Starting over on social media or just trying to build your online brand? You are probably wondering how to get more followers on Instagram.
And no, we don’t mean buying followers or using bots. These tricks may increase your followers in the short term, but they won’t do you any good in the long run.
This is because the only truly valuable followers on Instagram are real people who care about and interact with your brand.
Check out our detailed guide to learn how to grow your Instagram followers organically.
How to Get More Instagram Followers for Free
Don’t have time to read the entire manual? Watch the video below for our top five tips.
Otherwise, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Step 1: Lay the foundation
Have a well-thought-out Instagram marketing strategy
If you want to be effective on social media, you need a clear plan.
Getting more followers on Instagram is a great starting goal. But followers alone will not create a successful Instagram account. Your goal should be part of a larger plan that ties into your business strategy and social marketing goals.
Consider why you need more Instagram followers. What are you really hoping to achieve? Maybe you want:
- increase brand awareness
- increase product sales
- drive traffic to your website.
Focusing on these business goals will help maintain the integrity of your Instagram account. This will help you tell a compelling brand story that will appeal to new profile visitors and help build (and retain) loyal followers.
Define your target audience
Ask yourself a few questions about who you are trying to contact:
- Where do they live?
- What do they do for work?
- When and how do they use Instagram?
- What are their pain points and problems?
Answering these questions will help you create content to connect with people on Instagram who are most likely to follow you.
They will also help you consistently provide content that will keep your audience interested in the long run.
Create a coherent brand story and aesthetic
Maybe you want to show how your product is made. Or humanize your brand by sharing an employee’s point of view. An inspirational brand can showcase the lifestyle or accomplishments of your customers.
No matter what you’re aiming for, it’s important to maintain a consistent brand voice, personality, and look.
Your posts should be easily recognizable at a glance. Think of your Instagram grid as a cohesive unit. You can always use Instagram Stories to share content that doesn’t quite match the look and feel of your main feed.
Your products also don’t have to look the same. You can use styles to give your grid a consistent look and feel like @themillerswifecustomcookies does:
Use keywords to appear in search results
Before people can follow you on Instagram, they need to find you. But not all text on Instagram is searchable. Only two fields on Instagram affect search results: name and username.
Your username is your Instagram nickname. It should match the nickname you use on other social networks as this also makes it easier for people to find. Use your brand name or the variant of your name that people are most likely to use when searching for your brand.
Your name can be anything, up to 30 characters. You don’t want to use keywords, but including the most relevant keyword in the name field can make it easier for you to search.
For example, travel writer Claudia Laroye (@itsclaudiatravels) includes the keyword “travel writer”in her Instagram name. It is now more likely to be found by people looking for travel stories or writers.
Source: @itsclaudiatravels on Instagram
Optimize your bio and Instagram profile
Two-thirds of business profile visits on Instagram are from non-followers. If your bio and profile convinces them to click the Follow button, those visitors can become followers.
Your profile includes the fields for your name and username (mentioned above), your website, and your bio.
Your bio can be up to 150 characters, so make the most of it. Tell your brand and show new visitors why they should follow you. What content can they expect?
This bio by @abstractaerialart sums up the purpose and promise of the account in a simple and straightforward way:
Source: @abstractaerialart on Instagram
If you have a professional account (business or author), you can add additional information to your profile, such as contact information, business type, and location.
Step 2: Create Great Content
Create a Great Instagram Grid
Sure, this may seem obvious, but it’s very important if you’re thinking about getting followers on Instagram. Every post on your Instagram grid should be high quality and visually appealing.
When new users visit your profile, the content should make them want to see more (and click Follow).
Give commercial photographer @nelsonmouellic a round of applause for this visual feat.
Write compelling long captions
Instagram is a visual social media platform, but great Instagram captions will help you get more reach and engagement.
Here are a few key strategies to keep in mind:
- Put the most important words first. If the caption is longer than 125 characters, users must click “More”to see the full caption. Make the most of those first words to inspire that extra touch.
- Ask a question. This makes it easy for your audience to leave comments. This increased participation will help make your account visible to more people.
- Use emoticons. Emoji add a bit of variety and can make your signature more attractive. Just make sure you use these emoji correctly!
- Try different title lengths. Our data shows that long captions are more likely to improve engagement, but ultra-short captions can also be very effective when the visuals speak for themselves.
Will Tan of Going Awesome Places posts great photos with detailed captions that tell the story behind the shot. In his Instagram biography, he is called “the creator of ridiculously detailed itineraries and guides.”This means that this approach to subtitles is in line with the brand.
