Instagram can easily become a numbers game and while it’s important to remember the sum total of your worth is not your followers, growing a meaningful brand and creating a community can be a wonderful thing.
So what really matters is quality of followers, not quantity. Find your tribe full of people who enjoy what you share, who support and trust you.
Look to these top content creators who are sharing their strategies for how they built their growth without a bot in sight…
Find your niche
Itโs got much harder for smaller accounts to grow their following now that huge brands can โpay to playโ and sink budget into dominating the feed. But there’s still a way to slowly build a loyal group of fans by focusing on finding your niche, honing in on your aesthetic and then interacting with like-minded peers. Itโs time-consuming but it works. –@rosannafalconer
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Know your audience
I’ve found the key is to be consistent, tap into a current trend and find an audience that represents what you stand for. You can be a Bjork or a Beyonce fan but each kind of account has value. I concentrate on maintaining my existing audience and strengthening the community, so I try to show my personality and create Stories that are useful and informative. Iโm not sure if my colourful backgrounds and smiley outfit snaps fit in with the neutral tones that a lot of people love, but Iโm willing to wait it out and find the right people. –@iamkristabel
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Get networking
Instagram is a platform that can get a bad rep so I find being a positive, motivational voice works wonders when it comes to upping your followers. I do this by always replying to comments on my own posts and answering questions in my DMs as well as commenting on other people’s feeds who I admire and want to engage with. It’s the same as in real life – interacting is key. –@alice_tate
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Consistency is key
The more often you post, the more likes and followers you get. Try pre-planning in bulk and creating a publishing schedule to help you get into a regular flow. Try posting at the same time each day and your followers will appreciate the consistency. The dreaded algorithm can make it feel like a struggle, but this technique will help to get your posts seen and appearing at the top of the timeline, especially if they start picking up good engagement. –@stephanieyeboah
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Tag yourself
I always make sure to tag relevant brands in my images. Sometimes the brands will repost you, which can result in gaining new followers, especially if it’s a big account like @ASOS. A lot of brands also have specific hashtags that can help your content to be discovered, like #AsSeenOnMe. Geotagging is handy too, so tag your specific location and if users are searching for it, your content may pop up in their feed. –@itslinamar
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Never pay for your Instagram following
Instagram is really cracking down on fake accounts so it’s really not worth bulking up your numbers by paying for them. Just think: it would be so embarrassing for you and/or the brand you’re trying to build if you get found out โ it proves that you’re unable to bring actual real people to your account and that doesn’t look good. –@lizandlavender
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Do a collab
There’s no magic ingredient, but I have noticed that gaining exposure and collaborating with others does the trick. I’ll make an effort to be social with others who are in a similar niche to me, we’ll take photos together then share them on both of our feeds. It helps you to gain a new audience and people love to see friends together. –@slipintostyle
