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​Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. With more than a billion users, Instagram gives your brand an audience that can consume your content and transform them into brand influencers, ambassadors, and even customers. Instagram is a platform that’s rife with potential.
So before we get into how you could increase your followers on Instagram, let’s look at some useful Instagram statistics.
Instagram Statistics

1. Instagram users are younger than 34 in 64% of cases.
2. In July 2022, Instagram's 1.440 billion users may be reached by advertisers, ranking it fourth among the most 'active' social media networks in the world.
3. Every day, 4.2 billion Instagram posts are liked by users.
4. Instagram business account posts typically have an engagement rate of 0.83%.

Instagram's most active users are in India (201 million), the United States (157 million), and Brazil (115 million).
All of this is a clear indication of the range of possibilities and potential that Instagram provides. 
Let’s now look into how followers can be increased on Instagram.

How to Increase Followers on Instagram1:

1. Take Advantage of Your Bio
A warm and engaging bio is the first thing people see when they get to your Instagram page. In a way, it’s like a homepage of your brand. The bio gives people an idea about what your brand is all about. The bio should also include a link to your website or the latest content for easy accessibility. You can also add relevant hashtags to your bio to further pique the interest of visitors. A good bio goes a long way.

2. Use Relevant Hashtags for Your Content
Hashtags can introduce your content to a brand new audience. Use branded hashtags (hashtags specific to your brand) or hashtags relevant to your target audience. The more relevant users find your hashtags, the more likely they are to follow your brand.

3. Post Your Content at the Right Time
Doing this will ensure increased visibility for your brand. According to research by sprout social, in the pre-COVID era, the best time to post on Instagram was at 11 AM on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, and 2 PM on Tuesday.

4. Steal Followers from Your Competitors
You can steal followers from your competitors by engaging with them. Considering how users have already followed your competitor, they represent a high-quality audience that could become your brand’s ambassadors. Engage with customers by following them, liking, and commenting on their content. The more you engage with them, the more likely you are to develop your brand.

5. Use Geotags for Local Discoverability
By tagging your location on your content or stories, people searching for that location can come across your content. It can help promote your business locally, to the relevant audience. You can also contribute your posts and stories related to that location.

6. Use Instagram Stories
Instagram stories enable you to increase your followers and grow your user base. It can increase your brand’s authenticity. It can also increase interactivity and give your users a behind-the-scenes look at your brand. You can endorse your blogs, your posts, post relevant industry, and so on.

7. Highlight Important Stories
The highlight feature of stories will enable you to organize your stories to tell them what your brand is all about. Thanks to the short life of stories, highlights give your content a second life and encourages the users to follow your brand. Being a kind of archive, stories can be categorized for easier use. 

8. Ask For Followers
People may enjoy your content, but don’t necessarily follow your brand yet. What they need is a small push. This can be done by asking users to follow you. You can also work these into your captions and in the comments section, thus urging people to follow and engage with your brand.

9. Stay Updated With Latest Trends
You can increase engagement and visibility by keeping in touch with popular trends. Align your content and hashtags with the relevant trends. However, make sure your content is presented in a meaningful way and is something that your audience might be interested in.

10. Run Contests and Giveaways
By running contests and giveaways, you can attract a higher number of people to your brand’s page. Some of the things you can do are: asking users to like, share, comment, use a specific hashtag, tag a friend, and so on.

11. Stay Consistent with Posts
Ensure your posts follow a consistent schedule, and follow a theme. You can schedule your posts to create an engaging theme and tell users a story you want to tell. Scheduling posts also ensures that you can come up with content in advance, rather than winging it. 

12. Keep Track of Your Instagram Followers
Ensure that you keep track of your growth (or the lack thereof). Data analytics from Instagram gives you insight on where your shortcomings are, and where there is scope to improve. You can also grow your brand, by identifying what works in the successful posts. 

13. Develop Your Style
Create a visual style that will enable you to stand out in front of your audience. With this, you can create a unique style for your brand that users can recognize instantly. This style becomes a part of your brand identity, which in turn, boosts brand recall.

