How To Get Instagram Followers Organically [7+ Proven Ways]

Instagram is more than a spot for friends and vacation pictures. Over time, brands and influencers worldwide have turned it into a powerful marketing tool.

With over 2 billion active users, Instagram hosts an enormous audience. Who wouldn’t want to tap into that?

Getting more followers on Instagram is crucial to scale your marketing efforts. But how do you get Instagram followers organically? 

Posting alone isn’t sufficient since the average organic reach is only 20%. Simply put, you need more than just content to reach your target audience effectively.

This article will walk you through everything you need to know about growing followers organically. 

Avoid Buying Fake Followers

If you want a real following on Instagram, you have to avoid purchasing fake followers. There’s a major difference between legitimate and fake followers. 

We understand the temptation to buy followers for rapid growth, but the downsides outweigh any benefits. 

Why? It is because fake followers pose significant drawbacks, such as:

• Confuse Potential Organic Followers: If your account has a large following but is inactive and lacks engagement, it raises suspicions among potential organic followers. This can deter fans who might have otherwise followed you and engaged with your content.
• Offer No Monetary Value: Fake followers can’t make purchases. So, if you’re running a business, these followers contribute nothing in terms of revenue.
• Create Zero Buzz: Having 10,000 fake followers doesn’t guarantee meaningful engagement with your posts. Spam comments from fake accounts don’t add genuine value to your content.

On the other hand, real followers can genuinely engage with your posts. They share, like, comment, and contribute to a more authentic interaction.

Do you want to know how to get more organic followers on Instagram? Before we jump to learn the hacks, let’s discuss what exactly organic growth is. 

What Is an Instagram Organic Growth Strategy?

Are you wondering what exactly is organic Instagram growth?

An organic growth strategy means expanding your audience without shelling out money for ads or resorting to artificial methods. 

It’s about using free marketing strategies to draw in real followers who are genuinely interested in your business. 

Unlike band-aid solutions like buying fake followers, organic growth is a long-term solution that requires consistent outreach and engagement.

It helps increase your followers on Instagram and improve metrics like reach, engagement rates, and post impressions. 

Why You Should Grow Your IG Account Organically

Many people use shortcuts like Instagram bots, third-party apps, and buying followers to increase their follower count rapidly.

While these shortcuts may give you a rapid follower boost, they often result in fake engagement. This fake surge won’t benefit your brand in the long run.

Here are a few compelling reasons why you should choose organic growth over other artificial options:

• Better Brand Credibility: Growing your account organically attracts real, valuable users who engage with your content. This helps boost meaningful interactions and improve conversion rates. 
• Lower Costs: Instagram’s organic growth is a cost-effective way to reach your target audience without spending on ad campaigns. You won’t need a budget—just use methods that don’t require investment. 
• Account Security: AI growth tactics such as follower bots can put your IG account at risk, even suspension or ban. However, organic growth based on genuine interactions and ethical practices can help reduce this problem.
• Reliable Analytics: Believe it or not, fake followers can mess up your Instagram Insights. Organic growth provides accurate data, allowing you to make informed decisions based on reliable analytics. 
• Long-Term Engagement: When you organically grow your Instagram account, it helps you build excellent relationships with customers. It also leads to sustained engagement and loyalty over time.

Create a Feasible Instagram Marketing Strategy

Knowing where Instagram fits into your social media plan ensures positive outcomes and helps you focus on what to post. 

So, how do you build an Instagram growth strategy? Follow the steps:

1. Solidify the Goals

Decide if you want to raise brand awareness, drive conversions, boost website traffic, or another goal. 

Clearly defining your goal guides your content and call-to-actions and helps maintain a cohesive brand image on your Instagram grid.

2. Get 360-View of the Target Audience

It’s important to know your basic demographics—however, it’s not enough. You have to dig deeper to understand what challenges your target audience faces and how you can address them. 

Don’t get too fixated on going viral and reaching a massive audience. Instead, you should focus on connecting with your ideal followers. 

