How to grow Instagram followers: Proven strategies for success

Social media is dominated by perfectly curated feeds and trending relevant hashtags, making users feel like they're drowning in endless content. But here’s the good news—you don't have to be among those flooding people's feeds. Growing your Instagram following is about creating quality content and posting it at strategic times and in ways that engage your audience.

In this post, we will share the tips, tricks, and secrets of how to grow Instagram followers and take your Instagram account to the next level. From creating posts that stop your audience mid-scroll to building real connections that make them want to return for more, we’re exploring the proven strategies that have helped countless creators and businesses thrive on this highly visual platform and gain more followers. 

We will also introduce Gelato’s print on demand platform, and show you how it can help you transform your Instagram into a hub of engagement, creativity, and growth.

Main takeaways from this article:

• Optimize your Instagram profile and bio for maximum engagement and visibility.

• Focus on creating and sharing engaging, high-quality Instagram content and strategically use hashtags.

• Engage consistently with your audience and followers on Instagram and collaborate with influencers to broaden your reach.

• Using Instagram's features like Stories and Reels can help enhance content interaction.

• Capitalize on your growing audience with Gelato's tools to offer exclusive and customized merchandise.

Let's jump into the tried-and-true strategies to help you expand your Instagram followers and boost engagement. 

1. Optimize your Instagram profile

Your Instagram profile is your digital business card. It should authentically reflect your brand and remain attractive to potential followers. Optimizing your profile also helps the Instagram algorithm improve your reach by making your profile more visible and relevant to the Instagram community.

Create an engaging bio that articulates your identity, your professional expertise, and the value you offer to your audience. Use a recognizable profile picture, ideally your logo or a high-quality image of yourself. Include a link to your website or latest project to drive traffic.

2. Don't buy followers

While a quick follower boost may be tempting, buying Instagram followers can do more harm than good. 

The purchased accounts are often bots or inactive users and are fake Instagram followers, offering no real engagement or interaction with your content. These fake followers skew your follower metrics and can also tarnish your brand's credibility. 

3. Find your niche

Finding your niche on Instagram means identifying the specific area or interest you excel in and are passionate about. A well-defined niche helps attract a genuine follower count that is genuinely interested in your content. It starts with observing what sets you apart and what unique value you bring. 

Once you’ve nailed down your niche, stick to it by consistently posting relevant content. Use hashtags that cater to your niche, and engage with accounts within that community to grow organically.

4. Maintain a strong personal brand

Creating a solid personal brand means more than just a consistent look. A well-cultivated brand personality helps followers connect with you on a deeper level, building trust and loyalty. Your brand should tell a story that resonates with your target audience. 

Focus on defining your brand voice and values, crafting content that reflects your authenticity. Ensure that your bio, profile picture, and captions align with your story, and regularly evaluate your Instagram feed to ensure it mirrors your desired image.

5. Maintain a content calendar

Stay organized and save yourself a lot of stress by maintaining a content calendar. It helps you plan posts in advance, ensuring you never miss an important date or run out of ideas. By curating a content strategy around a specific theme, you maintain consistency in your brand image, which is key to engaging your audience. 

6. Schedule Instagram posts in advance

Streamlining your Instagram strategy with scheduled posts can make all the difference. By planning ahead, you can maintain a consistent posting schedule and ensure that your content reaches your audience when they're most active. Leverage tools like Later or SocialPilot can help you align your content with these peak times, boosting engagement. 

7. Create engaging and high-quality content

Crafting content that captivates is your ticket to standing out! Start with visually striking images and videos that align with your brand. Ensure every post tells a story or provides value, sparking interest and curiosity in your audience. 

You can also consider mixing up various formats—reels, stories, and IGTV—to see what resonates most with your audience. 

8. Optimize your Instagram bio

Your Instagram bio is a key piece of real estate, and it is the first impression visitors get. Make it count! Ensure it's concise yet descriptive about what you do or what your brand represents. Incorporate relevant keywords for SEO benefits, enhancing discoverability by helping your content appear in search results. 

Show your brand’s personality and encourage action with a clear call-to-action (CTA) when visiting your website.

9. Use hashtags strategically

Hashtags can help your content to go viral. They categorize your posts, making it easier for your target audience to find you. 

Smart hashtag use involves balancing broad popular tags with niche-specific ones, increasing your reach while targeting effectively. Experiment with trending hashtags and track their performance to refine your strategy. 

10. Engage with your audience

Connecting with your audience can accelerate your Instagram growth. Aim to reply to comments promptly, making each person feel seen and valued. Incorporate tools like polls and questions in your Instagram Stories to build interactive communication. Meaningful conversations build rapport and provide insights into your followers' preferences.

11. Determine the best time to post

Maximizing your Instagram impact often hinges on timing. Discovering when your audience is most active can elevate your engagement rates significantly. Use Instagram Insights to analyze your followers' online activity patterns to pinpoint optimal times.

Generally, consider posting during peak times, such as early mornings (6 am - 9 pm) or late afternoons (5 pm - 6 pm), but test these times regularly to see what works best. 

12. Use geo-tagging to find local followers

Geo-tagging is an invaluable tool for effectively engaging with the local community on Instagram. By adding a location to your posts and Stories, you increase their visibility among locals, ensuring more eyes from your area land on your content. This helps grow your followers locally and increases engagement by attracting those interested in your surroundings. 

To maximize its potential, use geo-tags with local hashtags and engage with other location-tagged content in your area by liking, commenting, or following nearby users. This builds a stronger local presence and encourages reciprocal engagement.

13. Collaborate with influencers and brands

One of the fastest ways to expand your Instagram reach is through collaboration. By collaborating with other Instagram influencers, you tap into new followers within your niche or can align with brands that complement your own. This introduces your content to more Instagram followers and lends credibility and authenticity to your brand.  

