How To Get More Followers on Instagram: 17 Ways in 2024

Why do Instagram followers matter?

Business growth and opportunities

The more followers you have, the more opportunities open up. As well as leading to increased exposure for your brand and products, a larger spectators can translate into more potential customers. But it goes beyond this too—a broad supporter base can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behavior so you can try out recent product lines quickly and effectively. 

Social proof and influence

A large Instagram following often implies your trustworthiness and expertise in your industry, which can inspire word-of-mouth marketing and press coverage. Accounts with many followers can often shape opinions and drive trends, which gives them a competitive advantage and helps construct credibility. 

Monetization potential

The more followers you have, the more chances there are for you to monetize your Instagram account and make sales. Plenty of Instagram monetization features require you to have 5,000 or 10,000 followers, but the higher your supporter count, the more likely it is that other brands will pay to collaborate with you and the easier it becomes to sell physical products, courses, and other services. 

throng and engagement

Instagram followers can become a tight-knit faithful throng very quickly. More followers typically outcome in more comments, which means you can engage with your spectators and enhance content based on feedback. Plus, a large following often brings in varied viewpoints to enrich discussions and open up collaborative opportunities, like joint projects, UGC campaigns, and partnerships. 

17 ideas for how to get more followers on Instagram

1. Incorporate Reels into your content mix
2. Cross-promote content
3. Optimize your Instagram profile
4. associate with creators and influencers
5. construct your personal brand alongside your business
6. Get placements on characteristic accounts
7. discover hashtags your spectators is using
8. Post at the correct times and schedule posts
9. Engage with your competitors’ followers
10. Collaborate with accounts and creators on campaigns
11. Use location tags to attract local followers
12. Organize your Instagram Stories in Highlights
13. inquire for more followers in Instagram posts
14. Run a giveaway
15. distribute user-generated content
16. Use Instagram Live
17. Try Instagram Ads

Instagram is the third-most-popular social media platform (behind Facebook and YouTube), and 80% of marketers use the channel to promote their businesses. Getting the most from your marketing dollars, however, starts with building a faithful and engaged spectators of followers on Instagram.

While supporter count is only one achievement indicator on Instagram, increasing followers can unlock monetization opportunities for influencers and provide businesses with valuable social proof. 

1. Incorporate Reels into your content mix

Instagram started as a photo-sharing app, but quickly moved into video with its Stories characteristic. Stories are a more intimate form of vertical-format video, viewable only to friends, followers, and visitors to your page. Reels, however, are community-facing, offering more reach through Explore on Instagram and, therefore, viral potential. 

Brands and creators should consider adding Reels to their Instagram way due to their high engagement rates compared to Instagram posts. Seventy-four percent of Instagram users update actively watching Reels, and the average number of likes on Reels is 42% higher than that of posts.

On the heels of TikTok and the popularity of its unpolished video format, Reels propose brands and creators a chance to be more candid and human on Instagram. 

To make content for Reels, consider these tips:

• Keep content distinctive and pattern-driven. If you’re wondering what to post on Instagram, commence by identifying trends on Instagram and TikTok, and across the web—and put your own spin on them. This increases the chance your Reels will leave viral and get in front of recent audiences.
• Make content relatable and straightforward. Not every Reel needs to be a Hollywood film. Lower standard videos have the potential to perform as well as (if not better than) Reels with high production worth.
• Educate your spectators. discover the settlement between education and entertainment in your Reels. This can be a mix of how-to videos, tips, industry info, humorous takes on viral trends, and product demos.

Home brand Tarte Gelatina has nailed this format, transforming product launches and even order packaging into entertaining clips.

To comprehend what works and what doesn’t, don’t overlook to tap into analytics built correct inside your Instagram account. Using Instagram Insights for Reels, you can view patterns and comprehend different spikes in engagement that affect your visibility on the platform. That way, you can double down on the content types that bring more engagement and followers. 

2. Cross-promote content

Cross-promoting involves posting similar content across various social media channels (or Instagram accounts). It’s a tactic used to save period and resources. It’s also effective at increasing brand awareness and growing an spectators on Instagram. 

Whether it’s a short-form video or a lengthy tutorial, you can enhance the reach of your Instagram content by testing it on other platforms. And, if one of your TikTok videos goes viral, try it (or a similar concept) on Instagram to assist you get more followers.

TikTok isn’t the only channel you can cross-post on. The Instagram Reels format translates well to YouTube Shorts and Pinterest Stories. If you’re cross-posting, however, make sure you comprehend the preferences in each throng and tweak to accommodate. Gymshark regularly cross-posts content from its TikTok account onto Instagram. 

