Did you know that you don’t need to break the bank on ads to grow on Instagram? Yes, you heard that right! ππ You just need one thing for that- an audience base who is truly interested in your content. But, how can you build that? That’s exactly what we are going to explain in this article. π
Let’s face it. You might have come across many articles promising ‘hacks’ to grow on Instagram quickly just to see zero results. π₯Ί Well, the truth is that there’s no shortcut to growing on Instagram. What you need is a strategy and smart work. But, it’s not as hard as you might think. Here are 100 practical tips that weβve tested and verified for organic growth. Let’s get into it straight away. ‡οΈ
1. Consistency is the key
Driving in more followers is just a part of the strategy, but the core aspect lies in retaining your current followers. And, there’s only one way for that – post consistently. βWhile there are no specific standards for the word ‘consistency’, Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, has spilled some beans about it: “Couple of posts per week and a couple of stories per day.” π€©
2. Use Trending Hashtags
Hashtags could play a great role in spreading out your post accurately to the target audience. π― So, we must use maximum hashtags, right? Well, not. Even though there is the option to include up to 30 hashtags, it is better to use only up to 5 hashtags. Try to create a mix of trending and niche-related hashtags for maximum reach. πββοΈ
3. Keep in touch with your Audience
Your interaction with the audience is an important factor considered by the algorithm to push forward your posts to their feeds. So, make the most of it. π₯ Check out your comment section and inbox regularly. π© Try to reply to your followers as soon as possible. This not only increases your reach but also creates a sense of trust among the audience. π€πΌ
4. Collaborate with others
A brand-new free strategy to increase reach on Instagram is to collaborate with influencers who do the same type of content as yours. π You have nothing to lose but may get exposed to a new set of audiences who might be interested in your content. Instagram has offered a new feature called ‘Collab’ for this. Through Collab, you can co-create content and share the credits publicly with each other. Win-win situation, right? π
5. Run Contests
The best way to grow quickly on Instagram is to conduct contests and giveaways. π Try to make it more specific to your niche for better targeting. This way you can drive more followers to your account. ππ»ββοΈ
6. Optimize your Bio
Bio is the first impression for a fresh user who views your account. π So, make it the best. Besides that, fine-tune industry-related keywords into that. This way, you can drive more organic viewers to the account through the search engine. π
7. Focus on Visual Contents
We all prefer visual content rather than spending time reading lengthy captions, isn’t it? π€ So, try to present your content more visually. That doesn’t mean you have to restrain yourself with the fewest words. Just make the images more visually appealing and try to convey something through that rather than leaving everything for words. π£οΈ
8. Give a personal touch
Let’s get this right. A personal touch doesn’t mean posting everything such as a dog’s birthday party on to the platform. π It means that your audience must feel that you are sharing your personal experience through a post. It helps you build trust and loyalty with your followers. People are more likely to follow and support someone they feel connected to and can relate to. π«
9. Share Stories
Stats state that over 60% of millennials watch or publish stories. π² That means it is a great space for those who want to engage with the target audience. For better interaction, use the ‘Ask me anything’ or quiz features in the stories.Β βοΈ
10. Encourage Direct Messages
Gary Vaynerchuk, a famous American entrepreneur once said: βInstagram DM (Direct Message) is the single biggest networking or business development opportunity of this decade.” So, take full advantage of Direct Messages. π Encourage the followers to reach out to your DM and respond promptly. β
Remember, the Instagram algorithm takes into account your interaction through DM while pushing your content to their feeds. But, how to drive in more users to knock at the inbox? That brings us to the next tip. π
