How To Gain Followers on Instagram: Get an Uptick in Reach

There’s nothing like the euphoria you feel when you get an Instagram notification that someone new has followed you. After all, it’s a sign that your hard work to create compelling content is finally paying off. But what if you’re not getting as many followers as you anticipated? Today, we’re going to tell you how to gain followers on Instagram to grow your community.

Some people think that the number of followers you have is a vanity metric. But it’s not just a pretty number to look at. How many followers you have dictates your reach, engagement and influence. And as you may know, these are the keys to success for social media accounts.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can grow your follower count and boost engagement levels on your content. Whether you’re trying to get your first 1,000 followers or finally hit the six-digit follower mark, these tips will be super helpful.

Why You Constantly Should Aim to Grow Your Following

Before we dive into how to gain followers on Instagram, let’s talk about the “why” of it all.

Today, many prioritize having a good post engagement rate over hitting a specific follower mark. High engagement levels mean your content is working, even if you don’t have a sizable fanbase.

Still, there are many reasons why someone would appreciate a boost in their follower count. Here are just a few of them:

·   More reach: The more people follow you, the more eyeballs you get on your content. That means the posts you work hard on will get attention. Reach and impressions are also huge factors for brands if you want to work with them as an influencer. No brand will hire or collaborate with you if you don’t have the reach.

·   More engagement: The more followers you have, the more likes, shares and comments your posts will rake in. High engagement levels are the key to having your content show up more on people’s feeds. It’s pretty much a domino effect. Plus, Instagram pushes out your content more on hashtags and location pages, allowing you to gain even more followers.

·   More sales: If you’re a business on Instagram, you know that the more followers you have, the higher your chances of making a sale. Think about it. If only 100 followers see your posts about your goods, you won’t close as many deals as if 20,000 followers saw them.

·   More credibility: Having a high follower count makes your brand look more trustworthy. For businesses, this can mean people will be more willing to buy products from you. For influencers and content creators, this signals your target audience that you are reliable.

A Word of Warning: Don’t Rely on Fake Followers

When people get desperate, they research how to gain Instagram followers fast. This will likely lead them to apps and services that sell fake followers and bot accounts to boost their fanbase.

Know as early as now that these apps won’t help you out in the long run. Sure, you’ll get the instant gratification of having thousands of followers roll in instantly. But these fake accounts won’t like and comment on your posts because they’re inactive. Instead, you’ll see a drop in your engagement rate, which is detrimental to any brand.

Even Instagram takes extreme measures to delete inauthentic activity on the app, like fake followers. Sometimes, Instagram will even suspend accounts for buying fake followers. That’s because it defeats the app’s purpose of creating genuine engagement through beautiful visual content.

Weeding Out the Fakes: How To Gain Real Followers on Instagram

Wondering how to gain real followers on Instagram and dodge all the fakes? Don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to do it. You only need a creative eye, patience, and a good work ethic to get the ball rolling.

When it comes to gaining followers on Instagram, the secret is adding a human element to everything you do. Publish content that makes people smile or start a conversation about an important topic. For brands, you should focus on empowering your consumers and building a good relationship with them.

Whether you’re an aspiring influencer or a brand that wants to make it big, there are many ways to do this. Let’s go through each one.

How To Gain Instagram Followers Using Engaging Content

First, let’s talk about how to gain Instagram followers as an individual. The best, most authentic way to do this is by creating engaging, captivating content that people will love.

With high enough engagement levels, Instagram might push your content to new people. Of course, getting good engagement doesn’t happen overnight. You have to do a lot of legwork to get an uptick in your following through your content alone.

Here’s how to lure new followers in with your Instagram profile and posts:

First Impressions Count: How To Boost Instagram Followers in Seconds

As soon as someone clicks on your Instagram profile, you only have a few seconds to make an impression. Do you want to know how to boost Instagram followers when they see your page? The answer is simple. Optimize your profile and make it interesting to get them hooked in seconds.

