Many manufacturers use Instagram as the muse of their social presence since it may possibly drive site visitors, help gross sales and have interaction clients. However for those who’re not thrilled together with your Instagram advertising progress and engagement, you’re not alone.
Competitors on the community is fierce, and cracking the code of Instagram’s algorithm might be tough. Nonetheless, taking steps to extend your viewers is totally price it. The larger your viewers, the extra alternatives you’ll need to construct model consciousness.
Should you’ve been feeling caught, comply with these 17 methods to learn to tweak your on-line presence to get extra followers on Instagram.
16 key methods to get followers on Instagram (free of charge)
To be clear, this submit is about constructing an natural following—and sure, the excellence issues.
Some manufacturers flip to pay-to-play websites that assist them immediately up their follower depend for the fitting value, however these providers aren’t price it for manufacturers long-term. The Instagram algorithm weeds out low-quality accounts and pretend engagement from paid bots. Plus, these “followers” aren’t going to show into paid clients or priceless referrers.
Rising your viewers authentically will get you outcomes that really matter to your small business: model consciousness, elevated income and dependable clients.
Watch the video under and proceed studying for greatest practices on getting extra followers to your Instagram account (the fitting method).
- Schedule posts prematurely
- Put up persistently—and strategically
- Make your profile well worth the comply with
- Place key phrases in your title, deal with and bio
- Showcase your Instagram wherever you possibly can
- Arrange your tales as highlights
- Leverage short-form video content material
- Go dwell on Instagram
- Create content material that highlights your model’s character
- Use related hashtags and geotags to extend discovery
- Have interaction like your model is dependent upon it
- Have interaction with clients and model advocates
- Collaborate to develop your attain
- Keep a robust Instagram aesthetic
- Preserve a watch out for brand new developments
- Constantly take a look at your Instagram technique
1. Schedule posts prematurely
There’s no denying that manufacturers depend on the Instagram algorithm for attain. Nonetheless, posting at instances when your viewers is most energetic can provide your content material extra visibility and aid you maximize engagement.
Sprout Social’s analysis on the perfect instances to submit on Instagram exhibits a correlation between time of day and engagement. This speaks to the worth of scheduling Instagram content material when your viewers is most energetic or more likely to interact.
Scheduling content material like Tales, carousels, Reels and posts prematurely ensures management and group. Utilizing Instagram scheduling instruments will help be sure that your posts exit at optimum instances, irrespective of how busy you might be. The power to crosspost content material from different networks helps right here, too.
Whereas the above posting instances are true at a world scale, they may not match when your followers are on-line. To get extra granular knowledge, you too can use Sprout’s ViralPost platform, which analyzes your engagement historical past and identifies essentially the most energetic instances for genuine interactions. You’ll be able to then publish content material mechanically or manually.
2. Put up persistently—and strategically
Momentum issues in social media advertising. In different phrases, it’s powerful to get extra followers for those who submit sporadically. Nonetheless, how typically you submit could not matter as a lot because it used to.
At the moment, high quality trumps amount. As shopper expectations shift towards authenticity and originality, manufacturers that target connecting with their followers via high-quality content material usually tend to stand out.
In response to analysis from the 2025 Sprout Social Content material Benchmarks Report, social media customers contemplate how manufacturers work together with their viewers earlier than deciding to hit “comply with.” This offers you a chance to focus much less on publishing and extra time on significant engagement.
Posting much less doesn’t imply doing much less—it means making each submit, interplay and partnership extra purposeful.
Should you’re nonetheless fearful about visibility, contemplate how options like Instagram Tales can get extra eyes in your content material if it didn’t get the anticipated response the primary time.
3. Make your profile well worth the comply with
Your Instagram profile is a part of your model id and may act as a primary impression. Ensure you’re placing your greatest foot ahead by presenting a clear, skilled look and the knowledge audiences must rapidly perceive who you might be. You are able to do this by:
- Utilizing your model title and an appropriately sized brand to make your profile immediately recognizable
- Including your location to push your profile increased up in search outcomes for native audiences
- Writing an enticing bio with key phrases associated to your {industry}, services
- Together with hyperlinks that drive significant interactions, like particular product pages or a social touchdown web page with extra hyperlink choices
(Supply: Instagram)
4. Place key phrases in your title, deal with and bio
If you need extra followers, your audience wants to have the ability to discover you. One approach to make your profile extra discoverable is so as to add the fitting key phrases to your account.
