I have worked for years in the Instagram world, consulting for companies looking to gain Instagram followers fast, and organically. The starting point for each company varied, which brought their own hurdles and unique challenges.
The first instagram page I started with had 0 followers and gained 28,000 followers in 6 months.
It was at that time that I thought, boy, that was fun! And I started to pitch to other companies to be able to assist them, behind the scenes. After that, it was off to the races.
One of the companies I worked with started out with 6,000 followers and got to 11,000 within 3 months. Another client, within a year and a half went from 30,000 followers to over 100,000 instagram followers!
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Following the Instagram Followers
While it’s been fun to grow these platforms behind the scenes, I wanted to do more; give more. When I started consulting, I relished in being behind the scenes and having one-on-one contact with my clients.
But now, when I start to look out there at the tips that people are giving, I am frustrated! A lot of people out there aren’t giving actual advice on how to actually get Instagram followers. They’re talking in generalities and just saying what worked for them, on one page.
While these people might have a few nuggets of information, I’m in it to give you the down and dirty.
I’m here to help you grow YOUR Instagram following. Not just what worked for one person, but what’s worked for people wanting to become Instagram influencers to small, medium, and large companies.
Implementing these steps will help you grow your Instagram following, fast and organically.
The keyword for Instagram followers here is organic.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, was it? No, it sure wasn’t.
Your Instagram following will come, but you have to put in the work to make it what it is. It’s usually a snowball effect, so it starts out slow, but you’ll be shocked how fast the followers come once you gain momentum.
1. Do Some Instagram Recon
When first starting out, look at photos that you’ve personally liked from influencers. This will help you determine what kind of aesthetic you’re drawn to, which in turns shows you what others are drawn to.
WRITE THEM DOWN! Taking notes on what you like about photos will help you determine your aesthetic, because there’s a theme with successful instagram pages, and that’s having a theme.
2. Unfollow and Archive
I haven’t seen anyone else post this, but it’s something that I’ve found to help almost instantly every single time. There are 3 gorgeous numbers at the top of your instagram profile: how many posts you’ve made, how many followers you have, and how many accounts you’re following. That middle number, the followers you have, needs to be the highest.
If I had to take a guess, you were making the same mistake too. Archive some photos, unfollow a few accounts, and make that middle number the highest shown.
3. Determine Your Target Audience, Aesthetic, and Voice
Based on the first point made, you’ll want to come up with your aesthetic. While you’ll be posting unique images, people like knowing what to expect when they come to your page. Having some consistency will make your brand (whether it be you or a business) more trustworthy.
4. Edit Your Profile
Companies know within the first 15 seconds whether or not they’re going to hire you. Think of the same with your profile. Your photo and your profile description are your first impression, so choose wisely.
You only have a small circle and a few characters to show the world who you are, so I tend to recommend short phrases and a photo that intrigues your target audience.
5. Aim to Educate
One thing I’ve learned is that every single brand I’ve helped developed has grown faster when they aim to educate. Even if they’re eCommerce, working to sell an item. Education is a powerful tool, and will help you catapault to more followers. People are hungry for unique information, so it’s up to you to give it to them!
6. Switch Your Instagram Profile
If you haven’t already, your instagram page should be a business or creator profile. This will give you a deeper dive into your following. It will also tell you what is working on your page, and what isn’t.
7. Determine a Schedule
Ok, great! You’ve got your aesthetic planned out, you’re ready to get started… but wait! There’s more. You need to work on a schedule. It doesn’t matter whether its once a month, once a week, or every single day. Have a schedule a stick to it.
That being said, if you post daily, you’ll grow faster than posting once a month. The more time you invest, the more you’ll get back.
There’s another thing… there is such a thing as too much content, from what I’ve experienced. If you post more than 3 times per day, unless you’re someone like Gary Vee, you won’t track as well.
Think quality over quantity. ALWAYS.
This is A LOT of information to get started on, but there’s more! Using instagram isn’t complicated, but it’s multifacted, and so is gaining Instagram followers.
I do know that, with every single company I’ve worked with, this method has been tried and true. After about a year of consulting with each company, they are able to go off on their own and continue to gain followers, even with Instagram’s algorithm changes.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!