3. Optimize your Instagram profile

Instagram users will likely discover you through your content when it appears on the Explore page. If they’re compelled to discover more, they’ll navigate to your profile. This is a critical step in gaining a recent supporter. That’s because a powerful brand is a signal to potential customers and followers that your account is for them (or not). 

Your Instagram profile is one of many touchpoints along the customer trip. Make sure your brand shows up there in the same way it would on your ecommerce website, other social channels, product packaging, and customer communications. 

Everything from your avatar to your Instagram bio to your content grid matters. Your Instagram feed serves as the billboard for your brand. It’s a customer’s first touchpoint with you and captures the essence of your brand.

inquire yourself:

• Do the elements effectively communicate some degree of consistency through personality, filters, colors, or layout? 
• Am I taking packed advantage of the clickable link in my bio? 
• Does the overall combination of elements effectively capture my brand?
• Does my Instagram bio receive packed advantage of this space, conveying the correct tone and information?

Let’s receive a look at a real-life brand example: On Letterfolk’s Instagram profile, a consistent color palette and graphics provide the account a professional look. 

When Instagram users click Letterfolk’s link in bio, they are taken to a page with multiple options, including a shoppable grid that mirrors Letterfolk’s Instagram grid. 

Resource: How To Craft a Link In Bio With Linkpop

4. associate with creators and influencers

While Instagram ads can boost your reach, partnerships with influencers can add depend and credibility to your paid promotions. Recent research found that 69% of consumers depend influencer recommendations. 

When adding influencer marketing to your way, be sure the collaboration is a fit for both your brand and the creator. The better your target spectators aligns with the creator’s supporter base, the more likely you are to discover achievement with the campaign and boost more Instagram followers.

Home goods brand Ellison Studios partnered with popular drag queen Courtney Act on a design collaboration and paid Instagram content.

5. construct your personal brand alongside your business

If you run a founder brand (basically, a brand with a powerful tie to its founder’s narrative), construct out your personal brand’s Instagram account alongside that of your business. 

Harnessing both the corporation account and your personal account can boost brand recognition, get more Instagram followers, and boost sales. It’s a tactic that works for fashion label ANINE BING. In addition to the brand’s own Instagram profile, the corporation’s founder also drives engagement and awareness through her personal Instagram account.

6. Get placements on characteristic accounts

sure Instagram accounts, often called characteristic accounts, are those that curate the best content in a specific niche—and some have a massive following. If you can get placement on these accounts, it has the potential to send recent people to view your profile and boost Instagram followers. There are characteristic accounts for every niche: trip, fashion, photography, pets, and more. 

Discover Earth’s account curates trip content from creators and photographers around the globe for more than 6.9 million Instagram followers.

To get picked up by these accounts and have your content broadcast to millions of Instagram followers, use ordinary hashtags that these accounts use, tag them in relevant content, or check out their specific submission guidelines. 

This is a great way to boost recent followers on Instagram who already engage with content like yours. 

7. discover hashtags your spectators is using

Your objective is to engage your current spectators on a regular basis while also growing Instagram followers. Posting consistent and engaging photo and video content will keep current followers faithful, but how do you attract recent followers with your Instagram posts? 

Using hashtags is one way to display up in search results for users looking for content like yours. A ordinary way is using popular Instagram hashtags that users often search for. These hashtags, however, tend to be saturated. For example, the hashtag #adore has been used in more than two billion posts. The chances of standing out from other popular accounts using this tag are slim—and it may not even be relevant to your brand. 

A better way is finding hashtags that are most relevant to your brand and content. Research hashtags and keywords within your industry and get to recognize which hashtags your target spectators is using. Then, from those options, choose hashtags that have a variety of popularity levels. For example, if a hashtags with several hundred thousand uses is relevant to your brand, use that one—but also choose a few hashtags that are lower volume but deeply relevant. That’ll boost the chances of your content showing up to the correct spectators, even if the topic is saturated. 

A social media hashtag generator tool like Iconosquare or Later can assist you discover hashtags for your business account. These are paid apps that assist you generate suggested hashtags based on popularity and relevance. 

If you’re on a apportionment, you can still discover relevant hashtags by typing target keywords into the search bar in the Instagram app. Try different keywords that describe your brand and products, building out your hashtag keyword list as you leave.

Doing competitor research is another hashtag finding tactic. Check out the content of your top competitors on Instagram. What hashtags are they using on their most popular posts? 

Creating a hashtag list

Your keyword and hashtag research should outcome in a list of tags you can use consistently across your content. 

