How to Get Followers on Instagram: Grow Your Audience

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram Growth | Aug 17, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

When it comes to Instagram, things can often feel like a competition. A person’s number of followers is frequently seen as a badge of honor. This is also true for the number or likes, views, or comments your content gets.

It can take a lot of work to keep up with other brands, businesses, and influencers out there. After all, it is difficult to get followers on Instagram, especially to hit numbers that will impress others.

The truth is, it’s all about the kind of followers you are interested in. In most cases, quantity is better than quality. At least, to most people. Authentic followers are typically regarded as the key to growing a successful social media presence. Still, some people only look at the bigger picture – the actual number of followers they have – and don’t care about the type.

Ready to learn more? Read on as we explain the difference between real and fake social media followers. We’ll also cover how to get followers on Instagram, from paying for them to working for them. Grab your phone and start growing your audience today.

Person holding up a smartphone, showcasing the Instagram app.

Why Do You Want More Followers?

If you are new to social media, you may wonder why people want to get followers on Instagram. After all, many people view these platforms as a way to share things with only their close friends and family. However, others look to Instagram as a business opportunity. That’s right. Many people are turning social media into a full-time career – and doing it successfully.

If you are learning how to become an Instagram influencer or even starting a small business, your audience should be top of mind. After all, the more followers you have, the more eyes on your content, product, or service. And if you have authentic followers, you can obtain a higher engagement rate.

This is an Instagram analytical tool that measures just how engaged your audience is with what you are sharing. To view it within the app, you’ll need to be set up with an Instagram business account.

More organic and real followers can often lead to an increase in your engagement rate. In turn, this can leads to more business opportunities and profits. So, it’s easy to see why a person would want to get followers on Instagram.

People researching how to get followers on Instagram.

How to Gain Followers on Instagram 2023

Now, you are probably ready to learn all about how to get followers on Instagram. We are here to help teach you. First, let us mention that methods for growing your audience change quickly – sometimes year by year or even monthly.

Why? The social media app is constantly releasing new features, updates, and fresh ways of connecting with other users. This means that, as a brand or influencer, you must always be ready to change and adapt to new technology.

However, let’s get back to the matter at hand. We are here to discuss current methods to use when growing your social media audience. Brands, businesses, and influencers are using these ways – right now.

Below, let’s take a look at how to gain followers on Instagram 2023. From paying for them to focusing on your user-generated content, we’ve got all the tips and tricks you need.

A person using their smartphone, opened to the Instagram app.

1. How to Get Followers on Instagram: Buy Them Through Third-Party Apps

One of the quickest – and perhaps easiest – ways to get followers on Instagram is to simply buy them. That’s right. You can actually pay to get more followers on the social media app. While this may sound like a surefire way to increase your audience, we suggest you proceed cautiously. Not all companies are created equally.

If buying followers on Instagram appeals to you, simply take to the internet or your phone’s app store. There are numerous third-party apps and websites that offer this service. However, you should do in-depth research into the company before downloading anything.

This includes reading real user reviews as well as privacy policies. Some third-party apps cost money or may have hidden in-app charges that aren’t obvious initially.

You’ll also want to understand what you are giving the app access to when you use their services. This can range from your Instagram password to handing over full account control. Knowing what the process is ahead of time can keep your profile – and content safe and secure.

Of course, there are many Instagram growth agencies that are doing things right. They focus on growing an authentic following for their clients and have excellent results. For example, allow us to suggest Path Social.

Promising real and organic Instagram followers, they have been trusted by over 24,000 influencers and brands. As one of the leading AI-powered platforms, they focus on finding users that are most likely to be engaged and lasting.

2. How to Get Followers on Instagram: Properly Promote Your Content

Another way to get followers on Instagram? Make sure you are utilizing all the helpful features that Instagram offers inside the app. By this, we are talking about learning how to properly tag, showcase and promote your content. Let’s dive in a little deeper and take a look at some popular tools.

Hashtags are one of the best ways to get fresh eyes on your feed post, photos, and videos. When you add one to your content, it allows other users to easily find you. Of course, you will want to be sure you are using relevant hashtags that match your aesthetic and brand. This way, users who find your content are more likely to be interested in what you offer.

Brands, businesses, and influencers even take the time to create custom hashtags that incorporate their name or tagline. This lets them keep all their content under one tag, as well as have customers add it to their own content.

You’ll also want to be sure you are keeping up with the latest content trends, whether it’s songs, dances, or games. This way, you will easily catch the eye of new viewers. If you are lucky, your content may even get you on the Instagram explore page as a feature account. This can drive users to your account and lead to more followers and higher engagement.

Man learning how to get followers on Instagram.

3. How to Get Followers on Instagram: Engage With Other Top Accounts

You can also look to other users to help to get followers on Instagram for yourself. You can further your reach by engaging and partnering with other brands or influencers. By this, we mean hopefully gaining the other’s followers as your own. It’s all about reaching out and making the right connections.

First, do some research on Instagram profiles that would be a match for yours. These can be brands or people who have similar interests as yours. They don’t need to be identical but should be complementary to your page.

Next, do your part to form a connection. This can include sending them a direct message, commenting on their feed posts, or even replying to their Instagram stories.