11. End with a call-to-action.
The best way to boost interactions is to end the content with a call to action. π² End the caption with a statement including what you expect the customers to do. Is it just to hit the follow button? ποΈ Or do you want people to comment on their views? And, do not forget to remind the viewers about it in the caption, too. π¨
12. Try out Ads
Looking for the most simple way to increase reach on Instagram? Then, try out ads. π£ Many think that ads are just the space for an established brand that can afford to spend millions on it. Well, the truth is that you can start with an amount as low as $1. So, if you are that serious about getting clicks on Instagram, why not give a shot to the ads? πͺ
13. Look out for campaigns
Watch out for campaigns conducted by influencers or brands in your same niche and participate in those. π Campaigns can help you reach new audiences who may not be aware of your brand or content. Moreover, it opens the door for a win-win collaboration too. π€
14. Tag your location
If you are looking for a location-specific target audience, consider tagging your location in each post. π Why? If you do so, you can signal to the Instagram algorithm that your content is more relevant for users in that area and increase your chances of reaching them. β
15. Write Killer Captions
Captions are often the first thing that a viewer sees. ποΈ Make sure that it hooks the viewer to the post. Try to start with an engaging or clickbait sentence. π«’ Whether short-term or long-term captioning works well is still a matter of debate. So, try out short and long captions randomly and see for yourself which one works best. β
16. Schedule your posts
Remember, your audience is not scrolling around the platform throughout the day. β³ They have work and sleep just like you do. So, consider the time zone of your target audience. Then, do proper research to find out the peak hours of your audience and schedule your posts to that time. β° As a general rule, it is better to avoid office timings. Try to post in the early mornings or late evenings. π
17. Switch to Professional Mode
Switching to a professional mode can give you access to a lot more features to get to your target audience more effectively. πͺπ» You can choose either a creative or business account, depending on your goals. You can also use various tools like Facebook Business Suite, Ads Manager, and Creator Studio to plan and optimize your campaigns. π’ And, guess what? There are many other benefits too.
18. Keep an eye on the analytics
Another benefit of professional mode is that you can have a look at advanced insights and analytics of your account. Check out those regularly to better understand your audience. See for yourself what kind of content has engaged your audience more. Then, focus on creating such content for better reach. β‘
19. Share User-Generated Content
User-generated content refers to any content that showcases your product or service being used by a customer. ππ»ββοΈ Share out such posts to reach new audiences and tap into the existing follower base. According to some statistics, 55% of consumers trust User Generated Content more than any other form of marketing. π
20. Follow similar accounts
Always keep a keen eye on other content creators in your same niche. βοΈ Check out what kind of content they create and what works for them. π€ This way, you can experiment with such types of content with your audience too, and see whether they increase reach. It is a better way to get updated with the trends.
21. Use Instagram Live
Wondering why influencers go live on Instagram regularly? π€·ββοΈ As per a survey conducted by Livestream and New York magazine, 82% of users preferred to watch a live video rather than a standard social media post. That’s because a live video gives the opportunity to interact with the audience better through real-time response and adds a human touch to your account. So, if you are looking to increase your interaction with the audience, Instagram Live is a must option to consider. π
22. Showcase Testimonials
A survey by Bright Local states that 91% of customers go through reviews before purchasing a product. π That’s why you need to highlight testimonials and positive feedback from your customers on your account. It creates a sense of trust among your audience.Β π€π»
23. Host an Instagram takeover
An Instagram takeover is when someone else takes over your Instagram account for a short time and shares content with your followers. π©πΌβπ€βπ¨πΎ Through this, you can gain exposure and attract new followers from the guestβs audience. Moreover, it adds credibility to your account. π€
24. Try a mix of content
As per a Statista survey, 50% of users view funny content. 46% goes for unique and creative stuff. π¨π»βπ¨ Contents that inform or educate the users also perform well. If you are a beginner who is struggling to get noticed on the platform, consider trying out a mix of content. Shuffle between funny, creative, and informative content. then find out what sort of content works best for your audience using the analytics. πΆ
25. Focus on Reels
Remember the words of popular content marketing strategist Sarah Israel: “Reels are the future of Instagram. They offer a huge opportunity for brands to connect with their audience and showcase their products or services.” Well, stats also support this. β
Official figures state that users spend about 20% of their time on Reels. So, prioritize reels over any other form for quicker growth. Consider hiring a video presenter to regularly do Reels to boost your brand reach. ‴
26. Stay on track with Trends
The best way to grow on Instagram is to follow the trends. β‘ Trends means all kinds of trends, not just the ones related to your niche. You must keep an eye on the trends on the platform whether it is a meme, hashtag, or an event. β¨ Posts that sync with the trends are likely to perform much better and get more reach.
