Instagram is an application for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android that allows users to share their photos with the "Instagram Community" or through other social networks. Getting more followers is essential for increasing your Instagram visibility, but it can be tricky. To find out how, follow the advice given in this guide!
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Being a Member of the Instagram Community
Step 1. Follow similar accounts
Instagram is a community and you will gain followers if you participate in it. It means interacting beyond just uploading photos. Look for users who post images that catch your interest and follow their account. This way you will be able to see their latest photographs on your feed.
Don't follow anyone - you risk overloading your feed. Limit yourself only to the users you find most interesting
Step 2. Like and comment on photos as soon as you start following an account
Not only will you make the other person feel good, but they can also see your name or comment and view your profile. If you participate actively, you can significantly increase the number of users who follow you.
Step 3. Reply to comments
Interacting with your followers is essential to be able to keep them. Reply to all interesting comments and thank you for any compliments. If a follower asks you an intriguing question, take the time to answer them appropriately.
Step 4. Ask your followers questions using photo captions
This will make the comments section more active and attract more viewers to your photo.
Consider introducing a call-to-action, such as "Click here if you find it funny" or "Share your story in the comments". This will help guide the community's attention to your photographs
Step 5. Connect to Facebook account
Instagram is owned by Facebook and you risk losing potential followers if you don't link these accounts together. All of your Instagram posts will also be published on Facebook, giving you double exposure.
You can link the two accounts via the Instagram Settings menu
Step 6. Complete your bio
It is often overrated, but it is still a very important part of your Instagram account. Let people know who you are and why they should follow you. Also include some hashtags that relate to your content.
Another good place to put a call-to-action is your bio
Part 2 of 4: Using Hashtags
Step 1. Look for popular hashtags for your niche
These are words and short phrases that describe and categorize the image. They help people find your image through search, especially if you link it to current trends. Inserting hashtags is incredibly important for reaching a larger audience.
- Webstagram is a great tool for finding the most popular tag trends.
- The most popular Instagram tags are always "#love", "#me" and "#follow".
Step 2. Add some more relevant tags to each image
Limit yourself to three. If you put in too many, your followers might consider it spam.
Step 3. Create your tags
If you have a good number of followers, you can try creating your own hashtags. This could be your company name or a slogan related to many of your photos. This will help you promote your Instagram account and make it more visible in the community.
Step 4. Put geotags on your photos
Instagram users are very interested in photos of the places they know. Also, when you post a photo with the geotag, Instagram will add more images of that place.
Other users who post photos from your location may see your images and become your followers
Step 5. Use "Like for Like" hashtags
If you want to increase the number of your Likes, you can use hashtags that are so popular, such as "# like4like" or "# like4likes". Just make sure you like someone back who puts it on your photos.
Some consider this tactic "dirty" and you may lose followers if you use this tag too often
Part 3 of 4: Posting Memorable Content
Step 1. Take unique and interesting photos
While it may seem obvious, one of the best ways to get followers on Instagram is to simply post beautiful photos - you'll stand out from the rest.
- Try taking pictures of your audience's interest - if people love what you portray, they'll be more likely to become your followers.
- A good photo doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to look human and, therefore, prone to imperfections.
- Limit "selfies". Everyone loves to post them every now and then, but you don't have to let them become a large part of the content you offer. Your followers don't want to see you, they want to see your photos. Too many selfies give the idea of narcissism and can drive many followers away. Sad to say, there is one exception: if you are attractive. You can get tons of followers by posting sexy photos of yourself. Even in this case, however, avoid it becoming the dominant part of what you post!
Step 2. Add filters
Instagram has become famous for choosing filters that you can add to photos. These filters allow you to change the colors of making them more "real". Instagram has several filters available, so you can try them all until you find the one that works best for the effect you want to achieve.
- Avoid using the same filters over and over again or your images will look too similar.
- If the photo is beautiful even without a filter, use the popular #nofilter tag. Use it!
Step 3. Use the caption on each photo
A good caption can give personality to a mediocre photo, and helps to attract the attention of the viewer. If you can steal a smile, you will be able to get even more followers. Particularly cute jokes or captions are very popular.
Step 4. Use specific applications to expand your editing control possibilities
You can make some simple tweaks within Instagram, but there are tons of them, for iOS and Android, that can provide you with tons of other tools. Use this app to lighten, darken, crop, add text, effects and much more.
Among the most popular apps are Photo Editor by Aviary, Afterlight, Bokehful and Overgram
Step 5. Create collages
A great way to showcase a progression or collection of images is via a collage to post on Instagram. There are several apps that allow you to do this, such as PicStitch, InstaCollage, and InstaPicFrame.
Step 6. Post your photos at the most suitable times
Instagram is an incredibly popular service, and your followers' feeds are constantly updated. If you want as many people as possible to see your photographs, you need to publish them at the right times. The best time is in the morning and after the end of working hours according to the type of your users.
Instagram photos usually stay in a person's feed for about 4 hours, so you should avoid posting them in the middle of the night, otherwise you risk your followers won't see them
Step 7. Publish your photos a little at a time, perhaps over a couple of days
If you post too many, your followers could probably start skipping them intentionally. However, keep in mind that if you don't post often enough on the other hand, you'll have a hard time keeping your followers and attracting new ones.
Part 4 of 4: Buying Followers
Step 1. Find a good seller
There are several websites that offer followers for money if you're really desperate - buying a few might help boost your account.
Make sure you are well informed about the service and read its ratings before using it
Step 2. Choose how many followers to buy
Most services will offer you a wide choice of packages to choose from, starting with 100 to thousands of followers. Choose the offer that best suits your needs and budget.
Step 3. Set your account to Public
You can't buy followers for a private account, so make sure you set it up for everyone to see. You can change the settings from the Profile page by clicking on "Set Your Profile".
Step 4. Be aware of the downsides
Buying followers can give you a boost, but there are drawbacks. These followers will most likely never interact with your photos or leave comments, which will make your posts stark. Furthermore, other users will notice the discrepancy between the high number of followers and the lack of activity on your account, which could lead them away.
