Instagram is greater than a spot to attach with pals, share trip images, or add a foolish video of your canine. Since its inception, the social media platform has grown right into a powerhouse advertising channel, utilized by manufacturers in every single place to attach with potential prospects.
Meta’s photograph and video sharing app has additionally springboarded the careers of numerous creators who monetize their private manufacturers by means of their content material. When you’ve ever considered leveling up your presence on Instagram or beginning a enterprise on the platform, you’re in the appropriate place.
Greater than 1.35 billion customers browse Instagram daily, hungry for visible inspiration and tendencies. How do you get their consideration?
On this information, learn to create content material that wins actual followers (not bots) and to extend engagement in your Instagram posts, Tales, and Reels.
Easy methods to develop your Instagram: 17 methods to get extra followers
- Incorporate Reels into your content material combine
- Cross-promote content material
- Optimize your Instagram profile
- Work with creators and influencers
- Construct your private model alongside what you are promoting
- Present up on function accounts
- Construct a hashtag technique
- Submit on the proper occasions
- Have interaction along with your opponents’ followers
- Collaborate with appropriate accounts and creators
- Use location tags to spice up native discovery
- Manage your Instagram Tales in Highlights
- Ask for extra followers in Instagram posts
- Run a giveaway
- Share user-generated content material
- Use Instagram Dwell
- Attempt Instagram Advertisements
Entrepreneurs say Instagram is the second most necessary social channel for advertising, behind Fb, and 80% report that they use the channel to advertise their companies. Getting essentially the most out of your advertising {dollars}, nonetheless, begins with constructing a loyal and engaged viewers of followers on Instagram.
Whereas follower depend is just one success indicator on Instagram, growing followers can unlock monetization alternatives for influencers and supply companies with invaluable social proof.
1. Incorporate Reels into your content material combine
Instagram began as a photograph sharing app, rapidly moving into video with its Tales function. Tales are a extra intimate type of vertical-format video, viewable solely to pals, followers, and guests to your web page. Reels, nonetheless, are public-facing, providing extra attain by means of Discover on Instagram and, due to this fact, viral potential.
Manufacturers and creators ought to contemplate including Reels to their Instagram technique because of their excessive engagement charges in comparison with Instagram posts. Common likes on Reels is 42% larger than that of posts, and Reels see 4 occasions the variety of shares over posts.
“Reels give anybody the chance to succeed in new goal audiences,” says Trilce Jirón Garro, proprietor of social media advertising company TBS Advertising. “Creators can produce community-driven content material that builds belief, positive aspects followers, and makes gross sales over time.”
Reels provide manufacturers and creators an opportunity to be extra candid and human. To create content material for Reels, hold the following pointers in thoughts:
- Preserve content material distinctive and trend-driven. Determine tendencies on Instagram, TikTok, and throughout the net and put your individual spin on them. This will increase the prospect your Reels will go viral and get in entrance of recent audiences.
- Make content material relatable and easy. Not each Reel must be a Hollywood movie. Decrease high quality movies can carry out in addition to (if not higher than) Reels with excessive manufacturing worth.
- Educate your viewers. Discover the stability between training and leisure in your Reels. This generally is a mixture of how-to movies, suggestions, business information, humorous takes on viral tendencies, and product demos.
“Don’t promote your merchandise by means of Reels content material,” says Trilce. “Share info. Present suggestions in regards to the business you’re in. Entertain viewers.”
Dwelling model Tarte Gelatina has nailed this format, reworking product launches and even order packaging into entertaining clips.
To grasp what works and what doesn’t, don’t overlook to faucet into analytics constructed proper inside your Instagram account. Utilizing Instagram Insights for Reels, you’ll be able to see patterns and perceive totally different spikes in engagement that have an effect on your visibility on the platform. That approach, you’ll be able to double down on the content material varieties that carry extra engagement and followers.
📚 Learn extra: Easy methods to Use Instagram Reels to Market Your Shopify Retailer
2. Cross-promote content material
Cross-promoting entails posting comparable content material throughout numerous social media channels (or Instagram accounts). It’s a tactic used to save lots of time and assets. It’s additionally efficient at growing model consciousness and rising an viewers on Instagram.