27. Highlight your Best Post
Highlights are one of the first spots where a fresh viewer glances around. ποΈβπ¨οΈ So, try to create a positive impression. Jessica Walsh is a popular designer and artist who often highlights her most viral, creative, or inspiring posts on her profile. π The highlights series such as βSorry I Have No Filterβ, and βLetβs Talk About Mental Healthβ project, and establish her diverse portfolio at the first view itself.
28. Drop a Watermark
A watermark is a logo or signature that brands add to secure their content. π We all know that Instagram or any other social media platforms are prone to ownership threats. On top of the organic shares, content on a social media platform may go out of the platform without giving credit. So, how can you protect the ownership over the content? Watermark is the best solution for that. β It not only protects your rights but is a branding idea too. It could possibly drive more viewers out of the platform to your account.Β
29. Post shareable content
Content like ‘How to make a tea’, were viral once. But, those days are gone. πͺ Nowadays, you need to make content that creates value or informs them of something new to get shares. The best idea for that is to understand the problems of the audience and give unique solutions to them. Keep in mind that organic shares are always better than paid ads or collaboration. π
30. Use Instagram shopping
If you are a seller trying to reach out to customers, Instagram shopping is a must-have option to try out. π Just convert your profile to business mode and set up a shopping account. Then, you can tag and promote the products to show them to potential customers. It’s as simple as that. π
31. Share achievements
Sharing your professional achievements is a great way to build credibility among the audience. π§π»βπ€βπ§πΎ For instance, you could post authorized licenses received by your company on the profile. This creates a sense of trust among the audience to buy your product. π
32. Use IGTV
IGTV is a video tab on Instagram that features videos up to one hour. π So, it is the best space to share in-depth informational content that could not be covered in a Reel. As it is a platform without much cut-throat competition as compared to Reels, you have a fair chance to get clicks by delivering valuable content. Try to create vertical and mobile-friendly video content for optimized reach.
33. Run polls and quizzes
You have a healthy list of followers but they are not converting to likes or views. This is one of the major problems that new content creators face. π€¨ Well, here is a solution to that. Conduct quizzes and polls on your Story. Polls and quizzes are a fun and easy way for your followers to interact with your content and express their opinions. It also encourages users to stay until the end of your story. Moreover, you can use such data for analysis, too. π΅
34. Showcase your team
One way to create authenticity among your audience on Instagram is to highlight the expert minds and brains in your team. Through this, you can showcase your brand values and culture. Consider creating a ‘meet the team’ story series or live session with relevant hashtags to introduce your team to the audience.
35. Participate in industry-related forums
You might be wondering how participating in such forums contributes to your social media growth. Well, it does matter if you are a content creator. Through participating in niche-related forums, you can understand the opinions of experts. Such insights would be really helpful in creating content that engages and informs the users.
36. Try out Carousels
Studies state that Carousels have the highest engagement rate of all Instagram posts, at 1.92%. Carousels are a lot more interactive than a traditional standard poster. And, guess what? It’s good for the Instagram algorithm, too. How? Because users tend to spend more time viewing it and as a result, the algorithm thinks that it is more useful for them. This way, you can drive organic reach into your posts. Read this article to learn how the Instagram algorithm works in 2024.
37. Give a boost
Think about this. You have tried out all the tips available on the internet and still haven’t got any positive results. Then, it’s time to give a boost. Go through your account and identify the video content that has received the most engagement. Then, boost it for a small amount and see how it works. Remember many Instagram accounts have gone viral overnight. Who knows, maybe your future is lying on your account itself?