Going viral may help you attract attention, but if it’s not from your target audience:

• They might not follow you or
• You could end up with unengaged followers or unlikely customers.

Take a moment to identify your ideal followers and tailor your content to them. This approach not only fosters better growth but also attracts a quality audience.

3. Define Brand Voice and Aesthetics

Even if you’re a creator and not a business, you have to create a unique social media voice. This will help users recognize your posts instantly. 

Your brand voice and aesthetic are crucial for being memorable on Instagram. You can use brand colors, maintain a consistent theme, and let your personality shine.

4. Build Content Pillar Themes

Choose a specific content pillar theme for your IG account. Stick to a few main topics for your posts and avoid straying too far from them. This approach offers many benefits, such as:

• You won’t need to come up with new and unique content ideas constantly. 
• Your Instagram followers will associate you with a specific content style.
• You won’t be easily swayed by trending distractions, allowing you to maintain a consistent Instagram strategy.

Now that you have a clear Instagram marketing strategy, let’s find out how to get organic followers on Instagram. 

7 Instagram Hacks for Organic Growth

Unfortunately, there are no ‘definitive’ Instagram hacks for organic growth. However, there are numerous things you can do to grow your IG followers organically. 

Here are seven easy yet effective Instagram hacks to grow followers organically.

Optimize Your Instagram Bio

To create the perfect Instagram bio, you have to focus on four key elements:

• Clearly describe what you do or sell.
• Infuse it with your brand’s personality.
• Include a clear CTA.
• Add a link.

Your IG bio has a limit of 150 characters. Still, it can make or break your brand’s first impression on potential customers and followers. 

Create a bio that is clear, creative, and comprehensive. Anyone reading it should quickly understand your brand’s purpose, how it benefits them, and where to get more information. 

You can use the link in your bio to direct your audience to an external page such as your website. Or, you can update it regularly based on your latest posts.

Keep a Consistent Content Calendar

On Instagram, momentum matters. In other words, you won’t attract followers if you start posting randomly. 

Building your audience requires creating valuable content. However, if you want to retain them, you have to create engaging content consistently. Don’t let your IG account collect cobwebs.

This is why you need to stick to a regular posting schedule. You don’t have to glue yourself to a set-in-stone number, but most successful brands post daily. 

Nevertheless, the key is to post at the right time. This ‘right time’ varies from industry to industry. 

For instance, the optimal time for travel and tourism is Friday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. In contrast, the best time to post entertainment content is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

If you worry about your posts not getting enough visibility, consider using features like Stories. This will give your content a second chance with a broader audience.

Leverage Short-Form Videos

According to The Sprout Social Index, 66% of consumers say short-form video is the most engaging social media content. Including Instagram reels in your post repertoire can significantly boost your strategy. 

Reels aren’t just fun and snappy but also algorithm gold. You can use them to show tutorials, product highlights, or behind-the-scenes peeks. 

Make your reels creative so they grab your target audience’s attention. Use in-app tools such as stickers, filters, voice-overs, music, and transitions to craft trendy, eye-catching content.

You can cross-promote your IG reels on other platforms like TikTok for a broader reach and a larger follower count.

Respond to Comments

Responding to customers on social media pays off.

According to one report, customers are 20% more likely to spend with brands that give timely replies. If a customer doesn’t get a response, they’re less likely to recommend that brand to others. 

Once you post, stay available to respond to initial comments. Also, promptly address abusive remarks to maintain a safe and inclusive space. 

This is also an opportunity to showcase your brand’s values and personality. You can employ a social media tool to help monitor DMs, mentions, and comments if needed. 

Use Relevant Hashtags

Do you want to increase your followers organically? Use relevant hashtags. They can help make your content pop up in various trending circles. 

Although you can use as many as 30, Instagram recommends using 3-5 hashtags per post. Make sure to use hashtags related to your target audience and brand.

