When you are just starting an online business, it can be exciting to imagine how you can successfully sell your product through Instagram.
You might know that Instagram now has over a billion users, with a sky-high user engagement level. And since 80% of the accounts follow at least one business on Instagram, it is no surprise that the channel takes advantage of this growing popularity.
With over 1 billion monthly users, an ultra-smart algorithm, Instagram is a competitive place if you want to grow your account and boost your following.
Thankfully, we really know how to make your business stand out, show off your brand, and get more followers on Instagram – so you can work smarter, not harder. Here, we’re sharing ten new ways to reach your target audience and gain more Instagram followers in 2021.
1. Join Instagram Engagement Groups
Ever wondered what different people who get Instagram followers do? They join engagement groups. While it may be a headache to join the largest Instagram engagement groups, the truth is that you’ll get a more targeted list of Instagram followers by sticking to your niche.
This strategy is best for entrepreneurs who just started learning how to get followers on Instagram. You can find engagement groups for travel, beauty, fashion, and more. In these groups, you can gain followers and likes from people who have common interests.
But if you are serious about getting their attention, you should also return the favor for people joining the group by following the fan pages.
While this may not help in immediate sales, it helps you gain credibility soon, so your Instagram page does not show that you have only a few followers.
Remember, this is a short-term strategy for your first few weeks on Instagram; this is not long-term to gain loyal Instagram followers.
2. Create a Thoughtful Instagram Strategy
Before promoting a service or posting a product on Instagram, you should think first and foremost about your strategy. Using any social media network without a clear plan is like going blindly into the black hole.
As you are reading this guide, you are aiming to get more followers on Instagram. It is a great goal to start with, but you need to be more specific. Brainstorm on why you want to attract more followers. Maybe you want to:
- Increase product/service sales
- Raise brand awareness
- Drive traffic to your website
Focusing on these business-oriented goals will help keep your Instagram account consistent. You can then tell your compelling brand story that appeals to every new profile visitor and helps build a loyal following.
3. Leverage Instagram Reels
If you are not sharing Instagram reels in 2021, you may be missing out on an ample opportunity for your brand or business!
With Instagram opting to keep Instagram reels at the forefront of Instagram, there is a significant push for users to browse and share reels more frequently in 2021.
The reels can be found in their separate tabs in different Instagram profiles (and also on the Instagram Explore page).
Similar to TikTok videos, Instagram reels get a chance to go seriously viral. Users can see the reels from all accounts. It is a significant game-changer.
Sharing your reel on both your feed and the explore page is an incredible way to expand your reach beyond your followers – and possibly go viral for doing so!
4. Optimize Your Profile
Before you attract the people you want to follow, you need to make sure that your account is ready for them. Let us take some of the most essential steps to prepare your followers.
Ensure your Instagram name is easily searchable. It is one of the areas that you can enter keywords to ensure that your profile appears when your ideal followers are searching for your brand.
Use a professional profile. Business profiles enable you to access analytics, add additional contact information to your profile, create ads, and access the swipe-up feature once per 10,000 followers.
Add a photo that reflects your profile well. Your photo is the first possibility for your audience to understand who you are. It makes your account easily recognizable.
5. Create Engaging Photos
Instagram is all about pictures; This is the entire foundation on which it was built. It’s not enough to just click a photo, add a description with some hashtags, and call it good. You need to prepare your images to engage your followers – both those who follow you right now and those you want to do in the future. There are a ton of online tools and smartphone and tablet apps to help you create the images you create.
6. Be Active on Other Social Networks
If you want to be popular on Instagram, you probably have other social media accounts. Instagram is the entry point to the social marketing strategy.
If you have a Facebook and Twitter account, all you have to do is subscribe to your Instagram page. For example, you can create a post that views your profile (such as a screenshot or recently published post) with a CTA button.
7. Develop a Brand Personality
If you want your Instagram profile to be impressive, it needs to stand out. To do this, create your brand image or an online Instagram personality that clearly sets it apart from other brands.
A quirky personality, a specific way of presenting your content, or some kind of ‘wow factor is essential to brand yourself on Instagram.
8. Post Photos that Show Behind the Scenes
Instagram is a great place for storytelling and shares something other than photos of your products. It is the ideal place to showcase your teams, building processes, in short, your values and your DNA.
Posting these types of photos will create an emotional connection between your brand and the audience. The goal is to show the human touch behind it.
9. Publish Content Regularly
Playing with social media marketing is a challenging game. You have to create fresh and exciting content through content created by millions of other people competing in one place. And you need to post this content daily, if not multiple times a day.
10. Create Giveaway Contests
Everyone likes to win something or get something for free. When you create a competition or contest for Instagram, you immediately create a buzz and pay more attention to your brand. If your website runs on WordPress CMS, you can use the WordPress giveaway plugin to create a giveaway page on your website.
From your giveaway page, ask users to click on links that link to your Instagram profile and enable them to be part of your giveaway. You can create different types of giveaways. Create a giveaway around the holiday season or on a special product launch.
Want to learn something more about Instagram marketing? Contact us. Our experts will give you a free consultation about how you can build your brand on Instagram quickly and safely. Call now!