38. Capture with humor and emojis
See what Al Lautenslager, a marketing expert has commented: βAdding a touch of humor will help to capture your targetβs attention. Itβs a fact that content thatβs laughed at is shared more often and is more memorable than “straight” messaging.β Well, it’s not just an opinion but a truth accepted by even popular brands across the world. You can use them to stand out from the crowd and entertain your audience for better engagement.
39. Develop a color pattern
Nowadays, it is common for brands to stick with a particular color pattern and theme on their profile. A well-structured theme could not only convey professionalism but also deliver aesthetic pleasure to viewers. It could catch the attention of a first-time viewer and make him scroll to see the similar color patterns of all other posts. Besides, if you are creative enough in that, it could even drive in more engagements.
40. Appreciate Top Followers
Facebook has features like a top-fan badge to reward users with the most engagement. Even though Instagram doesn’t have direct features like that, you can consider manually rewarding your top followers. In fact, a physical reward itself is not required. Just a weekly post mentioning the most active followers who have given the most likes or comments is enough. Such kind of encouragement boosts interactions.
41. Join Follow Friday Campaign
A follow-friday campaign is an Instagram marketing strategy for recommending or promoting other accounts to follow on Fridays. The idea of the #FollowFriday campaign is to show appreciation, build relationships, and increase exposure. Since it’s a free way to increase views on Instagram, make the most of it. Look out for powerful influencers and reach out to them to request to join the campaign.
42. Before & After Transformation
You know pictures can speak better than words. So, rather than posting a simple poster testimonial, try out an effective strategy like before and after transformation. All you need to do is just capture the customer’s situation before consuming your product and then take another one after he uses your product.
An example of a business that gained from such a strategy is Fit Girls Guide, a popular fitness brand. They regularly update the handle with before and after transformations of their clients after consuming their products along with hashtags like #fitgirlphotochallenge. This has not only let them build a tremendous follower base of 4 million but has also created a sense of trust among the audience to buy their products.
43. Host Workshop
Conducting a free workshop session could be a great idea for skill training institutes to attract more viewers to the page. You can schedule Live Workshop sessions 90 days in advance and send reminders to the followers. You can even test the session with a Practice mode. It could let you showcase your expertise and even generate leads for your services.
44. Use Close Friends feature
Close Friends is a brand new feature introduced by Instagram that lets you share stories with a selected group of followers rather than all of them. You can add up to 200 people on your Close Friends list. When you share such a story, the followers in your selected audience will see a green ring around the story which shows it is a Close Friends story. Thus, people will be more likely to view your full story and create personalization, too.
45. Share Growth Graph
Users tend to be skeptical while coming across brands on social media, especially if you are a beginner. One of the best ways to tackle this is to post a growth graph with actual figures. Highlight your success story to create a positive impression among a viewer who scrolls around your page for the first time.
46. Make the Best of Memes
Memes are one of the most engaging, shareable and funny content for millennials on Instagram. So, make the most of it. Watch out for the trends and pick up hot memes for branding. But, be careful. The usage of the memes must be relevant and must not backlash your image.
47. Offer Exclusive Discounts
A simple way to increase your sales on Instagram is to offer exclusive coupon codes to your loyal followers. This will have two benefits. The first one is that it directly improves your sales figures. Next, it can encourage your followers for better engagement.
48. Share behind-the-scenes
Sharing behind the scenes can help you to improve your organic reach by creating a more authentic connection with the audience. Consider sharing sneak peeks of your upcoming products or services to drive in more engagements.
49. Rephrase your Previous Contents
To engage with audiences across multiple platforms, many brands leverage strategies like blogs and audiobook series. If you have a diverse content strategy, a useful approach is to rephrase your existing content from other platforms and share it on Instagram. However, it’s important to ensure that your rephrased content is still fresh and relevant to your audience.
50. Analyze the market
Do proper research on the type of content you wish to produce. Niche-related forums are a good place to start. Publications like Gartner regularly release research reports that could help you understand your audience better. Through this, you can identify their pain points and address them through content. Such well-researched and useful content will tend to have more organic reach than spontaneous ones.