14. Use User-Generated Content
UGC (User-Generated Content) can help improve the authenticity of your brand and further humanizes your brand. This, by extension, helps improve your relationship with your audience. Users could be asked to post images relating to a unique hashtag, tag their friends, etc. 

15. Use High-Quality Images and Videos
Images of the highest quality, that are original and authentic must be used. Ensuring this can help the users to develop a personal relationship with the images. Video content needs to be fun, concise, and informative to ensure that users don’t lose interest. 

16. Promote Your Content on Other Social Media Channels
What's the point of your social media platform if you don’t use them? You can promote your Instagram profile on other social media platforms. Promoting your page on offline events like print ads and other events goes a long way.

17. Use Keywords to Appear in Searches
To improve discoverability, Instagram advises using appropriate keywords in post captions. It is due to a change in how search results are shown. Previously, search results included just relevant accounts, hashtags, and locations. The keyword results pages intended for browsing are now included in search results.

18. Design a Gorgeous Instagram Grid
Your grid is a chance to present your vibe or brand to someone following you for the first time or visiting your profile to look at your stuff. The grid creates the first impression for visitors and gives you a bird's-eye look at a user's posting history.

​Conclusion
In this article on ‘how to increase followers on Instagram’, we covered topics like important statistics of Instagram, and some tips and tricks like taking advantage of your bio, using appropriate hashtags, scheduling posts, using Instagram ads, using geotags, using Instagram tools, and so on. 
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Instagram is the foundation of so many brands’ social presence. The platform is proven to drive traffic, support sales and engage customers.
And that’s why 59% of marketers plan to up their investment in Instagram this year.
But if you’re not thrilled with your Instagram growth and engagement, you’re not alone.
Competition on the platform is fierce as more and more brands get on board. Thing is, taking steps to grow your audience is absolutely worth it. That’s because the bigger your audience, the more opportunities to delight your customers.
Ready to tweak your presence to attract authentic and organic Instagram followers? This post breaks down how to make it happen.
10 ways to increase Instagram followersBefore we get into the nitty-gritty, this post is about building an organic following.
And yes, the distinction matters!
Some brands want to take shortcuts when it comes to trying to get more Instagram followers. We don’t pretend that pay-for-play sites exist.
That said, these services aren’t worth it for brands long-term. The Instagram algorithm weeds out low-quality accounts and phony engagement from paid bots.
But we’ll bite: there’s definitely some legwork involved in growing your audience authentically.
Doing so it worth totally worth it, though. Read or watch the video below for our best tips on getting more Instagram followers the right way.
1. Optimize your Instagram accountBefore you worry about how to get followers, consider how your Instagram account is set up first.
Ask yourself: does your profile “look the part?” For starters, consider your:

• Your Instagram bio (including your slogan, tagline and/or a branded hashtag)
• Your profile picture
• Your bio link (and where it points to)

These details define your brand identity on Instagram. More importantly, they impact your account’s discoverability. Building a follower-friendly account means:

• Having a search-friendly username. Stick to either your brand name or whatever’s closest to your existing social handles. If your name is too long, shorten it to a variation your audience would recognize (ex: Cold Stone Creamery’s account is @coldstone).
• Making your profile picture professional. An appropriately-sized logo is ideal. Any text in your profile picture should be legible on a smartphone screen.
• Minding where you point your bio link. This is crucial for turning Instagram followers into meaningful traffic or customers. It’s your only way to funnel social traffic to your site and promotions.

