Instagram has become one of the best social media channels for brands to reach out to their target audience, get noticed and increase sales. The platform has proven to engage customers and drive relevant traffic.
According to data released by Instagram, 50% of users get more interested in a brand after they see their ad on Instagram. This shows the power of the platform, and why it is crucial for your brand to have a strong presence here with a good follower base.
The competition is tough, but there are some proven ways to pique the interest of organic Instagram followers and encourage them to follow your page –
Optimize The Brand Account
If the goal is to get more followers for the brand page, you first need to ensure that your account is optimized fully with all the relevant information. To start with, the Instagram bio (which should include your brand tagline and hashtag if any), the display picture and the bio link should be updated correctly. That is what new followers will see first when they land on the page.
Apart from this, a few points to remember in order to be a follower-friendly page –
- Having a username which is easy to search, it can just be the brand name or the name that you use for your other social channels
- A professional display picture where the brand logo is clearly visible when viewed from a smartphone
- A relevant link in the bio, to redirect the social traffic to your website or landing page
Maintain A Content Calendar
Random postings without any strategy in place is not the best way to get the most out of Instagram. Giving out content that adds value is what will keep the present followers engaged and new followers interested in your page.
Maintain a regular posting schedule with different content buckets to attract new followers. You can also check the page insights to understand the best time to post your content. According to Hootsuite, “the universal best time to post on Instagram is 11 AM on Wednesdays.”
Engage with The Audience
Engaging with the existing audience is a great way to figure out what the audience wants, and how to gain a new audience. Tap into the power of user generated content by reposting their posts/stories when they talk about your brand. It shows that you value your audience’s opinion. This eventually increases the brand credibility, and new followers are more likely to come to your page.
Influencer marketing is another way to reach out to new users and get your message conveyed. Content creators who have an established follower base can help your brand reach out to the potential target audience and increase awareness.
Say No To Fake Followers
Often brands find it tempting to purchase fake followers to increase the count, but does it really help in the long run? Firstly, fake followers are not likely to engage with the content that goes up on the page. So a page with a huge number of followers but very low engagement will anyway seem distrustful to genuine followers. Moreover, there will be no lead generation, website traffic or even sales with bot followers.
Hence, even if the count is low it is better to have genuine followers on your page who will actually read your content, and like, comment and engage with it.
Promote Your Account Extensively
The higher the visibility, the more are the chances of people being aware of your Instagram page. You can add the Instagram account link as an icon on your website and emails, or have an dedicated Instagram feed section on the website. A lot of brands nowadays have this section where they put up user-generated Instagram content of customers using the brand product/service.
You can also cross share your Instagram profile or any activity around it on other social channels, like informing the audience about an IG live on Facebook.
Post Relevant Content
There are multiple formats available on Instagram, but you have to choose what goes best for your brand.
And how do you do that? By posting content that your followers want to actually see.
For example, followers of your brand may be interested in reels, while followers of another brand prefer more carousel posts. Some formats work better than others, and then again what works for a particular brand may not work for other brands. The best way around this is to test different formats to check what works, and then stick to it.
Instagram’s analytic tools are also a great way to analyze your page content and stay updated with the latest trends on the platform.
Use The Right Hashtags
Statistics say that using a single hashtag on an Instagram post can gain 12.6% more engagement compared to one without any hashtag.
Even though it is speculated that hashtags don’t hold as much importance like it used to, ignoring them completely is not a smart move. Choose hashtags that are relevant to your customers and the brand to get noticed. You can also have a brand specific hashtag that can be used in every post.
Keep Your Followers Happy
When you keep your followers happy, you are not just building a follower base, but also a loyal community. How you communicate and what you communicate is very important in this aspect. If the tone is sales driven, robotic or needy, your followers will not be able to relate with the brand.
The best way to keep followers happy and gain more in the way is by being original. Sharing content that shows the human side of the brand can help build an everlasting connection. Humorous content, storytelling formats, reposting UGC content, team related content, behind-the-scenes, and small giveaways and contests are some of the ways you can explore to always remain original.
Getting more followers on your Instagram page is not a day’s job, and requires the right strategic planning and execution. At FCS, our goal has always been to deliver results that drive business growth, backed with extensive research and data. Want an Instagram-specific content strategy to widen your community? Call us for a quick consultation – and let’s work together!