That means your profile photo has to be captivating and intriguing. It should also be aligned with your branding aesthetically, so make sure it reflects your personal “look” or color palette.

Your Instagram bio is also an important aspect of your profile. Ensure your bio says something interesting and tells people what they can expect from your page.

A visitor will also see the first 6-9 posts on your feed. So, make sure that at any given moment, these 6-9 posts look aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching at any given moment.

How To Gain Instagram Followers Through Visually Compelling Posts

Our next tip for how to gain Instagram followers organically is by consistently putting out stunning visual content. Post content that your target audience will love. Your goal is to catch their eye and get them to visit your profile and give you a follow.

This means being as creative as you possibly can with your content. Trendy photos should line up beautifully on your feed. Instagram Reels should be funny and relatable to show off your personality. For businesses, reel curious consumers in with informative carousel posts.

Aside from regular posts on the feed, experiment with Instagram Stories as well. With the right hashtags and location tags, your Stories can also help boost followers.

Remember to put up Instagram Stories Highlights to make your posts available for viewing after they expire. Creating cute covers for them also helps make an excellent first impression when someone visits your profile.

Presence in Niches: How To Use Hashtags on Instagram To Gain Followers

Another technique to gain new followers is using relevant hashtags in everything you post. Knowing how to use hashtags on Instagram to gain new followers is essential. Why? Because by using the right hashtags, your content will show up in the niches you want to play in.

Try to do market research on what hashtags your target audience lurks in. Do they love trendy hashtags related to travel or music? Create content around those topics and use the top hashtags for each niche to get more people to see your post. These will help you reel in some new followers.

How To Gain Instagram Followers in Your Area Using Geotags

Wondering how to gain Instagram followers in your area specifically? Geotags may be the answer to your prayers. By tagging your town in your Instagram bio or content, you can get people within the area to follow you. This is a great tip for Instagram businesses who want more local followers.

This is also an awesome trick for travel influencers. If this is you, your target audience is people who love to travel. These types of people lurk on geotags to get inspiration for their trips.

Choosing your location tags wisely can push your content out when they do their research. Make them as specific as possible. Don’t just pin “Spain” as the location of your post. Tag specific tourist attractions people will likely search on Instagram, like La Sagrada Familia or Alhambra. If they stumble upon your content through the geotag, they could give you a follow.

Boost Your Brand: How To Gain Followers on Instagram Business

If you’re a business page, there’s a lot more at stake for you when it comes to growing your community. It’s not just about reach and credibility for you. It’s also essential to increase your follower count to make more sales.

So, aside from the tips we listed above about creating engaging content, you should also put on your marketing hat. To gain more followers, you need to work with other brands and talk to your target audience in a certain way. This will help get your name out there, allowing you to gain more followers.

Here’s how to gain followers on Instagram business and rake in those sales profits:

Influencer Collabs: How To Gain Followers on Instagram by Maximizing Their Reach

One of the most fun ways to get your brand’s name out there is by collaborating with an influencer or another brand. Make sure you only work with people your target audience likes. Otherwise, the partnership might not be a good investment.

Here’s how to gain followers from Instagram through this marketing move. Influencers with massive reach can promote your brand to their followers. This can potentially bring them to your profile, where they can give you a follow. 

Send the influencer you’re working with some of your best products. A glittering public review from them can mean tons of new followers for you.

How To Gain Followers on Instagram by Talking to Your Audience

Another way to gain more followers is by building a good relationship with your target audience. Don’t be an unapproachable brand. Make sure you reply to comments and DMs. If your customer posts about your products, repost them on your Instagram Stories.

This helps build your reputation as a brand that cares about its customers and sees them as ambassadors, not sales opportunities. If a potential consumer sees these values in your brand, it might result in a follow from them.