After you’ve created a relationship, brainstorm a few ideas to work together on social media. One option is to do joint Instagram live sessions. This way, both sets of followers will tune in and, hopefully, want to find out more about each participant.

You can also help to promote one another by sharing the other’s content. For example, repost their content, whether it’s stories, posts, or Instagram reels. The more you can share, the better.

Woman showing her friends how to get followers on Instagram.

4. How to Get Followers on Instagram: Connect With Your Customers

If you are a brand or business, you surely know how powerful social media can be. In fact, many look to it not only to promote their product but also to drive sales and create revenue. When businesses are looking to get followers on Instagram as a business, it’s essential to connect with their customers.

By this, we mean encouraging, supporting, and maintaining close customer relationships. This can include sharing tagged customer photos on your Instagram stories. Another great way to get their involvement is to host Instagram contests or giveaways. This not only gets them engaged, but it can lead to lasting customers.

It’s also helpful to have a customer support team on hand to better assist your followers. One way to do this is by having a link in your Instagram bio where your followers can quickly get in touch. These quick resources will let your followers get in touch when they need to.

Smartphone opened to the Instagram app in front of a computer.

How to Get Followers on Instagram Fast: Focus on Quick Results

Like anything else in life, growing an authentic Instagram following can take time. The goal is to build your brand and create an audience full of real people, which doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, this can often take months – if not years.

However, we live in a world that often demands immediate results. And as you know by now, the number of followers you have can have a direct impact on your success.

If you are looking for a way to learn how to get followers on Instagram fast, allow us to assist you with some tips. Turns out, you do have some options for a little instant gratification when it comes to your Instagram audience.

The quickest way to up your audience is to buy your followers. This can happen almost instantaneously, depending on the service and offered plan that you choose. However, you’ll want to keep in mind what we mentioned earlier. That is, do your research and read reviews of all third-party apps before you make a decision.

Another option to get followers on Instagram in a hurry is to take to the app. We suggest following as many people as you can, with the hopes that they will follow you back. While not everyone will join your audience, you do have a high chance of gaining some.

Women looking at ways to get followers on Instagram.

How to Get Followers on Instagram: Real Versus Fake

Now, it may surprise you to learn that not all followers are the same. By this, we mean the type and quality of those followers. You’ve heard us mention authentic, genuine, and real followers in this article. Turns out, Instagram is also home to many fake accounts and profiles. These are commonly referred to as bot accounts.

To some people, it does not matter if their gained followers are real or fake. They are simply after a higher total follower count and broader reach. However, to others, fake followers are not of interest.

Why? Since the account is not a real person, they will not engage with your content. This means that your overall engagement rate can be lower, something that can harm your brand or business in the long term.

When it comes to how to get followers on Instagram, we’ve got a few tips – for both real and fake followers. Read on as we take a closer look at methods to use when targeting both types. After, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge of what will work best for you and your goals.

Person holding a smartphone that is opened to the Instagram app.

How to Get Fake Followers on Instagram

Now, if you are interested in how to get fake followers on Instagram, this section is for you. However, we have to recommend against seeking out fake followers, also referred to as bot accounts. These can be inauthentic and can even go against Instagram policies and guidelines.

While they can help to lead to a huge follower account, they offer little else regarding your growth. They will not be engaged with your content nor lead to your overall Instagram success. If you are trying to get followers on Instagram, we recommend seeking out real people. In fact, let’s take a closer look at that below.

How to Get Real Followers on Instagram

As we mentioned before, many people prefer to grow their Instagram audience with real and authentic followers. This ensures that the people following them are actual human accounts and will be actively engaged with their accounts. This is quite possibly the best way to guarantee a higher engagement rate.

Learning how to get real followers on Instagram can be easy. In fact, you can even use many of the methods that we’ve already covered in this article. Perhaps the best way to go about this is to use the aforementioned Instagram growth agencies.

These can provide the best results and bring your Instagram account the most success. To get followers on Instagram that are real, you’ll want to, of course, ensure you are using a reputable and reliable company.

Friends looking at ways to get followers on Instagram.

How to Get Followers on Instagram Without Following Them Back

Of course, many people also keep a close eye on the number of people they are following – in addition to their followers. Some even like maintaining a certain ratio and having their followers heavily outweigh their following. For them, it’s all about the numbers.

What if you are trying to increase your follower count – without increasing your following count? It is possible. Let’s learn how to get followers on Instagram without following them back. For this, we recommend leaning into hashtags.

This way, you are getting your content out in the world, which is the best way to raise visibility. You want others to find your content enticing and relevant so that they will follow your account.

Another way to gain followers without increasing your following is to buy them. As we mentioned before, you can quickly pay to add to your audience. Third-party apps and growth agencies can target the best followers for your account – and get them on board. This method does not require you to follow the accounts back.

However, keep in mind that Instagram is a two-way street, especially when it comes to how to get followers on Instagram. In order to obtain success, it’s essential to support and uplift other users who are looking to do the same.

At Path Social, we’ve built up an in-house platform of Instagram influencers and an AI-targeting algorithm over the past decade. That’s how we reach organic users who are targeted, interested, and engaged. And that’s why no one can replicate our results, which means you’ll build an Instagram community that lasts! Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today.