Tactics to Boost Your Instagram Growth Strategy

Did you know Instagram has over 1 billion active users every month? And 90% of users follow a business on Instagram.

Isn't that great?

For a marketer looking to promote their products or services, Instagram opens up a lot of new possibilities. It can be a great platform to find new followers, engage with them, and boost sales.

But it’s not all sunshine and roses.

Do you know how to attract more people to your Instagram account?  How do you get people to engage with you on Instagram?

Many marketers struggle with these questions.

In this article, let’s discuss some tried-and-tested Instagram growth strategies.

How Can You Revitalize Your Instagram Growth Strategy?

Many brands use black-hat tactics for Instagram growth. For example, they buy Instagram followers to inflate their follower counts.

Sure, it’s the easy way out. But the growth is not real.

In fact, it’s a very short-sighted strategy. In the long-term, it doesn’t do anything to drive engagement or sales. If you want to make sure you sustain your growth on Instagram, you need to get creative.

From the strategic use of hashtags to hosting contests, there is a lot you can do to attract more people to your Instagram account.

Here are some of the best Instagram growth strategies that you can try out to grow your online presence:

1. Use Relevant Hashtags

Hashtags can help people discover your content. If used properly, hashtags can also help you boost your content reach and get more engagement.

Sure, they can be an asset in your marketing strategy, but only if you know how to use them right. For instance, generic hashtags like #beauty or #fitness may be used very frequently. So, your post may get lost among all of the tagged posts. That’s why you need to use hashtags strategically.

Instagram allows you to use 30 hashtags per post. But that doesn’t mean you should use so many on every post. Going overboard with hashtags can make your profile look spammy and can even affect your engagement rate.

According to a study, the engagement rate decreased when the number of hashtags used increased.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use 3-4 relevant hashtags in your posts. That way you can attract a genuine audience to your content.

2. Optimize Your Instagram Posting Schedule

Did you know that there are 347,222 users scrolling through their Instagrams feed every minute?

What does this mean for your business?

To get the attention of your audience on Instagram, you need to post more content. Otherwise, your content may get lost in a sea of posts, which means you may never reach your target audience.

Also, keep in mind that Instagram now shows posts based on interests, relationships, and timelines. That means your audience gets to see your posts if they are interested in the subject or if they have previously interacted with your brand.

To achieve Instagram growth, you need to post content more frequently and strategically. You need to find out when your audience is most likely to be active and then schedule Instagram posts accordingly.

There are various studies that have also tried to find the best time for businesses to post on Instagram. According to CoSchedule, the best times to post differs from industry to industry.

However, every Instagram account is different, and a tactic that works for one brand or industry may not work for another.

To find out which is the best time for you to post on Instagram, it’s essential to pay attention to how your audience interacts with your content. Post several times a day and see when you get the most engagement. Also, note the kind of content that receives a good response.

You can also use social listening tools to understand your audience’s preferences. Based on the findings, you can come up with a posting schedule to boost your Instagram growth.

3. Actively Engage Your Audience

You’ve got to engage your audience if you want to improve your Instagram growth. It’s a prerequisite. Building engagement isn’t only about posting interesting content. You need to be proactive in the comments section as well.

Encourage your audience to like, share, and comment on your posts. Also, invest time in replying to their comments. While responding, avoid generic phrases. Keep the tone genuine and conversational.

Additionally, you can also follow some of your loyal followers who may help you expand your network back.

4. Use Instagram Stories, Videos, and Live Videos

Instagram Stories and videos are great for Instagram growth. They allow you to be creative and engage your audience in new ways.

But that’s not all.

Video posts get 2.1x more comments. Also, they get an engagement rate 38% higher than image posts. So, the more videos you use, the more likely your content gets viewed and shared with new audiences.

What about Instagram Stories?

More than 500 million accounts use Stories daily. Furthermore, 57% of brands also believe Instagram Stories to be very effective or somewhat effective in their social strategies.

To improve your Instagram growth, you can also use features like shoppable tags, music, interactive stickers, and others. They can help you capture your audience’s attention, pique their interest, and encourage them to engage.

Using live videos in Instagram Stories is also a terrific tactic that can improve your Instagram growth. You can use them to showcase behind-the-scenes footage of your business or to launch new products.

They are also great for Q&A sessions to interact with your audience. Stories can also help you build strong relationships.

To increase the chances of your Instagram Stories going viral, add hashtags and location tags. Instagram Stories also has a dedicated space at the top of the location and hashtag results pages.

To optimize the hashtags for your Stories, think about what your target audience searches for. Then, ensure the content you post relates to these searches.

5. Leverage User Generated Content

User-generated content is one of the best ways to get more followers and engagement. By tapping into the power of UGC, you can boost your Instagram growth. If you nail this strategy, you can significantly boost your online visibility and awareness.

How can you start your own UGC campaign?

Come up with a hashtag and encourage your customers or followers to take pictures as they use your product. You can also use photos of your customers using your products on your Instagram page.

6. Run Contests and Promotions

Do you love discounted or free things?

Of course you do!

Everyone does, and this is not going to change anytime soon.

How can you take advantage of this?

First, find out what your target consumers want or need.

Based on the findings, offer discounts or run giveaways for products or services that may be in demand. As a part of your campaign, also encourage your audience to like your posts, follow your page, and tag their friends.

This strategy can go a long way in boosting your Instagram growth.

To get the most out of this strategy, host a contest frequently. If your followers know they can expect to win more gifts in the future, they are more likely to stick around.

7. Tap into the Value of Influencers

When you’re talking about Instagram growth, you can’t forget influencer marketing. In fact, Instagram influencers can help you get more engagement and boost your sales.

In fact, Instagram is the most popular channel for consumers to follow influencers.

In the same report, 41% of consumers said that they discovered a new product or brand from an influencer every week.

Moreover, 87% of surveyed consumers said that they made a purchase based on influencer-generated content.

What does this mean for your business?

Instagram presents your brand with an opportunity to reach out to new consumers with the help of influencers.

On Instagram, you can also leverage the power of micro- and nano-influencers to promote your products and reach out to a diverse audience.

Through influencer-generated content, you’re also likely to build your credibility and win over the trust of their audience.

That’s why influencer marketing can take your Instagram growth to the next level.