Instagram Followers-Grow Your Audience to a Million Followers

One of the most significant milestones an online business can achieve is reaching one million Instagram followers. It comes with myriad benefits: The most obvious is, the more people that pay attention to you, the more Instagram potential you have to influence your field. Having a large online following is an important measure of success for businesses — not just influencers.,

Instagram is now one of the key platforms for engaging with your audience, whether you’re marketing a product, a business or your own online persona. Platforms like YouTube and Facebook still dominate, while Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok cater to more niche audiences.

It took me just under three years to reach one million Instagram followers across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok. Having worked with many well known influencers, public figures and major brands, I realized early on the seven-figure count will put you on the virtual map and give you a well-sized platform on which to continue growing your presence and authority.

But how do you reach that first, magical million? Luckily enough, with the right strategy, mindset and consistent work ethic, a million Instagram followers are achievable for just about anyone.

1. Use the right hashtags

This is by far the most important element to get right if you want to start building a serious online following. Be it on Instagram, Twitter, or another platform, hashtags is the primary way in which potential new Instagram followers can find your content. But what’s meant by the right hashtags?

The hashtags need to meet two requirements: First, be relevant to your content and second, belong in the “trending,” or popular category. Creating regular topical posts are one way to get this right – commenting on current hot topics or posting images in line with current trends. By looking at up-to-date online analytics, you can find out what the trending hashtags are at the moment and try to get your content to match those topics.

However, one behavior to avoid is using irrelevant hashtags just because they’re trending. Hashtags need to match your content. Otherwise, you’ll end up disappointing and confusing your audience and missing out on potential follows.

2. Follow and engage with other users in your niche

Even as you’re working on building your own follower base, you should also follow other people with similar interests, content and target audiences. This makes you a part of a community and makes it easier for your target audience to find you.

If you’re serious about getting a large following on social media, you’re bound to have done your research on your direct competitors – or at least profiles and pages most similar to yours, if competition is not a factor. Engage with the community as much as possible to get your name out there and generate interest around your account. Commenting on your direct competitors’ posts and images are one of the best ways to drive traffic to your own profile. Eventually, new visitors will come to you, and if your content is engaging enough, at least some of them will turn into Instagram followers.

3. Post regular, high-quality content

As long as you’re not spamming your own timeline or others’ comment sections, you should be as active as possible. To show your potential Instagram followers that you have a lot of original, high-quality content to share, your posts should be regular and consistently engaging.

You can miss a lot in the early stages of experimenting with what works for you and your target audience. However, once you have this worked out, try to keep a consistent style and format.

4. Post your content at the right time

There’s a general information available online on the overall “best” times for posting, and these guides can certainly be helpful when starting out. However, once you start generating Instagram followers and engagement, it’s better to look at the data from your own posts and profiles. Your target audience might have slightly different habits and preferences than a typical account.

Analytics tools such as Instagram Analytics for Business, can give you insights into engagement with your posts. One of the most helpful is a timeline that tells you when your Instagram followers engage most on Instagram. Analyze the best time to post your content, both in terms of time of day and day of the week.

5. Follow your competitors’ Instagram followers

Let’s say you’re in the Instagram niche of artsy, black and white urban photography. If you haven’t done so already, find profiles most similar to yours with lots of Instagram followers – their Instagram followers are clearly interested in black and white urban photography, or they wouldn’t be following a profile in that niche. Now, follow those Instagram followers.

By doing so, you’re reaching your target audience and indirectly inviting them to check out your profile. Chances are at least some of these accounts will follow you back.

6. Drive traffic from other platforms

This isn’t an innovative technique, but people often forget to take advantage of it. Although you are active on one platform, use other platforms as well to drive traffic to your main profile.

Let’s say your primary platform is Instagram. Links to your Instagram page need to be everywhere possible. This includes your other social media like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and your website.

Although you are spending more time on Instagram, you should still take time out for other platforms for marketing yourself. Pinterest, which is visually driven like Instagram, is particularly useful for marketing images and videos.

7. Market your hashtag for Instagram Followers

Hopefully, you’ve done the hard work of creating a unique, relevant, and interesting personal hashtag. Now, make it into a brand! Of course, you should share on  other social media, but you can also market your hashtags offline. This is particularly useful if you’re running a small business. Include your hashtag on all promotional materials – from posters to business cards.

All aspiring influencer without an existing business, you can still make this work, with a bit of creativity. For example, get some well-designed, intriguing business cards or leaflets printed. This should be featuring your hashtag, of course – and make sure they’re accessible to people.

Example:

If your niche is exercise, ask whether you can leave your materials at local gyms and sports stores.