Whether or not it’s a short-form video or a prolonged tutorial, you’ll be able to enhance the attain of your Instagram content material by testing it on different platforms. And, if certainly one of your TikTok movies goes viral, attempt it (or an analogous idea) on Instagram.
Why is that this necessary? Whereas a few of your viewers might overlap, you should have distinctive followers on every social app. “There are totally different folks on totally different platforms,” says Hugo Amsellem, angel investor and adviser at Jellysmack. “The overlap is barely 10% to twenty%. You’re not going to repeat the identical message to the identical particular person throughout totally different channels.”
In an interview with Trendy Retail, Nadya Okamoto, founding father of way of life interval model August, stated, “As we’ve grown on TikTok from August, we’ve additionally grown to 175,000 followers on Instagram.” Actively posting on a number of platforms has affected August’s buyer acquisition value (CAC), permitting the model to steer away from paid media as its essential acquisition channel.

TikTok isn’t the one channel you’ll be able to cross-post on. The Instagram Reels format interprets properly to YouTube Shorts and Pinterest Tales. When you’re cross posting, nonetheless, be sure you perceive the preferences in every group and tweak to accommodate.
3. Optimize your Instagram profile
Instagram customers will probably uncover you thru your content material when it seems on the Discover web page. In the event that they’re compelled to study extra, they’ll navigate to your profile. It is a essential step in gaining a brand new follower. That’s as a result of a robust model is a sign to potential prospects and followers that your account is for them (or not).
Your Instagram profile is certainly one of many touchpoints alongside the client journey. Your model ought to due to this fact present up in the identical approach it could in your ecommerce web site, different social channels, your product packaging, and buyer communications.
Every thing out of your avatar to your Instagram bio to your content material grid issues. “Your Instagram feed serves because the billboard in your model. It’s a buyer’s first touchpoint with you and captures the essence of your model,” says Trilce.
Ask your self:
- Do the weather successfully talk a point of consistency by means of persona, filters, colours, or structure?
- Am I taking full benefit of the clickable hyperlink in my bio?
- Does the general mixture of components successfully seize my model?
- Does my Instagram bio take full benefit of this area, conveying the appropriate tone and data?
On Letterfolk’s Instargam profile, constant colour palette and graphics give the account an expert look. The grid options a mixture of inspiration, merchandise, and buyer appreciation, providing guests a style of what to anticipate.
When Instagram customers click on Letterfolk’s hyperlink in bio, they’re taken to a web page with a number of choices, together with a shoppable grid that mirrors its content material.
You’ll be able to even set up branding in your Reels grid. Creator @alokvmenon makes use of a constant captioning and titles model to present their content material a cohesive look and assist guests establish Reels they wish to watch.
💡Tip: Use a device like Later, or use Instagram’s native scheduling function to plan and schedule Instagram posts and Reels to create the look and structure of your feed.
4. Work with creators and influencers
Whereas Instagram advertisements can get you attain, partnerships with influencers can add belief and credibility to your paid promotions. One survey discovered that solely 38% of shoppers belief content material from manufacturers, whereas 61% stated that they belief influencer suggestions.
When including influencer advertising to your technique, be certain the partnership is a match for each your model and the creator. The higher your audience aligns with the creator’s follower base, the extra probably you might be to seek out success with the marketing campaign.
Instagram influencer advertising examples
Dwelling items model Sarah Ellison partnered with standard drag queen Courtney Act on a design collaboration and paid Instagram content material. This boosted the model to Courtney’s 1.2 million followers.
On this paid partnership, cleansing model Mrs. Meyer’s Clear Day teamed up with DIY creator Tina Le Mac to create content material related to each the model and Tina’s followers.
Frank Inexperienced persistently works with influencers of all sizes, together with celebrities {and professional} athletes, to create branded content material campaigns like this one:
On this paid advert by vogue influencer Darnell Bernard, a Dr. Martens placement blends seamlessly with the creator’s different style-focused content material, making the partnership one which feels pure.
💡Tip: Use internet affiliate marketing networks or Influencer marketplaces to match with creators which can be already open to working with manufacturers.
