How to Get More Instagram Followers in 2019

Whether you’re a business owner or looking to become an Instagram influencer who travels the world taking pictures of yourself in exotic places, it’s important to shine on Instagram. This social platform, which originally began as a way for millennials to share fun pictures of their lives with each other, has suddenly become one of the most popular ways for brands to reach out to their customers. Which means that when you’re working on your online presence, you need to get as many followers as you can. More followers equate to more money and success.

But so many people and brands are on Instagram now that you need to figure out how to make your business stand out. Luckily, there are some great strategies for getting more Instagram followers, and here’s how.

1. Understand your audience

According to Verma Farms, “knowing your target audience can help you market more effectively and get a better return on investment in ads and other strategies.” Why? In large part, because knowing what kinds of content they want to see and what prices they’re willing to pay for your products will help you share photos on Instagram that will really get their attention. So before you even start posting, create ideal buyer personas and study up on your competitors. Once you’ve started posting, use analytics tools such as Insights (which comes for free with an Instagram business profile) to make sure what you’re doing is working.

There are approximately 4.2 billion likes given every day on Instagram–so if you want to have many of those many likes, you need to know your audience as well as possible!

2. Create an aesthetic for your brand

Once you’ve figured out who your ideal audience is, the next step is creating an aesthetic for your brand. This means figuring out what filters to use on Instagram, what kinds of pictures to post, and whether you’re mostly going to be posting pictures of your products against a plain backdrop, or with people using them. Even something as simple as color and font is part of this strategy. If you aren’t sure where to start, take a look at some of these super-effective Instagram themes.

Considering that there were 120 million Instagram users in the US in January 2019, you can find a lot of success if you focus on creating that perfect aesthetic.

3. Cross-promote on other social media platforms

Being active on Instagram and curating a profile that works for you is great, but if you really want to spread the word, you need to do more. One of these strategies is cross-promoting on other social media platforms. By adding Instagram to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and including a link to your profile in newsletters and your blog, people who are already following your brand can look up your Instagram content there, too. Just be sure that in all of your platforms, you’ve got the same aesthetic feel, because consistency is key in social media.

Remember when you do this to post on weekdays if you can, considering that users engage with content more on weekdays.

4. Buy some followers

If you’re just starting out, then it can be hard to get the number of followers you want. Even though you’re posting content regularly and engaging constantly, you can’t seem to get enough of them. The fact is, you might need some help from a service. According to the Hastagsforlikes blog, you should buy Instagram followers because “you can enjoy all the advantages this service offers, which means that you get new Instagram followers who will like, share and comment all the time.”

Considering that brands are posting on Instagram an average of 27.9 times a month, this is a great way for you to stand out, even when your competition is posting lots.

5. Work with influencers and bloggers

A large part of building a following on Instagram is by connecting with the right people. And this isn’t only followers! In fact, if you’re able to work with an influencer or blogger who has a lot of sway in your industry, your followers are going to go up immediately–as well as your sales! Do a search to find out who your competitors are working with, and search on Instagram for industry-related hashtags. Once you’ve found an influencer and blogger you’d like to work with, reach out to them, explaining what you could get in return. Don’t forget that if you think you have a real connection with them. For example, if you’re a green company and they’re passionate about going green–you should demonstrate this in your message.

Considering that influencer marketing is expected to become a $10 billion industry by 2020, it’s no surprise that so many marketers are working with them now.

These are some of the best strategies for getting more Instagram followers in 2019. What other strategies do you think would be useful for you?