The growth of the social media platform Instagram is not something you can ignore. In fact, according to projections from various research groups, it is estimated to add 26.9 million users by the end of 2020, making its growth higher than Twitter, Facebook, or other social media platforms. Among the factors leading this growth is the increased adoption by young people, in addition to increasing revenues from mobile ads – it is safe to say the platform is within its golden age.
In case you are searching for opportunities to help you maximize your targets on the platform, you do not need to follow the exact footsteps of others that have gained from it. Aside from using services that increase your engagement methods (mostly through fake followers, unfortunately) such as auto like for Instagram free, you can use the following unconventional ways to help you gain actual followers.
Stay away from banned hashtags
In case you thought all hashtags are good for you to use, then you are mistaken. In fact, the platform is now actively blocking and censoring numerous hashtags.
This list is ever changing, so new ‘undesirable’ terms get added every time. These do not need to necessarily be unsavory words; even the hashtags that look innocent like #singlelife are on the list of possible banned hashtags. That could also be because users are using them to upload images that violate the rules of the platform because of their indecency, and the developers of Instagram are working very hard to clean up.
Therefore, it is important to check the hashtags you are using, and find out if they are banned or not. This will also reduce the risk of your account becoming shadow banned, which means users cannot see your posts or engage with you. It is also easy to check banned hashtags – simply go to the Explore page and search it, then check whether it is in the ‘Recent’ and ‘Top’ categories at the same time.
If you want local exposure, use location stickers in your Instagram stories
The developers behind the platform recently introduced a new feature to Instagram stories, the geotags. This provides Instagram users with the chance to check on what is happening within their location, as long as they search for it.
Instagram stories are a very interesting way of capturing attention, but geotags make them more exposed. They also capture attention of users, especially those that are searching for some inspiration or ideas of something. In fact, more users these days are searching Instagram images to check hotels, travel destinations, upcoming events and restaurants. If you would like to gain some followers from your locality to get you on Instagram, then make sure to add some geolocation tags to your stories.
For a chance to get to the ‘Top’ section of the Explore page, use hashtags that are less popular
When you are selecting hashtags to put in your posts, it is common sense to put the most common hashtags you can get and hat are related to your posts. These hashtags might have a great number of posts numbering in the millions, but unless you have an established brand, they will not do much to help your growth in the long term.
The solution is to use hashtags that are more specific and more community-oriented. This is because they have more chances of creating and driving engagement, as well as assisting you to build a brand.
There are also numerous tools that can assist you to find hashtags that are less popular, such as INK361. You just need to search a term, and then the selection of hashtags that comes up allows you to search the volume of posts. A golden rule to follow though – if you have a small account, avoid hashtags that have more than 50,000 posts in their volumes.
Examine and change up your bio
Instagram is a visual medium, so you do not really have a chance to impress people with written posts. The only chance you have is on your bio. However, it is really short (up to 160 characters), so you need to make it as effective as possible while remaining as short as possible.
In fact,you cannot overstate the importance of the Instagram bio. As long as you succeed in telling a visitor who you are and what you do, as well as communicating the things that drive you in a compelling a personalized way, you are guaranteed to pick up followers every day. Do regular checks on your Instagram bio and change it up as much as possible, then examine the followers you gain the more you improve it.
Select your Instagram name carefully
Unless you are already famous, then using your name as your Instagram name (not username) is not helpful to building your brand. Make sure to pick words that are associated with your business, so it is important to select keywords users easily search for. For instance, if you are a travel blogger, then your username should be related to travel.
The name is easy to change as people get to know you and your audience grows, but the username you select must remain the same (it can even incorporate your real name).
Consider using tags that can get you featured on collective accounts
As long as you use the right hashtags or branded tags, it can be easy to be featured on collective accounts. The most important factor is to get a relevant communities that are active and smaller, because these will be more willing to feature your content more than bigger accounts. In addition, make sure the content you are submitting is your work.
Have a giveaway
This is among the best ways to grow your mailing list and increase your follower count, as well as connect with like-minded people. You just need to have a set plan in place, find the best hashtags and themes, and watch people participate in large numbers.
Final thoughts
It is very important to grow your Instagram followers so that your influence and brand awareness increases, but it is good to use interesting methods to grow them (as long as they follow the regulations of the platform).
