How to Grow an Organic Following
So, you want to grow organically……
With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for businesses and influencers to build an audience. However, growing a real, engaged following organically can be challenging amidst the noise and competition.
Here are some proven tips from the social media marketing experts at Circus Social to authentically grow your Instagram account as a business owner:
Tier 1: The bare-minimum
Optimize Your Profile
Your Instagram profile is your virtual storefront, so make sure it's appealing and informative. Use a high-quality profile picture that's recognizable and on-brand. Write a compelling bio that clearly explains what you do and who you are. Use relevant hashtags and add a clickable link to drive traffic where you want it.
Post Consistently
Consistency is key on Instagram. Develop a content calendar and stick to a regular posting schedule, whether that's once a day or a few times per week. Posting frequently will keep you top of mind for your followers and increase your visibility on the app.
Share Visually Appealing Content
Instagram is a highly visual platform, so your photos and videos need to be high-quality, creative, and attention-grabbing. Invest time in planning, shooting, and editing your content. Use Instagram's editing tools or apps like VSCO, Lightroom or Canva to enhance your visuals.
Tier 2: Getting there…
Use Relevant Hashtags & Keywords
Hashtags and Keywords are one of the best ways to increase your discoverability on Instagram. Research and use a mix of popular, niche, and branded keywords that are relevant to your business and target audience. You can include up to 30 hashtags on a post. However, it is important to put certain keywords on the post itself. Those are becoming much more useful on instagram these days.
Engage With Your Audience
Don't just broadcast content—engage with your existing followers. Respond to comments, ask questions, run polls and quizzes. The more you interact, the more your followers will feel connected to you and your brand. In addition, the more you interact with your clients, the more you can adjust to their responses and create user-generated content.
Collaborate With Others
Cross-promotion and collaboration are excellent ways to tap into new audiences on Instagram. Find complementary businesses, influencers, or creators in your niche and work together on content, contests, or product features. This exposes you to their followers and vice versa.
Tier 3: Good work!
Analyze and Adjust
Use Instagram's built-in analytics and third-party tools to track your performance metrics like engagement rate, follower growth, top posts, and more. See what content resonates best with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Promote Across Platforms
Include links to your Instagram account on your website, email signatures, business cards, and other digital/offline channels to drive more traffic to your profile.
Hire and utilize social media managers – like at Circus Social.
As your Instagram presence grows, consider hiring experienced social media managers to help create high-quality content, engage with your audience, analyze performance, and execute an effective Instagram marketing. (We’re pretty good at this stuff).
Look…
Growing an authentic Instagram following takes time and effort, but it's worth it to build a loyal community around your brand. Be patient, stay consistent, and focus on creating value. You got this!
For all your social media marketing needs, The Circus Social is here to help you get started, keep going or improve. Life’s a circus…leave social media marketing to us.
