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How to grow your Instagram account & boost engagement

It’s 2022, and you still don’t know how to grow your Instagram? What are you doing? 

As of August 2022, Instagram has over 1.44 billion monthly active users. It’s so big that users often consider it a source of authority and reputable information.  

Fun fact: 500 million people use Instagram Stories daily!

These numbers can be a bit overwhelming, especially when your account goal is to grow. Where do you start?

If you’re feeling lost on where to start growing your Instagram with millions of users every day, it’s right here!  

Here’s a long list (88 to be exact) of tips and tricks to grow and boost your Instagram engagement so you can catch up with every trend imaginable.

88 AMAZING TIPS AND TRICKS TO GROW AND BOOST YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT 

1. Give a reason why people should follow you. Give your potential followers reasons to follow you and what they can expect from you.

2. Choose the right handle. Ensure your Instagram handle is close to your business name or other social media handles. It helps your account to be easily remembered by people.

3. Make it a business profile. An Instagram business profile allows you access to analytics that will show you the status of your account, such as the most liked content and your followers.

4. Get local. Get local. People can easily draw their attention to familiar things and like to see something that represents them online.

5. Intriguing Branded Hashtags. Come up with something new with your hashtag that can be used by your followers instead of using your business name or behind-the-scenes hashtags.

6. All in for Influencer Marketing. Getting mentioned by influencers can be a way to gain more followers, so make sure to get to know or be familiar with influencer marketing.

7. Be active. Like and comment on other users’ photos and videos, as this will help you get noticed by more people and may encourage them to visit your account and follow you.

8. Post consistently. To attract and gain new followers, brands need to be more active and post consistently.

9. Build a strong brand. Focus on core areas like how you will present your profile and create style patterns that keep your images and brand fresh. You may also master hashtag use to reach a wider set of audiences.

10. Concentrate on User-Generated Content. Marketers familiarize user-generated content. Followers have the chance to involve themselves with the brand. On the other hand, it reduces marketing costs as the content is approved and created by your audiences.

11. Know your focus. The first step to becoming Insta famous is to know your focus and be true to it. What is your brand or content, and how will you be consistent with it?

12. Interact and leave comments. Be responsive when people comment on your post or when they tag you in their pictures. In that way, your audience will feel that you value their presence and acknowledge them.

13. Post at least once a day. Posting often can help you be on top of people’s news feeds, and your brand is much more visible from here. So make sure you post consistently to reach more audience.

14. Use stories to send traffic back to the site. Utilize the “swipe up” feature. This is where you can add a link where people will be directed to your page once they swipe up.

15. Plan stories at a time. As stories are more casual than regular posts, they are made spur-of-the-moment and easy to share without too many thoughts.

16. Host an Instagram takeover. Another fun way to get new and fresh content on your Instagram work with your colleagues and influencers.

17. Post something funny and surprising. Enjoyable and relatable content can attract more comments and gain followers. Don’t just stick with what is usual and explore more content that can get the audience’s attention.

18. Post frequently. Post regularly and at optimized times of the day so that more people will see your post and engage with it.

19. Join Instagram engagement groups. Find engagement groups that have the same interest and content as yours. Get new followers by sharing what you have with them.

20. Optimize your Instagram bio. Use your Instagram bio to introduce and give your followers ideas about what you have.

21. Encourage your followers to create content. Encouraging your followers to get involved with your content or products can help you boost your engagement. More people will be curious about what you can offer them when they share what you have.

22. Advertise on Instagram. Utilize Instagram and advertise. Use different advertising formats to introduce your brands, such as photo and video ads, stories, and carousel ads.

23. Geotag your posts. Geotagging allows users to know the location where you are posting and let everyone know if there are current or upcoming events in your location.

24. Add a profile widget on your channel. Add a widget on your website that will redirect your audience to your Instagram page. Another easy way to find your account directly.

25. Leverage memes. Meme marketing allows you to express your brand and be more creative. This can help you stay on top of the latest trends, especially if you use trending memes.

26. Pay for sponsored posts and product reviews. Take advantage of influencer marketing by exposing your brand to a broader audience. Through the use of the product and sponsored reviews, people will have to get to know you more.

27. Ask for followers. Don’t be afraid to promote and ask your viewers to follow you and your content. You need to convince your potential followers that your account or brand has something more to offer, and they need to see it.

