Instagram is more than a place to connect with friends, share vacation photos, or upload a silly video of your dog. Since its inception, the social media platform has grown into a powerhouse marketing channel, used by brands everywhere to connect with potential customers.
Meta’s photo and video-sharing app has also springboarded the careers of countless creators who monetize their personal brands through their content. If you’ve ever thought of leveling up your presence on Instagram or starting a business on the platform, you’re in the right place.
Instagram has 1.4 billion users in 2024, each hungry for visual inspiration and trends. How do you get their attention?
In this guide, learn how to get more Instagram followers (not bots) and how to increase engagement on your Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels.
Why do Instagram followers matter?
Business growth and opportunities
The more followers you have, the more opportunities open up. As well as leading to increased exposure for your brand and products, a larger audience can translate into more potential customers. But it goes beyond this too—a broad follower base can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behavior so you can try out new product lines quickly and effectively.
Social proof and influence
A large Instagram following often implies your trustworthiness and expertise in your industry, which can encourage word-of-mouth marketing and press coverage. Accounts with many followers can often shape opinions and drive trends, which gives them a competitive advantage and helps build credibility.
Monetization potential
The more followers you have, the more chances there are for you to monetize your Instagram account and make sales. Plenty of Instagram monetization features require you to have 5,000 or 10,000 followers, but the higher your follower count, the more likely it is that other brands will pay to collaborate with you and the easier it becomes to sell physical products, courses, and other services.
Community and engagement
Instagram followers can become a tight-knit loyal community very quickly. More followers typically result in more comments, which means you can engage with your audience and improve content based on feedback. Plus, a large following often brings in varied viewpoints to enrich discussions and open up collaborative opportunities, like joint projects, UGC campaigns, and partnerships.
17 ideas for how to get more followers on Instagram
- Incorporate Reels into your content mix
- Cross-promote content
- Optimize your Instagram profile
- Partner with creators and influencers
- Build your personal brand alongside your business
- Get placements on feature accounts
- Find hashtags your audience is using
- Post at the right times and schedule posts
- Engage with your competitors’ followers
- Collaborate with accounts and creators on campaigns
- Use location tags to attract local followers
- Organize your Instagram Stories in Highlights
- Ask for more followers in Instagram posts
- Run a giveaway
- Share user-generated content
- Use Instagram Live
- Try Instagram Ads
Instagram is the third-most-popular social media platform (behind Facebook and YouTube), and 80% of marketers use the channel to promote their businesses. Getting the most from your marketing dollars, however, starts with building a loyal and engaged audience of followers on Instagram.
While follower count is only one success indicator on Instagram, increasing followers can unlock monetization opportunities for influencers and provide businesses with valuable social proof.
1. Incorporate Reels into your content mix
Instagram started as a photo-sharing app, but quickly moved into video with its Stories feature. Stories are a more intimate form of vertical-format video, viewable only to friends, followers, and visitors to your page. Reels, however, are public-facing, offering more reach through Explore on Instagram and, therefore, viral potential.
Brands and creators should consider adding Reels to their Instagram strategy due to their high engagement rates compared to Instagram posts. Seventy-four percent of Instagram users report actively watching Reels, and the average number of likes on Reels is 42% higher than that of posts.
On the heels of TikTok and the popularity of its unpolished video format, Reels offer brands and creators a chance to be more candid and human on Instagram.
To create content for Reels, consider these tips:
- Keep content unique and trend-driven. If you’re wondering what to post on Instagram, start by identifying trends on Instagram and TikTok, and across the web—and put your own spin on them. This increases the chance your Reels will go viral and get in front of new audiences.
- Make content relatable and simple. Not every Reel needs to be a Hollywood film. Lower quality videos have the potential to perform as well as (if not better than) Reels with high production value.
- Educate your audience. Find the balance between education and entertainment in your Reels. This can be a mix of how-to videos, tips, industry info, humorous takes on viral trends, and product demos.
Home brand Tarte Gelatina has nailed this format, transforming product launches and even order packaging into entertaining clips.