51. Post Exclusive Contents
Contents that are found to be fresh are more shareable than others. So, try to get exclusive updates from trustworthy sources and post them to the handle at first. Then, your content will storm the feeds.
One example of an Instagram handle that has grown overnight with this strategy is the official account of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even though it was an official account, the reach was not up to par until 2023. Tables turned when they posted a series of exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and videos from the 2023 Oscars ceremony, which generated a lot of buzz and engagement.
52. Make use of the Count Down Feature
The countdown feature in Instagram is a sticker that you can add to your stories to create a timer for an upcoming event. It could act as a reminder for your Live session or product launch. Use interactive stickers that encourage the viewers for better interaction.
53. Study your competitors
The first step to a successful marketing strategy is competitor analysis. Pick the best content creators of your niche and closely monitor them. What kind of content worked well for them? In case you are a beginner struggling for reach, this is one of the finest ways to build an effective Instagram marketing strategy.
54. Offer mail subscription
You must have often come across posts such as “Drop your email for a free ebook.” That’s because brands know that to maintain an organic reach, you need to attract viewers from multiple sources. Consider offering a mail subscription for your followers along with free giveaways. You must have a strong mail marketing strategy to notify the subscribers about the important posts on your handle. Do not send more than 2 emails per week as it may lead the users to unsubscribe.
55. Take part in challenges
Another way to improve your likes on Instagram is to take part in trending challenges. It could be a dance, dialogue, music, or anything such as #dontrushchallenge, #Bussitchallenge, etc. Participating in such challenges is an effortless and funny way to create a better connection with audiences.
56. Offer freebies
No matter what kind of niche you focus on, freebies are a great way to impress the audience and improve engagement. It could be anything- e-books, analysis, audiobooks, premium subscriptions, etc. Try to keep it related to your niche for better targeting. And, if you want to be more strategic about giving away free resources, you could consider setting specific criteria for eligibility, such as requiring a comment with at least 5 shares or some other engagement metric.
57. Ask suggestions
You might have tried your best to understand the analytics and create such type of content. Still, the strategy does not work. Then, here’s a solution- ask your followers directly. Yes, you heard that correctly! Run a poll to identify what type of content your audience wants. No analytics, no guesswork. Sounds simple, right?
58. Share Tutorials
‘How to do’ videos still have a strong audience base in social media. The only thing is that you should specifically address the pain points of the target audience instead of scratching with the basics. On one side, you can share a tutorial on how to do something related to your niche in-depth in a 5-minute video and post it on IGTV. At the same time, make a fast-paced edit of the same video and post it on the Reels too for better reach.
59. Stay networking
Sort out a list of content creators who have influenced you and reach out to them through Direct Message(DM). You can interact with them freely to understand their strategy and success stories for inspiration. Perhaps, if you build a strong connection, they may even recommend you to their followers. So, keep on networking to explore such opportunities.
60. Be genuine
Whatever kind of content you create, try to be genuine. Do not imitate the competitors blindly for reach. Users always prefer someone who stands apart from the crowd with a unique tone.
61. Get Verified
In February 2023, Instagram came up with a big announcement- a paid verification process. Users can pay $11.99 to get verified on Instagram. Even though the announcement seems a bit weird, it is largely helpful for small brands and content creators.
See the words of Cory Lancaster, the Product Manager of Instagram, as to how it would be useful: ” Meta Verified is not an endorsement from us, and being verified doesnβt mean that your content is favored by our systems. Verification signals authenticity and notability.”
62. Focus on Quality
Even though consistency plays a significant role in building organic reach by impressing the algorithm, many things matter much better than that. Quality might be your primary concentration. Focus on the quality of your content rather than quantity. Instead of updating your audience with daily ‘Good morning’ posts, try to come up with just two quality content per week.