Start by reaching out to influencers whose audience aligns with yours, offering a mutual benefit or shared project, like co-hosting giveaways or featuring each other’s content. When partnering with brands, ensure they reflect your values to maintain trust with your followers.

14. Participate in trends

Staying ahead of Instagram trends can boost your profile’s visibility and engagement. By leaning into the latest trends, whether viral challenges or trending audio clips, you become part of a larger conversation across the platform. 

Keep an eye out for the latest trends, and make sure to participate in those that align with your brand values and message to attract like-minded followers who appreciate your timely participation.

15. Run paid ad campaigns

Leveraging paid ad campaigns on Instagram is a powerful way to reach a larger audience. Instagram's advertising platform allows you to define your target audience based on demographics, behaviors, interests, and more. 

Start with a clear objective: to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales. From there, experiment with different ad formats—a photo, carousel, or video ad. Test out different visuals, headlines, and calls to action to see what resonates best with your audience. 

16. Utilize Instagram Stories, Lives, and Reels

Incorporating Instagram Stories, Lives, and Reels into your strategy can boost your engagement rate. These formats capture users’ attention and encourage interactions. Use Stories for behind-the-scenes glimpses, Reels for viral-worthy content, and Lives for real-time connections. Each format offers unique tools like polls, questions, and countdowns. 

17. Create memes and shareable content

By crafting funny, relatable, or heartwarming pieces, you tap into your audience's emotions, making them more likely to share your posts. This increases exposure and builds a sense of community around your brand. Keep an eye on trending topics and cultural moments to ensure your content remains relevant and timely. 

18. Host giveaways and contests

Giveaways and contests can be monumental for Instagram growth. They encourage your followers to engage with your content while attracting new followers to your profile. 

Excite your audience by offering enticing prizes and making it easy to enter by tagging friends or sharing your posts. These competitions create a buzz around your brand and can effectively draw in more followers, broadening your reach and appeal. 

19. Cross-promote your Instagram on other platforms

Expanding your online audience shouldn't be restricted to just Instagram; you must focus on creating an omnipresence by being on every platform where your followers are. 

Share your Instagram posts on Facebook, tweet a sneak peek, or pin your photos. Even adding your Instagram handle to email signatures or blog posts can drive traffic back to your profile. Each platform offers its own benefits, so tailor your strategy accordingly. 

20. Check your analytics regularly

Regularly checking your analytics is critical to understanding your Instagram performance's strengths and weaknesses. 

Dig deep into metrics like engagement rate, follower growth, and audience demographics to fine-tune your strategy. These insights will reveal what types of content resonate most with your audience, enabling you to craft more effective posts. 

21. Get verified

Getting verified on Instagram is like receiving a badge of authenticity that sets you apart. This little blue tick enhances your profile's credibility and builds trust among potential followers and customers. Start the process by ensuring your account is complete, with a professional profile picture and active engagement. 

22. Offer exclusive merchandise

Turn your Instagram followers into loyal customers by offering exclusive merchandise. Custom products create a sense of urgency and belonging, enticing followers to join the in-crowd. 

You can design and produce unique items tailored to your audience’s desires by leveraging services like Gelato. Think of your merchandise as an extension of your brand and a way to deepen connections with your followers.

Let's look at actionable insights to maximize the potential of your existing followers and transform them into brand advocates.

Run contests and giveaways

Set your Instagram growth in motion by organizing engaging contests and giveaways. Encourage participation by offering attractive prizes that resonate with your audience's interests. Whether it's a photo challenge, hashtag contest, or a simple 'like and share' competition, these interactive events can notably boost your engagement rates. 

Create exclusive content for loyal followers

Rewarding your loyal followers keeps them engaged and encourages new users to follow you for those exclusive perks. Consider offering sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, or early access to announcements. This makes followers feel valued and part of an inner circle, strengthening their connection to your brand. 

You can also tailor content based on their preferences and engage with them directly through interactive features like polls and Q&A sessions. 

Encourage user-generated content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) is a game-changer for your Instagram growth strategy. By inviting your followers to share their own experiences with your brand, you cultivate authenticity and trust. Engaging in contests or campaigns encouraging UGC can lead to remarkable results. 

With UGC, your followers become ambassadors, showcasing genuine interactions. Implement brand-specific hashtags to easily curate this content and amplify your reach.

Offer discounts and special promotions

Discounts and special promotions are like magnets for followers! They fuel engagement by offering value in exchange for attention. 

Consider timed sales where your community benefits from being first in the know. These promotions create urgency and encourage sharing among followers, potentially attracting new ones. Utilize Instagram’s stories and direct posts to blast limited-time deals or exclusive follower discounts. 

Leverage Instagram’s interactive features

Engage your followers by exploring Instagram's plethora of interactive features. Think of polls, quizzes, and question stickers—simple yet effective ways to invite followers to participate and express opinions. This boosts interaction and solidifies your presence in their feeds. 

Show genuine interest in their responses and continue the conversation in DMs or comments. Utilizing these interactive tools can notably increase your engagement rate, making your account a lively and inviting place.

From optimizing profiles to crafting engaging content, collaborating with influencers, and leveraging Instagram's features, you can effectively grow and engage your Instagram followers and set your account on the path to success.

The most crucial element of transforming your growing audience into a loyal customer base is using Gelato’s print on demand services. 

Gelato offers an extensive range of customization tools that allow you to create and sell branded merchandise. By incorporating our POD solutions, you can offer unique products your followers will love, available in high-quality formats and only produced when a customer makes a purchase. This ensures a cost-effective, risk-free way to monetize your Instagram presence while expanding your brand reach. 

Sign up for Gelato today, choose a subscription plan that fits your needs, and start transforming your passion into profit—one follower at a time!