Post content that is meant to be re-shared
Your audience wants to interact with useful and inspiring content. So when planning your posts, think about the types of content that other people might share.
People love sharing infographics. Satisfy this desire by providing your subscribers with your expert insights. If someone embeds your Instagram posts into their blog, you open up a whole new audience of potential followers.
People can also re-share your posts on their Instagram stories. These posts are interactive, so anyone who wants to know more can jump to the original post. This is another easy way to expand your reach to new audiences and potential new subscribers.
For example, here’s what Hootsuite’s LinkedIn demographics post looks like when it’s posted to my Instagram story.
Accept Instagram Stories
If you want more Instagram followers, you need to use Instagram Stories. Half a billion Instagram accounts use Stories every day, and 45% of the most viewed Stories are from businesses.
The people who use Stories are very involved. Also, you can use the hashtag and location features in your stories to show them to people who don’t follow you yet.
Watch the video below for some more professional Instagram Story tips.
Get the Most Out of Stories Highlights
Put a lot of effort into your Instagram story and not quite ready to say goodbye after 24 hours? Pinned story highlights are a great way to introduce your brand to people who visit your profile. So supplement these highlights with great information and content to show new visitors why they should follow you.
Don’t forget to customize the covers for your highlights as well. Supplement company Vega maintains its corporate identity and plant-friendliness with special green accents.
Source: Vega on Instagram
Publish sequentially
Your existing followers want to see content from you. That’s why they pursued you in the first place. So give them what they want!
When users interact with your posts, those actions tell the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable. These interactions will increase your reach. So by giving your existing followers something interesting to interact with, you will be able to attract new followers on Instagram.
How often should you post? According to our analysis, 3 to 7 times a week.
Post at the right time
Instagram uses an algorithm, not a chronological feed. But time is still important to the algorithm.
The Hootsuite social team found that the best time to post on Instagram is between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM PST or 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM PST on weekdays.
But your audience may have different habits than we do. A tool like Hootsuite Analytics can show you the best time to post for your audience based on past activity, impressions, or traffic.
Source: Hootsuite Analytics.
Try Hootsuite for free. You can cancel at any time.
Start testing at different times and measure results. For example, if you’re in retail, you might want to test your post during lunch.
Plan your posts and stories
What if the best time to post on your account is 3am? (Hey, it happens.) Use a social media management tool like Hootsuite to schedule and post directly to Instagram.
Planning your Instagram posts ahead of time allows you to plan out a cohesive grid that tells an overarching story. It also allows you to dedicate time to creating great captions rather than trying to come up with something witty on the fly.
You can also use Hootsuite to schedule Instagram Stories.
Step 3: Make yourself searchable
Use relevant hashtags to attract new users
Sorry, the text of your Instagram posts is not searchable. But your hashtags. Thoughtful use of hashtags can be a good way to get Instagram followers for free. You can even create your own branded hashtags.
Relevant hashtags can help people find your content. Instagram users can even follow hashtags. This means that your content with the hashtag may appear in the feeds of people who are not yet following your account.
You can include up to 30 hashtags in an Instagram post, but don’t overdo it. Instead, experiment to find out how many hashtags work best for your particular account.
Avoid hashtag tricks like #likeforlike, #tagsforlikes or #followme. This can give you a temporary boost in followers. But these people are not interested in what makes you and your content special. They won’t help you build a meaningful, engaged audience on Instagram.
Instead, focus on using specific hashtags related to your photo, product, or business, as stylist Dee Campling does in this #wfh shot.
Mark your location
If the location of your post or story is clear, it’s worth adding a location tag. This is another easy way to find your content on Instagram.
If your business has a physical location, flag it and encourage customers to do the same. Users can then click on that location and see all the photos and stories posted from your store, restaurant, or office.
For example, this is what you get when you search for the Van Wonderen Stroopwafels location in Amsterdam:
Source: Instagram
If you’re posting from a conference or event, adding your location can help you connect with other attendees. This will open up your account to a very relevant group of new potential Instagram followers.
Mark relevant users
It’s easy to tag Instagram users in your photos. Just use the @-mention in your caption or Instagram’s tagging feature in your post.
Users are notified when they are tagged, so tags encourage them to interact with and share the post. Your post will also appear in the “Tagged”tab of their Instagram profile.
You can also tag users on your Instagram Stories. They can then post shared content to their story with just a couple of taps. If they do, their viewers will be able to go to your account.
However, be careful. Tagging someone just to get their attention is not a good idea. Instead, only tag users who are featured in your photo or are relevant to the content of your post.
Some potentially relevant users to flag may include:
- Clients
- Suppliers
- Other related businesses
- Colleagues or employees
- Someone who taught you a skill or talked about something you shared in a post.
