Try these 5 Tips for Getting More Instagram Followers

Instagram is one of the top five social media platforms that businesses use for marketing. Are you getting the most that you can from the fastest-growing social media network? An important aspect of website design is creating something that resonates with users, but you still need to get those users to the site. While SEO certainly plays a part in funneling customers to you, so does social media which is why you should try these 5 Tips for Getting More Instagram Followers if you use the wildly popular image-based platform.
Why Instagram?
Before we jump into the tips, let’s quickly re-cap why Instagram is so popular and should be considered as an important part of marketing:

• Personal Connection – Because this platform is imaged-based, it allows a more intimate, personal connection between a business and users. While words are great, images can convey a lot of meaning at a glance and also adds an element of life to an otherwise faceless encounter.
• Brand Awareness – A well run Instagram account helps spread the word of your brand through social sharing. Of the top brands in the world, the majority use Instagram. Per recent studies consumer engagement is 10 times higher on Instagram compared to Facebook.
• Lead Generation – There are 500 million active users on Instagram every single day. That is a huge number of potential leads.

Really if you aren’t using Instagram for your business you probably should be as there is a lot of upside to the platform from a marketing perspective.
5 Tips for More Instagram Followers

• Post at the Right Times – Posting any type of content should follow a cycle based on when your core viewers are going to be active. For example, posting at midnight on Sunday is not optimal. Generally speaking Wednesday and Thursday are the best days on this platform during waking hours. Regularly research and monitor how well posts do and even experiment a little to see where your audience sweet spot is for maximum engagement. 
• Add Text – Yes this is basically a image based site but that does not mean words have no value! Great captions, a good use of hashtags, a well written bio with a link to your website and even useful information can and should be added to your profile and every image. Remember, each post is an opportunity, so make the most of it by being clever, funny, interesting and engaging.
• Use Relatable Content – Never post just to post. Anything you post or share should be something useful and interesting to your core audience. The goal is to foster a connection and help showcase your brand’s identity. For example, if you specialize in yarn then sharing posts about a 64 Mustang would be a mistake, unless it is covered in a yarn-based car cover one of your customers crafted.
• Follow People – Remember this is a social media site which means being social! You should follow people such as influencers in your niche, businesses and individuals that are important to your focus and even people who follow you and are very active in promoting your brand. The larger your network is, the more opportunities you have. Comment and engage when you can.
• Use Tools – There are a host of great tools out there to make using Instagram easier. Instagress, PeerBoost, Hootsuite or SproutSocial are all examples of tools that can positively impact what you are doing by helping automate and increase your reach. Tools are often underused because of a lack of experience, but in reality they are fairly user friendly and easy to understand if you take a little time and effort to do so. That investment will pay off rather quickly with your marketing efforts and results.

The bottom line is that Instagram is a hot commodity right now as a social media platform that can be used for marketing. Try these 5 tips for getting more Instagram followers and then use that larger audience to help boost conversions in the coming year.
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