Discover influencers to drive gross sales with Shopify Collabs
Shopify Collabs makes it simple to companion with creators, promote your merchandise, attain new prospects, develop your gross sales, and monitor affiliate marketing campaign efficiency all from Shopify admin.
5. Construct your private model alongside what you are promoting
When you run a founder model (principally, a model with a robust tie to its founder’s story), construct out your private model’s Instagram account alongside that of what you are promoting.
Harnessing each the corporate account and your private account can improve model recognition, follower counts, and gross sales. It’s a tactic that works for vogue label ANINE BING. Along with the model’s personal Instagram profile, the corporate’s founder additionally drives engagement and consciousness by means of her private Instagram account.
One other nice instance of utilizing your private model to drive followers to what you are promoting account is Katie Sturino. The physique positivity influencer shares standard content material sequence like “Supersize the look” the place she creates plus variations of celeb outfits on her Instagram account.
Sometimes, she additionally options her model Megababe’s merchandise, nudging her followers to the model web page.
6. Present up on function accounts
Sure Instagram accounts, usually referred to as function accounts, are those who curate the perfect content material in a particular area of interest—and a few have an enormous following. If you will get placement on these accounts, it has the potential to ship new Instagram followers to your profile.
There are function accounts for each area of interest: journey, vogue, images, pets, and extra. For instance, @discoverearth curates journey content material from creators and photographers world wide for greater than 6.6 million followers.
The primary picture right here, shot by Instagram person and aerial images model KG Airview, was amplified to Uncover Earth’s following—an viewers that’s an in depth match for its personal.
To get picked up by these accounts and have your content material broadcast to thousands and thousands of Instagram followers, use frequent hashtags that these accounts use, tag them in related content material, or take a look at their particular submission tips.
It is a nice solution to achieve new followers on Instagram who already interact with content material like yours.
7. Construct a hashtag technique
Your aim on Instagram is to interact your present viewers frequently whereas additionally rising your account. Posting constant and interesting photograph and video content material will hold present followers loyal, however how do you appeal to new followers along with your Instagram posts?
Utilizing hashtags is one solution to present up in search outcomes for customers searching for content material like yours. A standard technique is utilizing standard Instagram hashtags that customers usually search. These hashtags, nonetheless, are typically saturated.
On the time of writing, these are the highest 10 hashtags on Instagram:
- #love
- #instagood
- #vogue
- #photooftheday
- #lovely
- #artwork
- #images
- #pleased
- #picoftheday
- #cute
The hashtag #love has been utilized in greater than two billion posts. The possibilities of standing out from different standard accounts utilizing this tag are slim—and it could not even be related to your model.
A greater technique is discovering hashtags which can be related to your model and content material. Analysis hashtags and key phrases inside your business and get to know which hashtags your audience is utilizing.
A social media hashtag generator device like Iconosquare or Later may help you discover hashtags for what you are promoting account. These are paid apps that assist you generate recommended hashtags based mostly on reputation and relevance.

When you’re on a price range, you’ll be able to nonetheless discover related hashtags by typing goal key phrases into the search bar within the Instagram app. Attempt totally different key phrases that describe your model and merchandise, constructing out your hashtag key phrase checklist as you go.
Doing competitor analysis is one other hashtag discovery tactic. Take a look at the content material of your high opponents on Instagram. What hashtags are they utilizing on their hottest posts?
Making a hashtag checklist
Your key phrase and hashtag analysis ought to lead to an inventory of tags you need to use persistently throughout your content material. For instance, in case you run a males’s sock enterprise in Toronto, your closing checklist of related hashtags may seem like this:
- Model key phrase hashtags: #mybrandname #mensfashion #mensaccessories #mensgoods #vogue #mensstyle #instafashion #menswear
- Product class key phrase hashtags: #happysocks #corgisocks #socks #sockswag #socksoftheday #sockgame #socksofinstagram #happysockday
- Location-specific key phrase hashtags: #Toronto #TorontoFashion #TorontoFashionBloggers #madeinCanada
Retailer these teams of key phrase hashtags in a handy location like a notes app or Google Doc. This makes it simple to repeat and paste into content material, even on the go. Some Instagram scheduling instruments even allow you to save caption templates (together with hashtags) for one-click captions.