There are three locations to deal with right here:
- Your username (or deal with)
- Your profile title
- Your bio (or description)
To create a search-friendly username, keep on with both your model title or no matter’s closest to your present social handles.
In case your title is simply too lengthy, shorten it to a variation that your viewers will acknowledge. For instance, Chilly Stone Creamery’s account is @coldstone. You’ll be able to all the time write the complete model in your profile title.
(Supply: Instagram)
Subsequent is your bio. You need to use this house so as to add key phrases associated to your area of interest, {industry}, services or products.
(Supply: Instagram)
The key phrases in Peach Slices’ description make the skincare model extra more likely to pop up for search phrases like “Ok magnificence,” “skincare” and “zits.”
5. Showcase your Instagram wherever you possibly can
If you need extra followers, don’t be shy about selling your Instagram account on each community you’ve.
Listed here are a number of sensible methods to do it:
- Add social media icons to your web site and emails. This makes it straightforward for individuals to seek out and comply with your small business.
- Embed your Instagram feed in your homepage or product pages. Many e-commerce and shopper manufacturers have devoted user-generated content material (UGC) feeds to showcase actual buyer experiences.
- Repost your Instagram content material on different social channels. For instance, use TikTok or Fb to speak about an upcoming Instagram Reside.
(Supply: Sony Cine)
Professional tip: Use Sprout’s social media scheduling and publishing instruments to plan and share posts throughout a number of social media networks from one centralized dashboard. You’ll be able to create a personalized submit for every social community inside the similar Compose field so that you don’t need to duplicate them simply to make small tweaks.
6. Arrange your Tales as highlights
Ever created a killer Instagram Story that you simply want may dwell in your profile perpetually? With Story highlights, it may possibly.
Highlights are curated collections of expired Tales. You’ll be able to manage them by theme or matter—resembling Q&As, suggestions or occasions—to make it straightforward for guests to rapidly discover related content material.
(Supply: Instagram)
As a result of Highlights seem on the high of your profile, Instagram customers typically verify them earlier than scrolling all the way down to your posts. Consider them as a rigorously chosen portfolio that displays the perfect of your model.
7. Leverage short-form video content material
In response to Sprout’s 2024 Social Media Content material Technique Report, audiences need manufacturers to deal with short-form movies (underneath 15 seconds). Which means Instagram Reels must be in your radar.
Reels are enjoyable and snappy algorithm gold. Use them to share tutorials, product highlights or fast behind-the-scenes peeks.
(Supply: Instagram)
Because you solely have a number of seconds to seize consideration, you should definitely get inventive. Add stickers, cuts, filters, music, voice-overs and transitions to craft fashionable, eye-catching movies.
The perfect half? You’ll be able to cross-promote these bite-sized movies on networks like TikTok to achieve new audiences and appeal to extra followers.
8. Go dwell on Instagram
Instagram Reside is a robust approach to work together instantly together with your viewers and construct a way of neighborhood.
Lives are nice for product launches, candid chats and Q&A classes. Should you run an e-commerce retailer, you possibly can even use them to let viewers browse and purchase your merchandise in actual time.
Plus, you possibly can repurpose Reside movies by downloading them and importing them to your Tales for as much as 24 hours, giving followers who missed out an opportunity to catch up.
Within the instance under, Chipotle used Instagram Reside to share a margarita recipe for Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
(Supply: Instagram)
9. Create content material that highlights your model’s character
Content material that highlights your character and the individuals behind your model will help you join on a deeper stage. This contains:
- Inspirational content material
- Humorous content material
- Resharing UGC with distinctive captions
- Storytelling posts
- Behind-the-scenes photographs and movies
- Posts elevating consciousness for social causes
Ensure that every thing aligns together with your model voice and values to keep away from coming throughout as robotic or overly sales-driven.