63. Test Cross-promotion
Cross-promotion is a marketing strategy for promoting your Instagram account on other channels like Facebook, YouTube, X, etc. It could help you improve your reach and brand awareness. Here are some ways on how you can do cross-promotion:
- Adding an Instagram link to your mail newsletter. π°
- Sharing your Instagram posts on your Facebook account. π±
- Adding Instagram post links on blogs. π
64. Try Influencer Marketing
Currently, influencer marketing is the most popular method used by brands to reach out to audiences. By posting your brand promotion content, influencers can expose your products to new audiences who trust their recommendations. The best thing about influencer marketing is that if done properly, it not only leads to a boost in conversion but improves the brand credibility.
65. Rethink your Content Strategy
Still unsatisfied with the results after trying out all these tips? Then, it’s time to renew your content strategy. Deeply study your analytics and check what type of content has the least engagement. After the analysis, refrain from such types and test new ideas to see whether they work.
66. Track the KPIs
Key Performance Indicators(KPIs) are the most important metrics that you should look for to check how well you are performing on the platform. Some crucial KPIs are reach, views, likes, comments, etc. By regularly tracking your KPIs you can identify any mistakes in your strategy and rectify them on time.
67. Create Timely Content
An effective social media strategy is to follow the trends and adapt your content accordingly. For instance, imagine that you are a financial analyst. You can make use of the buzz around the annual budget of your country by posting a quick video analysis of it promptly. Such timely content may perform well on the platform.
68. Understand Color Psychology
Color psychology is a strategic tool that you can use to attract first-time viewers to follow the account. For that, first, you need to understand the basic meaning of each color such as blue for trust, pink for women, etc. Then, consider the interests of your target audience. Are they youngsters who prefer a colorful mix of posters? Or are they conservative old people who don’t like bright colors? Test out different color combinations and see for yourself which one works. Then, fix the most suitable one as a uniform color code.
69. Play Safe
“Buy 2K real likes for just $1”- you might have often come across such ads. Stay away from them! Such sorts of foul plays were safe once but not any more. The latest Instagram algorithm checks out each micro aspect of your post before ranking it on the feed. If it detects some unusual activity, such as a rise in traffic within a short time, it may punish the content as well as the creator. Even your account’s future contents too may be punished on the feeds.
70. Create a brand voice
The best way to stand out from the crowd of content creators is to create a unique voice. Think about what makes your brand different from others and voice it in your content. Using emojis and humor is an effective technique to establish a unique brand voice.
71. Turn off Abusive Comments
Instagram has a feature called limits that lets you automatically hide abusive comments. It not only protects your mental health but your reach too. How? Because the algorithm refrains from promoting posts with abusive comments in the comment section. That means you may be affected by the abusive comments from others. And, there is only one way to protect from such a situation- use the limits feature.
72. Don’t Overdo Editing
We all tend to use filters for our images before posting. While it may be good up to a certain limit, overdoing editing has consequences. Applying too many filters with a mix of colours could affect User Experience(UX). As a result, either viewers directly refrain from engaging with it or the algorithm may refuse to promote it on the feeds.
73. Use Augmented Reality
Since the past few months, Instagram has been actively introducing Augmented Reality features such as face filters, stickers, etc. Using these brand-new features could help attract the attention of random users who are scrolling through on the platform. Moreover, the chances of getting hit through that sort of content are also much higher.
74. Backlink to previous contents
Another method to increase traffic on your Instagram profile is to remind the audience about your previous content. For instance, if you are presenting a reel to explain a concept, you can ask the viewers to revisit a particular content for more information. Such kind of regular backlinking could boost the organic reach of your profile.
75. Arrange a curated feed
Find out the top content creators of your niche and hit the follow button. Then, remove unwanted accounts from the following list. Thus, you can stay focussed on niche-related content and updates.
76. Use AI technology
Today, the world is witnessing a new Artificial Intelligence(AI). From writing to designing, AI technology is marking its presence in all fields. So, make sure you make the most of it by staying updated on the latest AI tools and technologies. For instance, you can use intelligent prompts to generate better content ideas from Chat GPT. Tools like Microsoft Designer give a hand in designing the post, too. This way, you can save a lot of time and effort involved in creating content.
