Breaching 1,000 followers on Instagram is a lot of brand’s first step towards having a successful account.
As the primary first number people see when they visit your page, being over 1,000 is a make-or-break for some people to decide if they truly want to follow you or not. After all, as much as we hate to admit it, Instagram is a popularity contest and one that if you’re not at the base point to start growing quickly, you run the risk of staying stagnant for a long time. Instead, we’ve compiled a guide to help start getting you in the direction of having over 1,000 followers by next month. Check it out below:
Give Yourself The Proper Education
As Instagram has a lot of technicalities to it, learning how to move around the numbers is a major key. There are a few different methodologies you can use, including utilizing a must-have analytics platform like Buffer or Hootsuite, as well as more intricate tools as well, like engagement services. In addition to learning about different pieces of software, the other half of your education is teaching yourself the skill sets and strategies to market yourself properly.
When it comes to learning social media strategy, there are a ton of great marketers and agencies out there to choose from that write smart, relatable material that’s easy to digest. Additionally, look into more intricate materials too, such as a guide on buying Instagram likes or research papers on the state of Instagram for 2020.
Mixing up your media diet on what’s happening on Instagram will not only help you gain new strategies but keep you ahead of the competition as well. Take the time to enjoy yourself in getting to know Instagram better, providing you with the opportunity to really prosper as a digital marketer as well.
Invest In A Brand Worth Sharing
Instagram cares a lot about appearances. Everything including your logo, photos, Story Highlight choices, and even design choices for posts all play a role in how people perceive your brand. Granted, not every brand needs to be super sophisticated, with some embracing their wholesome roots or traditional brand they’ve had before the internet was even a thing. Regardless of where you’re at regarding your brand, Instagram wants to see investment into some effort, which even for a classic brand can use some sprucing up with how much they invest in their content.
Make a list of all the assets you have in comparison to your competition; for example, note how your logo looks compared to them (is it clean? Could you sell it on a t-shirt?), as well as if they have custom-branded templates for their posts or stories.
With Instagram, the little details matter the most to what is considered okay content and great. Furthermore, people only have a certain tolerance for mediocrity; which, if you feel like your work could be better, your audience most likely will be thinking the same thing too. As your brand is going to be everywhere your business is, it’s important to recognize it as something you want for the long-haul, as well as are willing to keep up to standard across the board.
Start Aligning Yourself With The Right People
One of the biggest reasons why Instagram has remained so successful over the years is how much more engaging it can be than any other platform. People genuinely connect on there, whether it’s via commenting on a post, leaving someone a DM, or even replying to a Story they came across. The name of the game is being friendly, showing others what you and your brand are really about. The best way to get started? Follow those who you care about their work.
Start digging through who you follow and see not only what they’re posting about that you appreciate, but who they follow as well. The people you know most likely have those they admire too, which can be a fun way to research around your craft. Take the time to study what you can, giving yourself an education into what’s happening around your industry, as well as how you can contribute to moving the conversation forward yourself.
Stay Consistent With Your Efforts Daily
Consistency is key to Instagram. Whether it’s reposting other content you like, commenting on other people’s work, or even going through and following new people, being consistent with your efforts will provide you with much better chances of breaching 1,000 followers. As the retention rate on Instagram is high, users are constantly looking at content, providing an endless stream of entertainment your brand needs to be a part of.
Dedicate a certain chunk of time to planning out your days and weeks ahead, ensuring you have some content in the hopper to engage people with. Additionally, try to brainstorm some original content that requires a low overhead (for example, branded trivia), as well as make time every day to find the content you want to shout out in your Story. Although at first, this will feel a little awkward, over time you’ll start to develop a natural flow for staying consistent with your efforts. From there, getting to 1,000 will feel like a cakewalk.
Change Up The Flow
According to ViralRace, doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is a recipe for disaster on Instagram. Although it’s important to stay true to certain principles such as consistency and high-quality content, the bigger picture that’s often missing is knowing how to change up your flow to maximize your efforts. As Instagram is an ever changing beast, having a knack for trying out new strategies will help keep engagement high while also teaching you about general trends happening in the industry.
A significant skill set in separating the good from the great, knowing how to change up and redirect your flow can work wonders on improving engagement
Take the time to schedule a reassessment of your Instagram, including from a week out, two weeks out, and even a month. This will help give you a different scope on what’s been happening with your account, as well as how engagement has been flowing.
Try to pick out the nuances of your content, such as if you’re using more questions or reposting more or less at these times, highlighting what could be the categorically biggest difference. There’s a method to the madness, and with enough time, you’ll be cycling through to what the best content strategies are in no time.