Unbiased bakery Small Scale Bread makes use of hashtags related to the product, location, and season in its Instagram submit asserting new fall goodies.
✏️ Notice: To bump older content material, you’ll be able to add hashtags to feedback or use the edit function on Instagram so as to add them to the captions after posting.
Utilizing hashtags in Instagram Tales and Reels
Don’t overlook to make use of hashtags in Reels and Tales, too. In Instagram Tales, you need to use hashtag stickers (which will be discovered within the Instagram Stickers menu when making a Story) or simply hashtag instantly in your submit captions.
Since customers can observe hashtags, your Tales on Instagram have an opportunity to be seen by people who find themselves following that hashtag—not simply your account followers.
Hashtags in Reels are added on the third stage of the Reel creation course of. Add your video and edit it earlier than continuing to a display screen the place you’ll be able to add location tags, hashtags, and person account tags.
Begin promoting your merchandise on Instagram
Shopify comes with highly effective instruments that assist you checklist, promote and promote merchandise on Fb and Instagram. Create product collections, showcase your model and merchandise, and make gross sales on Fb and Instagram from one place.
8. Submit on the proper occasions
A strategic method to your social media content material calendar entails analyzing person habits and your account’s efficiency to find what content material works finest at what occasions. Whereas there are a variety of social media instruments for manufacturers, Instagram’s personal built-in analytics can provide loads of insights right here.
When you’re simply beginning out, attempt consulting the perfect occasions to submit on Instagram based mostly on advertising analysis. Chances are you’ll discover, nonetheless, that your individual viewers doesn’t observe this commonplace. That’s why it’s necessary to tweak your method as insights roll in.
To automate the duty of posting on time, think about using a social media scheduling device to robotically publish your posts when your viewers is essentially the most engaged—even when it’s once you’re sleeping.
📚 Learn extra: Uncover the Finest Time To Submit on Instagram
9. Have interaction along with your opponents’ followers
Your direct opponents’ followers are a great focus in your efforts. In any case, they’ve already indicated they’re focused on a product or model like yours.
The 5 varieties of engagement on Instagram are:
- Comply with a person
- Like a submit, Story, or Reel
- Touch upon a submit
- Tag a person in content material
- Ship a direct message
Partaking along with your audience is a good way to point out that you just’re open to two-way communication and constructing a relationship with followers and prospects. Eighty-eight % of shoppers say that authenticity is a crucial issue when selecting to help a model. Engagement is a good way to point out there’s an actual human behind an account—not only a bot auto-posting content material.
10. Collaborate with appropriate accounts and creators
Along with influencer advertising on Instagram, you’ll be able to companion with different manufacturers and creators on campaigns and content material that supply mutual profit. This works finest when each accounts have one thing to achieve, like entry to an viewers that resembles a goal buyer.
When collaborating with different corporations, select a model that’s complementary to your individual. For instance, in case you promote activewear, a water bottle or sensible watch firm would probably have viewers overlap.
Right here, hosiery model Rachel partnered with clothes model Rose Buddha to run a giveaway providing a prize of 1 12 months’s value of clothes. The manufacturers and merchandise are aesthetically appropriate with out being instantly competing.
11. Use location tags to spice up native discovery
In addition to hashtags, it’s also possible to make your Instagram posts, Tales, and Reels discoverable by tagging your location—both the town you’re in or the venue the place the photograph or video was taken.
Areas not solely have their very own Instagram feed but additionally their very own Story the place you’ll be able to floor your content material to locals and vacationers looking the placement.
Native companies can get essentially the most worth out of location tags by posting frequently to those feeds and in addition participating with posts from potential prospects who’re bodily within the neighborhood.
Whereas The Backcountry Hut Firm ships its prefab cottages and saunas all through North America, its model is proudly Canadian and aligns with the tradition and way of life of its dwelling, British Columbia.
12. Manage your Instagram Tales into Highlights
One of many components of your web page that shouldn’t be neglected is Story Highlights. Instagram Tales disappear after 24 hours, however you’ll be able to extend the worth of the content material by organizing them into Highlights.
These present a further alternative for brand new guests to your web page to get a style of your model, content material, and merchandise. If customers can immediately discover the knowledge they’re searching for, you’re extra prone to achieve Instagram followers.
