Instagram has billions of users, with many of them logging on every single day to scroll through photos, videos and memes. It’s also become an essential marketing platform for small businesses in many different industries.

If you want to enjoy the benefits of Instagram, you need to build a thriving Instagram presence. Here’s how.

6 tips to grow your Instagram account

#1. Pick a theme/message

Regardless of whether you’re just starting out on Instagram or you’ve had an account for a while, your profile needs a theme of some kind. Take a few minutes to think about what yours should be.

Do you want your Instagram account to educate, entertain or inspire your followers? Do you want your posts to make your followers laugh or think, highlight social issues or motivate them?

Having a theme for your Instagram account will help guide you when it comes time to post social content. It also tells Instagram users what to expect from you, and will help you gain followers looking for what you have to offer.

Once you choose a theme, stick with it. If, for instance, @memezar — a popular Instagram meme account, suddenly started posting about the benefits of online therapy or workout and diet tips, a lot of people would probably unfollow them.

#2. Research hashtags

Hashtags are incredibly important on Instagram. Not only do they tell followers what to expect from your content, but they also help Instagram users looking for similar content find yours.

Don’t be spammy. Don’t use hashtags that aren’t relevant to your posts. It’s frustrating for users looking for specific content, and it won’t do you any favors in the long run.

Use common sense hashtags that you know people are using. But, since these types of hashtags are likely competitive, it’s also a good idea to identify less common hashtags that are relevant to your content.

 

You can do hashtag research right in the Instagram app using the search bar by simply typing in a keyword. Choose hashtags that people are actively searching for, but make sure they’re not crazy competitive, either. For the best results, look for hashtags that have between 10k and 300k posts

#3. Create a content calendar

Even with the best social media management strategy, success on Instagram won’t happen overnight. The two main ingredients to building an Instagram account organically are time and consistency.

Creating a consistent posting schedule is a key part of your success. But, that can be easier said than done, especially for small business owners, who are some of the busiest people in the world.

If you wait for some free time in your schedule to pop up — or for inspiration to strike — the likelihood of you actually posting on your Instagram timeline is slim to none.

Create an Instagram content calendar and schedule out your posts in advance using a social media scheduling tool, like Marketing 360® Social. This will help you stay on track and ensure consistency.

#4. Be dynamic

A lot of people are hesitant about creating a social calendar or using a social media scheduler because they’re afraid that they’ll come across as scripted or not relevant to the times.

Life moves quickly, and for some industries, it seems to move even faster than it does for the rest of us. If you schedule out posts a month or even a week in advance and something ends up changing, your content could easily come across as stale.

While it’s important to stay consistent on Instagram, it’s equally important to make sure that your content is relevant and dynamic. Retain some of the spontaneity that makes social media so popular by also taking advantage of Instagram Stories.

Another great way to create a dynamic Instagram presence is to make sure that you’re engaging with followers and users. When someone comments on your post or sends you a direct message, respond!

#5. Follow other influencers

As counterintuitive as it may seem, one of the best ways to grow your Instagram account is actually to follow other accounts in your industry or area.
First, when you follow others, it brings your visibility to your own profile. Users interested in certain topics or areas of interest look at pages certain profiles are following to find new ones to follow themselves.

Second, following other people posting things similar to what you’re posting about will help you stay abreast with what’s the latest and greatest information and keeps you up to date about what’s popular.

This doesn’t mean that you should go out and start following your competitors. But, you can benefit from following others in your field.

#6. Dedicate a budget

You can do a lot with the free side of Instagram management, but like on any social media platform, you can do more if you put a little money behind your efforts.

In addition to posting consistently and engaging with your followers, consider dedicating an ad budget to your Instagram presence.

Instagram, like Facebook, allows you to target users based on all kinds of key data points, like interests, age, income, etc. Plus, promoting specific posts helps to give them more legs and get in front of more people.

Bonus tip – Don’t use automated bots

Organically growing your Instagram presence is going to take time and effort. Speeding up the process with automated bots can be a tempting proposition. However, more often than not, it’s a bad idea.

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Build an active Instagram presence with the Marketing 360® Social app. And work with a dedicated social media manager who can help you maximize your efforts.

Learn more and sign up for your free trial. 

Originally published on 10/11/21