So you want to gain massive followers on Instagram? Simple task! Gaining tons of followers can be achievable when you know what to do.
Having over 300 million active users, Instagram is a great platform to grow your brand. Successful Instagram accounts have one thing in common a great theme, and they stick to it.
The first thing you must do is decide which theme you will be using. Secondly, make sure to take interesting and captivating photos. Each photo you upload must be tag appropriately.
Lastly, learning some tricks and tips from the trade will help you gain massive followers on Instagram! Let’s connect today follow me on my Instagram account @NancyBadillo13 (Leave a comment for a free shout out!)
Important limits on Instagram to keep in mind:
- The number of people who you can follow on Instagram is 7500.
- No limit on how many people can follow you.
- The number of likes you can perform on Instagram is 350 likes per hour.
- Your Instagram bio can not exceed 150 characters.
- No limit on the number of posts you can share.
Tips To Grow Massive Followers On Instagram
Start Liking Photos
One of the best ways to gain followers is to start liking photos in your feed. When you tap Home, you’ll see a feed of all the pictures of the people you are following.
The purpose of this technique is that individuals who have not followed you back will now start taking notice of your profile and follow back. I suggest anywhere from 3 to 5 pictures, so they notice you.
Choose A Theme
Having a theme can set a brand apart. When you have established your theme, make sure to stick with it. For instance, if your business sells swimwear apparel, then all the pictures you upload should be about swimwear. You should not have an image of a puppy.
@thisisglamorous Has a beautiful them Instagram Profile!
Start Commenting On People’s Photos
Another technique for gaining followers and likes is leaving meaningful comments on people’s photos.
For instance, I love the dress! I wish I had your style to rock it, love it! The comment should be genuine and relevant to the picture. (Do not spam with comments )
Hashtags
Understanding how to tag your photos is fundamental to your success on Instagram. Tagging your photos with the appropriate hashtags will help you target and earn you a lot of your desired followers within your niche. Hashtags can be tricky, but if used correctly, it can help you find a targeted audience.
For example, When tagging my photos since I am in the digital marketing space my hashtags tend to be: #BloggingTips #Blogger #Blog #OnlineMarketing #MakeMoneyOnline
Add Caption
Did you know that pictures that have caption and emojis have a higher drive of engagement? Every picture you upload should have a caption and an emoji. I have noticed my comments and engagement increase by adding a caption.
For Instance, Thank God is Friday! What do you have planned for this weekend? (Follow With A Happy Smile or Emoji of Your Choice)
Start playing with the filters Instagram provides. Getting to know the different editing tools provided by Instagram will go a long way in improving the quality of your image.
Host A Photo Contest
Hosting a photo contest can quickly help you gain new followers. Many businesses are starting to use Instagram for contest and giveaways because of the successful rate of followers and exposure. The photo contest can consist of your audience liking a picture, leaving a comment, tagging, or uploading a photo to win. Ultimately is your contest so you can run it how you want.
Add Comments, Questions, or CTA’s To Your Photos
Every picture you upload should have a caption and should end with a call to action to encourage the social aspect of social media.
The images should have the following:
- Tell a story
- Ask a question
- Think before you link
- Tag appropriately
- Experiment with emojis and hashtags
Get Personal
It’s important for a brand to let your audience get to know you personally. From time to time post something personal but try to stick to the theme.
For instance, it can be a picture of your coffee asking your followers, what fuels you to have a productive morning?
Develop A Niche Market
Elevate your Instagram profile by telling a story! The photos should convey a message about your brand that will resonate with your target audience.
Share High-Quality Images
Before uploading, any images make sure to edit the picture to make sure it’s high-quality.
Many third party apps can help with editing and improving 
Instagram Direct
Instagram Direct lets you exchange threaded messages with one or more people and share posts you see in the feed as a message.
Use Instagram Direct to promote your services, products, or brand and reinforce your relationship with current followers.
Ways Brands Can Use Instagram Direct:
- Promote business
- Send “thank you” messages
- Update customers with the latest coupons, releases, and surveys
Instagram Videos
In 2013, Instagram videos were introduced, and it has become increasingly popular.
Instagram Video Features:
- Time Length 15 seconds
- Import and edit
- Choose the thumbnail
- Apply unique video filters
Follow Others In Your Niche
Another great way to start gaining followers is to find others in your niche. Use the search tab to find influentials in your niche.
Post At The Right Time
Are you posting on Instagram at the right time of day to ensure your followers see your photo?
Accordingly to Matt Smith founder of Latergramme, the most successful times to post on average are before school or work or after 5 pm when people are commuting back home.
The highest engagement was found on Wednesday evenings between 5 pm – 6 pm.