28. Hop on with the trends. Engage yourself in the trend, especially if it aligns with your content. It can help improve your discoverability and engagement with a broader audience.

29. Use Instagram live. Instagram Live helps you interact with your followers and acknowledge their comments. It increases your engagement and the possibility of gaining new followers.

30. Monitor follower growth over time. Keep an eye on and track the growth of your followers. That way, you will determine if you are losing or gaining followers on your account.

31. Use interactive stickers. Instagram offers plenty of interactive story stickers that can help with engagement. Your audiences can feel recognized when they can share their opinions with you.

32. Call-to-action. To increase the shareability and engagement of your posts, use call-to-action. Some examples are “double-tap if you find this funny” or “share your stories by commenting below.”

33. Tag relevant users. Once you tag relevant users to your posts, you will show up in their tagged post section, and their followers can visit and find your account. This is another way of gaining new followers.

34. Get on IGTV. Users who utilize IGTV appear on their followers’ feeds and profiles, which results in a 300% increase in their IGTV views.

35. Study upcoming trends. Do the research and keep an eye on the current trends. What are the most used hashtags day by day? Listen to the current updates relevant to your account.

36. Two heads are better than one. Doing everything alone is challenging. Partner with the top-notch people in your niche and reach your audiences together.

37. Stay on brand. Consistency with your brand is essential. If you change your posts daily, there’s a low chance you will appear on the Explore page. Check your topic and analyze your bio, visuals, and captions.

38. Tag products and brands. Tag brands on your posts, showing your relationship with them. You will be introduced to that brand’s followers who might be interested in you.

39. Analyze your best-performing posts. Check your analytics and what’s already trending with your followers. Follow the trend and have a high possibility of being featured on the Explore page.

40. Check what’s on your Explore page. Checking analytics is great, but checking what is on your Explore page section can also be helpful. You can review and dive into the content presented in this section and replicate the most used hashtags.

41. Use the eraser tool for cool effects. The eraser tool can bring remarkable results if you use it creatively. Using your creativity, you can impress your followers with this simple life hack and build engagement with them.

42. Boomerang features. You should use the Boomerang feature to create memories in a fun way. It allows you to capture things differently and if you want to show embarrassing mistakes in different ways.

43. Have your own Instagram style. Choose a style that will describe you so that your post is instantly recognizable. Make your own identity.

44. Write good captions. Images are necessary, but captions can sometimes catch your followers’ attention and impact your potential followers. So make a good caption that can draw the attention of everyone.

45. Instagram giveaways. Make sure your prizes are appealing, especially for your ideal customers, and can attract them. The more people joining your giveaway, the more chances you have to gain new followers.

46. Use a mix of hashtags. Hashtags on Instagram are like keywords on Google. It can be broad, high, low-volume, or anything relevant to the post.

47. Get to know your competitors. Do competitive analysis and find out what and how often your competitors post. You can get ideas and strategies for your next posts on your page.

48. Social media management tools. Use different social media management tools, such as a calendar, to schedule your posts. Monitor your competitors and get insights into the platforms.

49. Post high-quality content. People tend to like content that is valuable and exciting. Plan what you will post next and leave a huge impact on your followers so that they will look forward to your next content.

50. Use hashtags. Hashtags are another way to discover what new and popular accounts to follow. When searching for hashtags, check the top posts and see who the account belongs to.

51. Be familiar with Explore page. Explore page allows you to find and get to know popular accounts. You can browse through different categories and search for topics.

52. Find influencers in your niche. There are so many accounts that have large followings. Check out these accounts and give them a follow.

53. Participate in giveaways. Giveaways are common on Instagram, and many popular accounts are hosting giveaways. Usually, influencers ask their followers to tag their friends, which is a great way to expose their accounts and reach those who might be interested in them.

54. Don’t preach. Don’t just preach your posts, but tell stories instead. You must captivate the audience’s attention through images, video, and text. Avoid using simple marketing messages, so plan your captions.

55. Choose the proper hashtags. Research relevant hashtags for your post. Check the trending hashtags that are similar and top-performing in every post. If it matches your content, then you should use it.

56. Get featured. If people find similar accounts under one category, there will be a possibility that more people will become interested in other accounts and will follow them. Once you are featured, more potential followers will come on your way and visit your page.

57. Use hashtag and location tags. To expand the reach of your account, one of the best Instagram Story tips is to add hashtags or location tags to your stories. This will help your account to be known and get more followers.