Linking to your homepage is fine but not always ideal. To encourage more meaningful interactions, a social landing page that points to multiple links can help.
This gives your audience total control of how they engage your business next. That means a better experience for your followers.
2. Keep a consistent content calendarMomentum matters on Instagram. In other words, you likely won’t get followers on Instagram if you post at random.
Creating content and providing value is what builds your audience. Doing so consistently is what helps you keep them. Don’t let your Instagram account gather cobwebs.
That’s why sticking to a regular posting schedule is crucial.  In terms of when and how much to post, you don’t have to stick to a set-in-stone number. Most brands post daily or near daily. This tracks our own research on how often to post as well.
For reference, below is a breakdown of the best times to post to Instagram.  “Optimal” engagement is during the mid-to-late morning and early afternoons during the week.
If you’re worried about your posts not getting seen enough, we get it. Consider how features like Stories can get more eyes on your content if it wasn’t seen the first time.
3. Schedule Instagram posts in advanceThere’s no denying that brands are at the mercy of the Instagram algorithm for reach. Still, posting at the right times can still give your posts more visibility. Anything you can do to maximize engagement is a plus.
This speaks to the value of scheduling Instagram content. With Sprout’s newest tools, brands can schedule Stories, Carousels, Reels and Posts.
Scheduling content in advance ensures control and organization. Instagram scheduling tools ultimately help you hit that cadence we mentioned earlier. The ability to crosspost content from other networks helps here, too.

Perfect your Instagram content plan with Sprout Social
In addition to scheduling a complete picture of your Instagram content calendar, Sprout offers even more features to perfect your brand’s feed.
Share IG-approved visuals with your team using our Asset Library, or test out our grid preview feature to make sure every aspect of your presence is true to your brand style.

4. Engage with customers, brand advocates and influencersFiguring out how to get more Instagram followers means engaging your audience.
And one of the best ways to do that is through responding to and republishing their posts.
Enter the power of user-generated content. UGC campaigns build social proof by showing followers you’re invested in them. For example, Drunk Elephant regularly regrams their followers’ posts. They gather content with their #BareWithUs and #DrunkBreak hashtags.
Partnering with influencers with an established following is another way to grow your own audience. Content creators can get your brand in front of your target audience and build ongoing awareness for your products.
5. Avoid fake Instagram followersThere’s a big difference between fake and legitimate followers on Instagram.
We get it, too. For the sake of quick growth, it might be tempting to purchase followers.
But the drawbacks outweigh the benefits 100%. Why? Because fake Instagram followers…

• Confuse your potential organic followers. An inactive, low-engagement account with a big following is suspicious. This can be a turn-off for fans that’d otherwise follow you and engage.
• Provide no monetary value to your business. Think about it. Your bot followers can’t buy your stuff, can they? 
• Generate no buzz: If you have 10,000 fake followers, how many are going to engage with your posts? Does it really even matter if your posts are brimming with spam comments?

Real people have the ability to share, like, comment and engage with your Instagram posts. Additionally, real followers actually appreciate the time you spend interacting with them. Demonstrating this kind of authenticity is much more powerful and long-lasting, rather than resorting to buying instagram likes or other ineffective tactics.For example, Lush Cosmetics takes the time to answer questions and engage followers all the time. This results in customers regularly returning to share shout-outs and positive comments.
6. Showcase your Instagram everywhere you canDon’t be shy about promoting your Instagram if more followers are your goal.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to promoting your ‘gram, either. Here are a few ideas:

• Add social media icons to your website and marketing emails. Social media icons make it easier for people to find your business and help you connect with customers.
• Feature an Instagram feed on your homepage or product pages. Many ecommerce brands have dedicated UGC feeds on-site (see below).
• Reshare Instagram-specific content or announcements on other social channels. For example, you could talk about an upcoming IG Live via TikTok or Facebook.

7. Post content that followers actually want to seeEasier said than done, we know.
Filters. Captions. Content types. Post times. That doesn’t even scratch the surface.
There are so many variables to consider, right? It doesn’t help that Instagram’s algorithm is fickle. What works for one brand might not work for the next in terms of format and timing.
For example, some brands swear by Carousels. Others are all-in on Reels. Both approaches can work. You’ll quickly find on Instagram that some content performs better than others. This is why testing is so important.
Instagram’s native analytics are surprisingly powerful. 

