It’s no secret: growth is the key to success on Instagram. But can you really turn your account into a magnet for more Instagram followers?
The short answer is yes! We’ve been there, done that, and learned the tricks of the trade. Growing your Instagram account isn’t only easy, but it is possible, so long as you take a strategic approach.
Instagram growth strategies change so quickly that it can be difficult to keep up but don’t worry. We’re sharing our top tips to help you boost brand awareness and build an engaged community in no time.
Let’s get started.
Common Questions About How to Grow Instagram Followers
Wondering how to gain Instagram followers who will stick around for the long-haul? Here’s the down low on a few of the most frequently asked questions we receive.
Is it important to focus on follower count?
Instagram followers can make a big impact! As you grow your account, you can boost your organic reach, allowing you to connect with more people and share your message far and wide. But that doesn’t mean that numbers are everything.
Buying fake Instagram followers is never the solution. In fact, fake followers tend to bog down social media accounts, making it harder to reach real people. When in doubt, remember that an authentic, engaged social audience is more important than vanity metrics. Quality over quantity!
How often should I post on Instagram?
Whether you regularly share Instagram posts, Reels or prefer Instagram stories, you’re probably wondering how often you should be sharing something new. The truth is that it really depends on your account and goals.
What matters most is posting consistency. You need to find a posting frequency that works well for your brand and your audience, all while being easy to maintain over time. Once you have a plan in place, stick to it for the best results.
One of the best ways to show up consistently on Instagram is to leverage an all-in-one social media suite, like Plann, to strategically plan, create, schedule and auto-post your content.
What kind of content resonates with Instagram users?
Your Instagram account is unique, and that’s its beauty. The content that resonates most with your audience will depend on who makes up your follower base and what they’ve come to expect from your brand.
Above all, you need to prioritize engagement. Share a mix of posts, reels, and stories. Invite your followers to share ideas or be a part of the action with interactive stickers on Instagram Stories. Get your audience to vouch for your brand by creating branded hashtags to encourage user-generated content (UGC).
🔥 Plann Tip: Dive into your content analytics to assess your highest and lowest-performing posts. Filter by reach and engagement and look at the content you’ve shared over the past 12 months for a large sample size. Then, use these insights to figure out what content resonates with your Instagram audience.
2024 Instagram Growth Strategies
Want more followers on Instagram? Your wish is our command! Here are some of the best growth strategies to keep in mind for 2024.
1. Content is King (and Queen)
As always, content is king, queen, and the rest of the royal family! If you want your Instagram profile to stand out from the crowd, you need to produce high-quality, high-impact content that makes people want to remember your brand. Great content is visually appealing and should align well with both your brand identity and the interests of your target audience.
Cute and Curated Instagram Content by @sarahgardnerjewellery
The @sarahgardnerjewellery Instagram feed displays a grid of high-resolution images featuring brightly colored rings, necklaces, and othhr jewellery items.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match your content approach, trying a variety of content formats, from photos to Reels to stories and even carousels. When you diversify your strategy, you can be sure you’re sharing something for everyone! You might even win a boost with the Instagram algorithm.
Better yet, leverage user-generated content (UGC) to build your brand. Reach out to your community and invite your followers to share their own pictures. You’ll save time on content creation while fostering engagement. UGC truly is a win-win!
Get to Know UGC with @rockwearaustralia
A blonde woman, Monique, wears activewear while skateboarding in a reel shared by @rockwearaustralia as part of the brands icon series campaign.
2. Master the Art of Hashtags
Choosing the right hashtags really is an art form. A strong approach could be key to getting you on the explore page, attracting more traffic to your account, and ultimately gaining new followers on Instagram.
💡 Plann Tip: Looking for the best hashtags to use on Instagram in 2024? Dive into our complete guide.
Generally, it’s best to use a mix of relevant hashtags, including smaller tags and those that are trending big. This can help you capitalize on what’s popular while also making your own mark. Avoid overstuffing captions with hashtags that don’t match your vibe.
How many hashtags should you use? For each post, you can choose up to 30, but you don’t have to use them all. The latest from the ‘gram itself is that it’s better to choose 5 to 10 great hashtags than 25 to 30 mismatched ones.
Discover high-performing hashtags handpicked for your brand with Plann’s Hashtag Manager, the easiest way to find and harness hashtags on Instagram.