10. Use hashtags and geotags to extend discovery
Location tags and hashtags are highly effective instruments on Instagram. They will help your audience uncover your posts (and profile) quicker.
Whereas Instagram hashtags have lengthy been a staple on the community, how you employ them issues greater than what number of you employ. Dumping the utmost quantity into your posts isn’t going to get you any new followers.
The important thing to utilizing hashtags is to deal with industry-specific tags which are related to your clients. For instance, Lashify usually posts to the #LashEducation hashtag, which is much less normal and aggressive than #magnificence. Turning into seen inside area of interest tags is usually a significant approach to enhance discovery.
(Supply: Instagram)
Understanding how your hashtags carry out can also be essential. Sprout’s hashtag analytics instruments provide you with direct entry to in-depth efficiency and utilization knowledge to take the guesswork out of understanding which of them to make use of.
Geotagging is a great approach to appeal to native followers. Utilizing geotags in your posts and tales makes your content material seen to close by customers and people checking the place you took the photograph or video.
(Supply: Instagram)
To tag the placement in your Instagram Story, merely use the placement sticker and kind within the place you wish to tag.
11. Have interaction like your model is dependent upon it
Instagram is ideal for conversing with followers. In reality, many widespread Instagram submit concepts focus on asking questions and fascinating in a dialogue. Off-the-cuff questions, transport issues or reward for merchandise are all honest recreation from followers.
For instance, espresso firm Cometeer actively responds to buyer queries of their feedback, displaying real engagement.
(Supply: Instagram)
(Supply: Instagram)
You’d be stunned at how a lot your follower depend can enhance when you begin performing extra personable.
Being conscious of feedback, mentions and DMs exhibits your followers you care. You don’t want to observe notifications always, however replying inside a number of hours throughout the enterprise day is usually a enormous differentiator for a way individuals understand your model.
Immediate responses not solely present that you simply’re attentive—in addition they construct belief with potential clients, as they know they’ll be capable to attain you in the event that they need assistance.
Instruments like Sprout’s Good Inbox make this simpler by routing incoming messages from all social networks right into a single stream so that you don’t have to remain on high of a number of message facilities. The Collision Detection instrument makes positive you aren’t sending duplicate messages if a number of crew members are responding to queries from the identical account and on the similar time.
12. Have interaction with clients and model advocates
Determining the best way to get extra followers on Instagram means partaking your viewers, and user-generated content material is likely one of the greatest methods to try this.
UGC campaigns create social proof and present followers you’re invested in them. For instance, Drunk Elephant skincare usually regrams posts from neighborhood content material it’s collected via branded #DrunkElephant and #DrunkBreak hashtags. These reposts typically spark additional engagement, like congratulatory feedback from different followers.
(Supply: Instagram)
However don’t simply await UGC to occur—spark it your self by encouraging your clients to create content material. Give them a cause to share. For instance, you can run a Reels contest the place followers exhibit your product in motion. Winners would possibly obtain free merch and a function in your web page.
13. Collaborate with influencers to develop your attain
If you need extra Instagram followers, contemplate teaming up with social media influencers and different manufacturers that share your values. Collaborations open doorways to new audiences and aid you construct belief rapidly.
Working with influencers in your area of interest, particularly these with small however extremely engaged followings, can amplify your attain and enhance your visibility. Nonetheless, discovering the fitting influencers might be powerful. Not each creator aligns together with your model or has an genuine following (the truth is, they could be bots).
The excellent news is that Sprout Social Influencer Advertising (previously Tagger) makes this activity straightforward by letting you employ sensible filters to kind via vetted influencers that match your model. It’s also possible to take a look at Sprout’s free influencer database by {industry}, which is stuffed with insights that can assist you plan your subsequent influencer advertising marketing campaign.
Strategic model partnerships may also enhance your Instagram engagement and inject a contemporary perspective into your feed. You don’t need to restrict your self to your personal {industry}—take into consideration your viewers’s broader pursuits to give you inventive collaborations.