77. Organize a content library
As mentioned earlier, focus on creating a curated feed containing the latest updates and information on your niche. Then, save posts that you found impressive. This will help you to build an organized content library for research and inspiration.
78. Address Social Issues
Addressing social issues through creative posts is an effective way to drive organic reach to your account. It could build credibility among your audience and perhaps, make you cool in front of followers. For instance, Nike creatively addressed the #BlackLivesMatter issue with a catchy slogan that inverted their tagline: “For once, just don’t do it.” And, guess what? The post has gone viral with over 10 million views.
79. Request to turn on notifications
Another idea to improve the reach of your Instagram account is to request the followers casually to turn on notifications to stay updated with the latest posts. It is an effective strategy mostly used by Youtubers but works for Instagram too. Through this way, you can get an initial pull of visitors at your post in the first hour. This would be favourable for the algorithm to promote your content.
80. Share statistics
In case you are facing a shortage of content ideas, then the best way is to look out for publications that regularly share statistical reports. Identify the statistical figures that could surprise your followers. Then, post it with a ‘Did you Know?’ headline with an attractive image. Such posts could give a quick boost to your engagement metrics.
81. Focus on Lifestyle content
Instead of just posting exaggerated promotional content, try to convey how your product changes the lives of the customers. For that, you first need to do demographic research to understand who you target and what they care about. Then, create a sample user profile with their interests. Upon completion of user profiles, you can focus on creating lifestyle content that creates a connection with them.
82. Use Boomerang Feature
Boomerang is an Instagram feature that lets you play short videos on repeat mode. Such types of videos may increase the engagement rate and reach. It is a perfect material for brand ads due to its funny nature.
83. Don’t be over-aggressive
Keep in mind that “Rome was not built in a day,” and neither will your social media success. There is no substitute for hard work. Using an aggressive follow-unfollow strategy or any other sort of malpractices could result in a ban or punishment in the feeds.
84. Use Storytelling
Try to make your content interesting by incorporating a storytelling element into it. You can consider creating carousels with an intriguing start that hooks the viewers to the post. Storytelling posts not only entertain the audience but also improve the interaction.
85. Camera and Audio Mix
Users always prefer a face-to-face view of the content creator. While a bit of animation and graphics won’t hurt, it is always better to speak directly to the camera for the majority of the time. Similarly, pick a trending song on the feed and run it in the background to increase the reach. How? Because Instagram Algorithm takes into account each micro aspect of your video including pixels, audio, etc. If you use a trending audio track, the algorithm may push forward it to more feeds.
86. Highlight your brand value
As a brand, you must always try to convey what makes you unique and valuable to others. Only then you can build a loyal follower base on the platform. An effective way to do so is by highlighting your achievements and accreditations in the profile.
87. Include Contact Details
You might be wondering how including contact details improves your reach on the platform. Well, it does matter. Business accounts with contact details on their bio create professionalism in the platform. Users tend to trust such brands. Trustworthy brands are sure to boost their engagement metrics.
88. End with a question
Do you know what is the best way to encourage interactions in the comment box? Just end the content with a question like ‘What do you think?’. It attracts the viewers to express their opinions in the comment section. You can provide prompt responses to them for better engagement.
89. Create Attractive Thumbnails
When a reel or video appears on the feed, images are the first thing that a user might see. Make sure that you make it attractive enough to hook the viewer to the video. For a better reference, check out the sensational YouTube channels and see how they attract you to view their content with clickbait thumbnails. Use catchy words that heat the curiosity of the viewer to watch the video but don’t cook up one.
90. Focus on emotions
No matter what kind of niche you focus on, emotions are the key factor that helps you to reach out to your target audience. Think of yourself as the customer or a random follower and consider what influences you to engage. Emotions, isn’t it? People tend to react to posts that convey some kind of emotions such as fun, happiness, etc. among them. But, how do you evoke emotions? That brings us to the next part.