Right here, Ruggable makes use of Highlights to group Tales into product collections, particularly its collaborations with recognizable names and types like Barbie and Iris Apfel, giving immediate credibility to the enterprise.
Life-style model Frank Inexperienced makes use of highlights to group content material varieties together with cleansing suggestions, new product collections, collabs, present guides, and buyer info.
Story Spotlight concepts
You’ll be able to set up Tales in a lot of methods to draw extra Instagram followers. Listed below are just a few concepts to get you began:
- Create trailers that tease what your account and model are about.
- Manage your Tales into themes, product collections, seasons, or content material kind (DIYs, product launches, behind the scenes, and so forth.).
- Create a brand new spotlight every time you launch a brand new product or assortment to maintain Highlights recent and related.
- Collect user-generated content material into one Spotlight to have a good time your loyal prospects.
13. Ask for extra followers in Instagram posts
Don’t be afraid to sometimes ask your audience to observe you. The identical approach YouTubers ask viewers to subscribe, it’s also possible to nudge Instagram customers to observe you for extra content material.
You are able to do this in your Instagram captions or point out it in video content material like Reels and Tales. Use frequent advertising ways to encourage customers to observe. What’s in it for them? Inform your viewers why they need to observe you, what to anticipate, and what’s arising.
💡Tip: Creators also needs to nudge present followers to grow to be subscribers. Instagram Subscriptions enable creators to supply unique content material to paying subscribers—one of many best methods to generate profits on Instagram.
14. Run a giveaway
Among the best methods to incentivize a observe is by operating a giveaway. Usually, manufacturers and creators ask customers to finish a number of actions in an effort to enter. These embrace:
- Following the account (and the accounts of any collaborators)
- Liking the competition submit
- Tagging certainly one of extra pals
- Leaving a remark
- Clicking out to an entry kind on the model’s web site (this additionally helps construct an e mail checklist)
Tags carry you a possible new follower, pushed by a trusted advice, and engagements are favorable to the Instagram algorithm, which means your submit might get much more attain.
These two contests by Portland Leather-based and Saints & Sinners go one step additional, encouraging contest entrants to share the submit to their Tales, gaining exponentially extra attain for the model and contest.
✏️Notice: Comply with Instagram’s promotion tips and concentrate on any authorized necessities that govern Instagram contests in your nation or area.
15. Share user-generated content material
Person-generated content material (UGC) is any kind of content material—movies, images, written opinions, audio, and extra—that’s created a couple of model by a fan, buyer, or follower. UGC helps humanize your model and provides it credibility, as a result of it serves as a reliable evaluation from an actual buyer. This will increase buy confidence.
And, once you share a submit from a buyer, their quarter-hour of fame is prone to strengthen their loyalty to your model, encouraging them to refer pals and buy once more.
UGC may help you achieve extra followers on Instagram—and extra gross sales. Shoppers are 56% extra probably to purchase one thing after seeing a photograph of the product shared by different prospects.
E-book Wurm usually reposts content material from pleased prospects on to its Instagram web page, thanking them for his or her buy and tag.
UGC finest practices
Your largest followers will share their experiences along with your merchandise with out prompting, however there are methods to encourage extra UGC:
- Create a branded hashtag feed the place prospects can submit photographs.
- Add a name to motion in your Instagram bio.
- Run a contest and ask for video or photograph opinions as entries.
- Attain out to smaller influencers and provide free merchandise for an trustworthy evaluation.
- Add a postcard or callout in product packaging asking prospects to share their experiences on Instagram.
💡Tip: Use a Shopify App like Social Photographs to drag UGC out of your Instagram followers into your web site to show on product pages. These grow to be visible opinions that assist different prospects see your product in motion.
16. Use Instagram Dwell
Instagram Dwell is a function that permits you to broadcast stay video to your followers. It really works very similar to a Reel or Story however is recorded stay and has extra interactive options that allow you to interact instantly, monetize your content material with Instagram badges, and save Lives to repurpose into evergreen content material.
On this Instagram Dwell, influencer Alfredo Lewis hosts a stay chat with make-up artist @makeupbyloveandrea, in partnership with magnificence model K18 Hair. This sensible collaboration will increase attain for the model and helps the creators get uncovered to appropriate audiences.