Be confident in your content strategy by analyzing those variables we mentioned earlier.
And if you’re unsure where to start, try analyzing your competitors. A staggering 90% of brands say that social media data helps them keep up with competing social accounts.
You obviously shouldn’t copycat your competitors. That said, you can take notes on what they’re doing or posting that drives engagement.  
Oh, and keep your ear to the ground with new Instagram trends. That way you won’t miss out on platform-wide opportunities to hop on trending content formats.
For example, Reels are popping off right now. Our data shows that 66% of consumers want to see more short-form videos from brands. In terms of trends, Reels should be on your radar.

8. Make meaningful conversation with your audienceFood for thought: 60% of marketers use Instagram as a service channel.
The platform is perfect for going back and forth with followers. Likewise, many popular post ideas center around asking questions and engaging in a dialogue for a reason.
Being supportive and responding promptly shows people that you care.
You’d be surprised at how your Instagram followers increase once you start acting more personable. Our Index research shows that 89% of consumers will buy from a brand after following them on social. Every interaction counts.
Again, try to respond to as many questions or comments as possible. Doing so could make or break someone becoming a long-term follower or a customer.
9. Find hashtags where your followers hang outInstagram hashtags have been a staple of the platform, like, forever.
That said, they don’t hold as much weight as they used to.
Dumping hashtags into your posts isn’t going to net you any new followers. Especially when there’s so much noise on the platform.
Be proactive by focusing on industry-specific hashtags relevant to your customers. For example, Lashify regularly posts content to the #LashEducation hashtag. Tags are less general and competitive than #beauty. Becoming more visible within these types of tags is meaningful for brands in the right niche.
Understanding how your hashtags perform on Instagram is critical. With Sprout Social’s hashtag analytics tools, you have direct access to in-depth performance and usage data. Figuring out which hashtags to use is just a few taps away.
10. Take steps to delight your Instagram followersWhen you make your Instagram followers happy, you’ll see the payoff in audience growth. The best Instagram accounts have fans and communities (hint: not just followers).
The tips below are the building blocks for a follower-friendly account. Put them into practice in a way that aligns with your brand voice and values. Avoid coming across as needy,  solesy sales-driven or robotic at all costs.
So much of how to get Instagram followers for free is about creating an authentic community. For many accounts, this means building customer relationships. Content that highlights your personality and the humans behind your brand is a plus. This includes:

• Inspirational content
• Humorous content
• Re-sharing UGC with unique captions
• Storytelling posts
• Behind-the-scenes photos and videos
• Posts that raise awareness for social causes

How to get more Instagram followers (the wrong way!)
As the social space becomes more crowded and competitive, brands are willing to take risks for the sake of instant results.
We’ll say it again: brands shouldn’t buy Instagram followers. Nobody should!
Why you shouldn’t buy followers on InstagramHere are some reasons why buying followers to grow your account is a serious mistake.
Your real followers know what fake followers look likeSocial consumers are getting savvier. Privacy concerns and social scammers have made people hyper-aware of weird activity. In short, people today are spam-detectors.
A sudden follower spike is a red flag. Not to mention having bots stink up your account with endless spam followers. This all damages your reputation and keeps you from growing an authentic Instagram following.
Fake followers bring nothing to the tableYou’re probably worried about your Instagram metrics and understandably so.
That said, your follower count doesn’t mean much if your “followers” don’t drive engagement. You might look “bigger” at a glance but who cares? Consider how your engagement rate on the platform will suffer if your follower count is inflated.
If nothing else, buying Instagram followers violates TOSNo surprises here.
Consider how Meta has taken direct action against buying engagement in the past. They’ve gone as far as to shut down companies that sell likes. That’s because this practice violates the platform’s terms of service:
Help us stay spam-free by not artificially collecting likes, followers, or shares, posting repetitive comments or content, or repeatedly contacting people for commercial purposes without their consent.
How are you growing your Instagram following?Listen: getting more followers on Instagram isn’t going to happen by accident.
And despite what you might have heard, there’s no silver bullet solution for making it happen.