58. Story highlights. Organize your highlights by topic, so they’re easy for your followers to navigate and see your stories once they land on your account page.

59. Asking questions and running polls. People like opportunities that allow them to engage in the conversation. Inviting them to share their thoughts through questions and polls can be helpful.

60. Share others’ posts to your stories. Sharing other people’s posts on your stories is another excellent way to network, build relationships and grow your engagement.

61. Ask users to comment. Post content on your Instagram that gives opportunities for your followers to engage themselves and answer questions. They can tag their friends or co-workers and start conversations in the comment section.

62. Publish at the right time. Test the engagement of Instagram by posting at different times throughout the week and see the best time to publish a post.

63. Fonts, Texts, and Emojis. If you want something new and eye-catching, experiment with the fonts, texts, and emojis. Make sure you use appropriate colors that can draw attention.

64. Repost on Instagram Stories. When you put a new post, share it on your stories, as it is more visible to your followers. You can also add captions and make edits so your followers will be curious and visit your account.

65. Add Link To Your Stories. Send your audiences to a webpage. If you are selling products, add the page link to your story or if you’re an influencer, add the link to your sponsored post.

66. Make Your Posts Aesthetic. Use high-quality images and videos to increase engagement on Instagram. Making your content visually appealing can help it stand out and encourage users to engage with you.

67. Understand Your Audience. Ensure you understand your current audience, demographics, and interests. It will help you find more users that are interested in your content.

68. You Just Have to Ask. You will lose engagement if you don’t ask questions. You may simply leave a call-to-action and add questions in your captions, such as their suggestions for your next post.

69. Utilize Instagram’s Paid Services. Use the Instagram Business page section and create your own paid ad. You can use stories or video ads, as this generates more engagement.

70. Clever and Witty Comments. Use clever or witty comments and even audience-appropriate jokes. It strengthens the connection with your audience if they know you engage with them.

71. Use Suitable Filters. Using trending and on-brand filters can impact your Instagram post as the community also responds to certain photo filters.

72. Tease Upcoming Release. Give your followers a sneak peek at your upcoming posts. It’s a strategy wherein people will follow you to have early access to your next content.

73. Like stories. When you come across different stories of your followers or followers, don’t be afraid to interact by liking their stories. This is another opportunity to make them feel that you are interested in their posts.

74. Use countdowns. Use countdown stickers on your videos to connect and excite your audiences.

75. Celebrate your wins. You can post testimonials and feedback from your followers or customers, as everyone loves to hear success stories.

76. Behind-the-scenes. Share the back stories and behind-the-scenes of your products or services. Make everyone part of the story.

77. Staff Takeover. Let your staff manage your Instagram for a day. It allows a more human angle and relates yourself to the audience.

78. Customer Spotlight. Highlight your customers together with their feedback. You can also do shoutouts or say thank you to them.

79. Offer deals and discounts. You can use Instagram stories to promote your exclusive and limited-time sales. This will increase your follower count since everyone loves discounts.

80. Show off your skills. Aside from your content, show off what you’ve got. Make it known so people will be more engaged with you.

81. Engage manually. If you have a team, or just yourself, you can interact with your followers by commenting on their recent posts.

82. Use video subtitles. Some people watch Instagram videos with the sound off, and subtitles are another way to convey the message of your videos.

83. It’s better to have two accounts. Partner with successful accounts and engage with your audiences. This could help you expose your account and reach more followers.

84. Stop hops. Do collaborations with similar Instagram accounts and create an activity together. One will create a story, while others will be tagged on the post. Followers will get curious and will visit the profiles of the tagged account.

85. Use humor. Everyone likes humor. So don’t be afraid to add little humor to your Instagram content or captions.

86. Let others save your content. Saved videos or pictures can also be considered engagement. Make people save your posts.

87. Try new things. Try something new and different from what you usually post and see how your audiences would react. It is a test to see the changes in your engagement.

88. Stay active. If you only post once in a while, you will not gain much. Be consistent and post regularly. Schedule your posts so it will not be a burden to post consistently.

Now that we’ve covered how to increase your engagement on Instagram, it’s time to try it out! Remember, don’t be afraid to keep refining and experimenting!

If you want more tips and tricks like these, get our FREE 80-page eBook at https://socialsensei.co/ and learn the secrets to growing your Instagram organically!

Still don’t know where to start? Catch up with the latest trends with Social Sensei, the leaders in social media management and growth.

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