you.
6. Pin your best comments– One of the new features of Instagram is that it allows the user to pin up to three comments on each post. This can be included in the plan to gain more followers. Pinning your favourite comments from other users especially from those who create high engagement is very beneficial for you. This feature helps in creating opportunities for engagement and connection.
7. Promote your Instagram account on other networks– One of the easiest ways to get followers for free and for people to find you is by promoting your Instagram across other networks. If you have a following on another social network, let those followers know of your Instagram account. By sharing a link with the existing followers, you give them the option to check out your Instagram profile. If you are new to Instagram, make sure that there is content posted before the account is promoted. Highlighting some of your best Instagram posts on other social channels can help boost your following by helping your followers find and follow you on Instagram.
8. Embed Instagram posts in your blog– Embedded post are clickable and allow users to head directly to the post or the profile. By embedding Instagram posts in your blog, you can easily showcase your content and generate traffic for your Instagram account.
9. Post content that is meant to be re-shared– Create content that people would like to re-share in their stories. Any user can reshare the main feed posts in a Story. Since this is a clickable option, it makes it easy for anyone to click through to the original post. This provides an opportunity to expand reach to new followers.
10. Geotag your photos– By adding a location to your photos, you can increase the exposure for the images, and photos with location are known to have higher engagement than those without.
11. Get featured-Featured accounts are those Instagram accounts that curate and reshare other users’ content based on tagging or hashtag. Some of these accounts have a large following and when these users’ share on of your posts, it can direct new followers to your account. There is a feature account for every interest and niche on Instagram.
12. Tag relevant users and encourage others to tag you-Tag Instagram users that are featured in your photos with an @- mention in the caption or by using the tagging functionality with the post. Tagging someone urges them to engage with the post and share it with their followers. Another option is by tagging relevant users in the Instagram stories. When these users re-share the content as a part of their story, everyone who sees their story can see your name and can click on your account. You can also ask Instagram users to tag you. When you get tagged, their audience can see your handle and click on it to learn more. A bio is a great place for people to tag you.
13. Use interactivity features– Instagram stories have plenty of interactive features to get users engaged such as polls, questions, chat stickers. When the users come across your story from a location page or a hashtag, it provides an opportunity to engage with them and make them learn more about you and eventually following you.
14. Schedule your posts and stories– By scheduling your posts allows you to plan a consistent Instagram grid. It also allows enough time to create captions. Scheduling posts ensure that they are posted at a time to ensure higher engagement.
15. Learn from Instagram insights– Analytics tools of Instagram provides data on impressions for each post, its reach, and engagement. It also provides information on top posts, demographic information on the followers. Reviewing this data regularly will help identify the areas where you need to make adjustments to the strategy to help gain more followers.

Instagram is a competitive place, but there are still many ways that you can increase engagement. Use the tips above when planning and strategizing your content to see how the audience respond and grow your followers.