Tested ways to grow Instagram followers organically

Shoutcart Team

Jul 30, 2024 • 8 min read

Long gone are the days when Instagram was a simple photo-sharing app for posting images of your breakfast or sneakers. As one of the fastest growing social media networks with 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a goldmine for marketers.

Over the last decade, it has become one of the most popular social media platforms for companies to market their products, reach their potential customers, and even drive sales. Today, over 200 million businesses hope for the attention of their audience on the platform. At the same time, most of these companies are obsessed with the number of Instagram followers.

There are two easy ways to grow Instagram followers fast:

1. Buy Instagram followers (it may ruin your reputation or even get banned by Instagram)

2. Run paid ad campaigns (it can be expensive)

Luckily, there are some things you can do to speed up your follower growth for free.

In this post, we're going to understand the importance of having solid Instagram followers. You can also find 11 tested ways to grow Instagram followers organically.

The importance of Instagram followers for growth

The number of Instagram followers help other users to determine your popularity. The more followers you have, the more trustworthy and credible you appear.

When you have a solid following on Instagram, not only do your company get trust from other people, but it also has a chance to beat an Instagram algorithm and therefore get in front of a wider audience.

Having more followers means you have more influence over people. This allows you to establish yourself as a leader in your niche or industry. Plus, increasing your following also means boosting your leads and the possibility of more conversions.

As your follower count grows, your engagement should grow, too. Once Instagram recognizes your account, the algorithm can recommend your content to valuable audiences who may still need to learn about your brand.

Now that you realize the importance of real Instagram fans, let's check out 11 tested ways to grow your Instagram followers organically.

Know your target audience

When it comes to growing your Instagram following, you should bother about the quality, not just the quantity. After all, it doesn't make sense to have an army of Instagram followers who have no interest in your brand and never interact with your posts.

The key to attracting the right audience is knowing your target audience. It will help you determine what type of content will resonate with them and other important details, such as:

Who represent your target audience and what preferences do they have
When they’re online so you know the best time to post your content
What other brands or influencers they follow so you know who to collaborate with

When you know your target audience, you can enhance your content strategy to attract the right people to your Instagram profile.

Engage with your Instagram following

Your current followers are your most valuable assets—don’t take them for granted.

Instagram has become the most preferred platform for communication with brands. This means followers expect companies to interact with them online.

First, it's important to respond quickly to users' comments and direct messages.

Take a look at how oat milk brand, Oatly, does it. The brand makes sure to respond to comments—even the negative ones—with tact and humor when necessary.

Next, people feel heard and valued when you start conversations with them. As a result, it boosts your engagement rates and increases your chances of the algorithm working in your favor.

This means you’re more likely to appear in your followers’ feeds and on the Discover page, and Instagram might even recommend your content to users who may be interested in your brand.

Finally, Instagram has various in-built features for interaction like polls or quizzes on Stories.

Optimize your Instagram account for discoverability

To grow your following, you need to make sure that interested people find your account. Just like in Google, Instagram shows relevant accounts when people type their inquiries.

Thus, it's important to optimize your Instagram account and appear as suggested content on peoples’ feeds. Here are several steps to take:

Write an informative bio. Your bio is one of the most critical sections of your page. You have 150 characters to describe your business while integrating relevant keywords.
Add keywords to your name/username. Incorporating keywords to your username or name can also help you rank on search. For example, if you’re a skincare brand.

Include hashtags and keywords on your captions. Your captions add more context to your content, and it tells Instagram what your profile is all about. If you use keywords or hashtags related to a specific category, Instagram will recommend your content to users who have shown interest in similar content. Hashtags also make your content searchable and increase your chances of appearing on the Discover page.

Create a cohesive Instagram feed

As a highly visual platform with a strong focus on the usage of photos or videos, Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks for visual learners who perceive information via images.

When you invest time and effort into creating eye-grabbing content that makes a cohesive Instagram feed, you get a chance to stand out from the crowd and create anticipation for your next post which encourages people to follow your account.

Having a cohesive feed means using brand colors, posting consistently, and showing key elements such as your products and logo. Check out how Intel does it:

Always monitor the performance of your content to understand what your audience responds to. When you know what your audience likes, it helps you get more engagement and, in turn, ensures that you appear on your followers’ feeds.