For example, if you run a men’s sock business in Toronto, your final list of relevant hashtags might look like this: 

• Brand keyword hashtags: #mybrandname #mensfashion #mensaccessories #mensgoods #fashion #mensstyle #instafashion #menswear
• Product category keyword hashtags: #happysocks #corgisocks #socks #sockswag #socksoftheday #sockgame #socksofinstagram #happysockday 
• Location-specific keyword hashtags: #Toronto #TorontoFashion #TorontoFashionBloggers #madeinCanada

Store these groups of keyword hashtags in a convenient location like a notes app or Google Doc. This makes it straightforward to copy and paste into content, even on the leave. Some Instagram scheduling tools even let you save caption templates (including hashtags) for one-click captions.

Independent bakery tiny Scale Bread uses hashtags relevant to the product, location, and period in this Instagram post.

Using hashtags in Instagram Stories and Reels

Don’t overlook to use hashtags in Reels and Stories, too. In Instagram Stories, you can use hashtag stickers (which can be found in the Instagram Stickers menu when creating a narrative) or just hashtag directly in your post captions.

Since users can pursue hashtags, your Stories on Instagram have a chance to be seen by people who are following that hashtag—not just your account followers. 

Hashtags in Reels are added at the third stage of the Reel creation procedure. Add your video and edit it before proceeding to a screen where you can add location tags, hashtags, and user account tags.

8. Post at the correct times and schedule posts

A strategic way to your social media content calendar involves analyzing user behavior and your account’s act to discover what content works best at what times. While there are several social media tools for brands, Instagram’s built-in analytics can propose plenty of insights here.

If you’re just starting out, try consulting the best times to post on Instagram based on marketing research. You may discover, however, that your own spectators doesn’t pursue this standard. That’s why it’s significant to tweak your way as insights roll in. 

To automate the job of posting on period, consider using a social media scheduling tool to automatically publish your posts when your spectators is the most engaged—even if it’s when you’re sleeping.

9. Engage with your competitors’ followers

Your direct competitors’ followers are an ideal focus for your efforts to get more Instagram followers. After all, they’ve already indicated they’re interested in a product or brand like yours. 

The most ordinary types of engagement on Instagram are:

• pursue a user
• Like a post, narrative, or Reel
• Comment on a post
• Save a post
• distribute a post via your Stories
• Interact with a narrative sticker
• Tag a user in your content
• Use a branded hashtag
• Send a direct communication

Engaging with your target spectators is a great way to display that you’re open to two-way communication and building a connection with fans and customers. Actions like these display there’s a real human behind an account—not just a bot auto-posting content.

10. Collaborate with accounts and creators on campaigns

In addition to influencer marketing on Instagram, you can associate with other brands and creators on campaigns and content that propose mutual advantage. This works best when both accounts have something to boost, like access to an spectators that resembles a target customer. 

When collaborating with other companies, choose a brand that is complementary to your own—but not in direct competition. For example, if you sell activewear, a water bottle or smartwatch corporation would likely have some spectators overlap without selling the exact types of products as yours. 

Aesthetically compatible brands Rachel and Rose Buddha partnered up to run a giveaway of one year’s worth of clothing from both brands.

11. Use location tags to attract local followers

Besides hashtags, you can also make your Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels discoverable by tagging your location—either the city you’re in or the venue where the photo or video was taken.

Locations not only have their own Instagram feed but also their own Stories, where you can surface your content to locals and tourists searching the location.

Local businesses can get the most worth out of location tags by posting regularly to these feeds and also engaging with posts from prospective customers who are physically in the vicinity. 

The Backcountry Hut corporation ships its prefab cottages throughout North America and tags the site locations on Instagram posts.

12. Organize your Instagram Stories in Highlights

One of the elements of your page that shouldn’t be overlooked is narrative Highlights. Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, but you can prolong the worth of the content by organizing them into Highlights. 

narrative Highlights provide an additional chance for recent visitors to your page to get a taste of your brand, content, and products. If users can instantly discover the information they’re looking for, you’re more likely to boost Instagram followers.

narrative Highlight ideas

You can organize Stories in a number of ways to attract more Instagram followers. 

Here are a few narrative Highlight ideas to get you started: 

• make trailers that tease information about what your account and brand are all about.
• Organize your Stories into themes, product collections, seasons, or content types (e.g., DIYs, product launches, behind-the-scenes).
• make a recent narrative Highlight each period you launch a recent product or collection to keep your profile’s Highlights fresh and relevant.
• Gather user-generated content into one Highlight to celebrate your faithful customers. 

13. inquire for more followers in Instagram posts

Not sure how to get more Instagram followers? Don’t be afraid to occasionally inquire your target spectators to pursue you. In the same way YouTubers inquire viewers to subscribe, you can also nudge Instagram users to pursue you for more content.