If you’re just starting with Instagram for your business, the first step is to tighten the nuts and bolts of your Instagram presence. Here are five essential things to get right before moving to more advanced practices:
1. Avoid buying fake followers like the plagueWhen websites sell 1,000 Instagram followers for the cheap pricing of $12.99 (yes, those are real figures), it’s enticing to snag a quick win to inflate your follower count. But purchasing fake followers does more harm than good:

• Instagram actively discourages and purges accounts that engage in fraudulent activities
• Fake followers are bots and not real people — they don’t engage with your account authentically or convert into customers
• You destroy your credibility and lose trust among your audience — which will make them unfollow you

Purchasing engagement such as views and comments or participating in engagement groups is equally futile at growing your Instagram account. You don’t just want a huge number of followers for the sake of it, you want to grow a meaningful community.
2. Embed keywords into your username and nameThe Instagram algorithm prioritizes search results containing keywords in the name and username.

• Your username is your Instagram handle (your profile’s @name): Keep this the same as your company’s name and/or consistent with your profile’s username on other social channels to be instantly identifiable.
• Your name is your company’s name (or anything you like): Add relevant keywords here to improve your visibility.

For example, Ursa Major adds “skincare” in its name on Instagram to make the company easier to find when someone searches for skincare brands and solutions.
Adding a relevant keyword is also an opportunity to tell who you are and what you sell to potential customers at a glance — since it’s the first thing someone sees when they land on your profile.

⚠️ Remember: Add only one or a maximum of two relevant keywords to your name. Stuffing them can come across as spammy.
3. Optimize your Instagram bioThere are four elements you need to nail to unlock the perfect Instagram bio:

• A straightforward description of what you do and/or what you sell
• A stroke of brand personality
• A clear call to action
• A link

Your Instagram bio is only 150 characters. But it’s what makes or breaks your first impression on potential followers and customers. The science behind Instagram bios is to make them clear, creative, and complete. Anyone reading it should instantly know what your company does, how it can help them, and where they can learn more.

Odd Giraffe, a personalized stationery brand, hits the nail on the head with their Instagram bio.
For starters, their “Hello, paper person,” not only gives its bio a slash of character that’s uniquely them but also filters out who they’re speaking to: Someone who likes stationery. The following line is a crystal clear call to action that highlights what they sell and how they differentiate themselves (100+ designs).

⚡Pro-tip: Track which call to action drives the most clicks on Instagram. Crafting the perfect Instagram bio for your business involves examining different iterations to see what ‘clicks’ with your potential followers.

The link in bio is your chance to redirect your audience to an external page. You can add your company’s website or keep updating it based on your recent posts. But if you want to go the extra mile, use link in bio tools like Buffer’s Start Page to combine all your URLs into one. Look how photographer Ryan Johnson does this using Buffer:
Not just this: You can also customize the Start Page as much as you like to make it on-brand and track how each link is performing.
4. Cross-promote your Instagram handle on other channelsRedirecting potential customers from other channels to your Instagram profile is a lightweight strategy to make yourself discoverable and boost your following quickly.
For example, at Buffer we add our Instagram link on our website footer.
No one should have to manually go and search for you on Instagram if they already follow you in other places. Add your Instagram account’s link to:

• Your product packaging
• Your blogs (when relevant)
• Marketing and transactional emails
• Your website’s footer and/or sidebar
• Social media posts from team members
• Your and your employees’ email signature
• Bios on other social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube
• Networking events and webinars (Use your profile’s Instagram QR code for in-person events)

Your Instagram link doesn’t have to be big and flashy. A small Instagram icon or your QR code works for most places.
5. Find your best times to post on InstagramWhat’s the best time to post on Instagram? When your audience is online.

There’s no one universal best time to share content on Instagram. Instead, aim to determine the ideal time to post for your followers.

How will you know when your audience is online? Instagram tells you through its insights in three simple steps.
Step 1: Tap “Insights” on your Instagram profile
Step 2: Scroll to “Your Audience”
Step 3: Tap “See all”
You’ll find your audience’s most active times at the bottom.
⚠️ Note: This feature is only available in the Instagram mobile app and not on the desktop.

