How do you build an Instagram audience? That is the question that many business owners ask themselves when they are deciding what to post on their accounts. Most will just post random pictures of whatever they think people want to see, but this approach usually doesn’t work.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms out there. It has a vast audience, and you can take advantage of that to build your brand or personal account.
Therefore, throughout this blog guide, I will discuss 16 tips that will help to build your Instagram audience and increase engagement with your target market!
Let’s dive into it…
16 Proven Tips to Grow Your Instagram Audience
1. Create a Branded Hashtag for Your Account
There are a lot of brands that build their audience by creating and using branded hashtags. This is something you should start doing if your goal is to build an Instagram audience.
A hashtag can help people find all the posts related to it, making sure you create one for your account! It will be easier for other users who want to build their Instagram audience to find you.
2. Follow Similar Users
When looking to build an Instagram audience, it is essential to follow similar users. This will help you make an engaged following and increase the likelihood of your posts being seen by more people! The more people who are following you, the better.
The best way to build an engaged following is by paying attention to what others are posting and liking or commenting on their posts.
You can also do this with hashtags! If someone starts using your hashtag in a post, make sure you like it so that they know how much you appreciate them sharing it.
3. The Relevant Hashtags
Understanding and using hashtags on your Instagram posts is a great way to build an engaged audience because it lets other users know that you are posting relevant content for the interests they follow, which will make them engage with your post more.
An excellent place to find new hashtags used by people in your target audience is by searching hashtags on Instagram.
Once you find potential relevant and popular tags, look at who’s related to those tags using the “Following” feature found under each post in your feed. These people are most likely going to be interested in what you’re posting too!
4. Be Consistent In Producing Content
Posting content on your Instagram account often will build an engaged audience faster than posting sporadically or only occasionally. When you post regularly, people know when they can expect new updates and engagements increase from users who are checking the account more often.
5. Post Related and Engaging Posts Regularly
The best way to build an engaged following is by posting regular content that your followers will enjoy! It’s essential to create a consistent schedule of posts to know when they can expect to see new updates. Generally speaking, you want to post at least twice per day–one in the morning and one in the evening.
You should also make sure that you are posting something of value to your followers to build a connection with the content. This means paying attention to trending in their industry and being creative by adding new perspectives or bringing up things others may have missed!
Posting relevant and engaging posts regularly is crucial in building an engaged Instagram audience and your brand awareness because it will give your followers something to look forward to and provides a sense of continuity and familiarity.
If you are looking for great software to schedule, plan and see how your posts are performing, check out, Metricool and try it out with one free brand.
6. Use the Right Filters
Too many filters on your Instagram photos can make it difficult for people to see what the image is actually about. The best way to build an engaged audience is by using no more than one filter and keeping everything else natural, so you don’t distract from your post’s content. One of our favorite filters is the “Noir” filter because it has a vintage feel.
7. Invest in Video Content
Posting a video clip about two minutes long on Instagram will help build your audience because people are more inclined to watch videos than reading text posts. If you have the resources and time, filming original content in-house can benefit your audience build and SEO.
Video is a way to promote your business as well as an effective marketing strategy/Instagram marketing. You might not be ahead of the curve yet, but you will have this when it becomes more common.
8. Run Promotions & Contests
Conducting contests weekly can help you grow your audience on Instagram. To build your audience on Instagram, run promotions and contests.
A contest is a promotion that you offer to give away something of value (usually worth something to the visitor) for people who take specific actions like following you or liking your page.
You can host it by yourself via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc., or hire someone else to host it for you.
9. Post Stories Every Day to Engage Followers
Another great way to build your audience on Instagram is by posting stories daily. Stories allow you to share what’s going on in your life and get a glimpse of the people behind the account and build connections with followers, which will help build their trust in you.
10. Cross-Promote Instagram on Other Channels
This is the trickiest yet most helpful way to build your audience.
Cross-promoting Instagram on other channels not only helps you build up a following, but it also allows you to build valuable links that can result in more followers as well!
It’s all about leveraging social media and building relationships with influencers with large followings on other platforms.
11. Optimize Your Bio
Instagram bio is the first thing people see when they visit your account. It’s what shows up on their screen before scrolling through pictures or videos. The only place you can write a lot of words, so it needs to be optimized!
To create an excellent Instagram bio:
- Use no more than two lines with 25 characters per line.
- Use a catchy, clear, and descriptive title to build your Instagram account’s brand identity.
- Include the name of your business or personal project as well as its website URL (if you have one). Use link shorteners to make a sleek, professional and impressive onelinks.
- Mention other social media links like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube if you want followers to find them on those platforms
- Add an inspirational quote, catchy tag line, or a call to action in your Instagram bio if you’d like
- Include links to other social media profiles and websites.
12. Use Emojis in Your Content
Emojis are also a great way to build your audience on Instagram because they allow you to convey feelings and emotions in posts.
People don’t always want to read and find themselves scrolling past posts that are too wordy, so a simple emoji can help build your audience.
For example -People love seeing emojis like these on Instagram stories because it tells them how you’re feeling or what just happened in the post without having to say anything!
- A face with a kissy mouth
- A face crying
- An emoji of someone running in the rain, etc.
Emojis also allows you to build connections by tagging people or brands in your posts! This makes followers feel like they’re part of the action and more likely to engage with your post.
For instance– if you have an Instagram account for your pet business that has been going well. You may want to build a following on other platforms like Facebook and Twitter- which are perfect for content with lots of photos or videos!
| Pro-Tip There’s no harm in adding captions below the posts with links back to your Instagram page so people can click through and follow you there. |
13. Use Instagram Live
It is a good way to get followers on Instagram. You have to do it, and it’s easy:
- Go live on Instagram by clicking the camera icon in the bottom right of the screen. Tap “Start Live Video” when you’re ready!
- Share with your followers that you are going live beforehand; this will increase engagement.
- Encourage people to interact with the live stream by commenting, liking, and showing support
- Make sure you have a good internet connection if broadcasting on your phone
- Try not to go too long because there are limits! The maximum length is 60 minutes.
- After it’s over, you can save the video in their Instagram Highlights or as an Instagram Story!
14. Use User-Generated Content – Don’t Use AI
This is a great tip for any social media account, but especially for Instagram.
The Instagram algorithm often filters AI-generated posts and can hinder your follower growth rate on the platform. One way to ensure that you’re getting real engagement with followers is to post organic content without using AI or bots!
15. Run a Giveaway
It’s a great way to build social proof and get new followers on your Instagram account.
You can also give away free products or exclusive deals!
16. Ask for More Followers
Many people don’t realize this, but you can ask your followers to get more Instagram followers. Since it’s a great way to build up the numbers on Instagram, it’s also an opportunity to get feedback from what they want you to post next!
Frequently Asked Question
How long does it take to build an audience on Instagram?
That’s a question many marketers ask because they want to build an Instagram audience fast.
The truth is that it can take anywhere from one month to six months or even more for your account to build up enough steady followers, so you have the potential of making money on Instagram with ads and sponsored posts, but there are some things to build an Instagram audience that have been discussed before above.
Conclusion
If you’re an Instagram user looking to grow your account organically and at a low cost, there are some quick and easy ways for you to do so. The 16 steps listed in this blog post can get you started on the right path with just a little effort from your end!
Let us know if you want to grow your brand audience on Instagram. At DF Studios, we have experience working with businesses of all sizes who need assistance growing their audience online through social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Our job as digital marketing experts is to make sure that potential customers hear brands’ messages through creative Instagram content strategies tailored specifically to each client’s needs.
If you would like to find out more on this for your business, contact us today.
