From algorithms to the number of times to post, learning how to grow your Instagram account can seem extremely difficult. However, in the wake of extreme dependence on social media, it may just be a tad easier. After finding your niche and honing in on what you want your platform to embody, here are a few tips to grow your brand’s socials.
Do what you love
The first and most simple step to grow engagement on Instagram: focus on what you enjoy. It is important to find your niche when growing an account. If you find yourself with a passion for music, beauty, lifestyle or travel, etc., focus on it and create content that embodies just that.
Lifestyle and travel content creator Denise Osei discovered her niche in 2016 after traveling to Brazil. After noticing a lack of representation of Black travel influencers, she decided to curate her own stories.
“For me it was all about capitalizing off of the things I love and going from there. I grew a love for travel and always had a love for evolving personal style and beauty — all things exploration and lifestyle,” Osei said. Osei’s No. 1 advice: start with what you love, and go from there. It’s that simple.
Know what keeps your followers interested
After figuring out what you love and creating your account, knowing how to keep your followers engaged is the next step. Keep an eye out for what posts get the most engagement, as far as comments and likes. When you know your audience and appeal to them, they will most likely come back for more.
“It takes so much time to really establish what you are trying to give an audience, especially when you’re smaller. You have to figure out what they need, and that’s when engagement comes into play— interacting with them in the comments,” said Aniyah Morinia, former editor at Every Stylish Girl magazine. When Morinia first started at ESG, the platform had about 4,000 followers. Today, 50,000 accounts follow the publication. Morinia said that after learning who they catered to, they grew.
Stay consistent
Another key to a successful Instagram page for your personal brand: consistency. We’re not saying you need to be glued to your socials, but be sure to at least acquire an idea of when you will post. If your account is smaller, posting boatloads of content a day is not necessary. However, with a larger following posting more content is beneficial. Bigger fashion brands, like Fashion Nova, post a high number of photos a day — nearly 30, according to a blog on Later.
Although that may work for them, for your personal brand curating a set schedule to post two to three times a week will be just enough in growing your account. “It’s really about consistency and planning everything out. I usually have my whole instagram feed planned out a week in advance,” said Kaela Moore, a growing natural hair, beauty, fashion and lifestyle influencer on Instagram and Youtube. Having a set schedule that works for you and sticking to it can really elevate your account. On days that you don’t post on your actual feed, be sure to post on your Instagram story. Moore describes IG Stories as a daily “check-in”to remain consistent.
Engage with your followers
It is important for your followers to engage with you, but engaging with your followers is also important. Communicating with followers is a way to remain personable.
Morinia discourages being a robot on the other side of the screen. Keeping a line of communication, whether it be in the comments or direct messages, keeps followers coming back.
“Lean on other people to give you a head start. Ask some questions to give you that first line of guidance, and communicate with your audience on a personal level,” Morinia said.
Creating polls on stories and engaging with your followers can amplify who you are as a creator.
Follow the right people
Getting inspiration from other influencers and platforms is also extremely beneficial to having a successful page. Taking inspiration from other successful platforms gives you insight on what audiences like. For example, if you notice that a specific Instagram feed is aesthetically pleasing, or their style of posts seem to get a lot of engagement, adopt the style and make it your own. When you notice another smaller brand/platform, connect with it and gain inspiration from them.
“A lot of times it’s building relationships with other up and coming platforms and other brands. It’s important to reach out to someone especially since we are in quarantine it’s very easy to just DM someone,” said Morinia.
Due to many aspects of life being digital now, making connections which once seemed hard are easier now — everything literally at your fingertips.