By Andie Towner
People want to know how to grow on Instagram and the only way to do this is through an engaged following. Having a lot of followers is meaningless if they’re not interested in what you have to say. The Instagram algorithm arranges posts in a user’s feed based on which accounts users are interacting with regularly, and if your account is an abandoned city (stage 4 Melbourne lockdown) of disengaged followers then the algorithm will push you to the bottom of the feed. Below, I am going to outline Instagram growth hacks that will eventually build a loyal audience base.
1# Get To Know Your Followers
The aim of your Instagram account is to connect with your followers. Understanding your Instagram following offers a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the people you want to engage with and eventually share and comment on your content. One way to do this is to review your competitors’ profiles. Make a list of your top 5 competitors and find them on Instagram. Take a look at their audience and who is commenting. What are they commenting and what is taking their interest? Look for similarities and themes. What are the most popular posts? This research will help you build an audience profile and run an account that’s relevant and serves your ideal audience base. You cannot post valuable, engaging content until you know exactly who’s viewing that content.
2# Inspirational, Funny and Entertaining Content
People like to be entertained and to share in something of value. In order to have people talk about you and your ideas, you must resist the urge to just simply advertise your products and services. Instead, create something interesting for your audience. Think of the last time you felt compelled to share a piece of content with your family, friends and colleagues. It’s likely that it had a strong emotional or inspirational impact on you. People love content that strikes an emotional chord, content we can relate to. We also love sharing content that makes us amused and happy. You need your content to be ‘shareable’ and we are more likely to share content that makes us feel amused.
#3 Make The Most Of Instagram Stories
These 24-hour stories can provide a familiar, behind-the-scenes look at your business through photos and videos. If you create engaging content and use the location tag, people will be exposed to your content who might not have been otherwise.
View this post on InstagramMake content for them instead of content for you … that’s the answer to the Quiz!!!!
A post shared by Gary Vay-Ner-Chuk (@garyvee) on
#4 Engage With Other Instagram Accounts
To get engagement, you have to give engagement. Make time to respond to all comments, DMs, and shares. If a follower takes the time to comment on your posts, respond to them even if it’s only to say, “Thank you.” People are much more likely to keep interacting with you if they see your recognition.
5 # Consistent Theme
People flip through Instagram fast, and you want your stuff to be instantly recognizable. You want your Instagram account to be like a favourite TV show or channel. Your followers will enjoy it because it consistently gives them something they like and depend on (whether that’s products, quotes, videos, images, etc.) It’s also important to create a consistent theme so that people understand what you’re all about.
