10 tips to get more followers on Instagram

Instagram is fast becoming one of the most followed social media platforms on the planet. Despite the fact that many businesses focus solely on Facebook and LinkedIn , Instagram has proven to be an integral part of a company's digital success. You're on the right track if you've already opened your Instagram account and posted a few photos, but you've only been half the battle. You need to start gaining followers. Here are some tips that could help you get there.

1. Stick to a passionate niche

The most successful Instagram accounts are those that focus on one or two specific niches and only post content related to these topics. It's best to find an area that you are passionate about or know very well and only post about it. For example, if you are interested in travel, tourist accounts can be very useful. Another interesting area is that of healthy living or fitness . If you stick to your niche and show authenticity and love in your posts, you will start to gain a following.

2. Post wonderful content constantly

If you want to have a ton of followers on Instagram, you need to post high-quality content ALL the time. You can't just post once every two weeks. You need to release new high resolution content. I recommend doing it once or twice a day (every day) to start with, but eventually you should be able to reach up to four posts per day.

If your photos do not have a minimum size of 1080 X 1080 pixels, you need to improve your equipment. Try different types of videos and photos to attract the attention of your audience. The "trick" is to start experimenting with different options and use what works best for you. Graphics interchange files (better known as Gifs) also work well.

If one day you don't have to post, ask permission to share the photo from another account with more followers. It's better than not posting anything, it also helps you build relationships with other users.

3. Captions should be captivating and motivating

A good caption can make all the difference, so you need to make sure you use them to your advantage. Decide which niche or character requires a longer or shorter comment, and then be consistent with your strategy. When you write a caption you should try to do four things: captivate, motivate, inspire and give an extra experience of your video or photo. Posting motivational content may sound cliché, but it does generate a lot of engagement.

Some people use clever captions alongside hashtags to complement the comment, while other people use more serious words. Ultimately, it's about maintaining consistency and focus.

4. Use the correct emojis

Love them or hate them, no one can deny that emojis are a popular form of communication, both in text messages and on social media. If you plan to use emojis (which you should), it is important that you know how to handle them correctly. The emoji function as substitutes for words and ideas and can serve to resonate with the reader. You can do it like this: try to replace at least one word in each sentence with an emoji that represents it. Your captions will start to resonate on an emotional level with your readers.

However, you must be careful not to overdo it. The emoji can be used to spice up your posts and make them closer, but should not be the only way you communicate. They are to substitute certain words, evoke reactions and describe emotions to your followers.

5. Don't post too much

A few moments ago I mentioned the importance of constantly posting. Many people make the mistake of not posting enough. However, there are accounts that make the mistake of posting too much, which ends up driving away the follower.

It is important that you find the correct frequency for your audience and stay consistent. Above I mentioned that it is good to post at least twice a day when you are starting with Instagram. It is an optimal amount to avoid overwhelming people. Starting with two posts spaced in the morning and in the afternoon is a good strategy.

As your account starts to grow and you start to gain more followers, you can start adding more posts, for example: one in the morning, another in the afternoon and a last one at night.

Here is a very simple formula that can guide you to know how much to publish per day:

1 - 1000 followers, one to two posts per day.
1,000 - 10,000 followers, 2 -3 posts.
10,000 - 50,0000 followers, 3 - 4 posts.
100,000 - 500,000 followers, 5 - 6 posts.
500,000 - one million followers, 8 - 10 posts.

6. Use hashtags

The hashtags are an important feature of Instagram so you know how to use them correctly on your posts. Be strategic with the tags you want to use. Studies and statistics show that using between 3 and 5 hashtags is the most optimal for this social network.

Your hashtags should represent the video or photo (don't put irrelevant tags just to reach more people). I recommend using descriptive two-word tags to represent your post. For example, #AppleVerde, #HondaCivic, #GatoHeliz.

Contrary to what you might believe, using hashtags that already exist in millions of posts reduces the chances that your photo will stand out and therefore attract more followers. If you use more descriptive tags, your image will be seen by more people searching for specific hashtags .

7. Interact with your users

It is not enough to create an Instagram account and only post images and video. You need to interact with your followers by asking questions in your captions and then responding to their comments. This helps you create a more personal relationship with your followers. The more personal your relationships with your customers, the more attractive your account will be to other users.

If you really want to get more followers, you should start interacting with users from other accounts. Leaving helpful comments in the comments will get other people interested in what you have to say.

The key is to ask your followers questions about who they are and what they like about your content. Add positive comments to other accounts to invite users to check your own account.

8. Create community

In the world of Instagram, positivity is basic. If you want to attract public attention, you must create a positive community where followers can post information and communicate with each other.

Ban and delete all negative content that has no place on your account. It's the best way to allow for clean and positive feedback. Don't let a bad comment turn into a flood of users attacking each other. You must monitor this, otherwise new users will imitate these types of behaviors or avoid following you.

You must create and curate a peaceful and mature account that is capable of generating interactions between users, brands and products.

9. Pay influencers

When it comes to navigating the ocean of Instagram, it's important to remember that influencers play a huge role in the people they follow. Consider paying these figures to gain more followers and exposure. Find the accounts that have the type of user you are looking for and agree with them to promote your channel by republishing your videos or photos or simply making a comment inviting their followers to meet you. Almost all major Instagram accounts have a contact email for advertising and promotions.

10. Cross-advertise with other accounts

Finally, one of the best ways you can generate recognition on Instagram is by cross-advertising with similar accounts. Find users of your style who have the type of followers you would like to have and contact them to make an agreement.

You must remember that even if your page is different from other pages of your size, you have to be open to cross-promotion. For example, if your target market is men who like sports, you can find these types of followers on all the different types of accounts that are more dominated by men.

Experiment with different accounts and see which accounts help you grow the fastest. The key is to nurture relationships and ultimately keep working with these types of pages.