It is easy to increase your follower count with bots. But many, influencers or not, struggle with organic growth. If you are looking to grow your follower count to attract more brands and eyeballs, read on for a summary of everything you need to know, and more.
Phase 1: Preparation
Think about the type of content you will be posting. This should be a topic of interest to you. Why? Because the minute you see it as a chore, it becomes unenjoyable and meaningless.
Add value to your followers by considering their pain points, and create content that helps them solve these problems. For instance, working mums struggle with the lack of time, so your content should revolve around being more efficient.
With your audience in mind, create a content calendar with 5 pillars to populate your content bank. Switching between pillars also keeps your followers interested. Quick makeup tutorials, easy outfit ideas and parenting tips could be potential content pillars for those targeting working mums.
Once that is done, upload at least 10 posts to give others a better idea of what you do. It also sets the bar for what to expect for future posts.
Next, prepare your bio. Include your main area of focus and the type of help you provide. This gives potential followers an overview of what you do, and increases your chances of appearing in the search results.
To get more IG story views and stand out from the crowd, your profile picture should be bright and smiley, with your face shown clearly. Linking your Instagram account to other platforms increases the reach of your postings. Cross promotion makes it easier for others to discover your Instagram profile, and helps you gain new followers.
Phase 2: Growth
Practice makes perfect right? Here are some campaigns that you can join to start creating content on Instagram:
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Creating engaging content should be next on your to-do list. This includes quotes or memes - anything straightforward, relatable and easy to share. Use Instagram’s features to your advantage. Upload videos, carousel images and IGTV as IG prioritizes content that keeps users on their platform for as long as possible, according to social media guru @hersocialspace.
A sure way of growing your follower count is to receive shout-outs from relevant brands with large followings. To be noticed, you can (1) re-share their posts, (2) tag them, (3) style your content in a way that resonates with them. You’ve got one foot in the door if your content fits into their feed seamlessly.
Collaborating with other accounts or brands is useful in driving traffic to your profile as well. Holding giveaways or doing Instagram Takeovers are some things you can do. Most importantly, there should be a mutual benefit. Think of what you have to offer.
Phase 3: Retention
After investing time into growing your account, the last thing you want is for your followers to leave. It’s normal to lose some followers over time due to a change in interests, but to retain the bulk of them, you have to keep them engaged.
Tell personal stories, share about your life, and be consistent to build trust. Growing your follower count is not a race, it’s a constant journey.
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