Want to take it up a notch? Use Buffer’s analytics to determine the best times to post, the best types of posts, and the best post frequency. Buffer uses data from your previous posts and followers’ activity and organizes the numbers in a way that’s easy to understand.
Along with the time, also consider when your content is more relevant logically. A step-by-step video recipe will perform better post working hours when people cook. On the other hand, a coffee shop post might do better at the 2 PM afternoon slump.
Experiment with posting times to determine when you get the most reach and engagement.
How to get more followers for intermediate Instagram creatorsOnce you’ve set up your Instagram profile and followed the fundamental practices to grow your audience, you’re ready to move to more advanced methods. Here are five ways to achieve organic Instagram growth for your small business:
6. Build an Instagram marketing strategyHaving a clear idea of where Instagram fits into your overall social media marketing strategy will not only give you positive business results but also steer you in a laser-focused direction on what to post on Instagram.

But how do you create an Instagram growth strategy?
Step 1: Solidify your goals
Define whether you want to increase brand awareness, boost direct conversions, drive website traffic, or something else. Clarifying your goal dictates the content you post, your call-to-actions, and keeps your Instagram grid on-brand.
Step 2: Get a 360-view of your target audience
Knowing the basic demographics is crucial. But also go beyond that and deeply understand what your audience struggles with and how you can help them resolve their challenges using your Instagram content strategy.
Natasha Pierre — host of the Shine Online Podcast and a Video Marketing Coach for small businesses — says losing sight of your ideal follower in exchange for virality is the single biggest mistake creators make:
“People often focus so much on going viral and reaching as many people as possible that they lose sight of the ideal follower they're trying to reach. You could go viral today, and if you're reaching mostly the wrong people:
1) chances are it won't result in them following you, and
2) it would lead to a follower that's not an engaged community member if you're a creator or would never be a warm lead if you're a small business.
Taking the time to reflect on who your ideal follower is will help you create specific-to-them content which will not only result in better growth but quality new followers.”
Step 3: Define your brand voice and aesthetic
Craft a social media marketing voice that’s uniquely you so Instagram users can identify your posts without seeing the username.
Brand voice is hard to track or quantify, but it’s non-negotiable to be memorable. On Instagram, you can also define your aesthetic along with your brand voice. Use brand colors, stick to a consistent content theme, and have a personality.

⚠️ Remember: Your social media marketing voice shouldn’t differ vastly from your general brand voice. Reflect your company values on and off the app.
Step 4: Create content pillar themes and stick to them
Decide on a niche for your Instagram account. Have a few overarching topics you’ll post about, and don’t deviate from them too much. This has many benefits:

• You don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel for brainstorming content ideas
• Your Instagram community starts recognizing you for the type of content you create
• You don’t get distracted by the new, hot, shiny thing and keep revising your Instagram strategy

⚡Pro-tip: Do the best ideas come to you while doing the dishes or walking the dog? Use Ideas from Buffer to store thoughts whenever creativity sparks.
Step 5: Create a content calendar and post consistently
How often should you post on Instagram?
We recommend posting at least once daily — whether a carousel, a Reel, or a Story. Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, recommends posting two feed posts per week and two stories per day.
BROUGHT TO YOU BYPublish Flawlessly. Analyze Effortlessly. Engage Authentically.Buffer is the all-you-need social media toolkit that lets you focus on doing what you love for your business.
Get started for free nowBrock Johnson — an Instagram growth coach who grew to 400K followers in one year — says posting more frequently is the most surprising way to boost your Instagram following. But this often sounds like the route to creator burnout. Brock has a solution:
“Numerous studies have proven that the more you post, the more you grow. This, of course, feels unobtainable, unrealistic, and stressful, so I teach a strategy called "upcycling." Upcycling is essentially taking posts that you have shared in the past (and that performed well) and posting them again! Whether you are directly reposting the same content from before or creating an updated/tweaked version, it is likely to perform well again and take far less time, energy, and creativity to make!”

