Are you frustrated by watching the Instagram account of your competitors grow while your brand’s follower count has stalled out? Then it’s time to do something about it! Why should you care? These 3 strategies will help you get more followers for your Instagram account. The facts are pretty straightforward: 94% of all adults use social media!
There are three tactics to use on social media, and I reference two successful artists to help to demonstrate these tips below. Nathan W. Pyle and Steven Rhodes both use Instagram in fun, strategic ways, and have built an almost cult-like following. Best of all, any artist can do these things to boost their fanbase. Let’s get started!
Create high-quality content daily
If you do nothing else: the single most important task to grow your brand on Instagram is to create and post high-quality content daily or as often as possible.
A consistent posting schedule gives users a real reason to follow you. Not only does infrequent posting make it tough for your brand to stay top-of-mind, but it also makes it less likely that someone would follow you.
So, when should you post each day? According to Threadless’ Digital Marketing Director,
“Instagram is morning and evening. That ensures you’re at least posting when all time zones are awake. Whatever does best, use that as a guide for future posts!”
Sprout Social’s extensive research suggests you follow these guidelines:
- Monday through Friday are the most effective days to post
- Mondays drive the most engagement
- Don’t post at 3pm – it’s the least optimal time
- The best times to post are 2am, 8am and 5pm
Additionally, don’t forget about Instagram Stories. Using engaging Stories at the right time may be more convenient than posting every day. Plus, Stories are fun and quick. Nevertheless, make sure your Stories look nice, are clear, and tell a relevant story for your brand.
*Pro Tip: Make Stories you love a highlight on your Instagram, and your fans can access the story with a tap of their finger. All highlights show up on your profile above your image grid.
Have an Influencer Host an Instagram Takeover Event
An Instagram Takeover occurs when a social influencer posts on a brand’s Instagram account for a period of time – this could be an hour, a day or even longer. When the influencer is managing the account, he or she could be posting pictures and videos to the brand’s feed, posting to Stories or replying to comments.
It’s common for brands to send influencers free products to review, or even pay those influencers to talk about their products in blog posts, videos and on social media platforms.
Don’t be afraid to ask an influencer you work with to do this; it’s pretty standard for them to ask their followers to follow the brand account being taken over. Many followers will comply so they can stay updated with their favorite influencer and the brands they recommend.
As seen above, Steven Rhodes took over the retail store Spencer’s Instagram profile for a Q&A. He was consistent with his brand, answered questions, and made it entertaining! Steven shared advice and engaged with fans making it a success for both himself and Spencer’s.
Write in-depth, longer captions
You may hear that short, punchy captions work best on Instagram and I’m not here to dispute that. However, I do want to say that the brands that are crushing it on Instagram are using a variety of short and long captions.
Why long captions?
Sometimes, longer captions allow the brand to tell a story. It offers the opportunity to explain a design in more detail or lets you tell a relevant narrative. Moreover, it enables the brand to make a real connection with the reader beyond a witty one-liner.
It should be no surprise to any marketer that there’s always a place and time for short and long-form content. It’s always been that way. It’s all about thinking through your post and knowing what will be most useful for your audience.
*Pro Tip: Hashtags will spread your content further!
Getting Started
Now that you have an idea of how a few artists are rapidly gaining Instagram followers, it’s time to get to work on your account.
If you have any questions, leave me a comment below, and I’ll do my best to reply. Cheers!
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