Welcome to the exciting world of Instagram, where the competition for followers is fierce and high stakes. In 2024, getting more Instagram followers is not just a matter of vanity; it’s essential for anyone looking to build their brand voice or grow their business.
And let’s be real, who doesn’t want a few thousand more followers to stroke their ego?
If you’re tired of watching your follower count stagnate, it’s time to take action. Luckily, 2024 is a great time to be alive, with countless social media management tools and Instagram marketing strategies to help you grow your Instagram following.
From clever hashtags to influencer partnerships, there are plenty of creative ways to get more eyes on your content and attract new followers.
So if you’re ready to take your Instagram game to the next level, buckle up and get ready for some killer tips and tricks.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be well on your way to Instagram stardom (or at least a few more followers).
Let’s do this!
Why is having a large following on Instagram important?
Instagram is one of the best ways to reach new customers and grow your business. A large following on Instagram allows you to build relationships with your customers and potential clients.
Your followers can also help you spread the word about your company, products, or services by sharing your content with your followers.
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Increased visibility and reach
The more followers you have, the more people see your content. When brands are looking for influencers to collaborate with, they often look at their following size.
A large following also increases your chances of being featured in popular hashtags and curated lists.
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Social proof and credibility
Having a large following shows credibility in your industry, which can be the deciding factor when brands seek new influencers to collaborate with on projects.
It also gives you social proof when you post about new products or services because people will see that others already trust what you say.
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Opportunities for collaboration and partnerships
If you have a high follower count, brands will likely approach you with partnership offers because they know their products or services will get exposure on your account (and vice versa).
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Direct communication with followers and potential customers
You can use Instagram to communicate directly with your followers and potential customers by posting photos, videos, or text updates. You can also respond to comments and questions in real-time or schedule posts in advance.
This direct communication makes it easier for you to engage with your audience, build trust, and drive sales.
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Access to analytics and insights
You can access Instagram analytics and insights about your audience when you have a large following. These insights can help you determine what content resonates best with them and where they spend their time online. It can also help you understand what posts perform well and how often you should post them.
For example, if you notice that people like reading about sales or discounts more than other types of content, this will influence how often you post those types.
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Why shouldn’t you buy followers on Instagram?
Buying followers on Instagram can seem like a tempting proposition. It’s easy to think that if you buy enough followers, your account will get more likes, comments, and shares.
But there are several reasons why you should avoid buying followers on Instagram.
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Inauthentic Engagement
Buying followers is one thing, but buying fake ones is another. While there are plenty of legitimate ways to purchase Instagram followers, plenty of companies sell fake accounts that are bots or inactive users who have been paid to follow you back.
These accounts don’t actively engage with your posts or respond to comments or messages because they aren’t real people.
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Poor Return On Investment
Another problem with buying followers is that it sometimes leads to better engagement. Suppose you buy thousands of fake accounts and stop paying for more. In that case, those accounts will eventually disappear from your follower count when Instagram detects them as spam accounts being used for advertising purposes.
Your follower count will drop over time instead of increasing as it would if you were gaining organic followers through posting great content regularly and engaging with others in the community.
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Risk of Account Suspension or Termination
When you buy followers, your account will likely be flagged by Instagram’s anti-spam algorithm. If this happens, your account will be suspended, and you won’t be able to post any new photos or videos.
This can impact your business brand overall if you rely on Instagram for marketing.
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Damage to Brand Reputation
In many cases, buying followers also comes with a high risk of damaging your brand’s reputation. If you’re caught purchasing fake followers, others may see this as unethical behavior and question the authenticity of other aspects of your business model.
For example, if someone sees that you have thousands of followers but no likes or comments on posts, they might wonder why so many inactive accounts follow you around.
This could lead them to believe something else is happening behind the scenes — like bots — which could cause them to lose trust in your business altogether.
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Decreased Engagement from Real Followers
When you buy followers, you risk losing real followers. When someone sees someone else has bought their Instagram followers, they might get suspicious about the account’s legitimacy.
This can lead to decreased engagement with real followers who might think that all the “likes” come from bots or fake accounts.
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Lack of Targeted Audience
If your goal is to grow an audience that matches your target market, you will need more than buying fake followers to reach them effectively. Buying fake followers means they know nothing about your brand or what makes it special.
They aren’t going to become loyal customers and advocates because they need to know what makes you unique or special in any way!
Ways to get more Instagram followers?
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms today. It is a great way to share photos and connect with people worldwide.
However, getting more Instagram followers can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here are some tips that will help you get more Instagram followers:
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Optimizing Your Instagram Profile
The first thing you need to do is optimize your profile. You can do this by adding a short bio, a good profile picture, and a cover photo that captures the essence of your brand.
You can also add links to your website and other social media profiles if someone wants to learn more about you or your business.
This will allow them to follow you on other platforms too.
Related Read: Instagram SEO: 10 Tactics to Be Discoverable on the App
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Hashtag Strategy
Hashtags are one of the most important tools for getting followers on Instagram. They help people find posts related to similar interests. If many people like traveling and nature photography in your target audience, using relevant hashtags will help them discover your content easily.
Also, try using hashtags with high engagement rates, such as #love and #instagood, as these tend to get more likes and comments than others!
Related Read: How to Use Hashtags for Your Social Media Posts in 2024
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Maintain a Calendar
The key to getting more Instagram followers is consistency and quality of posts. Keep track of all your posts in an organized calendar, so you don’t miss any date or forget about posting on any particular day.
If you need help maintaining an accurate calendar, many apps available online can help you create one for free.
Related Read: How to Schedule Instagram Posts, Reels & Stories in 2024
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Use an Instagram Scheduler
The first thing you should do is schedule your posts using an Instagram scheduler like ContentStudio. This way, you will remember to post and can focus on creating engaging content instead.
