Transcript
Introduction
In today's video, we're covering probably one of our most asked questions: "How do I get more Instagram followers?" And by the end of this video, you'll have five new follower growth tactics to try out.
There can be this perception out there that it's nearly impossible to grow on Instagram these days. And while it may not be as simple as it was a few years ago, it's definitely possible. We can tell you that, with certainty, follower growth can happen, and we're letting you in on exactly how to do it.
This is Part Two of our “How to get more followers” series. In Part One, we covered these five follower growth tactics. (Create shareable content, Use Instagram Reels, Engage with your audience, Optimize your profile for search, and Be consistent). If you missed that video, no worries. I'll link it in the description below. Let's get right into the tactics.
Tip #1: Invest in a Hashtag Strategy
First up is investing in a hashtag strategy. Since Instagram's inception, hashtags have been one of the biggest growth tools. And while they may seem like they're starting to work less, that's actually not the case.
After doing a little research - and by little, we mean looking at 8 million Instagram feed posts - we discovered that reach rate actually increases by 11% as the number of hashtags used grows from one to 30. To put that in perspective, for an account with 20,000 followers, that's an additional 2.2 thousand accounts reached per post. So the more hashtags, the better.
Another use for hashtags is to help the algorithm push your content out in suggested content feeds, which is a huge way to reach new audiences. But, in order for Instagram to provide suggested content that is truly a "good match", they need to be able to accurately categorize it. And you know what helps with that categorization? You guessed it. It's hashtags, baby!
If you want to read the full hashtag report, I've popped the link above and in the description below.
Tip #2: Partner with Influencers & Brands
Next up: partner with influencers and brands. Regardless of the size of your business or your budget, you can hop on this tactic. It's an incredible way to tap into a new pool of potential followers.
You can run a joint giveaway where you each share the post on your feed (maybe a Collab post; I'll cover that next) or create a product together. There are tons of directions you can go with partnerships, and they don't have to break the bank.
As a brand looking to dip your toes into influencer marketing, you don't have to work with the world's biggest influencers to see real results. In fact, nano and micro influencers typically have higher engagement rates than macro influencers. So, when considering your influencer strategy, keep that in mind.
If you're totally new to influencer marketing, we have some super helpful resources for you on our blog; I've linked our blog on how to find the right influencer partner for your brand below.
Tip #3: Collaborate on Feed Posts and Reels
Next, like I mentioned, is to collaborate on Feed posts and Reels.
This is still a newish feature and one that is still under the radar. With the Collab feature, users can coauthor Feed posts and Reels and publish the content to both accounts, so both users share views, likes and comments. It's a great way to leverage each other's communities in a creative way.
But just like partnering with brands or influencers, make sure that the content you're sharing for the Collab post works for both accounts. It's got to be on brand or else people will just keep swiping.
Tip #4: Cross-Promote Your Instagram Account on Different Channels
Number four is to cross-promote your Instagram on other channels. If you're looking for a quick win tactic, this is the one.
The first platform that comes to mind for this one is TikTok. There's actually a number of ways you can grow your Instagram following through TikTok. You can tease an Instagram giveaway on your TikTok videos, talk about a project on TikTok and reveal the final product on Instagram, or easily enough, link your Instagram right on your profile.
When a user visits your profile, they'll see the Instagram icon right here. They can tap it, and then boom, they're on your Instagram.
If TikTok isn't a part of your strategy, you can direct people to your Instagram through your website, email newsletter, Twitter, or any platform.
Tip #5: Make Your Content Accessible
The last tactic I'm going to share is to make your content accessible. This is such an important one, and it might even be the most important.
Over 430,000,000 people in the world are deaf or hard of hearing, while at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment. It's so important to create inclusive and accessible content so that everyone can have the same scrolling experience.
Here are four ways you can make your content more accessible:
#1: Add subtitles or text overlays to video content, including Instagram Videos, stories and Reels;
#2: Manually write descriptive alt text for your Instagram posts;
#3: Verbalize visual details during stories and videos; and
#4: Capitalize each word in Instagram hashtags. This helps screen readers to read them aloud properly.
Not only do these tactics help with reach, but you'll also notice a bump in engagement. And that's it!
Like I mentioned at the beginning of the video, if you want even more ways to grow your following, check out Part One, which you can find right up here.
Or you can also check out our blog at later.com/blog/. Let us know in the comments if you want to see Part Three. Thanks and I'll see you later.