To understand what works and what doesn’t, don’t forget to tap into analytics built right inside your Instagram account. Using Instagram Insights for Reels, you can see patterns and understand different spikes in engagement that affect your visibility on the platform. That way, you can double down on the content types that bring more engagement and followers.
2. Cross-promote content
Cross-promoting involves posting similar content across various social media channels (or Instagram accounts). It’s a tactic used to save time and resources. It’s also effective at increasing brand awareness and growing an audience on Instagram.
Whether it’s a short-form video or a lengthy tutorial, you can improve the reach of your Instagram content by testing it on other platforms. And, if one of your TikTok videos goes viral, try it (or a similar concept) on Instagram to help you get more followers.
TikTok isn’t the only channel you can cross-post on. The Instagram Reels format translates well to YouTube Shorts and Pinterest Stories. If you’re cross-posting, however, make sure you understand the preferences in each community and tweak to accommodate. Gymshark regularly cross-posts content from its TikTok account onto Instagram.
3. Optimize your Instagram profile
Instagram users will likely discover you through your content when it appears on the Explore page. If they’re compelled to learn more, they’ll navigate to your profile. This is a critical step in gaining a new follower. That’s because a strong brand is a signal to potential customers and followers that your account is for them (or not).
Your Instagram profile is one of many touchpoints along the customer journey. Make sure your brand shows up there in the same way it would on your ecommerce website, other social channels, product packaging, and customer communications.
Everything from your avatar to your Instagram bio to your content grid matters. Your Instagram feed serves as the billboard for your brand. It’s a customer’s first touchpoint with you and captures the essence of your brand.
Ask yourself:
- Do the elements effectively communicate some degree of consistency through personality, filters, colors, or layout?
- Am I taking full advantage of the clickable link in my bio?
- Does the overall combination of elements effectively capture my brand?
- Does my Instagram bio take full advantage of this space, conveying the right tone and information?
Let’s take a look at a real-life brand example: On Letterfolk’s Instagram profile, a consistent color palette and graphics give the account a professional look.
When Instagram users click Letterfolk’s link in bio, they are taken to a page with multiple options, including a shoppable grid that mirrors Letterfolk’s Instagram grid.
Resource: How To Craft a Link In Bio With Linkpop
4. Partner with creators and influencers
While Instagram ads can increase your reach, partnerships with influencers can add trust and credibility to your paid promotions. Recent research found that 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations.
When adding influencer marketing to your strategy, be sure the partnership is a fit for both your brand and the creator. The better your target audience aligns with the creator’s follower base, the more likely you are to find success with the campaign and gain more Instagram followers.
Home goods brand Ellison Studios partnered with popular drag queen Courtney Act on a design collaboration and paid Instagram content.
5. Build your personal brand alongside your business
If you run a founder brand (basically, a brand with a strong tie to its founder’s story), build out your personal brand’s Instagram account alongside that of your business.
Harnessing both the company account and your personal account can increase brand recognition, get more Instagram followers, and boost sales. It’s a tactic that works for fashion label ANINE BING. In addition to the brand’s own Instagram profile, the company’s founder also drives engagement and awareness through her personal Instagram account.
6. Get placements on feature accounts
Certain Instagram accounts, often called feature accounts, are those that curate the best content in a specific niche—and some have a massive following. If you can get placement on these accounts, it has the potential to send new people to view your profile and boost Instagram followers. There are feature accounts for every niche: travel, fashion, photography, pets, and more.
Discover Earth’s account curates travel content from creators and photographers around the world for more than 6.9 million Instagram followers.
To get picked up by these accounts and have your content broadcast to millions of Instagram followers, use common hashtags that these accounts use, tag them in relevant content, or check out their specific submission guidelines.
This is a great way to gain new followers on Instagram who already engage with content like yours.
7. Find hashtags your audience is using
Your goal is to engage your current audience on a regular basis while also growing Instagram followers. Posting consistent and engaging photo and video content will keep current followers loyal, but how do you attract new followers with your Instagram posts?