- The one in the photo
Encourage others to tag you
Another way to introduce your Instagram account to a new audience is to ask other Instagram users to tag you. When they tag you in a post, their audience sees your handle and can click on it if they want to learn more.
Your bio is a great place to ask people to tag you on Instagram.
For example, Visit the USA asks Instagram users to tag them in order to be featured on their account.
Source: @visittheusa on Instagram
Promote your Instagram account on other networks.
If you want to get Instagram followers for free, you need to make it easy for people to find you.
Your Instagram profile should be easy to discover. If you already have followers on another social network, let those fans know about your Instagram account.
Share a link to your Instagram profile and give your existing social media followers a reason to check it out. (For example, an Instagram exclusive coupon code, event, or contest.)
When BlogHer invited Jameela Jameel to live on Instagram, they also made sure to promote her on their Facebook page.
If you’re just starting out with an Instagram account, be sure to post some content before you promote the account elsewhere. Aim for at least 12 posts.
You can also highlight some of your best Instagram posts on other social networks. Consider promoting these posts with paid ads so your other social media followers can find and follow you on Instagram.
Embed Instagram posts into your blog
You have already seen several embedded Instagram posts on this blog. These clickable posts allow users to go directly to the relevant Instagram post or profile.
Embedding your own Instagram posts into your blog is an easy way to share your content and drive traffic to your profile. Every new visitor to your Instagram profile is a potential new follower.
For example, let’s say Hootsuite wanted to announce the makeover of our mascot. Of course, we could share a few photos of Ouli’s new look.
But we can also embed an Instagram post like so:
Any time you share visual content such as photos, charts, or infographics on your blog, there is an option to embed an Instagram post with that content instead.
Share your Instagram account in other posts
Think beyond your social channels when you share your Instagram account.
You can link your Instagram account on your website, in your email signature, and in your online newsletters. The link also doesn’t have to be big. You can use the small Instagram icon.
If you’re promoting a new Instagram account, a quick email campaign is a great way to get free Instagram followers quickly.
And don’t forget about your offline content. You can put your Instagram ID on coasters, posters, packing slips, business cards, or packaging. This is an easy way to get more free followers to your Instagram account.
Use Instagram QR codes
Your Instagram QR code is a scannable code that allows other Instagram users to instantly follow you. This is another easy way to promote your account with physical content like packing slips, signage, and product packaging.
Your QR code is also a great way to get new subscribers in real time at networking events and conferences. People you interact with in person can scan your code to follow you without having to enter your nickname. Try printing it out and sticking it in your badge holder for easy access.
Find your Instagram QR code by clicking on the three-line icon in the top right corner of your Instagram profile and selecting the QR code.
Try to be featured
Feature accounts are Instagram accounts that curate and re-share content based on a hashtag or tags. Some of these accounts have huge followings. If they share one of your posts (along with your username), they can send you a new Instagram follower stream.
There is an account for almost every niche and interest on Instagram, so start exploring.
For example, @damngoodstitch has posts with embroidery. The account has over 180,000 followers.
Aim for the “Overview”page
The Overview page is what you see when you click the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the Instagram app. According to Instagram itself, this is where “you can find photos and videos you might like from accounts you haven’t followed yet.”
Half of Instagram accounts visit Explore every month. This is a huge opportunity for brands looking to expand their audience.
Getting to the “Research”tab is not easy. Fortunately, we have an entire article dedicated to helping you with this.
You can also pay to be featured in the Browse feed by selecting Browse as your ad placement.
Source: Instagram
Step 4: Engage with your community
Subscribe to relevant accounts
You should only tag people in an Instagram post when the content is relevant to them. But you can follow anyone. And when you follow a user on Instagram, there’s a good chance they’ll check your feed and follow you back.
Social listening is great for finding conversations and influencers (also known as influencers) to follow.
The Suggestions for You section of Instagram is also a handy resource for finding suitable accounts to follow. These suggestions appear on your Instagram feed between posts, between stories, or on the right side of your desktop screen.
Just remember not to follow too many other accounts too quickly. The ratio of your followers, or the number of people who follow you compared to how much you read, is important for trust.
And don’t follow people just to get their attention, but only unfollow after they follow you back. This is a kind of jerk that will hurt your Instagram reputation.
Interaction with existing communities
Like all social networks, Instagram is a community created within it. So make sure you participate in these spaces.
Get involved by liking, commenting and sharing content from other trusted users in your community. Avoid general comments (such as “Great post!”) that look like they come from bots.
