Instagram is fun and engaging, but it also an amazing platform for you to connect and interact with your followers. This app has more than 500 million monthly users.
Big-name brands can spend heaps of money on advertising and gain several Instagram followers in an instant, but small bloggers and businesses need to resort to growth tactics to increase their Instagram followers.
So to help you, we’re here with some proven Instagram tactics to gain more following and engagement for your account.
Here are 7 proven growth tactics to gain more Instagram followers without spending a penny.
- Post Frequently.
Posting regularly is extremely important since Facebook announced an algorithm-based timeline for Instagram. Consistency is key if you wish to stand out in a timeline that is flowing with posts. Have a constant frequency of the number of posts you must post to keep your followers active.
Posting at least once a day on Instagram gets you more followers.
- Use Hashtags Popular in Your Niche.
Hashtags are key to your posts reaching new audiences. If you use the right hashtags, your posts are seen by a larger, more focused audience. Most popular Instagram accounts use the maximum number of hashtags per post to increase the reach of their content.
Research to find your correct hashtags and tag your posts with them to gain more Instagram followers.
- Use the Right Filters.
Instagram filters are some of the most popular filters found on any platform so far. Using the right filter can help you gain more engagement and followers.
Researchers at Yahoo Labs and Georgia Tech have found that the top filters to get the most engagement are those with –
- Higher exposure.
- Warm temperature.
- Higher contrast.
Some filters however have negative correlations, such as saturation gave lesser views and olden effects gave lower comments.
Using the right research and the right filters can improve your engagement on Instagram and increase your followers count.
- Include Emoji’s in your Caption.
Emoji are not just for teenagers anymore. They are extremely important if you want to reach out and increase your Instagram followers.
Research has shown that users with emojis in their posts get more views and engagements than users who don’t use emojis in their posts. Even brands have started using emoji’s and use them frequently to drive engagement.
So, to get more followers, use emoji’s in your captions.
- Share User-Generated Content.
UGC is defined as brands selected the best user content from the web and showing it on their social media accounts, giving the rightful credit to the user.
Use UGC to grow your Instagram followers. Making a unique hashtag for your UGC, remind your followers to contribute to the UGC content, is one of the best growth tactics to increase your follower count for free.
- Use the Power of Cross Promotion.
It’s very likely that Facebook and Twitter are your main social media networks to engage with your followers. However, a Buzzsumo study has shown that images posted via Instagram on Facebook receive 23% more views and engagement than originally posted on Facebook images.
Cross-promotion helps your existing Instagram followers to reach your Facebook page too, giving you more followers there as well. Use other social media accounts to spread your Instagram posts and gain more engagement on Instagram.
- Run a Photo Contest.
Holding a photography contest on Instagram can help you get quick traffic to your website, maybe even help you with selling a product.
Using the most right, popular hashtags on Instagram, you can quickly collect photos from followers for any theme.
If you’re worried about announcing an expensive prize to attract more participants, you’ll be surprised to know that majority of Instagram users are quite happy with just a shout out and get featured on your Instagram page.
Specify which hashtag to use with your participants and remember to pick a winner on a weekly basis. Don’t forget about the shout outs to your fans.
Conclusion.
Now you know how to get Instagram followers through these tactics without spending a penny! So try them out!
If you too have any suggestions or any tactic to get more Instagram followers for free, please let us know by commenting below.