Using hashtags is one way to show up in search results for users looking for content like yours. A common strategy is using popular Instagram hashtags that users often search for. These hashtags, however, tend to be saturated. For example, the hashtag #love has been used in more than two billion posts. The chances of standing out from other popular accounts using this tag are slim—and it may not even be relevant to your brand.
A better strategy is finding hashtags that are most relevant to your brand and content. Research hashtags and keywords within your industry and get to know which hashtags your target audience is using. Then, from those options, choose hashtags that have a variety of popularity levels. For example, if a hashtags with several hundred thousand uses is relevant to your brand, use that one—but also choose a few hashtags that are lower volume but deeply relevant. That’ll increase the chances of your content showing up to the right audience, even if the topic is saturated.
A social media hashtag generator tool like Iconosquare or Later can help you find hashtags for your business account. These are paid apps that help you generate suggested hashtags based on popularity and relevance.
If you’re on a budget, you can still find relevant hashtags by typing target keywords into the search bar in the Instagram app. Try different keywords that describe your brand and products, building out your hashtag keyword list as you go.
Doing competitor research is another hashtag discovery tactic. Check out the content of your top competitors on Instagram. What hashtags are they using on their most popular posts?
Creating a hashtag list
Your keyword and hashtag research should result in a list of tags you can use consistently across your content.
For example, if you run a men’s sock business in Toronto, your final list of relevant hashtags might look like this:
- Brand keyword hashtags: #mybrandname #mensfashion #mensaccessories #mensgoods #fashion #mensstyle #instafashion #menswear
- Product category keyword hashtags: #happysocks #corgisocks #socks #sockswag #socksoftheday #sockgame #socksofinstagram #happysockday
- Location-specific keyword hashtags: #Toronto #TorontoFashion #TorontoFashionBloggers #madeinCanada
Store these groups of keyword hashtags in a convenient location like a notes app or Google Doc. This makes it easy to copy and paste into content, even on the go. Some Instagram scheduling tools even let you save caption templates (including hashtags) for one-click captions.
Independent bakery Small Scale Bread uses hashtags relevant to the product, location, and season in this Instagram post.
Using hashtags in Instagram Stories and Reels
Don’t forget to use hashtags in Reels and Stories, too. In Instagram Stories, you can use hashtag stickers (which can be found in the Instagram Stickers menu when creating a Story) or just hashtag directly in your post captions.
Since users can follow hashtags, your Stories on Instagram have a chance to be seen by people who are following that hashtag—not just your account followers.
Hashtags in Reels are added at the third stage of the Reel creation process. Add your video and edit it before proceeding to a screen where you can add location tags, hashtags, and user account tags.
8. Post at the right times and schedule posts
A strategic approach to your social media content calendar involves analyzing user behavior and your account’s performance to discover what content works best at what times. While there are several social media tools for brands, Instagram’s built-in analytics can offer plenty of insights here.
If you’re just starting out, try consulting the best times to post on Instagram based on marketing research. You may find, however, that your own audience doesn’t follow this standard. That’s why it’s important to tweak your approach as insights roll in.
To automate the task of posting on time, consider using a social media scheduling tool to automatically publish your posts when your audience is the most engaged—even if it’s when you’re sleeping.
9. Engage with your competitors’ followers
Your direct competitors’ followers are an ideal focus for your efforts to get more Instagram followers. After all, they’ve already indicated they’re interested in a product or brand like yours.
The most common types of engagement on Instagram are:
- Follow a user
- Like a post, Story, or Reel
- Comment on a post
- Save a post
- Share a post via your Stories
- Interact with a Story sticker
- Tag a user in your content
- Use a branded hashtag
- Send a direct message
Engaging with your target audience is a great way to show that you’re open to two-way communication and building a relationship with fans and customers. Actions like these show there’s a real human behind an account—not just a bot auto-posting content.
10. Collaborate with accounts and creators on campaigns
In addition to influencer marketing on Instagram, you can partner with other brands and creators on campaigns and content that offer mutual benefit. This works best when both accounts have something to gain, like access to an audience that resembles a target customer.