You can do this in your Instagram captions or mention it in video content like Reels and Stories. Use ordinary marketing tactics to inspire users to pursue. What’s in it for them? inform your spectators why they should pursue you, what to expect, and what’s coming up.

💡Tip: Creators should also nudge current followers to become subscribers. Instagram Subscriptions allow creators to propose exclusive content to paying subscribers—one of the easiest ways to make money on Instagram.

14. Run a giveaway

One of the best ways to incentivize a pursue is by running a giveaway. Often, brands and creators inquire users to complete one or more actions in order to enter. 

ordinary giveaway entry actions include:

• Following the account (and the accounts of any collaborators)
• Liking the giveaway post 
• Tagging one or more friends on the post
• Leaving a comment on the post
• Filling out an entry form on the brand’s website (which also helps construct an email list)

All of these spectators actions assist with your Instagram presence. Tags bring you a potential recent supporter, driven by a trusted recommendation, and engagements are favorable to the Instagram algorithm, meaning your post could get even more reach.

This giveaway by Portland Leather offers multiple entry options, including sharing to Stories—an engagement that would exponentially boost the brand’s reach. 

There are a number of rules to pursue (and inquire your entrants to pursue) when you set up a contest or giveaway on Instagram. Instagram has its own set of rules and guidelines, which include setting your own eligibility requirements, tagging content accurately, and asking users to consent to an Instagram release. 

15. distribute user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content—videos, photos, written reviews, audio, and more—that is created about a brand by a fan, customer, or supporter. UGC helps humanize your brand and provide it credibility because it serves as a trustworthy review from a real customer. This increases purchase confidence. 

Plus, when you distribute a post from a customer, their 15 minutes of fame is likely to strengthen their loyalty to your brand, encouraging them to refer friends and purchase again. Blume, for example, shares before and after acne treatment UGC.

UGC best practices

Your biggest fans will distribute their experiences with your products without prompting, but it does assist to inspire them. 

Here are a few ways to inspire more UGC:

• make a branded hashtag feed where customers can post images.
• Add a UGC call to action in your Instagram bio.
• Run a contest and inquire for video or photo reviews as entries. 
• Reach out to smaller influencers and propose free products for an truthful review.
• Add a postcard or callout in product packaging asking customers to distribute their experiences on Instagram.

💡Tip: Use a Shopify app like Social Photos to pull UGC from your Instagram followers into your website to display on product pages. These become visual reviews that assist other customers view your product in action.

16. Use Instagram Live

Instagram Live is a characteristic that allows you to broadcast live video to your followers. It works much like a Reel or narrative, but is recorded live and has additional interactive features that let you and your spectators directly engage with each other. You can also monetize your Instagram Live content with Instagram badges, and it’s sensible to save your Instagram Lives to repurpose into evergreen content in your feed.

Influencer Alfredo Lewis hosts an Instagram Live with makeup artist @makeupbyloveandrea, in collaboration with beauty brand K18 Hair—a collaboration that increases reach for both the brand and creators.

Here are a few tips for using Instagram Live to develop your following:

• Host influencer account takeovers.
• Host an interactive AMA (inquire me anything) or Q&A.
• Tease a product launch or update, or provide live viewers exclusive access (try Instagram Live Shopping).
• leave Live in a “room” with up to three other accounts to boost reach.
• leave behind the scenes on your operations to humanize your brand.
• Run a how to or product tutorial and respond viewer questions in real period.
• Interview creators or other compatible brands and promote in advance across both accounts. 

17. Try Instagram Ads

You’ve learned how to construct instagram followers through a number of organic and paid methods, but there’s one last tactic used by many marketers and brands on Instagram: Paid ads are a great alternative to boost Instagram followers quickly, if your social media way includes a apportionment for paid promotion. 

Instagram Ads are accessible through a self-serve platform that allows you to set your own goals and budgets. They can assist you reach Instagram users with matching interests or in locations where you do business. 

Your Instagram account is a powerful sales channel

Now that you comprehend how to get more followers on Instagram, it’s period to put that learning to work. Develop your social media content calendar, commence creating Instagram posts, and prepare to reach recent audiences. Don’t overlook to engage with your existing followers and tweak your social media way as trends evolve and recent Instagram features become available.

Growing your Instagram followers is only the first step in using the platform to reach your business goals. Your Instagram account is one of many social media platforms and channels where you can surface your brand to recent followers and customers. Once you’ve built an spectators, you can unlock even more opportunities to monetize your personal brand or convert follows into sales.