Moreover, use a mix of niche and popular hashtags to appear on the Explore Page. This will help more people see your posts and increase your follower count. 

Engage Your Followers With Diverse Content

You create eye-catching content and post it at the right time but are still unable to attract good engagement. 

If that’s the case, your content or posts lack flavor. Your IG followers are either dismissing or ignoring your content. 

To increase your engagement and get more followers, you need creative ideas. If you’re stuck, try these:

• Instagram Stories: Share your brand’s story using Instagram stories. They’re more powerful than still images and won’t overwhelm your followers’ feeds. If you have a “Business account” with 10K+ followers, add a “swipe up” to redirect traffic to your website. You can also use stickers in your IG stories to improve engagement.
• Instagram Live: You can use Instagram Live for candid, engaging videos. It positions you at the top of your followers’ Story section. Include interviews, product demos, and Q&A sessions to attract more followers. Don’t forget to have a basic script to prevent goof-ups.
• Contests & Giveaways: Both giveaways and contests can help gain new followers. Make sure to instruct participants to tag friends and follow your page. This helps your brand get visibility.
• User-Generated Content: UGC is one of the best ways to improve brand awareness. It provides better engagement at no cost. Create a branded hashtag and encourage followers to use it. You can then collect valuable content for reposting in your Stories. But before you repost it, ask for permission. 

Partner With Influencers

Collaborating with relevant influencers is another effective way to grow your IG account organically. 

Find influencers who share your target audience. They will help boost your followers through organic marketing.

While many brands prefer famous influencers, micro-influencers are effective too. Not only are they budget-friendly and more accessible, but they also bring fresh, new ideas.

Before you partner with an influencer, check if their followers are active. Remember, you want an engaged audience, not just numbers. 

In addition to that, set clear posting guidelines for consistency with your brand’s voice and values.

Bonus Tip: Get Verified on Instagram

You can also gain more followers if you have a verified account on Instagram. 

Getting a coveted ‘blue checkmark’ on your IG account is a token of instant credibility. It makes your profile stand out in searches, prevents impersonation, and gets more engagement rates.

If you want to improve your Instagram game and get more followers, getting verified can help. 

Are you wondering how to get verified?

It’s incredibly simple. Just buy a subscription through your IG profile. However, there’s a catch—you need to meet eligibility requirements, like following Meta’s minimum activity standards.

Instagram Organic Growth Services To Get More Followers

Many users find IG growth to be frustratingly slow, stealing time that they can use for creating more content.

Luckily, you can end these challenges with Instagram’s organic growth services. Provided by third-party channels, Instagram growth services can help enhance your IG profile’s reach.

They perform a range of activities such as following, commenting, and liking on a large scale. This enables you to manage your business better. 

These services help you get more followers and increase engagement by understanding your requirements and targeting your ideal followers. 

Are Instagram Growth Services Legit?

Many Instagram growth services help you gain organic followers and improve engagement metrics legitimately and effectively. However, you must practice caution. 

This is because while many are legitimate, some are shady, promising free followers or using ineffective automation. ‘Free followers’ may seem tempting, but risking your online reputation isn’t worth it.

Moreover, some dubious growth tools may violate Instagram’s rules, which prohibit artificial likes and followers. 

Therefore, you should research Instagram growth services thoroughly before investing in them for your business to ensure legitimacy.

Let Path Social Help You In How To Get Instagram Followers Organically

Now that you have these awesome tips in your toolkit, you can boost your Instagram followers organically. But remember, it’s not a one-shot deal.

To sustain growth on Instagram, it’s important to consistently publish high-quality posts/content and stay updated on your social media plan.

If you’re an influencer, a business, or a user who wants to grow their IG accounts naturally, choose Path Social! 

We have a range of customized tools and strategies to help you refine your IG account. With us, you can realize the true potential of the account, increase real followers, and get more views. 

Don’t wait to learn about how to get Instagram followers organically. Let Path Social help you scale your profile! Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!