If you want to build an audience for your blog, you may need to use social media. Instagram may not get you much traffic, but it can help you form a community.
But to do that, you need to know about some Instagram tips for more followers. That way, you can get more people in your audience besides your friends and family.
Before we get into the tips, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.
1. Post Consistently
One of the most important things you can do to gain followers is to post consistently on Instagram. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to post something every single day.
If you only have time to post three times per week, that can work well. However, you need to choose a schedule you can stick to so that your followers and the algorithm will know what to expect of you.
Of course, you can experiment with posting more or less often. But once you figure out what works for your schedule and your account, stick to it.
2. Create a Content Calendar
To help you post on Instagram more consistently, come up with a content calendar. You can start by setting up that posting schedule you settled on when starting to post regularly.
Then, recreate the calendar for the next few weeks. As you come up with content ideas, write them down in a list so that you can easily slot different topics into your calendar.
That will give you plenty of stuff to post, and you can move things around based on your blog or business. You can move topics based on sales or holidays, so it’s not set in stone.
3. Experiment With Posting Times
As you start to figure out the right days to post, you may want to test out different posting times. For example, if your ideal followers live on the east coast, you may need to post earlier to match their schedules.
Or if you have followers all over, you can post at different times each day of the week. I love how tools like Later can tell you the best time to post based on the engagement on your account.
If you’ve been using Instagram for a while, you don’t have to experiment more with posting times. Plus, since Later lets you schedule posts, you can create the post ahead of time, even if you’ll be busy during the ideal post time.
4. Use the Different Features
Another one of the best Instagram tips to get more followers is to use all of the platform’s features. As you plan out your content calendar, be sure to include photos, carousel posts, reels, and stories.
Be sure you also stay up to date with any new features that you can use on your account. Test the new features to see if you like them. Instagram allegedly prioritizes accounts that use all of the features, especially the newest ones.
So as much as I have to say I don’t like making reels, I will do it to help grow my various accounts. Luckily, there are some lazy ways to make videos for the platform.
5. Test Various Hashtags
I can’t talk about Instagram tips without mentioning hashtags. These used to be the primary way for people who don’t follow you to discover your account, and they’re still useful.
Sure, you can get followers through the explore page, reels tab, and other places. However, you can use hashtags to really target your account and show your posts to relevant users.
You can include shorter hashtags with more posts as well as longer hashtags with fewer posts. That way, you can see which types of hashtags get you the most engagement, and you can reach more potential followers.
6. Narrow Your Niche
Especially if you have a personal brand, it can be very tempting to post about anything and everything. However, like on your blog, you should choose a niche for your Instagram account.
Choose one main topic and a couple of related sub-topics that you can talk about on Instagram. That will help you come up with content ideas that will appeal to current and prospective followers.
If you talk about everything from your blog to your personal life, not many people well care. So not only will it be hard for you to get new followers, but your current followers may leave.
7. Optimize Your Bio
After you figure out the niche for your Instagram account, it’s time to work on your profile bio. If your handle doesn’t make sense, you can change it to something better.
I’d also recommend changing your display name, which shows up under your profile photo. This field is searchable, so you can include keywords based on your niche, and you don’t have to include your actual name.
For the bio itself, try to come up with something fun and interesting to attract followers. I like to finish it off with a call to action to click on my blog, which I then add to the website field since it shows up under the bio.
You can change your bio regularly, so don’t feel like you’re stuck with it. If you find you aren’t getting many new followers, updating your bio might help improve conversions.
8. Choose a Good Profile Photo
While you’re still working on your bio, you can update your profile photo. If your blog is a personal brand, I’d recommend using a good photo of you.
You can hire a photographer to take headshots, or you can use a selfie photo or have a friend or relative take one. Either way, make sure your profile photo is well lit, and ideally, you should smile.
This photo should be inviting to people, so look your best. Instagram may no longer be just for photos, but it’s still a very visual platform, so quality is everything.
Alternatively, if your Instagram is for a brand that’s not related to you, use a logo. It should be a good quality image file, but you can design one yourself and add it to your account.
9. Set Up Story Highlights
Another one of the best Instagram tips for more followers is to use story highlights. These are Instagram stories that live on your profile below your bio and above the post grid.
They last for more than the standard 24 hours, so you can promote some of your best content. I’d recommend setting up a highlight for each of the sub-topics within your niche.
You can then name the highlights and design a graphic in Canva to make highlight covers. Then, you can make them look cohesive, and you can encourage potential followers to learn more about you.
10. Engage With Your Audience
Unfortunately, Instagram is not one of those platforms where you can just post and expect to grow. After all, it is a social media platform, so one of the most vital Instagram tips for more followers is to engage.
I’d suggest spending 10 to 15 minutes or even more time engaging with your target audience. You can engage with current followers as well as prospects by liking their content or commenting on posts.
If you want to go farther, you can follow the accounts you genuinely enjoy. You can even send a DM to a follower or potential follower telling them what you like about your account.
When you do all of this, make sure you’re being genuine. Don’t just engage to engage, because people can see right through that, and they may just ignore you.
11. Watch Your Competitors
Your competitors can also be a great tool to help gain Instagram followers. I’ll visit the accounts of my competitors to find potential followers that I can engage with.
However, you can also look at what others in your niche are posting, when they post, and how often. Never copy someone else’s content, but take note of the posts that get the most engagement.
Use that information to help inspire your next few posts. For example, if your biggest competitor gets more engagement on reels than photos, you should probably post a few reels.
12. Review Your Analytics
If you haven’t already, you’ll want to switch to a business or creator account, either works. That way, you can get access to analytics regarding your overall account and specific posts.
Every month or so, take a detailed look at your analytics to see what’s performing well. You can figure out what strategies worked well that month and which were a waste of time.
While Instagram changes frequently, you can learn from the data to make better decisions about your content in the future, so you could improve your rate of growth.
13. Be Flexible
When using Instagram, you need to be able to adapt to the changes. Be willing to experiment with new features as they come out, and don’t be afraid to change your content if your account stops performing as well.
It also helps to follow social media blogs or specific creators who talk about Instagram updates. You can learn about new algorithm changes soon after they happen so that you can pivot your content strategy if necessary.
That way, you can increase the chances of finding success now and in the future. Of course, success isn’t guaranteed, but it never hurts to give it your best try.
Final Thoughts
If you want to grow your account to promote your blog or get brand deals, you should consider some Instagram tips for more followers. Then, you can reach more of your ideal audience.
That will allow you to help build a community and turn your blog into a full-fledged business. If you want to learn even more tips, I highly suggest enrolling in the Instagram Marketing & Sales Academy, which has tons of great info on using Instagram for business.