For instance, Uber Eats teamed up with Blueland, a sustainable dwelling necessities model, to let individuals purchase the eco-friendly firm’s merchandise instantly from the Uber Eats app. The marketing campaign included a co-branded Instagram Reel to drive consciousness.
(Supply: Instagram)
When approaching potential companions, deal with mutual worth. Begin small—co-hosting an Instagram Reside or sharing one another’s content material—then construct greater campaigns based mostly in your outcomes.
14. Keep a robust Instagram model
Instagram is a extremely visible community. In case your pictures or graphics aren’t eye-catching or fascinating sufficient, they’ll rapidly turn out to be victims of unconscious scrolling. And, in the event that they aren’t constant when it comes to shade, formatting, imagery and fonts, it’ll be exhausting to your viewers to acknowledge what content material is yours of their feed.
However model consistency isn’t simply vital for in-feed posts—it’s additionally essential to your profile. Constant visuals aid you create a cohesive, well-branded account. Disorganized or clashing content material could make your profile really feel unprofessional and overwhelming, which can flip away potential followers.
15. Preserve a watch out for brand new developments
Leaping in on new Instagram developments will help you attain new followers in a enjoyable, genuine and intentional method. However as a result of developments can come and go rapidly, it’s vital to maintain an ear to the bottom and look ahead to codecs and options which are rising in recognition.
This may increasingly imply utilizing trending audio, mimicking a viral video or just becoming a member of the dialog by making a Reel together with your ideas. Preserve this content material gentle and inventive—developments are your probability to indicate your character.
16. Constantly take a look at your Instagram technique
Quite a bit goes into planning Instagram content material. Selecting filters, captions, content material sorts and submit instances doesn’t even scratch the floor. What works for one model won’t work for the subsequent, particularly with a always altering algorithm.
Discovering the perfect follower progress technique takes time. Experiment, take dangers, make errors and study from each interplay—they’re all a part of the method.
Take note of which posts get extra Instagram likes and shares, and attempt to establish the frequent denominator. The extra you take a look at and refine your technique, the higher and extra follower-friendly your content material will turn out to be.
Methods to develop your Instagram following with Sprout Social
Sprout helps social media entrepreneurs undertake a data-driven, intentional strategy to gaining Instagram followers. This fashion, you don’t need to guess what to submit or when.
Put up when your viewers is most energetic
Sprout’s Optimum Ship Instances function mechanically identifies a number of prompt instances so that you can submit based mostly on previous engagement knowledge. The instances are prompt within the Compose field, eliminating the necessity to analysis your analytics each time you go to submit.
(Supply: Sprout Social)
Posting when your viewers is most energetic will increase your probabilities of engagement and expands your attain as they share your content material.
Create smarter content material, quicker
With the assistance of AI, you possibly can maintain creativity and submit inspiration flowing irrespective of how typically you submit. Sprout’s AI Help capabilities aid you generate a number of Instagram captions in seconds. Simply drop in a hyperlink or a few concepts, and it’ll ship totally different drafts that match your model voice.
It’s also possible to generate posts based mostly in your high 20 textual content posts from the previous yr to assist spark authentic concepts that resonate together with your viewers. You’ll be able to submit these as-is or ship them to the Compose instrument for enhancing.
As an alternative of pouring your vitality into writing every submit from scratch, you possibly can channel it into revising and optimizing your messaging to make the method quicker and extra environment friendly.
Preserve your publishing technique on monitor
Sprout’s social media calendar allows you to map out your advertising technique and content material calendar prematurely. Use one unified calendar to create a posting schedule throughout all of your networks, then filter it to view just one community at a time.
This makes it simpler to cross-promote content material throughout networks, serving to you appeal to new followers whereas making social media administration loads less complicated.
Spot developments and hashtags that drive discovery
Sprout’s hashtag monitoring instruments inside its social media analytics function pinpoint which hashtags carry out greatest together with your viewers, together with which get essentially the most engagement from non-followers. These insights aid you fine-tune your content material technique to enhance attain and visibility.
It’s also possible to use Sprout’s AI-powered Social Listening instrument to trace real-time conversations throughout hundreds of thousands of posts, so you possibly can spot energetic developments and soar in on the motion.