When collaborating with other companies, choose a brand that is complementary to your own—but not in direct competition. For example, if you sell activewear, a water bottle or smartwatch company would likely have some audience overlap without selling the exact types of products as yours.
Aesthetically compatible brands Rachel and Rose Buddha partnered up to run a giveaway of one year’s worth of clothing from both brands.
11. Use location tags to attract local followers
Besides hashtags, you can also make your Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels discoverable by tagging your location—either the city you’re in or the venue where the photo or video was taken.
Locations not only have their own Instagram feed but also their own Stories, where you can surface your content to locals and tourists searching the location.
Local businesses can get the most value out of location tags by posting regularly to these feeds and also engaging with posts from prospective customers who are physically in the vicinity.
The Backcountry Hut Company ships its prefab cottages throughout North America and tags the site locations on Instagram posts.
12. Organize your Instagram Stories in Highlights
One of the elements of your page that shouldn’t be overlooked is Story Highlights. Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, but you can prolong the value of the content by organizing them into Highlights.
Story Highlights provide an additional opportunity for new visitors to your page to get a taste of your brand, content, and products. If users can instantly find the information they’re looking for, you’re more likely to gain Instagram followers.
Story Highlight ideas
You can organize Stories in a number of ways to attract more Instagram followers.
Here are a few Story Highlight ideas to get you started:
- Create trailers that tease information about what your account and brand are all about.
- Organize your Stories into themes, product collections, seasons, or content types (e.g., DIYs, product launches, behind-the-scenes).
- Create a new Story Highlight each time you launch a new product or collection to keep your profile’s Highlights fresh and relevant.
- Gather user-generated content into one Highlight to celebrate your loyal customers.
13. Ask for more followers in Instagram posts
Not sure how to get more Instagram followers? Don’t be afraid to occasionally ask your target audience to follow you. In the same way YouTubers ask viewers to subscribe, you can also nudge Instagram users to follow you for more content.
You can do this in your Instagram captions or mention it in video content like Reels and Stories. Use common marketing tactics to encourage users to follow. What’s in it for them? Tell your audience why they should follow you, what to expect, and what’s coming up.
💡Tip: Creators should also nudge current followers to become subscribers. Instagram Subscriptions allow creators to offer exclusive content to paying subscribers—one of the easiest ways to make money on Instagram.
14. Run a giveaway
One of the best ways to incentivize a follow is by running a giveaway. Often, brands and creators ask users to complete one or more actions in order to enter.
Common giveaway entry actions include:
- Following the account (and the accounts of any collaborators)
- Liking the giveaway post
- Tagging one or more friends on the post
- Leaving a comment on the post
- Filling out an entry form on the brand’s website (which also helps build an email list)
All of these audience actions help with your Instagram presence. Tags bring you a potential new follower, driven by a trusted recommendation, and engagements are favorable to the Instagram algorithm, meaning your post could get even more reach.
This giveaway by Portland Leather offers multiple entry options, including sharing to Stories—an engagement that would exponentially increase the brand’s reach.
There are a number of rules to follow (and ask your entrants to follow) when you set up a contest or giveaway on Instagram. Instagram has its own set of rules and guidelines, which include setting your own eligibility requirements, tagging content accurately, and asking users to agree to an Instagram release.
15. Share user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content—videos, photos, written reviews, audio, and more—that is created about a brand by a fan, customer, or follower. UGC helps humanize your brand and give it credibility because it serves as a trustworthy review from a real customer. This increases purchase confidence.
Plus, when you share a post from a customer, their 15 minutes of fame is likely to strengthen their loyalty to your brand, encouraging them to refer friends and purchase again. Blume, for example, shares before and after acne treatment UGC.
UGC best practices
Your biggest fans will share their experiences with your products without prompting, but it does help to encourage them.
Here are a few ways to encourage more UGC:
- Create a branded hashtag feed where customers can post images.
- Add a UGC call to action in your Instagram bio.
- Run a contest and ask for video or photo reviews as entries.
- Reach out to smaller influencers and offer free products for an honest review.