Give Shout Outs
Another technique for gaining followers is to get shoutouts and the best way to this are to give shout outs yourself. Instagram shout outs help increase profile visibility and new followers.
Tips for Shout Outs:
- Find others influencers within your niche
- Find other people with similar amount of followers
- Make sure you built a relationship with your followers before asking for a shot out
- Contact users through their bio link, email, or Instagram Direct
Post On Wednesday
Simple measure conducted a survey, and they concluded the best day to post on Instagram is Wednesday’s from 5 pm – 6 pm. Posting on Wednesday evenings will help increase followers due to been the highest engagement day.
Show Love To Your Followers
What better way to show your followers that you aren’t just an Instagram robot by showing appreciation to your followers. A simple thank you goes a long way. I like to re-post pictures from my followers and send a special thank you for engaged followers.
Find Suggested Users
Find users with similar interest by using find suggested users. If you are new to Instagram and not sure, who to follow this is an excellent way to connect with similar brands.
Crowdfire App
Crowdfire is one of my favorite app that helps me manage and grow my Instagram followers. Find your unfollowers, people who will follow back and more! The social media engagement tool can be used on both Instagram and Twitter.
Geotag Your Photo
Geotagging your photos means you tag it with a location where the picture was taken. By typing your photos to a location, others who post photos in your region will like and follow back.
Plan Your Instagram Content
As you explore the potential of Instagram for your business, it’s important to plan your Instagram content. Plan your content ahead, set a regular schedule for posting and don’t forget to engage with your audience.
4 Instagram Tools for Scheduling Instagram Updates:
- ScheduGram
- Latergramme
- Instapult
- Take off
Link Accounts
Whenever you post on Instagram and linked accounts the post shows as coming from Instagram.
This is an easy way to get new followers.
Use Your Website
Another excellent technique for increasing your followers is by adding an Instagram widget on your website. The widget should be added to the sidebar of your site.
Use Influencers
Find influencers within your niche to grow your following.
There are two ways to find influencers:
- Explore Tab: Click on the star on the menu bar and you will be directed to the “Explore” page. The Explorer page will only show photos liked by people whose posts you’ve liked or post that are liked by a large number of people in the Instagram community. Instagram algorithm show you content that generates a lot of likes and comments based on your followers. By going through these pictures, you’ll find potential influencers.
- Hashtags: Use hashtags to find other influentials in your niche.
When you have found potential influencers send them a direct message or check their bio for their contact information. Make sure to reach out to influencers that have a minimum of 15k followers.
Make Good Use of Apps
There are many useful apps and tools that help manage your Instagram account. Here are some of my favorite apps:
Here are some of my favorite apps:
Iconosquare: Helps view analytics, tools for contest, and brand community management.
Repost: Repost for Instagram makes it easy to #Repost your favorite photos on Instagram while giving credit to the original owner.
ScheduGram: Helps with scheduling, uploading, and supports multiple accounts.
Flipagram: Lets you create video stories using music and your own photos.
Snap Widget: gives you the ability to embed photo galleries in your blog.
Email With Your Current Client List
Ask your current customers to follow you on Instagram. Give your leads an incentive and reason they should follow you.
Engage With Your Community
Engaging with your community is another great way to get more exposure for your brand. Show social etiquette by responding to comments. A simple thank you goes a long way.
Hire Influencers To Take Photos With Your Products
Find individuals with a high following and reach out to them. Hire these influencers to take a picture of your goods or services. The cost of an influencer can range anywhere from $50 to $15,000 or more depending their experience and following.
Paid Influencers For Shout Outs
Instagram shout outs help your brand get noticed and gain new followers.
Things to keep in mind:
- Find influencers with content similar niche
- Find users who have a large following
You can also purchase shout outs if you do not have time to find them yourself. They will help increase followers, likes, and gain comments!
I hope you have enjoyed 50 Plus Ways To Gain Massive Followers On Instagram! Please join my newsletter to receive free online marketing tips and tricks!
Hey Nancy, Great post, (of course).
Thank you very much for your informative post. Really comprehensive. I am going to use these step which you have mentioned.
Hi Nancy,
Wow, this is great information you’ve shared here. My instagram followers are slowly increasing but my thing is being consistent in posting pics.
I’ll be using these suggestions for sure and passing them along.
Have a great week.
Cori
Great tutorials, I’m starting to increase my instagram followers gradually.
Thanks for sharing these great tips.
I have not tried to promote my website on Instagram yet but I heard many users tell me that Instagram is a good place to generate more visitors and income.
This article inspired me and I have just signed up an Instagram. Let’s start to promote and will see the results.
Thank you for your article.