Listed below are just a few suggestions for utilizing Instagram Dwell to develop your following:
- Host influencer account takeovers.
- Host an interactive AMA (ask me something) or Q&A.
- Tease a product launch or replace, or give stay viewers unique entry (attempt Instagram Dwell Procuring).
- Go stay in a “room” with as much as three different accounts to extend attain.
- Go behind the scenes in your operations to humanize your model.
- Run a methods to or product tutorial and reply viewer questions in actual time.
- Interview creators or different appropriate manufacturers and promote upfront throughout each accounts.
17. Attempt Instagram Advertisements
You’ve discovered methods to construct instagram followers by means of a lot of natural and paid strategies, however there’s one final tactic utilized by many entrepreneurs and types on Instagram. Paid advertisements are an amazing possibility to achieve followers rapidly in case your social media technique features a price range for paid promotion.
Instagram Advertisements are accessible by means of a self-serve platform that permits you to set your individual targets and budgets. They may help you attain Instagram customers with matching pursuits or in places the place you do enterprise.
This advert by Form Laundry will be recognized by the “Sponsored” tag beneath the profile identify. It was served to a person who follows comparable accounts and has an curiosity in eco-friendly merchandise. These advertisements look identical to natural Instagram posts and seem in customers’ feeds combined with content material from pals and recommended accounts.
Your Instagram account is a robust gross sales channel
Now that you just perceive methods to get extra followers on Instagram, it’s time to place that studying to work. Develop your social media content material calendar, begin creating Instagram posts, and put together to succeed in new audiences. Don’t overlook to interact along with your current followers and tweak your social media technique as tendencies evolve and new Instagram options grow to be accessible.
Rising your Instagram followers is barely step one in utilizing the platform to succeed in what you are promoting targets. Your Instagram account is certainly one of many social media platforms and channels the place you’ll be able to floor your model to new followers and prospects. When you’ve constructed an viewers, you’ll be able to unlock much more alternatives to monetize your private model or convert follows into gross sales.
Characteristic illustration by Eugenia Mello
Further reporting by Mark MacDonald
Easy methods to get extra followers on Instagram FAQ
How can I improve my followers on Instagram?
There are a variety of the way to develop your Instagram followers, together with:
- Utilizing the appropriate Instagram hashtags
- Partaking your opponents’ Instagram followers
- Utilizing geotags on Instagram posts
- Organizing Instagram Tales into Highlights
- Posting user-generated content material
- Collaborating with different manufacturers and influencers
- Posting at the perfect occasions
- Utilizing Instagram analytics instruments
- Publishing Instagram Reels
- Including user-generated content material to your Instagram feed
- Livestreaming on Instagram Tales
- Understanding Instagram’s algorithm to get on the Discover web page
How can I get to 1,000 Instagram followers?
There are a variety of the way to get to 1,000 Instagram followers. It begins with crafting a compelling Instagram bio, posting content material your potential followers wish to see, participating with related customers, and consulting Instagram Insights to grasp what content material is performing.
Instagram content material needs to be genuine, related, and relatable. Utilizing ways that Instargam’s algorithm likes provides you a greater likelihood of showing on Instagram Discover and reaching new followers.
How do I achieve actual followers on Instagram?
Whereas there are methods to purchase Instagram followers, this isn’t an excellent technique for manufacturers. Pretend followers or bots don’t provide the engagement which you could get from actual Instagram followers. Bots and pretend Instagram followers might also get banned from Instagram, which means they can provide your Instagram account solely a short lived enhance.
To draw extra followers, submit high-quality content material, combine up the content material in your Instagram feed, tag related customers, and submit persistently. You’ll see your actual follower depend—and your engagement—improve on the social media platform.
How do you get extra Instagram followers at no cost?
If you wish to perceive methods to develop on Instagram however you don’t have a price range to advertise Instagram posts or purchase paid advertisements, attempt these ways to seek out potential followers:
- Discover and use standard hashtags associated to your photograph, product, or model.
- Create your individual branded hashtag.
- Use hashtags in Tales.
- Create Instagram Reels.