- Add a postcard or callout in product packaging asking customers to share their experiences on Instagram.
💡Tip: Use a Shopify app like Social Photos to pull UGC from your Instagram followers into your website to display on product pages. These become visual reviews that help other customers see your product in action.
16. Use Instagram Live
Instagram Live is a feature that allows you to broadcast live video to your followers. It works much like a Reel or Story, but is recorded live and has additional interactive features that let you and your audience directly engage with each other. You can also monetize your Instagram Live content with Instagram badges, and it’s wise to save your Instagram Lives to repurpose into evergreen content in your feed.
Influencer Alfredo Lewis hosts an Instagram Live with makeup artist @makeupbyloveandrea, in partnership with beauty brand K18 Hair—a collaboration that increases reach for both the brand and creators.
Here are a few tips for using Instagram Live to grow your following:
- Host influencer account takeovers.
- Host an interactive AMA (ask me anything) or Q&A.
- Tease a product launch or update, or give live viewers exclusive access (try Instagram Live Shopping).
- Go Live in a “room” with up to three other accounts to increase reach.
- Go behind the scenes on your operations to humanize your brand.
- Run a how to or product tutorial and answer viewer questions in real time.
- Interview creators or other compatible brands and promote in advance across both accounts.
17. Try Instagram Ads
You’ve learned how to build instagram followers through a number of organic and paid methods, but there’s one last tactic used by many marketers and brands on Instagram: Paid ads are a great option to gain Instagram followers quickly, if your social media strategy includes a budget for paid promotion.
Instagram Ads are accessible through a self-serve platform that allows you to set your own goals and budgets. They can help you reach Instagram users with matching interests or in locations where you do business.
Your Instagram account is a powerful sales channel
Now that you understand how to get more followers on Instagram, it’s time to put that learning to work. Develop your social media content calendar, start creating Instagram posts, and prepare to reach new audiences. Don’t forget to engage with your existing followers and tweak your social media strategy as trends evolve and new Instagram features become available.
Growing your Instagram followers is only the first step in using the platform to reach your business goals. Your Instagram account is one of many social media platforms and channels where you can surface your brand to new followers and customers. Once you’ve built an audience, you can unlock even more opportunities to monetize your personal brand or convert follows into sales.
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How to get more followers on Instagram FAQ
Are Instagram ads effective for gaining more followers?/h3>
Instagram ads can be effective for gaining followers, but their success depends on various factors, such as targeting, ad content, and your call to action. For best results, Instagram ads should be part of a broader strategy that includes creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience, and using relevant hashtags.
Does collaborating with influencers help in gaining more followers?
Yes, collaborating with influencers can be a great way to get more followers, because it builds credibility and trust while increasing your exposure to your target audience. Influencers often share authentic content with high engagement levels, and partnering with them gives you a slice of this pie.
How can I get to 1,000 Instagram followers?
There are a number of ways to get to 1,000 Instagram followers. It starts with crafting a compelling Instagram bio, posting content your potential followers want to see, engaging with relevant users, and consulting Instagram Insights to understand what content is performing.
Instagram content should be authentic, relevant, and relatable. Using tactics that please the Instagram algorithm gives you a better chance of appearing on Instagram Explore where you can reach new followers.
How do I gain real followers on Instagram?
While there are ways to buy Instagram followers, this is not a good strategy for brands. Fake followers or bots do not give you the engagement that you can get from real Instagram followers. Bots and fake Instagram followers may also get banned from Instagram, meaning they can give your Instagram account only a temporary boost.
To attract more followers, post high-quality content, mix up the content in your Instagram feed, tag relevant users, and post consistently. You’ll see your real follower count—and your engagement—increase on the social media platform with habits like those.
How do you get more Instagram followers for free?
If you want to understand how to grow on Instagram but you don’t have a budget to promote Instagram posts or buy paid ads, try these tactics to find potential followers:
- Find and use popular hashtags related to your photo, product, or brand.
- Create your own branded hashtag.
- Use hashtags in Stories.
- Create Instagram Reels.
- Encourage UGC from your customers.