91. Study Audience Demographics
To understand what kind of content arouses emotion in your target audience, you must first study their demographics. And, your analytics section is the best place for that. Is your audience mainly women? Are they concentrated in a specific area? If so, tailor your content strategy based on the interests of that specific audience.
92. Use Swipe up Feature
Content Creators who have over 1,000 followers can access the Swipe Up feature. Swipe up is a feature in Instagram that lets you add a link to your Instagram stories. You can direct your followers to the latest important posts through this feature.
93. Optimize to be mobile-friendly
User Experience(UX) is a crucial factor considered by the algorithm to rank your content on the feed. As Instagram is primarily a mobile application, it is always better to shoot the video vertically to facilitate User Experience. Keep in mind the aspect ratio of different types of videos while editing those. For instance, Reels have an aspect ratio of 9:16 whereas for Stories it is 16:9.
94. Feel Free to Repost
Imagine this situation. A customer is satisfied with your product and shared it on Instagram after tagging you. It is a good opportunity to showcase your brand value, right? How will you do that? Well, you can repost it on your account to share it with your followers. This will improve the credibility and goodwill of your brand.
95. Tag other accounts
Once Jenn Herman, an Instagram expert said: “When you tag another account, your post will show up in their tagged photos section, which means more exposure for you. Plus, if the account you tagged likes or comments on your post, their followers might see it too.β
Thus, it is clear that tagging others is a win-win situation. It expands your audience base to the followers of your target accounts. And, the best part is that if the tagged account specialises in the same niche as yours, you can gain audiences who might be interested in your content too. Too much gain but no pain, isn’t it?
96. Launch Limited-time deals
A seller who is struggling with a lack of exposure on social media platforms usually comes up with a limited-time deal to address the issue. It generates quick traffic to their Instagram account, which could be really helpful for increasing their reach for a particular season.
97. Create Series Posts
One of the best ways to create a consistent and balanced reach is to try series posts. Introduce intriguing content and end it with a hook to visit the next content. You must keep the audience waiting for the next content. Continue this for up to 5 episodes as audiences may lose interest after that. This would be an effective approach to improve the overall organic reach of your profile. Moreover, if you are struggling to trim in-depth content to Reels for better reach, creating a series would be a good idea.
98. Create Ten-Second Reels
How much duration should my Reel have for optimized reach? Well, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for that. But, here is a little different perspective that you might find useful. See the words of Mireia Boronat, a Content Marketing Specialist: βAs a general rule, itβs good to stick to 7 to 15 seconds, as short Reels tend to loop and will count as multiple views. Then, the algorithm picks up that your video is getting many views and pushes it to more users.β
Well, that’s a point that you should not miss out on if you have been really unsatisfied with the performance of your Reels for a long time. Try out 10-second Reels for 3 times. Now, see how it works. But, always keep in mind that content is king and don’t try to force it to shorten it.
99. Use the Broadcast messaging feature
Broadcast DM Channels are a new feature introduced by Instagram that lets content creators share updates with their followers in a one-to-many messaging format. It provides a direct and personal way to communicate with followers. By setting up a Broadcast DM channel, you can set an initial pull of visitors to your content at the time of posting. As a result, the algorithm may identify it as useful content with organic reach and promote it.
100. Use the Alt Text feature
Unfortunately, most content creators often ignore the importance of SEO in Instagram. Actually, just like the web keywords and optimization efforts matters for social media, too. You can add descriptive text to your images that will help search engines understand what your content is about and push it to relevant searches. Click the Advanced Settings option at the bottom of the screen before you share your post. Then, just select Write Alt Text. It’s as simple as that!
Final Words
Keep in mind that getting reach on Instagram is not a one-time deal. π You need to keep reviewing your content strategy and regularly adapt it to the changing tastes of the audience. There’s no rest; it’s an ongoing process. But, it’s worth the effort. πͺπ