3. Captions that Captivate
Your Instagram captions can be powerful! Compelling captions allow you to tell stories, ask questions, and encourage meaningful audience participation. This is the secret to connecting online and driving more interest in your account.
Caption Like a Planner
A caption from a recent Plann Instagram post reads: Think Instagram is just for fun? Think again. 💡 Many overlook Instagram as an additional revenue stream. What if we told you those fun Reels can put money in your pocket? Grab the full guide by heading to the 🔗 in our bio.
When crafting captions for your Instagram content, use strategic storytelling techniques that help you build a connection with your readership. Try to evoke an emotional response that targets consumer pain points and highlights your brand as the solution.
Remember, every good caption should include a call to action. Invite users to like a post, leave a comment, share a reel, visit your website, or take another actionable step. This helps you guide the user experience in the right direction and turn followers into customers!
Ditch writer’s block for good with Plann’s AI Caption Generator, your secret weapon to producing high-performing Instagram captions in seconds.
4. Engage with Your Audience
On social media, engagement is at the heart of everything you do. The way you engage with your audience underpins the relationship you’re building and could be the key to welcoming new followers who plan to stick around.
Gone are the days when it was enough to set and forget your Instagram content. Today, it’s important that you continue the conversation, responding promptly to comments and messages.
That’s not all. You can also drive engagement using other Instagram features! Run a Q&A live stream session that allows you to chat to your audience in real time, or share polls and stickers to boost engagement via Instagram stories.
Going Live with @azikho_za
An Instagram feed post displays a headshot of a brunette woman alongside the Azikho logo and the text: “Live with Gina Hamlyn.
5, Collaborations & Influencer Marketing
When building your Instagram presence, there’s no need to work alone. In fact, partnerships can make a big impact on your growth strategy. Explore opportunities to collaborate with complementary brands or influencers relevant to your niche.
Partnership posts can offer a fantastic pathway for networking, allowing you to build connections within your industry. Plus, you can reach more followers across multiple audience bases, making it possible to grow fast.
There are so many ways to work with other creators. Co-produce fresh content, or host a fun product giveaway. You can even provide simple shoutouts for mutually beneficial brand exposure.
As Plann Crew Member Kat from Social Media Kat explains, “It’s easier to gain a new follower if they already have some form of connection with your account— like if a friend recommended your account to them. This is why collaborations are so powerful! Plan collaborations with accounts that have overlapping or similar audiences to get your business and content in front of new people who will have an immediate connection to you, because they already know and trust the account you’re collaborating with.”
“For service providers, consider teaming up with another professional in an adjacent field to offer education and tips. For product businesses, pair your products with another maker or product biz to showcase how they go together. Make collaborations an ongoing part of your strategy to grow your followers in a genuine and strategic way.”
💡 Plann Tip: Use the Instagram Collabs feature to instantly double the reach of your content and get in front of relevant new audiences on Instagram.
6. Utilize Instagram Insights
Your Instagram insights are on your side, so use them as much as you can. Built into the Instagram app, you can access valuable data, including audience demographics, content performance stats, and all-important engagement metrics.
When you leverage your insights effectively, you can recognize what works best for your account and your Instagram followers. This information can empower you to take the next step, optimizing your approach for growth.
Your Instagram Insights
The Instagram insights dashboard displays overall reach, broken down into followers and non-followers, as well as content type performance. A short list of of top-content posts appear at the bottom of the screen.
Psst… have you leveraged Plann’s Advanced Instagram Analytics tools? Discover when your audience is most active on Instagram, pinpoint your highest-performing color palette and gain a clear snapshot of how your audience is growing over time.
Grow your Instagram following with Plann
Struggling to post consistently and worried it could affect the growth of your Instagram accounts? Save time and stress by scheduling all of your content ahead of time with Plann.
Plann can help with AI captions, cross-posting, analytics, hashtags, and more. This will assist you in maintaining a consistent posting schedule. Also, it will allow you to concentrate on expanding your business. We even auto-post your Instagram Reels to take the hassle out of growing organically on the platform!
Schedule Your Content with Plann
It’s time to take control of your social media content calendar and start attracting more Instagram followers. Get started now with a FREE 7-day trial of Plann today.
