Instagram has managed to become one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world and if your brand is not capitalising on this, you are definitely missing out.

Earlier this month, Instagram recently announced that they had reached over 700 million users.

What is more impressive, however, is that Instagram received over 100 million new users in just four months, giving it the highest growth rate of any other social media platform around.

Instagram is currently the third most popular social media network in the world, falling right behind Facebook and Youtube. But it still remains more popular than Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.

With its current rate of growth, however, there is no telling how big Instagram will grow in the future, which is why it is important to start capitalising on this social platform now.

Everyone knows that Instagram is the place to share highly curated images, inspirational quotes and stories, but if no one is seeing your beautiful images it can be disheartening, especially since they often take time and effort to create.

In this post we are going to share with you step by step how you can grow your following by over 25,000 users so you can maximise all of the effort you put into your Instagram feed.

These steps are designed to be followed every single day, but in just three short months you will already start to see huge results.

So, if you are ready to grow your Instagram following by 25k, here is what you need to do-

Step 1: Getting Started with Instagram

It goes without saying that in order to get followers on Instagram you need to have something worth following!

This means that you need to be sharing thoughtful images that resonate with your audience every single day.

There is no limit on what you can share, but aim to create beautiful and inspirational content that will keep your audience engaged and resonating with your brand.

As a general rule of thumb, posting 1-3 images per day is a good place to start. You can also share more content on Instagram’s stories feature.

A study conducted by Quintly back in 2015 found that the more consistent brands were with posting, the more followers they had. In fact, Instagram accounts that had over 10 million fans shared an average of 95 images every single month.

This works out to be just over 3 images a day, but you can experiment with these numbers to see what works best for your audience.

While Instagram feed images need to be of the highest quality, your story images and videos can be taken in the moment and do not need to be edited or tweaked.

To discover how to use Instagram’s story feature you can find more information here.

Along with posting content every day, it is also important to ensure that your bio is up to date and reflects the latest developments in your company. While you can have a timeless bio, it may also be worthwhile including updates or having a link to your latest products or landing page.

Your profile image is also important, but for consistency this image should remain the same and be your logo or another easily identifiable branding image.

These set up steps seem simple, but they will help to generate more followers and help your brand to stand out from the crowd.

For more information on how to set up your Instagram account effectively, read this.

Step 2: Follow People in Your Industry and Networks

How can you expect people to follow you if your brand doesn’t follow other people back?

While you can choose to follow those who follow you, it is also important to follow new people that are also in the same industry as you.

As a general rule of thumb, aim to follow a minimum of 3 people per day. Choose people that are in your industry or are linked to your followers in some way, as this will help to increase the chances of them following you back.

To find people to follow, click on the “search” icon at the bottom of the screen and scroll through the accounts that show up. Alternatively, you can also search for a particular hashtag that is relevant to your niche and find people that way.

Another trick you can use to find people to follow is to click on the followers of your most loyal users and follow them. Alternatively, you can also go onto your competitors account and follow people that have liked or commented on images on that account.

This will help you to find users that are most likely also going to be interested in the content you share as well. By following these types of users, you are more likely to get followed back.

These are just a few tips to use when looking for people to follow and they can make a huge difference when it comes to growing your Instagram account.

Step 3: Respond to Your Followers Comments and Questions

In order to continue growing your following you have to actually respond to your followers and answer their questions, comments and concerns.

Make it a point to spend 10-20 minutes every single day replying to comments and answering questions. The more you engage with your followers, the more likely they are to stay interested and share your content with their friends.

If you are not getting many comments on your Instagram account, consider asking questions or reaching out to people on their account. Anything you can do to generate conversations will definitely help boost the profile of your account.

Be sure to dedicate time to doing this every single day, as the results are definitely going to add up big time.

In fact, Instagram gives preference to images that are earning higher engagement rates and are generating lots of comments and tags.

According to an article published by Later-

Instagram announced that they would be replacing the chronological feed with an algorithm that gives more priority to posts with higher engagement, which means the more likes and comments your post receives, the more people will see your post!

This just goes to show that the more interest you generate through replying to comments and asking your followers questions, the more likely your images are going to be seen by the right people.

Step 4: Leave Comments on Other People’s Accounts

Another fast way to get your brand name on the radar is to leave comments on other people’s accounts as well.

Find some accounts in your industry or find people who are interested in the same things that your brand offers, and leave comments on their feed.

For best results, leave three comments on three different accounts every single day.

Aim to leave comments that are thoughtful and will generate a response. For example, you definitely want to stay away from generic comments like “nice pic!” and instead write comments that are educated, engaging and that add value.

This may seem time consuming, but this small effort will definitely help to get your name out there and will help you to earn more followers.

Step 5: Post During the Most Optimal Times of the Day

When growing your Instagram following, posting 1-3 times per day is key, however what is also important is posting at the right times.

Posting at the right times on social media can actually make a world of difference and can help your content to be seen by more people.

Instagram also has an algorithm that can limit the chances of your post coming up on people’s feeds. This makes it even more important to post during the optimal times.

So, what are the optimal times to post on Instagram?

