If your team shares a Box or Dropbox account, you could also create a shared folder where people can automatically drop their photos and videos. Use a consistent, platform-specific brand voice. Photos and videos might be the most important part of your Instagram posts, but captions, comments, and other text should never be an afterthought. If you're managing a channel for a brand or have more than one Instagram manager, consider developing a consistent voice that humanizes your brand. This shows potential followers that you are credible and relatable, rather than formal or intimidating. When developing a voice, you should keep the platform and your audience in mind. For example, many influencers and prominent accounts on Instagram have a very casual voice and style but remain professional and on-brand. Once you've got your voice down, make sure it stays consistent and natural in your captions, comments, messages, and your bio.
Write engaging, shareable captions. Captions are an essential part of your post — the icing on the cake if you will. Consistently great captions can do wonders for humanizing your brand, winning over followers, and making your content more shareable — thereby giving you more exposure. Here are a few things you might see in a winning Instagram caption: Clever or witty comments Calls to action Relevant emojis Hashtags Clever or Witty Comments Some brands and influencers have used clever or witty captions, or even audience-appropriate jokes to further humanize themselves on Instagram. My colleague Kelly Hendrickson, HubSpot's social media team manager, says that she loves Netflix's account and sub-accounts, particularly because of the post captions. "They have such a clear brand voice, and you laugh along with them. They're in on the joke, just like one of your friends," she says. example of instagram business account like netflix using clever or witty comments to gain followers on instagram Netflix's voice is casual, trendy, and humorous while still staying on brand. In the post above, the caption is funny, authentic, and relatable. Who hasn't flipped through a friend's Instagram Story with the hope that you'll be featured?
Calls to Action Another way to increase the shareability of your caption and engage your followers is to ask questions or have some sort of call-to-action in the captions of your photos. For example, you might write, "Double-tap if you find this funny," or "share your story in the comments." In the example below, we asked followers of the HubSpot Instagram account to leave a comment with a book that's had a positive impact on their work, along with tagging the author: example of an instagram call to action cta on hubspot instagram account to increase engagement and gain instagram followers Relevant Emojis Adding just a few relevant emojis can add even more personality to your posts. It could also make them even more noticeable on an Instagram feed. In the post below, Danielle Gray, a beauty expert with over 50K followers, includes witty text with relevant emojis to make the post pop. example of instagram user stylenbeautydoc using emojis to help gain instagram followers
Along with the three items listed above, you'll also want to include hashtags. Optimize posts with relevant hashtags. On Instagram, a hashtag ties conversations from different users who wouldn't already be connected into a single stream. If you use relevant hashtags, your posts will gain exposure to a wider audience and help you become discoverable to potential customers. The key to using hashtags effectively is to be selective and use them sparingly. Try to limit the number of hashtags per caption to around three. Similarly, don't use "like for like" hashtags, like #like4like or #like4likes. This is a shortcut tactic that'll only leave you with low-quality followers. To find the hashtags your audience might be using, do a little research on relevant hashtags in your niche or industry. The easiest way to do this research is in the Instagram app itself, in the Explore tab (i.e., the magnifying glass icon). When you search for one hashtag, it'll show you a list of related hashtags at the top of your screen.
4K InstagramFor example, when I search for #digitalmarketingstrategy on Instagram, it shows me relevant hashtags like #digitalmarketingexpert, #digitalmarketing, and so on. gain instagram followers by optimizing using relevant hashtags To help relate to your followers on a personal level, you might consider hopping on hashtag trends like #tbt ("Throwback Thursday"), #MotivationMonday, #TransformationTuesday, or other trending hashtags. Here's a post from Fanmdjanm, a headwrap collection and lifestyle brand with over 150K followers on its Instagram account, using the #HappyMothersDay hashtag: Once you build up a bit of a following, you can try creating your own hashtags — like your company name or a slogan that applies to your content. This is a great way to build up your brand on the platform and build a more cohesive presence. Lean into trending content formats. With the arrival of TikTok on the social media scene, short-form videos have become one of the most effective content formats on social media.
In fact, according to a HubSpot Blog survey, 85% of marketers who use short-form videos find them to be the most effective content format. And 95% of marketers who leverage short-form videos plan to increase their investment or continue investing the same amount in 2022. That's why it's important to lean into trending content formats. After TikTok, Instagram came out with IG Reels, and this feature is a great way to post funny, relatable content. When Instagram comes out with new tools, like IG Reels, don't be afraid to use those features because they can help you gain Instagram followers. 10. Post content your followers want to see. To gain your first 1,000 followers on Instagram, it's important to know who your audience is. Once you've created your Instagram account, you should take note of which posts perform best. Is it interactive content, behind-the-scenes stories, funny and relatable posts, or something else? When you have a general idea of what performs best, continue to create that type of content. Additionally, Instagram has many tools and features you can use: IGTV, IG Reels, Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, Highlights, etc. Begin by posting several types of content formats and see which one does best. Then, come up with a strategy and master that one tool. Doing so will help you create content your followers want to see and gain new followers.
Promote your Instagram. Like the old adage about a tree falling in a forest, if you start an Instagram account without promoting it, is the account even real yet? Well, yes. But, you'll have fewer followers. One of the best ways to gain followers on Instagram is to promote your account. Embed posts in your blogs (like you see a few on this post), post on your other social media platforms, and share social links in your email newsletters. A great way to gain followers on one platform is to ask current followers on other platforms if they want to follow you somewhere else as well. Additionally, to promote your Instagram, it's important to get started with Instagram promotions and ads. This will help you reach a wider audience. I know it might seem like ads are only effective for selling certain products, but I've followed several business accounts because of a sponsored post I saw.
