If being obsessed with growing your Instagram is wrong, we don\u2019t want to be right. We all know social media success can take many forms; engagement matters most, the real prize is the friends we make along the way, blah blah blah.<\/p>\n
However, the fact remains, that having a big, devoted audience of loyal followers<\/a> makes all the difference when it comes to your Instagram marketing strategy. And because of such, we\u2019ve compiled a list of the best ways to attract real people, keep the followers you have, hack your way into organic Instagram growth, and increase brand awareness while you\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n For tried-and-true strategies, we tapped industry expert Lauchland Lee, Social Media Manager of TurfLiving<\/a> \u2014 a fitness studio, retail space and cafe all in one \u2014 for her best Instagram growth strategy.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bonus: Download a free checklist<\/span><\/strong> that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Does growth matter? On social media, yes. You should always <\/em>be looking to up your follower count<\/a> and reach more people because:<\/p>\n Partnerships with creators<\/a> and collab posts with other brands<\/a> expose your biz to a new audience and a ton of new potential followers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s got to be intentional,\u201d says Lee, explaining that Turf only collaborates with people and businesses that align with the brand\u2019s values. For example, a partnership with Wilson sporting goods was a great fit.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C9NNxnogVOp<\/a><\/p>\n Part of upping your follower count and reach is creating posts that are engaging<\/a>.<\/p>\n While still photos are beautiful, Reels <\/a>and carousel posts (posts with more than one photo or video<\/a>) are more engaging\u2014users are more likely to like, comment on and share content that is dynamic, like the AirBnb Reel below.<\/p>\n\n One factor that the Instagram algorithm values highly is novelty<\/strong>. New posts usually rank higher than old posts, as the platform requires constant content to remain exciting and engaging.<\/p>\n Posting consistently (and at optimized times<\/a>) shows both Instagram and its users that you\u2019re dependable.<\/p>\n\n And let\u2019s face it, social media is a numbers game\u2014even the most popular Instagram accounts have posts that don\u2019t perform well. \u201cNot every single thing has to be a hit\u2026 it\u2019s the consistency that\u2019s really important,\u201d says Lee. Posting often gives you more chances to get more reach and, in turn, more followers.<\/p>\n Posting consistently can be time consuming and overwelming, but you can schedule your posts<\/a> and save time with Hootsuite.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree 30-Day Trial<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Instagram is a place to connect, and your relationship with your audience shouldn\u2019t be a one-way street (or any relationship you\u2019re in, for that matter\u2014if they wanted to, they would).<\/p>\n Turf\u2019s replies on this collab announcement<\/a> are a great example of hopping into your comments section.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>@turfliving<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Reply to comments on your posts and Reels, engage in the DMs when your followers like your Story and be as responsive as you can to messages. This lets your followers (and potential followers) know that you care, reminds them that there are real humans behind the screens and builds trust.<\/p>\n Using the right keywords will make your Instagram posts more SEO-friendly<\/a> and help the Instagram algorithm show your content to people who will be interested (and, importantly, likely to follow you).<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a case of keyword writer\u2019s block, you can use Hootsuite\u2019s Owlywriter AI tool <\/a>to help you come up with creative caption ideas.<\/p>\nWhy is Instagram growth important?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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How to get followers on Instagram: 21 fool-proof ways<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Partner up<\/span><\/h3>\n
2. Get into Reels and carousel posts<\/span><\/h3>\n
3. Post consistently<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t#1 Social Media Tool\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n4. Engage with your audience<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Turf](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-growth_engage-with-followers-620x1127.jpeg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n5. Prioritize keywords<\/span><\/h3>\n