Batch content creating often comes to the rescue when creating a content calendar and posting schedule, but you often need to hop on trends to gain visibility — which means publishing Instagram posts on the go.
The ideal scenario is having a mix of scheduled and on-the-go posts. How to schedule Instagram posts? Use a scheduling tool like Buffer.
The best part? Buffer’s content calendar is visual, giving you a bird’s eye view of what you have coming up and the content gaps you need to fill.
7. Write compelling captionsIt’s enticing to skimp over Instagram captions when you’ve toiled to create the perfect carousel or video. But Instagram captions hold more weight than you think: They can either nudge someone to follow you or scroll past you without looking.

For example, wellness brand Cosmix doesn’t simply write, “shop on our website!” on its Instagram posts. It explains the ingredients used, how their products help specific issues, and mentions the studies that back up their claims.
Don’t mistake long for better though: Instagram captions perform best when they’re either very long or very short (20 characters vs. 2,000 characters), according to HubSpot’s 2023 Instagram Engagement Report.
Writing the perfect Instagram caption is more about understanding your audience and the context of your post than trying to hit a character count. If you’re writing an educational post, it makes sense to have a longer caption. But when you’re sharing an aesthetic product image, shorter is sweeter.
If coming up with cheeky captions isn’t your forte, try Buffer’s AI assistant to have a rough first draft in seconds. For example, if you’re a skincare brand and want to post about wearing sunscreen indoors, write it as a prompt for Buffer.
⚡Pro-tip: Remember to make the first line count whether you write a short or a long caption. You can only see one to two lines of the Instagram caption while scrolling your feed, so a headline that leaves a curiosity gap and stops the scroll is crucial.
8. Use relevant hashtagsThe right hashtags can expose your Instagram posts to a large and targeted audience.
How many hashtags should you use? The limit is up to 30, but Instagram recommends using only three to five hashtags.
But quantity isn’t where it’s at — you want to rank for your Instagram hashtags to make the most of them. Why? Many people follow hashtags to see posts about a topic or search for something specific. Your goal is to appear on the Explore page at first glance when someone uses your niche’s hashtag.
The right strategy is to use hashtags with a mix of popular and niche — this way, you don’t get lost in a sea of spam or remain hidden in your little corner of Instagram.

How do you find hashtags that’d appeal to your target audience? Use free hashtag generators to help you find relevant hashtags for your Instagram post. Add a few words about your image or video, and these tools will recommend the top hashtags that go well with it.
Curate a list of hashtags for your community and group them together using Buffer’s Hashtag Manager. For example, make a group of product-specific hashtags and another for niche or industry-specific hashtags. Select from your pre-saved groups on Buffer and add hashtags to your scheduled Instagram posts.
⚡Pro-tip: Use brand-specific hashtags to collate all user-generated content (UGC) about your small business in a single place. For example, we encourage our fans to use #BufferLove when discussing our products.
9. Understand your analyticsRegularly checking your Instagram analytics is key to understanding what’s working for you and what’s not. You might find that your audience responds best to entertaining Reels, but educational posts work best as carousels. Discovering trends guides your content creation strategy to get maximum return on investment from Instagram.
Instagram has native analytics on its app, but they’re pretty limited. You can’t see your individual post’s performance in a single window to analyze them side by side neither can you handpick metrics important to you. It’s better to use a third-party tool like Buffer’s analytics to get all the data at a glance and even make custom reports for stakeholders.
Which metric is the most important to track? It depends on your Instagram goals and strategy. For example, if you’re testing a new hashtag, knowing the number of new followers is more important than tracking likes from your current followers. But if you’re experimenting with posting times, keeping an eye on impressions is more important.
10. Collaborate with Instagram creators or other small businessesCollaborating with other creators via influencer marketing or partnerships with small businesses is a win-win because it exposes both parties to a new community. The critical bit is ensuring you partner with a company or creator who aligns with your values and whose followers’ demographics & interests overlap with your target audience.

