Hi friend! Growing an engaged community on Instagram is so important for reaching new audiences these days. But with over 2 billion monthly active users on the platform, standing out takes strategy and patience.
In this in-depth guide, we‘ll explore how you can grow your Instagram followers the right way in 2023. We‘ll also look at the risks of shortcuts, review growth services, and give tips for tracking your progress. Time to grow your reach and turn followers into customers!
Why Followers Matter on Instagram
Let‘s start with why growing an audience on Instagram should be on your radar for 2023:
- Credibility and trust – More followers signals you‘re an authority in your niche. It boosts perceptions of your brand.
- Bigger reach – A larger follower count expands how many people see your content. Helpful for awareness!
- Improved engagement – Followers who like, comment and share your posts help increase your visibility in the Instagram algorithm.
- New opportunities – Sponsors and partners may seek out accounts with bigger followings. Unlocks promotions.
- Sales – For businesses selling products/services, larger followings mean more potential customers. Directly impacts your bottom line.
But remember – engaged, real followers are far more valuable than bot or purchased followers. Quality over quantity!
Let‘s compare some key Instagram stats:
| Metric | 2022 | 2021 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Active Users | 2+ billion | 1.386 billion | 44% |
| Daily Active Users | 500+ million | 500+ million | 0% |
| Stories Daily Users | 500+ million | 500+ million | 0% |
As you can see, Instagram has absolutely exploded over the past year. No sign of slowing down!
Growing Your Followers the Right Way
Gaining thousands of real, engaged followers takes time – usually months. But using the right organic tactics can give your account a boost. Here are our top tips:
Optimize Your Profile
Your profile is the first thing new visitors see – make it count! Craft an informative bio using relevant keywords. Choose a high-quality profile photo and aesthetic that conveys your brand. Organize and highlight your best, most engaging posts.
Post Valuable Content
Post content that resonates with your target audience and aligns with your brand 1-2 times per day. Use high-quality photos and videos that look polished. Write compelling captions that educate or entertain.
Use Strategic Hashtags
Include a mix of popular hashtags like #fyp and niche tags relevant to your industry. Check out competitors‘ hashtags too. Instagram analytics can reveal your top-performing tags.
Engage With Your Followers
Reply to comments, like photos, and follow accounts in your niche. Be an active member of the Instagram community. Collaborate through shoutouts. Making connections helps grow your audience.
Leverage Instagram Stories
Share Stories consistently behind the scenes, polls, Q&As and teasers. Use interactive stickers and prompts. Go Live to engage directly with followers.
Promote Your Account
Drive followers from other channels – email lists, websites, TikTok etc. Make sure your Instagram handle is consistent across channels. Add it to your email signature or YouTube descriptions.
We also suggest tracking engagement rates, not just vanity metrics like follower count. For example, if you have 5,000 followers but only 100 likes per post, something needs to change.
Paid Growth Options
While organic methods take time, paid advertising and influencer collaborations can accelerate Instagram follower growth.
Sponsor Relevant Influencers
Work with influencers in your industry to promote your brand to their engaged audiences. Negotiate sponsored posts, Stories and other partnerships. Ensure the influencer is a good fit.
Run Instagram Ads
Target specific demographics, interests and behaviors through Instagram‘s powerful advertising platform. Drive traffic to your profile and measure conversions. Requires dedicating an ad budget.
Consider a Growth Service
Services like Growthoid claim to help grow followers through optimization and engagement automation. Prices range from $49-$99/month. High-risk of banned accounts.
Avoid Buying Followers
Outright purchasing followers leads to fake accounts, bots and tanks engagement. This breaks Instagram‘s terms of service and could get your account shut down. Don‘t take the risk!
Tracking Your Progress
Setting goals and monitoring analytics helps assess what‘s working to grow your followers. Here are a few free tools we recommend:
- Iconosquare – Tracks followers gained, engagement rates, top posts and more. Offers profiling of your audience.
- Sprout Social – Provides insights into best times to post, hashtag performance, audience demographics and more.
- SimplyMeasured – Measures followers gained, engagement and traffic. Easy-to-use reports and dashboards.
Over time, target steady organic growth of 1k-2k real followers per month. Don‘t get discouraged by drops as Instagram removes fake accounts. Consistency and persistence pay off.
At the end of the day, focus on building relationships and adding value. The followers will come.
Hope this guide gave you some helpful tips for growing your community in 2023! Let me know if you have any other questions. Wishing you lots of success and engagement ahead!