The best times will vary depending on your audience and their habits, however here are some general statistics-

  • Anytime Monday to Thursday except between 3-4pm
  • Thursday, Friday and Wednesday are the most active days on the platform
  • 6am-12pm is the least active time on Instagram meaning less competition

Again, the best way to determine the optimum time to post is by doing your own testing and seeing what your audience responds to the best.

You may also find that posting in off-peak times or non-popular times works more to your advantage, so do your own research for the best results.

To conduct your own research, make a spread sheet that allows you to record the time and day of posting, as well as the likes, shares and comments that were received.

As you do this, you may start to notice a trend or pattern developing. You may also be able to use this trend or pattern to tweak the days and times that you choose to share content.

At the end of the month, review which times and days helped to earn the most comments, likes and shares and then stay consistent.

Step 6: Use the Magic Number of Hashtags

Want to know the magic number of hashtags to use? The answer is 11.

Countless studies have been conducted to find the perfect number of hashtags and although this research has ranged in 2-30 hashtags, 11 was found to be the perfect number in majority of the studies.

According to one study by TrackMaven, “interactions are highest on Instagram posts with 11+ hashtags.”

Hashtags help your post to be found by other users so 11 is a safe number that ensure that your images will be discovered by those who are looking.

The best way to include your hashtags on your post is in the comment section. This stops your hashtags from invading the caption of your posts and it also looks much cleaner.

To use this strategy effectively, post your hashtags as soon as your image is published, this ensures that your hashtags will be registered and searchable on the Instagram platform.

Choosing the right hashtags is also important. Consider using hashtags that are trending and are specific to the time and day of posting. For example, “#MondayMotivation” or “#ThrowbackThursday” are popular hashtags that always seem to generate a lot of interest and engagement.

You may wish to experiment with using different hashtags as well to see which ones are more relevant to your audience. A good place to start however, is using a combination of industry specific hashtags mixed with generic ones.

On the app, Instagram also offers hashtag suggestions that are popular in your industry. Using these hashtags is a great idea and can help to boost the chances of your feed being found.

Step 7: Write Quirky Captions for your Images

On Instagram your images are important, but your captions are also just as important.

The latest research has found that quirky and meaningful captions can help to boost the success of your Instagram posts.

Offering information in your captions such as a bullet list of instructions or even excerpts from your latest blog posts have also been shown to perform well and generate interest.

While coming up with witty captions may seem time consuming, the results are definitely worth it.

Simply spend some time thinking about ways that you can share interesting and meaningful captions with your audience through researching and looking through other accounts for inspiration.

To get started, look at your competitor’s Instagram accounts and see what type of captions have worked for them. Use this for inspiration and then begin crafting your own.

In time, it will get easier to come up with captions that are meaningful and entertaining, but in the beginning it can take some trial and error.

Step 8: Cross Promote

Another way to earn more followers is to leverage off your other platforms by cross promoting your content.

When you post on Instagram, consider also sharing to Facebook and Twitter, that way your audience will be able to see your Instagram content as well.

Often when you share Instagram content on another platform, those who are already using that platform will seek you out and begin following you.

Think of this technique like free publicity for your Instagram account. The more you share it on your other platforms, the more likely people are to follow you.

Another strategy with this is sending out an email with a link to your Instagram profile to help generate interest.

A good tip with this is to send out an “invitation” type email to your readers, inviting them to follow you on Instagram for inspiration, fun facts and more.

You can even entice users by offer special coupon codes, competitions and prizes to those who follow you on the platform.

Your Day to Day Instagram Schedule

Now that you have learnt all the steps that go into earning you more Instagram followers, here is a breakdown of your daily schedule.

By following this routine every single day, you will be well on your way to growing your Instagram account by 25,000 followers.

Here is your day-to-day schedule to follow:

  • Post 1-2 amazing images on your feed throughout the day
  • Write quirky and thoughtful captions to go along with your images
  • Ensure each image has 11 relevant hashtags written in the first comment section
  • Take 10 to 20 minutes to respond to all questions and comments left on your Instagram feed
  • Leave 3 thoughtful comments on other Instagram accounts in your industry or network
  • Follow a minimum of 5 people in your niche or network
  • Experiment with posting at different times and then stick with the best performing time

By following these steps every single day you will see results guaranteed.

Conclusion 

Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world and by growing your following your brand stands to increase both its popularity and profits.

To earn more followers on Instagram, it is important to establish a routine. The more consistent you are, the more likely you are going to appeal to your audience and the more likely you are to develop a loyal and strong following.

Sharing on Instagram is about offering highly curated images with quirky and thoughtful captions, however it is also about engaging with your followers and asking questions and leaving comments.

By taking the time to leave comments and share insights on your feed, it can help to boost the awareness of your brand and the profile of your account.

Instagram is also a great place to offer advice and share information, as this can help to boost the profile and awareness of your brand.

While you can’t share links within posts on Instagram without paying, you can build up an extremely loyal following that then funnels traffic to your website, landing page or e-commerce store.

More and more people are using Instagram to search for products and services and the platform is growing and evolving more and more each year, so use this to your advantage and keep building your following.

By following the daily steps highlighted in this article, your brand is going to be well on its way to growing its Instagram page to over 25,000 followers.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started with these steps today and see just how profitable Instagram can be.