500 million plus users’ are daily active on Instagram. In July, 2024, Instagram total ad audience reached a staggering 1.68 billion, making it the third largest ad audience.
As a powerful social platform with enormous reach, you have the opportunity to grow Instagram audience and improve Instagram reach. However, it is not easy. The real challenge lies in standing out from the crowd of noise and din on Instagram.
5 Proven Strategies
Here are the best of six proven strategies.
1. Leverage In A Strategic Way Instagram Hashtags
Use hashtags strategically. They are a good way to boost your Instagram followers.
Hashtags will allow your content as users’ search for topics that match your posts, to appear in search results.
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY USE HASHTAGS?
- Use relevant hashtags aligned with your niche. Like for instance, if you’re a sports fitness instructor, use hashtags like #sportsfitnessmotivation, or #staysportsfit. They help to reach people keen on these topics.
- Use a combination of popular and niche hashtags. Popular hashtags like #instagood, can help you get noticed. However they can be overcrowded, instead, add more niche, less competitive hashtags. This will help to increase chances of appearing on the explore page of more targeted audience.
- Track hashtag performance. Using Instagram, you can see how many impressions your posts have received from hashtags. This will help to find which hashtags are doing well. Then refine your strategy over time.
The use of hashtags in an effective way will improve your chances of appearing in the right search results. They eventually help grow your followers and boost Instagram engagement.
2. Post Consistently & Optimize Your Timing
Consistency is a critical part of organic Instagram growth tips.
Posting consistently will keep your account active. They also signal to the Instagram algorithm that you are a regular content contributor. This will help improve your visibility.
- Create a content calendar. They help to plan your content in advance. This will avoid any gaps in your posting schedule. You will also remain visible to your audience.
- Post during peak hours. Post in accordance with your audience’s time zone. The best posting times typically are early mornings from 7 to 9 am and evenings from 6 to 9 pm. People are most likely to be on their phones during these timings.
- Use Instagram Stories. Aside from traditional posts, make use of Instagram Stories. They are a great way to share behind-the-scenes moments and engage directly in a more informal way with followers. They also work well to ask queries and conduct polls.
- Maintain consistency. They breed familiarity as the more you post the more your followers are likely to remember you. Keep your audience engaged with regular posts.
Focus on frequency and timing to grow Instagram audience and improve Instagram reach.
3. Engage With Your Community Actively
Engagement is important. They help to increase social media followers. Just posting and not interacting with your audience will only result in missing out on key opportunities. Interacting after posting will help build meaningful relationships as well as loyal following.
Some effective engagement strategies include,
- Respond to comments and DMs. Take the time to respond to your followers’ comments. It helps to build relationships. It also boosts your engagement rate.
- Engage with other accounts. Comments on, like, and share content from other accounts in your niche. They increase your profile visibility. Many users will visit your profile to check you out.
- Host giveaways, contests, and challenges. They encourage followers to interact more with your posts. Besides, they quickly boost engagement and increase followers.
- Ask in your captions queries. Just a simple call-to-action will get your followers to leave a comment. They drive more interaction.
- Use Instagram’s Interactive Features. Like for instance, quizzes, polls, and sliders. They encourage participation and help engage in real-time your audience.
You show your audience when actively engaging with them that you are not another brand or influencer posting content. But instead is someone who is keen to build a community. They get more people to follow you and engage with your posts.
4. Create High-class Shareable Content
Creative content on Instagram will show your brand or personality in a unique way. They drive your followers to share your posts.
Shareable content is a great way to reach more audiences. This can be especially more so if your followers share with their networks your content.
Create shareable content by
- Focusing on value. Ensure your content delivers true value. Give them content that solve their issues or inspires them. They are more likely to be shared.
- Use attractive visuals. Instagram is a visual platform. Make use of it by using quality images and videos. The more visually they are in your content, the more they are likely to be shared.
- Use captions cleverly. Well-written captions can elevate your content’s value and are more likely to be shared. Keep them entertaining or inspiring or thought provoking.
- Create infographcis or carousel posts. They provide quick information more likely to be digested. They are very shareable too when used with a helpful post.
Your goal must be to create content that speaks to your existing audience. They should also get them to share it. They also reach a wider audience and earn new followers.
5. Collaborate With Other Influencers/brands
Collaborations are great to grow Instagram audience. They help you grow quickly.
Partner with an influencer or brand with similar target-audience. They expose your profile to a completely new set of followers.
Make your collaboration work by
- Finding influencers in your niche segment. They are likely to share a similar target audience but are not direct competitors. Cultivate them with social posts or co-hosted events like Webinars or Instagram Lives.
- Making use of cross-promotions. Create content in partnership with another Instagram user or brand. Then promote each other’s content. This will help to expose your profile to their followers and help earn followers in return.
- Collaborating on IGTV or Reels. Video content has gained significant traction on Instagram. Use the opportunity to create collaborative videos with brands or influencers. They better engage followers and reach a broader segment of audience.
- Providing giveaways with partners. Host joint giveaways where both you and your partner promote to your respective audiences the content. They incentivize followers to engage with your content. They also help introduce new users to your profile.
Collaborations deliver great results if harnessed cleverly. They help to leverage others established audiences. This will enhance your exposure and also follower count.
Bonus Point- Use Instagram Ads
They boost your Instagram engagement strategies.
Instagram Ads put in front of a highly targeted audience your brand. This will quicken in a short period your follower growth.
To use instagram Ads effectively,
- Define your audience. Using Instagram’s targeting options, you can choose demographics. Demographics like age, behavior, interests, and location. They help to target users’ most likely interested in your content.
- Promote your best content. To promote as ads, select posts that are doing well organically. These posts are already engaging users. Promoting them will maximize their reach.
- Test ad formats. Try experimenting with varied types of Instagram ads-photo ads or carousel ads, stories ads, or video ads. This will help to check what resonates with your audience. Carousel ads for instance get more engagement as they allow users to swipe through multiple images.
- Monitor and optimize. Use Instagram Insights to track your ads performance. The data obtained can be used to tweak your targeting and creative to improve your results.
Running Instagram Ads targeting the right audience will help increase social media followers. At the same time, earn greater visibility from users who otherwise might not have found you.
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Conclusion
Instagram growth does not occur overnight. It is a gradual process that needs the right approach.
To grow an instagram audience, you need to use a combination of strategies with creativity. This will help to boost your Instagram engagement and reach. You will get to increase your follower base and build a loyal community.
Leading social media marketing company, OptMum Digital can help you grow instagram audience with results-oriented instagram engagement strategies and social influencer tactics. Over a period of time, they will help improve instagram reach.