Many schedulers are available; some are free, while others require a paid subscription.
An example is Later – one of my favorites because it allows me to schedule up to 15 posts simultaneously.
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Utilizing Instagram Stories
Another great way to get more exposure on Instagram is by posting stories regularly.
Stories allow you to share photos or videos with your followers privately and publicly in their feeds if they look at them directly from their home feeds or through search results.
Related Read: How To Repost A Story On Instagram?
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Engage with Your Audience
The best way to attract new followers is by engaging with existing ones. This means responding to comments, posting photos that spark conversation, and interacting with other users.
Respond with something relevant and meaningful if someone comments on one of your posts.
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Collaborating with Others
Another great way to attract new followers is by collaborating with other Instagram users with similar interests. For example, suppose you’re an interior designer and want to collaborate with another interior designer in another city.
In that case, they likely have their audience as well — which means more potential new customers for both of you!
Related Read: A Complete Guide to Instagram Collaborative Collections Feature
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Utilizing Paid Promotion
Paid promotion is a great way to get your account out there and attract new followers. Unfortunately, it’s also an expensive one. If you have a limited budget, you can research which hashtags are most popular with your target audience and use them in your posts.
This will help increase engagement, which in turn will help attract more organic followers.
Related Read: Marketing with Instagram Guides: Tips, Tricks & More
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Use Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is the buzzword, and for a good reason. If you look at any major brand on Instagram, you’ll see that they all have influencers promoting their products or services on their profiles.
This type of marketing works because people trust their favorite Instagrammers regarding recommendations on products or services. If you have a solid relationship with an influencer in your niche, why not partner with them?
Related Read: Influencer Marketing Tips to Promote your Brand Using ContentStudio
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Host Contests and Giveaways
One way to gain more followers is by hosting contests and giveaways. You can ask followers to tag their friends and family in comments or posts.
This way, they’ll be able to see how many people have entered the contest and will be motivated to follow your account.
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Use Video Content
Videos are another great way to increase your follower count on Instagram. According to a study from L2 Inc., videos perform better than photos regarding engagement on Instagram Stories.
And considering that 80% of users watch videos for at least three seconds (according to a study), it makes sense that Instagram users would prefer watching video content over photos.
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Consistency and Quality of Posts
Posting consistently is very important if you want to build a large following on Instagram. If you post at least once every day, it will allow people to see what types of things you like posting about and decide whether or not they want to follow your account as well.
Moreover, if all your posts are high quality and visually appealing, people will be more likely to follow your account because they know they’ll get good content every time they check out your page.
In addition to that, a social wall can help you get more Instagram followers by displaying user-generated content related to your brand or products. This can create a sense of community and encourage users to engage with your brand, ultimately leading to more followers.
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Cross-promote your content
To get more Instagram followers, you must cross-promote your Instagram account on other social media platforms so. You can do this by sharing links in your bio, posting on Facebook and Twitter, or adding buttons on your website.
Related Read: The Ultimate Guide to Maximizing Your Reach through Social Media Management
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Share user-generated content
Another way to get more Instagram followers is to share user-generated content (UGC). This includes photos people have taken of your products or services, as well as photos of customers using your business’ products or services.
Sharing UGC shows potential customers that others love your brand too!
Related Read: Social Media Content Plan: A Winning Strategy in 10 Easy Steps
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Utilize Instagram’s Explore tab
The Explore tab is a great way to find new accounts and content that interests you. It’s also a great place for anyone looking to grow their following because it has many users interested in similar content as you.
Just post interesting photos so people will want to follow you!
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Host Instagram Live sessions
Hosting an Instagram Live session is another great way to get more followers. A live video allows people to chat with each other and ask questions in real-time, which makes it much more interactive than a regular post.
Hosting live videos can help people get more engaged with your brand and build relationships with potential customers.
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Use Instagram’s analytics tools
Getting more followers is understanding who you already have. Use the Instagram Insights tool to see who’s viewing your posts and what they often engage with. You can also see which hashtags people use when searching for your account so that you can use them in your posts.
If you want to be more specific, you can use a tool to find out exactly how many people follow each account.
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Join or create Instagram groups
If you’re a photographer or someone whose work involves creating visual art, joining an Instagram group might be a good idea. These groups usually comprise other artists who want to share their work and support each other’s creative endeavors.
Joining one will give you access to other creative minds and potential opportunities for collaboration or exposure — plus all those new followers!
Unlock the power of Instagram with proven growth strategies
Gaining more Instagram followers in 2024 requires a strategic approach to delivering high-quality content, engaging with your audience, utilizing Instagram features effectively, and staying consistent with your posting schedule.
While there may be shortcuts like buying followers or using bots, these tactics will only harm your brand’s reputation and ultimately hinder your growth.
By following the tips and best practices outlined in this guide, you can organically increase your Instagram following and build a loyal community of engaged followers genuinely interested in your brand.
Remember, success on Instagram is not just about the number of followers you have but the quality of your audience and the value you provide them.
Read More: Top 10 Instagram Planning Apps You Must Have In 2024
FAQs
How to gain Instagram followers fast?
Use Instagram Ads, collaborate with other accounts, host a giveaway or contest, and utilize Instagram Stories.
Why are my Instagram followers decreasing?
Reasons could include inactive accounts, bots or fake accounts, poor content quality, frequent posting, or changes in users’ interests. To address these issues, focus on delivering high-quality content, engaging with your audience, and monitoring your follower count.
How can I get 1000 followers on Instagram?
- Post regularly
- Use relevant hashtags
- Engage with your audience
- Collaborate with other accounts
- Run a giveaway or contest
- Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Threads App