The Power of UGC: How To Gain Followers on Instagram Using Other People’s Content

User-generated content refers to spontaneous “branded” content made not by influencers but by regular customers. Brands don’t pay customers to make UGC—they just do it because they love your brand. This is excellent for brands that target younger consumers, who are averse to traditional ads and trust their inner circles more.

Here’s how to gain followers on Instagram with the help of UGC. First, encourage your followers to create content about your brand. Offer discount vouchers if they post photos with your brand’s clothes on or while eating your food products. And when they do create UGC, acknowledge them with a reply or repost.

The more user-generated content there is about your brand, the more it shows that real people love your products. This is way more trustworthy than people you pay (like influencers and celebrities) to say nice things about your brand.

Think of user-generated content as a word-of-mouth marketing strategy. If your customers’ friends and family see their content, they may give you a follow and even purchase from your shop.

How To Gain Followers on Instagram with Contests

Are you unsure if your follower base has the patience to create user-generated content about your brand? Here’s how to gain followers on Instagram for your business in an easier way.

Instead of hoping for customers to make UGC for you, ask them to simply share a post instead. Throw a contest or giveaway that gives your followers a chance to win exclusive products or vouchers from your shop. The catch? They have to spread the word about your brand.

Here are examples of mechanics for these contests and games:

·   “Share one of our last three posts on your Instagram Stories for a chance to win!”

·   “Tag three friends in the comments for a free discount code.”

·   “Like this post and give us a follow to enter the giveaway.”

Not only do mechanics like these boost your engagement rate, but you also get the word out about your brand. This is an easy, direct way to get followers. The best part is that even if this method instantly gives you followers, you’ll know none of them are fake.

Calendar Your Posts: How To Gain Instagram Followers with Consistent Content

If you don’t consistently post content on your page, people might think you’re inactive and unfollow you. We get it—life happens, and people get busy. But it’s important to stay on top of your posts to ensure you maintain your follower count. Consistently posting high-quality content might even gain new followers as a bonus!

Scheduling posts in advance is a terrific way to ensure you publish content regularly. That way, you won’t have to stress about how to gain Instagram followers when you get busy. Note that you can schedule content in advance only if you have a professional or business account.

Cutting Corners: How To Gain Followers on Instagram Fast

Many brands and influencers desperately want to know how to gain followers on Instagram fast. Sadly, this desire can lead them down a destructive path, especially if they’re looking for cheap shortcuts to get more followers.

There are plenty of apps and third-party services out there that promise to give you followers fast. While some work splendidly, most are out to scam you out of your money. The worst ones will ask for your login credentials and hack your Instagram account.

You can’t trust every app to give you organic followers or boost your engagement rate. So, what’s a brand you can trust?

Path Social: One of the Best Apps To Gain Followers on Instagram

There are plenty of apps to gain followers on Instagram that don’t work. They might end up giving you fake followers from inactive bot accounts. The worst part is that you pay for these services, and they won’t end up helping you at all.

But if you’re looking for how to gain Instagram followers organically and authentically, no app does it as well as Path Social.

We don’t just get your money and magically pull up your follower count. Instead, our proprietary targeting tool distributes your content to active users (yes, real people) who might be interested in it.

At Path Social, we only promote your content organically and always to authentic users. We even partner with top profiles and influencers to help get more eyeballs on your posts. This gives you a better chance to be discovered by your target audience, thus increasing your follower count.

Gaining More Followers Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

Now that you know how to gain followers on Instagram, it’s time to double your efforts to make your content count. Create compelling and engaging content to lure new followers in. If you’re a business, collaborate with influencers and build relationships with your audience. Maybe host a giveaway or two to boost your engagement rate while you’re at it.

A lot of hard work goes into gaining followers on Instagram. And while increasing your follower count the old-fashioned way is fulfilling, there are smarter ways to attract followers. Path Social is one of them.Path Social can be your best friend in pushing out your content to people who will enjoy it. And if they love what you post, you’ll end up with more new followers than you can imagine. Try out our unique targeting algorithm today and grow your community of followers!