For example, the period tracker app, Flo, collaborated with Charity Ekezie and created a sarcastic, funny, paid Instagram post to highlight the social initiative by the company where premium features are available free of charge in several countries from Ethiopia to Haiti.
These posts are shown on both accounts — meaning all followers of your creator partner will see the shared post (and, by extension, your Instagram profile and small business).
If influencers with over a hundred thousand followers are out of your budget, run a micro-influencer campaign. Smaller creators often have a tightly-knit community who trusts their recommendations.
How to find these influencers? You can go through a manual Google search or search using hashtags and keywords on Instagram. A smarter approach is to use influencer discovery tools like Modash to save time and find relevant creators.
It’s not necessary to restrict yourself to partnering with individual creators. You can also form partnerships with other small businesses — like LinkedIn and Headspace collaborated to create a post about recovering from job loss.
Instagram collab posts don’t necessarily have to be a shared post, either. You can also:

• Go live with a creator
• Do an Instagram account takeover
• Repost Instagram content from an influencer’s profile
• Post videos created by them natively on your brand account

How to get more followers on Instagram for prosMaybe you’re doing everything right and still not getting more followers on Instagram. Or perhaps you saw a surge and are now stuck for months in limbo. Here are three ways to get your groove back (or elevate it):
11. Experiment with different types of Instagram postsInstagram is no longer the photo app. The platform has introduced many formats, including Instagram Reels, pinned posts, Story Highlights, and carousel posts.
Which type of post will increase your Instagram engagement? Studies show Instagram carousels have the highest engagement, but it’s more complicated than that. Your audience might prefer Instagram Reels for bite-sized entertaining posts and carousel posts for everything educational.
If you feel your Instagram isn’t growing, experiment with different kinds of posts. It’s best to combine all the varieties, like the skincare brand 100percentpure.
⚡Pro-tip: Also experiment with different kinds of content, like reviving memes to fit your brand, hopping on trending audios, and talking in Reels. Use Instagram’s Trend Report and their creator account to keep a pulse on the Instagram algorithm and the new trends.
12. Talk to your audience in comments and StoriesEngage with your Instagram audience to understand their problems, answer their questions, and get content ideas.
Elise Darma — a pro Instagram educator for business owners — says speaking to your audience is an underutilized strategy to grow on Instagram (even when it’s obvious):
“Don't wait for everyone to come to you. The best hack ever is to proactively engage with other people on Instagram who are the kind of people your business helps. Imagine if you were at a cocktail party and wanted to make friends there. The smartest strategy wouldn't be to wait for everyone to come up to you; if you were to take the initiative to talk to people, introduce yourself, and ask them questions about themselves, you would leave that party with many more friends than if you didn't take that action.”
How do you talk to your audience on Instagram? The basic thing is responding to the comments and messages you receive — especially if it’s a question by a potential customer. The yogurt brand Chobani is a good example. They respond to almost every comment they receive.
Responding to each comment and DM isn’t realistic once you start receiving thousands of them, but do your best to answer all queries. Buffer’s engagement features make it easier — you can respond to comments from your desktop instead of cramping your hand using the mobile app.

Beyond comments and DMs, get active on Instagram Stories. There are so many features that can inspire amazing content ideas — like asking a question, interactive stickers, polls, countdowns, and even adding links. For example, nutrition brand Bulletproof does a weekly Q&A on their Instagram account to answer their audience’s most frequently asked questions about their products.
Don’t have the time or brainpower to whip up Instagram Story Ideas? Many Instagram Stories templates are available to help you save time and create aesthetic designs.

The best part about Stories? You can create a group of them and make Instagram Highlights — these remain in your profile forever instead of disappearing in 24 hours. Use them to create a go-to resource section answering all common customer queries to reduce the hindrance in selling your products on Instagram.
13. Get verified on InstagramHaving the coveted blue checkmark next to your Instagram account is a badge of instant credibility. It helps you stand out in search results, avoids impersonation, and even get higher engagement rates.

If your aim is to increase your Instagram growth rate, getting verified will undoubtedly help. But how do you get verified on Instagram? It’s simple: Buy a subscription through your Instagram profile — but there are certain eligibility requirements you have to meet, like adhering to Meta’s minimum activity requirements.