Buy 1M Followers On InstagramEngage with users through follows, likes, and comments. Instagram is very much a community, and one great way to get involved in that community is to find people who post pictures that interest you, follow their accounts and interact with their content. It's the most natural way to draw attention to your own Instagram account. This accomplishes two things: for one, when they get the notification that you've followed them, there's a good chance they'll check out your profile. This goes back to the importance of having great content on your account before you start reaching out to others. Secondly, it means you'll be seeing their recent posts in your feed, so you can Like and interact with them if you choose to. As you build a following, celebrate your followers by responding to and pinning their comments, and even reposting their posts for user-generated content. 13. Cross-promote with influencers and brands with similar audiences. Once you build rapport with the folks behind accounts with similar audiences to your own, consider collaborating with them. Partnering with influencers and brands helps with discoverability, reach, and social proof.
For instance, influencer Sweetlikeoyin who has around 60K followers, posted a sponsored image of herself on the beach wearing a dress from Lulu's. The clothing brand then published the same image. With this partnership, both accounts can expand their reach and gain new followers. It's a win-win. However, be sure to create content that seems natural and makes sense for your brands and collective audience. 14. Run Instagram contests to encourage engagement. Another great way to expand your reach while increasing engagement with your photos is to run a contest or giveaway. As part of your contest, you can ask users to follow your account, like, and/or comment on the post to be eligible to win. I mean, come on. Who doesn't love winning free stuff? You can also add a user-generated content (UGC) element to the contest, too, where people post a photo of their own and use a specific hashtag. Here's an example from PlayaBowlsNortheastern, where followers were asked to follow Playa Bowls as well as their brand partner, Scoop and Sushi, and tag a friend in the comments. In exchange, followers had the chance to win a free bowl:
Explore Instagram Stories' interactive features. Instagram has always given brands the platform to share beautiful, curated photos to represent their companies. However, with the introduction of ephemeral Instagram Stories, brands can also share on-the-fly, behind-the-scenes looks for 24 hours that may not be as polished as a published photo, but give your brand more personality on the platform. Just look at how Snapchat exploded a few years ago. Once platforms like Instagram and Facebook introduced similar features, it made those apps more valuable and interesting in the eyes of users. Although Snapchat pioneered this feature, Instagram Stories now has over 500 million daily users. Along with sharing video clips and static images through Instagram Stories, users can also use polls, event reminders, and the "Ask a Question," tool to gain more engagement and learn more about their audiences. Once a user is verified or has over 10,000 followers, they can even include a link to a webpage within a story.
Buy One Million Instagram FollowersHow Brands Can Use Instagram Stories Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours unless they are marked as a "Story Highlight." Highlighted stories will show up at the top of your profile between the photo feed and your bio. dope scrubs using instagram stories to help gain more instagram followers in story highlights Image Source Here are a few other brands we recommend following to see what they're sharing: Dana Shultz (Minimalistbaker) publishes easy vegan and gluten-free recipes on her blog. Her Stories feature neat how-to videos of her making breakfast and testing out new recipes in her kitchen. The behind-the-scenes aspect of her Stories provides a lot of human context for her blog's brand, and everybody loves a good how-to video.
One of their latest Instagram Stories featured someone watching "The Sopranos" in bed, with the caption: "Who needs plans when you have five more seasons?" This video supports Casper's campaign to stay in bed with a very real look at what millions of people do when they're hanging out at home. Here are our tips for using Instagram Stories for your brand: Whether it's funny, sad, or unique, be authentic. Your photo gallery is where content can be perfect and polished. Instagram Stories are for the raw, unscripted, and unretouched. Use Stories to share the other side of your brand that followers might not be able to see elsewhere. Do you have a dog-friendly office? Is your team trying out the latest challenge? Start filming to showcase the more human side of your brand. Go behind the scenes. These are by far our favorite types of content for ephemeral video sharing. Show followers what goes into the planning of an event or the launching of a product, and make it fun. Your followers want to feel included and in the know. You could also use Stories to cultivate a brand loyalty program that only rewards people who check out your content. 16. Use the Instagram Live feature. Instagram also lets users record and share Live videos, another content format that's proven to be hugely popular on other social networks. What's unique about Live videos on Instagram? They disappear when users stop filming.
This authentic, bi-directional experience lets brands share unscripted, raw moments with their audience to incorporate human elements into a social media platform that's highly edited and polished in its traditional use. Since the Live feature launched, Instagram has added even more features that may enable further engagement or interactions from viewers, such as: Request feature to go live with the live account Pinned comment Q&A box Up to four accounts on Live at a time Filters Live video is a growing trend across a variety of social media platforms, so if something interesting is happening, start rolling. Whether it's an event, a team birthday party, or behind-the-scenes footage, your devoted followers want to see what you're up to. And if you want to make it even more interesting, you could collaborate with an influencer or another brand to host a Live. With people that your audience is interested in, you can promote this Live event, and then host it on your profile. Promoting this type of event will help you tap into someone else's audience while interacting and engaging with your followers by answering their questions and talking to them during the Live.
