Whether you’re looking to become an Instagram influencer, bring attention to your own blog or fashion journal, or just to get more likes on your photos, that moment when you aren’t getting as many followers and likes as you want can be frustrating.
Everyone has their own social media “plateau,” when you’ve run out of new people to follow and you’re not getting many new likes or comments on your photos.
It’s so frustrating, and it takes some work to push past these plateaus and grow your account.
Sometimes you might plateau because the people you follow aren’t on Instagram as much, or because of the new algorithm that pushes the posts with more engagement to the top. (This means it can be harder for people to see your posts without having to scroll way down.)
If you’re trying to break out of your Instagram rut or get more traffic to your page, here are a few tips to help you grow your Instagram account!
Related reading: The 15 Hottest Instagram Fashion Trends You Need to Know About
Table of Contents
Refine Your “Look”
The first thing people are going to notice when they get to your page is, well, your page! The most important aspects of any Insta page are your profile pic, bio, and feed.
A profile pic is fairly easy – all you really need is a photo of yourself that you feel confident in! Most of the time, it’s better if you’re alone in the photo so people can see what you actually look like if you have a private account.
One profile photo I love is of model @biancafinch
It’s a simple, black and white photo where you can actually see her face. That way, people know exactly who she is when she pops up on your “Suggested Follows” list.
A good and eye-catching bio can be a bit trickier to master.
Some people choose to give some basic info about themselves: where they go to school, where they’re from, or where they work. Others go with a funny quote that sums up their personality or makes people want to know more about them – great for getting people to follow your account!
Your “feed” is the photos you post on your Insta, and how they look all together when someone clicks on your profile.
A “good” profile has a variety of different photos – some of you, some of your friends, and maybe a couple of cute quotes, food pics, or landscape photos. If you have a favorite color, edit all of your photos with a filter of that color to have pics that look nice all together because they’re united by a common color or look.
On the left is the feed for my photography account (@aprilartandphoto) – I try and edit a lot of my photos the same way, with blues and warm tones so that even though they’re different, all of my photos have a similar “look.”
If you’re not bold enough to post pics in only one color, but you still want your feed to look put together then this is a great option!
The right photo is a pic of our very own College Fashion Instagram feed (@collegefashion)! There’s a bit more of an obvious color coded theme here – there are a lot of pink images surrounding the pink quote, and some cool-toned blue images surrounding the blue quote. This is a neat way of exploring color in your feed, and mixing things up with some cool graphics.
Engaging with Your Followers
This can go without saying, but the best way to get more followers and grow your instagram account is to entertain the ones you already have.
Instagram has a TON of cool features on their stories – you can tag a friend, share a location, put up a poll, quiz your friends, or even just take a pic with a funny filter.
These interactive features like the polls get people interested in what you post on your story, and if you put up interesting questions or funny content on your story consistently, soon people will be expectantly checking your profile for something fun!
Another tip is to post consistently. Because the algorithm is quick to put the most popular posts at the top of people’s home screen, the more you post, the more likely people will eventually see your content. Once you get people to see what you’ve posted and like your photo, the next time you post something it’ll pop up closer to the top!
Instagram engagement is all about getting people to view your posts. The best way to do that is to post consistently and be right in your followers faces!
Hashtag It Up!
Everyone thinks that hashtags are kinda #basic, but when used the right way they’re an awesome tool to help bring more traffic to your page.
Putting hashtags on your posts that are relevant to what you’re posting is super important. Hashtags work based on the idea that people click on them and browse in order to see other photos posted with the same hashtag.
In order to get people to actually see your photos in the sea of other pics in the page for hashtags, make sure to use ones that are popular, but not too broad.
For example, instead of using #clothes, maybe be a little more descriptive about what kinds of clothes you’re posting about. Try something like #thrifted or #vintage which is more specific, but is still a popular category to browse on insta.
Another great way to get people to see your photos is to be featured on a large account!
Above is a set of hashtags that I use on photos for my photography Instagram. Tags like #vsco and #photography are to bring some more traffic to my page, but other hashtags like #seekingthestars and #bleachmyfilm are the hashtags that big photography accounts look through for photos to feature on their account.
By hashtagging, I’m entering my photos to be looked at by these larger accounts!
Some people think putting a ton of hashtags in your caption doesn’t look classy. Don’t fear – there’s an easy fix!
Right after you post your photo, comment the hashtags on your own photo. That way, your pic can still be found when people browse hashtags, but your followers don’t have to see all the tags when they scroll through Insta.
Find People Like You
The easiest way to get followers and grow your Instagram is to follow people and have them follow you back! This is basic advice, but there’s a little bit of science to it.
Sometimes the explore page can be useful to find other Instagrammers like you. If you have a page for a hobby, like writing for example, search the explore page for other writers to follow. Oftentimes, they’ll follow you back if your content is similar to theirs.
Don’t forget about the hashtags! If you put some hashtags on your photo, click on them and browse the hashtag page to see what other accounts are using the same hashtags as you. Chances are, you’ll find someone similar to you to follow.
If you do find a really awesome account, don’t be afraid to reach out and let them know you love their content. This can be another way to grow your account.
A simple DM saying “Hey, I found you on the explore page and your posts are really cool – keep it up!” can be a great encouragement to give someone, and can start a conversation with someone who could become your friend!
The best advice I can give about growing your account is to BE ACTIVE! Like anything, Instagram success will come with hard work (that feels weird to say…).
Spend some time each day browsing the explore page, editing some cool pics to share with your followers, and posting captivating Instagram stories. Most of all, have fun with it!
Happy posting!
What do you think of our guide to growing your instagram account?
Any tips for growing an Instagram account? What the hardest part about gaining followers? What are your favorite hashtags to use on your pics?
Let me know in the comments!