I remember a time where Instagram was full of randomly taken pictures without ulterior motives. A time where people talked about Instagram as the app where “people take pictures of their food”. Times have changed. Though we still see a lot of food, selfies and outfits of the day, the reason for those snaps has become another. People started recognizing the power of social media and turned it into a business. I started Instagram years ago and through those years I learned a lot about the app. Even though the algorithm is changing now and then, these tips will help you grow your audience – independently from the algorithm. And I promise, it’s nothing about having an aesthetic feed, doing that follow-unfollow-thing (please, stop doing this!) or anything you’ve read a thousand times!
It’s not a community if you don’t engage with the people in it.
1 Interact with your current followers as much as you seek potential followers.
I’ve mentioned this so many times but it is very important to understand that Instagram (and any other social media platform) is about community. It’s not a community, if you don’t engage with the people in it. Don’t focus on new followers only, but appreciate those who brought you where you are right now.
Another tip is to interact with your followers before you publish a post on Instagram. If people see you’re showing some love to their posts, they are more likely to do the same in return.
2 Explore relevant hashtags
Remember how I talked about using relevant hashtags in my post “11 tips to grow your social media“? Besides using hashtags that are relevant to your blog/business, pay attention to the number of lifetime posts they have. Most people think using a popular hashtag will increase their following but it’s actually the other way around. It will make your post disappear very quickly since too many people are using the same hashtag. Instead, try hashtags with 50-500k lifetime posts.
3 Leave useful comments longer than three words
Comments are more valuable thank likes as they indicate a higher engagement. Instagram understands that leaving a comment takes more time and therefore it is ranked higher than a like. But did you know that comments are only factored into your post’s ranking if they are longer than three words? So if you receive comments like “Nice”, “Cool” or just an emoji it’s like you didn’t receive a comment at all..
4 Ask for what you want
A great way to increase engagement is asking a question in the caption of your posts. People are more likely to interact if there’s a question they can refer to. This also is a great way to make them leave a comment that is longer than three words 😉
5 Respond to your comments in a timely manner
If possible, respond to the comments you’re getting in the first hour. This shows Instagram not only that you’re active but also that your post is pretty important due to all the activity. And as mentioned before, engagement is an important factor for a better ranking.
I hope this post was helpful and that you could learn something new. Which strategies have worked the best on Instagram for you? Let me know in the comments below!
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