What to not do when attempting to develop your followers
Because the social house turns into extra crowded and aggressive, it may be tempting to take dangers for the sake of prompt outcomes. However with regards to constructing your Instagram following, some shortcuts merely aren’t price it.
Don’t purchase Instagram followers
Shopping for Instagram followers or likes would possibly seem to be a fast approach to bump up your Instagram metrics, however it does extra hurt than good.
As social customers get savvier, it’s simpler for actual followers to identify pretend followers or bots. Privateness issues and the rise of social scammers have made individuals hyper-aware of bizarre exercise, and a sudden spike in followers is a giant crimson flag. This type of surge can injury your popularity and harm your long-term efficiency.
Additionally, pretend followers don’t work together together with your content material, which drags down your engagement fee and alerts to Instagram’s algorithm that your posts aren’t related. This might even result in shadow banning, the place your content material turns into invisible to non-followers with out warning.
Worse, shopping for Instagram followers violates the community’s phrases of service. Meta has taken direct motion in opposition to this follow previously, together with shutting down corporations that promote likes.
All of this additionally rings true for follow-for-follow schemes. Following different profiles with the expectation of being adopted in return would possibly enhance your numbers briefly, however it sometimes results in decrease engagement and the identical dangers tied to suspicious exercise.
How are you rising your Instagram following?
Getting extra followers on Instagram isn’t going to occur accidentally. And regardless of what you may need heard, there’s no silver-bullet answer.
Sustainable progress comes from constant, data-driven methods that appeal to an engaged, genuine viewers. With a robust publishing and analytics platform like Sprout, placing these methods into motion turns into quicker and simpler.
Sprout’s platform helps Instagram viewers progress via content material planning, sensible scheduling and efficiency evaluation. Options like Optimum Ship Instances aid you submit when your viewers is most energetic, whereas sturdy reporting instruments floor insights about your top-performing content material, hashtags and engagement developments.
Begin your free 30-day trial immediately to see how Sprout’s suite of instruments will help you construct a stronger, smarter Instagram technique.
FAQs Round Gaining Instagram Followers
Methods to enhance Instagram followers?
Rising your viewers authentically will get you outcomes that really matter to your small business: model consciousness, income and dependable clients. Listed here are high 5 methods to achieve Instagram followers free of charge:
- 1. Optimize your Instagram account
- 2. Develop a strong content material technique
- 3. Have interaction together with your viewers and construct relationships
- 4. Make the most of tags and hashtags
- 5. Collaborate with influencers and different manufacturers
How are you going to optimize your Instagram account to achieve followers?
Listed here are a number of tips about getting new new followers:
- Select an expert profile photograph
- Place key phrases in your title, deal with and bio
- Arrange tales as highlights
- Add your location and related hyperlinks
- Showcase your Instagram wherever you possibly can
Methods to develop a content material technique to achieve new followers on Instagram?
Listed here are a number of content material methods to get new followers on Instargam:
- Schedule Instagram posts prematurely
- Preserve a constant content material calendar
- Have a robust model and Instagram aesthetic
- Leverage short-form video content material
- Put up content material that followers really wish to see
- Go dwell on Instagram
How are you going to leverage tags and hashtags to extend Instagram followers?
Location tags and hashtags are highly effective instruments on Instagram. They will help your audience uncover your posts (and profile) quicker.
Listed here are three methods you possibly can leverage tags to develop your following:
- 1. Discover hashtags the place your followers hang around
- 2. Use geo-tagging to draw native followers
- 3. Leverage hashtag analytics instruments to identify developments and acquire insights
Can influencers assist enhance followers on Instagram?
If you need extra Instagram followers, contemplate teaming up with different influencers might be a good way to achieve new viewers and enhance followers on Instagram. Collaborations open doorways to new audiences and aid you construct belief rapidly.
Under are a number of methods to develop your attain with partnerships.
- Discover and work with influencers in your area of interest
- Accomplice with manufacturers which are just like yours
- Leverage influencer advertising instruments to seek out greatest influencers & manufacturers to collaborate.
