Organic Instagram Growth

If you’re looking for instant results to gain a massive following, this blog post is not for you! Let’s face it, sometimes it's just luck! A lot of it is hard work and trial and error to see what works best for you. 

Growth takes time and you have to truly love creating content. Think of the whole process as building a community rather than a following. With a community, you are actually interacting with others, sharing the same interests, and growing together!

I myself have read so many different articles and guides on how to grow on Instagram. A lot of it just seemed like unhelpful, vague tactics that never really seemed to work for me. Maybe those articles really do help some and that’s great! However, I’m going to share my own personal tips that have helped keep me sane and true to myself all while also growing on the platform.

A Little Bit Of Background Info

This is my feed from when I first took an interest in blogging in 2017 compared to where I am now in 2020. I will say, for me personally, I had a lot of figuring out to do in terms of fashion-sense and what sort of message really resonated with me. Honestly, I think I’m still trying to figure myself out! All I knew at the time was I loved photography and fashion so that’s where I started. You will evolve over time and that’s okay.

I didn’t actually start focusing on exponential growth until a couple years ago. I tend to get overwhelmed easily so, my focus on content creation was always on and off. However, you can still grow if you are the type of person who likes to go at a slower pace like me!

Warning: I definitely don’t know everything about Instagram Growth. I just want to share my own experience for those who are curious! Keep on scrolling for all my tips and tricks.

Find Your Niche(s)

You are a diverse human, you’re allowed to share more than just one subject on your page! 

Sharing two or three different interests will allow you to have more wiggle room to create a bunch of fresh content. You still want those niches to intertwine together in order to make sense though, even if the subjects seem vastly different from one another. Take advantage of the carousel feature on Instagram in order to have an easier time blending everything cohesively.

I like to touch on Fashion, Art, Mental Health, and Travel. However, the main focus is always Fashion or Art.

When I actually travel, I’m usually shooting the feature image with a fashion look and then share any other images in a carousel. If I post a more artistic photo I’m still showcasing clothing or potentially have a mental health message in the caption.

Post DAILY Consistently

Time to throw out the idea of posting at least once a day! Quality will always trump quantity. I’ve seen no significant growth for myself when I post every single day versus a few times a week. Instead, make sure you are on a schedule.

Find which days and times have the best engagement. Instagram has its own analytics tools to show when your audience is active and what type of content is doing well. 

Or, create your own schedule that works best for you! Just make sure you are staying on top of that. I personally try to post a minimum of 3 times a week, always between 4p and 6pm. For me, Instagram Analytics isn’t always helpful. Whenever I posted at an earlier time, I noticed a decrease in engagement. However, the specific suggested days seem to be accurate. 

Every now and then I’ll double check my how my schedule is doing on Preview. Unfortunately, those analytics are locked behind a pay wall, so I very rarely use those features. But, I do feel like it gives me more accurate information than Instagram.

Post Quality Content 

What is quality content? Instagram is a visual platform so you want to be technically proficient when creating an image. But that isn't necessarily the most important aspect to creating quality content. You don't have to be the greatest artist that ever lived in order to provide value.

Quality content is memorable. You want to create an impact with your storytelling whether that is visual or written. What is your message behind it all? Not every single post has to be deep and meaningful, but you want to provide something that will keep others coming back for more. 

Quality content is unique. What makes you stand out? Everyone has something special about them even if it seems ordinary. Your experiences and perspectives are not like anyone else's, lean into that and don't be afraid to share your story. 

Switch Up Your Hashtags

I'm a huge believer in hashtags. I don't care what anyone says, I'm hashtagging all my content as much as possible! 

Instagram allows up to thirty hashtags on a single post. And while I'm not reaching the limit every time, I'm not afraid to admit that I do use a minimum of twenty-five hashtags per post. 

I usually have a rotation of different hashtags I use for each post. It broadens where your post will be seen and if you’re using other analytic tools, you can even pinpoint which hashtags do better than other ones. I’ve used Preview and UNUM in the past, but as mentioned earlier in order to unlock those analytics, you do have to pay a fee. 

Engage With Your Audience AND Others

While it is important to engage with your audience, you want to also engage with others outside of your community. Both are equally important. 

The people who follow you are part of your support system! While you don't have to dedicate all your time to replying, a little bit of interaction goes a long way for expressing your appreciation. Plus, it's fun to talk to those who share your interests! 

Engaging with others outside of your circle will potentially drive more eyes to your profile, which in turn can lead to more engagement on your own posts. Usually I only interact with others if I'm truly loving a post though as I don't want to leave a mindless comment. I’ll also share content I like in Stories and tag those creators. You want to find a happy medium of your interactions as you don’t want to come off as too spammy or ingenuine. 

Stay True To Yourself

Authenticity is extremely important! People aren't dumb and can easily spot a fake. If you don't believe in what you're sharing, how will anyone else?

It's natural that some posts will do better than others, so don't be too hard on yourself if things don't go as planned. Those lower ranking posts shouldn’t alter your own beliefs. If you like the post, keep it up! Other opinions shouldn't matter (unless the post is actually harmful or offensive). All the pictures above I like equally! I enjoyed creating them, so as long as I’m happy with my photo then it doesn’t matter what the engagement looks like.

To be honest, I don’t know what other people want to see. On top of that, the Instagram Algorithm is always changing. I’ve seen my numbers fluctuate so many times that it is just a bit too confusing to keep up with.

This is YOUR platform. Create and share what you love! The amount of likes and comments does not equate to how worthy you are. Those with the same interests as you will show up.

! Bonus Tips !

Promote A Post

By promoting a post, you can target a specific audience that will potentially drive a larger amount of  traffic to your post or page. This is a paid feature on Instagram.

Recreate A Trend

If you’re inspired by a trending creative topic, try and interpret it in your own way! This is a fun way to be a part of the community and interact with others who are also participating.

Host a Giveaway

Hosting a giveaway is another fun way to interact with your community and show appreciation for everyone’s support. Just remember if people are required to follow you in order to participate, some people might unfollow after the giveaway ends.

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I hope this has helped a little in understanding growth on Instagram! Keep experimenting to see what works best for you. And if you’ve made it to the very end of this blog post leave a comment with your Instagram handle. I’d love to check out your account!