How to Promote Your Instagram to Get More Followers and Engagement

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram Tips | Sep 18, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

Discussing the solutions to “How to promote your Instagram” will most likely be a jam-packed TED Talk event. With the platform’s constant and rapid evolution, you always have to be quick on your feet to keep up and build and maintain a strong Instagram presence. Let’s take a look at the tried and tested best practices for promoting your content and brand on Instagram to get more followers and engagement for your account time and time again.

Man using a megaphone to represent how to promote your Instagram page and content.

How to Promote Your Instagram Post With an Ad

Going the ad route is the obvious and popular solution for “How to promote an Instagram post.” The Instagram Ad feature is designed for newbies and pros alike, for a wide range of budgets, and for all types of businesses and audiences. Here are the nuts and bolts of promoting Instagram posts by using Instagram Ads.

Promote Feed Post

Instagram allows you to boost a feed post and turn it into an ad or take the more specialized option with Ads Manager. Here are the basics of how to promote your Instagram post by boosting it:

  1. If you haven’t done so yet, convert your account into a business account. 
  2. Go to your profile and tap “Ad Tools.” 
  3. Tap “Choose a post,” and then select the post you want to boost. 
  4. In the top right corner, tap “Next” for an iPhone or the forward arrow for an Android. 
  5. You’ll be given the option to link your account to a Facebook page, if you haven’t done so yet. Or you can tap “Skip.” If you choose to skip this step, it won’t appear in the future when you boost new posts. 
  6. Set the appropriate details for your ad, such as your ad goal, audience type, budget, and ad duration. Tap “Next” for an iPhone or the forward arrow for an Android.
  7. Tap “Create Ad” to complete the process.

Your ad will be submitted for review and will run once approved.

The Ads Manager option allows you to run an ad campaign using advanced tools for ad creation, management, and tracking. Getting started with Instagram Ads for e-commerce requires a more careful strategy, but this option opens up greater opportunities for growth and delivers bigger results. Keep in mind that you’ll need a Facebook Business page to use Ads Manager to promote your Instagram content.

Group of people working on laptops and analyzing Instagram ad campaigns.

Promote Story

With the huge popularity of Instagram Stories, it was only a matter of time until business pages were also given the option of creating Stories ads to promote their content. You can choose how long your Stories ad will run and how to optimize it to match your defined Instagram business goals. Here’s how to promote your Instagram content using a Stories ad. You’ll need access to an Ads Manager account to get started.

  1. Go to Ads Manager and select between “Guided Creation” and “Quick Creation,” then tap “Create.”
  2. Select your objective: Brand Awareness, Reach, Video views, Conversions, App installs, Lead Generation or Traffic.
  3. Fill in your campaign details. In the Placements section, select “Automatic Placements.” If you select “Manual Placements,” tick the box for “Stories” under “Instagram.”
  4. Set your ad’s budget, schedule, and other elements. 
  5. For the Ad Format, choose from Single image, Single video, or Carousel.
  6. Add your images or videos. 
  7. Tap “Confirm.”

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Preview your Stories ad by using the drop-down menu and selecting “Instagram Stories.” If you’re happy with your ad, submit it for review. 

Man and woman shooting a video for an Instagram Story ad.

How to Promote Your Instagram Page Organically

Knowing how to promote your Instagram page organically involves maneuvering your way around challenging obstacles that hinder your organic reach and engagement. Organic promotion takes a lot more time, effort, commitment, and patience, but it’s a critical component of a sustainable growth strategy. Here are guaranteed tips and tricks on how to promote your Instagram page with hands-on skill and creative insight.

How to Promote Your Instagram Page With Regular and Quality Content

This is a must for an effective organic growth strategy on how to promote an Instagram page. Create content that’s optimized for the target audience you’ve identified for your brand/business and aligned with your business goals. Know the best times to post on Instagram for all days of the week and ensure that each and every post you create is interesting and of high quality.  

It’s also important to use all content formats to attract more views and get more engagement. Use Instagram Insights to keep track of and analyze your content performance.

Person taking a high-quality photo of fruits to promote Instagram page organically.

How to Promote Your Instagram Account Through Other Social Media Platforms

Knowing how to promote your Instagram account on other platforms has been made easier with the following options:

  • Linking social media pages
  • Adding social media page buttons to websites
  • Cross-promoting specific content through promos and contests
  • Publishing Instagram content, especially user-generated content, on your website
  • Using a third-party social media manager

Phone screen displaying different social media platforms for cross-promotion of Instagram content.

How to Promote Your Instagram Page With a Hashtag Strategy

It’s also important to have the know-how to promote your Instagram page with the help of a good hashtag strategy. Here are the key hashtag points to remember:

  • Learn how to choose the best hashtags for your Instagram brand/business and content
  • Stay up-to-date with the latest hashtag trends within your industry. 
  • Know what hashtags are frequently used by your target audience. 
  • Use location tags whenever possible. 
  • Make use of all Stories tags that are appropriate for your brand/business and content. 
  • Get creative by inserting appropriate hashtags into your main captions. 
  • Create a branded hashtag.

Neon light hashtag symbol on wall.

Final Thoughts: Know How to Promote Your Instagram to Boost Your Numbers

Knowing all the ways to promote your Instagram page and content will help fast-track your growth on the platform. Approach your overall promotion strategy from different angles. Experiment with different tactics combinations. See and stick to what works best for each type of post and post format, for your type/s of an audience, and for your brand identity.

You can also accelerate your growth with the help of an expert in Instagram growth strategy, such as Path Social. Path Social’s proprietary advanced AI targeting algorithm and in-house team of experts can give you the organic and lasting boost you need. Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!