The more likes, comments, and engagement you have, the better chance of Instagram suggesting your content to other users. Not to mention, your followers are more likely to share your content and introduce your brand to their networks.

Need some inspiration for content that drives Instagram engagement? Try Instagram hacks that have been proven to drive more engagement.

Repost user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is social media’s version of word-of-mouth when people make photos or videos, dedicated to your product or brand. It serves as a social proof for other people and it also drives more than double the sales generated by paid ads.

What is more, authors feel valued when companies ask them for permission to repost their visuals on the business profile and they are more likely to follow your brand in return or even repost these images on their profiles which means reaching a wider audience of potential followers.

Popular companies leverage the power of user-generated content. Check out how GoPro populates its Instagram feed with UGC:

When you publish user-generated content on your Instagram feed, you provide social proof for other people who may become your followers. It also sets an example for other people who become more likely to share visuals of your products on their feed or even share reviews on their profiles.

Hosting a giveaway is one of the fastest ways to supercharge your growth on Instagram and give your follower count a huge bump. One study claims that an Instagram contest, whether you organize or sponsor it, helps you grow your following 70% faster in comparison to having an Instagram presence without hosting giveaways at all.

One of the easiest types of giveaways to host is the “tag your friend” randomizer giveaway, which should include following your account as one of the qualifications to win, just like the one below:

The giveaway got over 7,000 entries.

Partner with niche Instagram influencers

Your ideal customers are more inclined to listen to real people they trust and admire rather than ads from brands.

With the popularity of social media influencers, when 79% of social media users trust opinion leaders, brands can partner with niche Instagram influencers to reach their target audience and get more followers fast.

Want to know the best thing? There's no need to spend much money on celebrity influencers. Instead, work with nano influencers who have smaller yet loyal following. Some of them may even post content in exchange for free products.

Plus, niche influencers have higher engagement rates than professional influencers because their followers are mostly people they personally know. They will also have a highly targeted audience that should match your ideal customer.

If you're exploring the potential of starting a print-on-demand business, consider partnering with niche influencers who already have a merchandise line. Offer them sample products from your range, enhancing their brand while showcasing your capabilities. This mutual collaboration enriches their merchandise offerings and introduces your business to an engaged audience, potentially accelerating your growth.

Team up with other business profiles

Teaming up with other businesses can help you reach an entirely new audience and expose your content to people beyond your current followers. The partnership could entail creating a product together or co-hosting an event.

For example, if you’re running a candle business, you can collaborate with a perfumery to create new scents or an artist to design your candle holders. The partnership should always be beneficial for both businesses.

You can use Instagram’s Collab feature, which is a single photo or video post that appears on both of the collaborators’ profiles. Unlike simply using the tag feature, the collab feature gives you access to your partner’s followers and increases your reach.

Build anticipation for your Instagram content

With Reels, Stories, Interactive Pools, and all types of photo sizes at your disposal, simply changing up your content can help capture the attention of a new audience.

Experiment with different types of content and design trends to understand what works best with your current followers. If your engagement and follower growth has hit a standstill, you may have to rethink your content plan. Here are some ideas to help you build anticipation for your content:

Take advantage of features like countdowns and reminders for product launches and exclusive events
Host account takeovers with partner influencers, creators, or employees
Show behind-the-scenes content
Start a Reel series
Experiment with AR filters and AI-generated content

Cross-promote your Instagram profile on other channels my

One of the simplest ways to boost your Instagram following is by cross-promoting your profile on all your other channels. Make space for a follow call-to-action button on your newsletters and website to engage with existing customers. If you’re active on other social media platforms, don’t forget to introduce your Instagram account in all of them.

Here's an example of this strategy from Tens:

For a more significant bump in followers, entice your audience with a limited-time-only discount in exchange for a follow.

Conclusion

No matter how many Instagram followers you have, it's always a good idea to grow your following organically without spending much. While organic growth is undoubtedly a long and arduous road, all the hard work will ultimately pay off. Use the tips above to help you grow your brand on Instagram and beyond without relying on paid ads and other expensive marketing trends.

Published by Val Razo

Val Razo is a freelance SMM consultant with 10 years of experience who helps small and medium businesses. Val claims that Instagram has great sales potential, so she recommends both big and small brands to use this platform for business growth. Follow her on Twitter to stay tuned for more.