Engagement with other publications helps to attract attention (and potential new subscribers) in two ways:
- People get notified when you like and comment on their posts. They may check your profile to return the favor.
- If others find your comments thoughtful or intriguing, they may check your profile.
Work with influencers in your niche
Here’s an important statistic for those thinking about how to get more followers on Instagram: 60% of consumers say they’ll follow a brand on Instagram after seeing it promoted by an influencer they trust.
If you are not currently working with influencers, then you should definitely think about it. Luckily, we have a whole guide to influencer marketing to help you.
Collaborate with other brands
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other brands to see if there’s a way to collaborate on Instagram. Proper collaboration can help everyone involved get more followers on Instagram.
Think about the companies you already partner with in other ways. Maybe you’re affiliated with a local business development association or a shopping district. How could you work together on Instagram?
One common variation is to run a multi-company competition, as Rocky Mountain Soap Company did with @borntobeadventurous’ Annika Mang.
Try collaborating on Instagram Live
Live video is becoming more and more popular and Instagram is a great place to take advantage of this trend. Users are notified when the account they follow starts a live stream, so the live video really gets attention.
To present your video live to a new audience, use the Live with a Friend option to co-host a live video with someone in your industry. Ask another person to post a live video and then invite you as a guest. The two of you will appear on a split screen, introducing you to all your followers.
For example, Design Emergency hosts a weekly Instagram livestream to interview key figures in the design world.
Similarly, Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk series features interviews with industry insiders.
Use interactive features in stories
Instagram stories offer many interactive features to engage users, such as polls, questions, and chat stickers. These stickers are an easy way for your audience to engage with your low-bid content.
Voting stickers increased three-second video views in 90% of Instagram’s beta campaigns for the feature.
Source: Instagram
If users see your story via a hashtag or location page, they will immediately be able to engage with it. This is a great way to get them to learn more about your brand by following you.
Pin your best comments
One of the little-known features of Instagram is the ability to pin up to three comments to each post.
There are several ways to use this feature as part of your plan to get more followers on Instagram.
- Use sticky comments to expand the title to 2200 characters, continuing the story in the comments. This allows you to tell stories in more depth and detail, which may be appropriate for some accounts.
- Pin your favorite comments from other users, especially if they get a lot of attention.
This feature can help you manage the discussion of your posts and create more opportunities for interaction.
Step 5. Keep learning
Create an AR filter
AR filters for Instagram Stories are photo effects that Instagram users can use to modify photos taken with the front and back cameras of their mobile phone.
Those posts with puppy ears? This is done using an AR (augmented reality) filter. Those “what [vegetables/pizza/emoji/etc.] are you?” posts? Yes, they also use AR filters.
Any Instagram user can now create an AR filter. The filters you create live in their own section of your Instagram profile.
Source: @paigepiskin on Instagram
If your filter is non-advertised or branded, it will also appear in the Instagram Stories Effects Gallery, where anyone on Instagram can find it.
How can creating an AR filter help you get more followers on Instagram? Your account name appears in the top left corner whenever someone uses your AR filter. This is clickable and can bring more new visitors to your profile.
Source: @gucci on Instagram
Run contests
Instagram contests are a great way to get more followers. Just make sure your login process includes asking people to follow you and comment on one of your photos by tagging a friend.
The tagged friends will also see your post and may follow your account.
Encouraging user-generated content as part of your contest can also help you reach more people. People get to know about your profile from messages created by their friends. This is an effective way to gain the trust of new followers and draw more attention to your page.
Consider advertising on Instagram
Okay, that’s not exactly the way to get free Instagram followers. But Instagram ads can be a powerful way to quickly gain new followers by showing your content to people who might not otherwise see it.
And unlike buying followers, using Instagram ads is a completely legal and effective way to quickly get more Instagram followers with little investment.
Target your audience by location, demographics, and even key behaviors and interests. You can also create a Lookalike Audience based on people who are already interacting with your business.
In addition to the feed, you can advertise on Instagram Stories and the Explore feed. To learn all the details about creating and publishing an Instagram ad campaign, check out our detailed guide to Instagram ads.
Learn from Instagram statistics
Instagram’s analytics tools give you impression data for each post, as well as reach, engagement, featured posts, and more. You can also find demographic information about your followers, including gender, age, and location.
Reviewing this data regularly can help you identify areas where you can adjust your strategy to get more followers on Instagram.< >
Keep track of what time of day your followers use Instagram so you can post when people are most likely to see and interact with your content. Data savvy who want to dig deeper can consider a social media management tool like Hootsuite. These tools can show you the best time to post based on impressions, engagement, and traffic. They will also provide you with many other useful performance metrics, such as the growth rate of your followers.