Some “expert or guru” will say that if you’re looking to grow a large following on Instagram, that boat has sailed. To be honest, I believe you can do anything you put your mind to especially when it comes to growing your small business social media presence. It’s all about finding the right methods for your small business. Personally, I have seen people take an account to zero to 10,000 in six months in 2016. So, know that you can still grow your Instagram following long as you’re willing to work hard for it. Today, I am giving you a breakdown of the five most popular ways to grow your Instagram following.
Follow/UnFollow Method
This is one of the biggest methods that people utilize to gain a mass following pretty quickly. Last year, around June I met up with several Instagram influencer in the Austin area and this was one of the biggest tips they used for growing their following. You have probably noticed people following and then unfollowing you after a couple of days or a week later. You can purchase apps or programs that target keywords or hashtags to help you attract the right followers. Most programs will follow a certain amount of people per day, and then you tell when to unfollow them. Yes, you can obtain large sums of followers in an allotted time by using this method.
Comment Pods
Comment pods is another thing I learned about around June of last year. People always call them engagement pods because since the algorithm change on Instagram you are rewarded for your engagement level. The quicker you receive likes and comments on a post the faster you will be seen to those who follow you. In addition to that, show up faster on the explore page. Comment pods are niched on the industry you are in. Currently, I am in three comment pods for my Imperfect Concepts page. One pod I formed for my clients to help increase their engagement. Another one I am in is a small business, and the another one is a creative entrepreneurs one. As I state to people all the time unless you’re a celebrity, no one likes commenting first on the post they see. It is easier for people to comment on something they see engagement on.
Loop Giveaways
Loop giveaways are still a great way to gain 500 to 2000 followers at a very advance rate. Last year, I did maybe six loop giveaways to help me grow my Instagram following. You can read 4 Lessons I Learned From My First Loop Giveaway to gain some serious insight on doing this. Since the algorithm change I have not done a loop giveaway because I was worried about the effects of followers being able to see the post. However, I have had several friends and clients host or be a part of them and gain a significant amount of followers.
3 Likes + 1 Comment
This way of gaining followers is similar to the follow/unfollow method for gaining traction. You can use an app or program that does this automatically for your small business. The basis is you like three of the most recent post and then leave a meaningful comment. For a couple of, weeks I did this method, and it brought my page some traction immediately.
Challenge or Daily Prompts
Last year, I saw several influencers host seven-day Instagram challenges to help grow their email list thus teaching people how to grow their social media following on the platform. Instagram challenges are an excellent way to connect with like minds by searching the hashtag for the challenge. By participating in these challenges you are gaining exposure if you make sure to make the time to connect with others. If you have a nice size following on your page, you can create a challenge or daily prompts to help grow your account even more.
One of the most important aspects of growing your following on any social media platform is making sure you have content that resonates with the audience after. Make sure you are consistent with the content you share, your images are crisp and clear and you are constantly engaging your audience. If you’re looking for more secrets on how to grow your Instagram following, I wrote Five Secrets Instagram Influencers Are Not Sharing last year with some great insight.
