Hey, lovelies! I hope this latest blog post finds you happy, healthy and safe. While we’re all cooped up inside weathering our new normal, a lot of attention is shifting to success in the digital sphere, especially Instagram. Namely, authentic Instagram growth – getting more followers, more engagement and more success in 2020.
I’ve been asked a lot how I’ve built my following on Instagram, and how I keep my numbers and stats climbing regularly. That’s why I’m talking about three things I think are really important today in navigating Instagram and social media in general.
Easy Tips For Authentic Instagram Growth in 2020
1. Posting Consistency
This tip is number one in most Instagram strategy guides, but it’s really really important. I used to post somewhat sporadically, and I can tell you that since I made the commitment to post everyday – and sometimes twice a day – my account has grown exponentially.
Here’s the thing: one of the reasons people get really nervous about posting daily, is they suddenly see a drop in followers. That automatically leads them to think, oh, people don’t like hearing from me this often, I should tone it down.
This isn’t true though. What’s happening is you’re losing the wrong followers, and ultimately the followers you don’t want.
These people probably followed you randomly and then forgot and haven’t seen your content in a while. When they’re exposed to more of it, they decide for whatever reason it’s not a fit and unfollow.
Related: How To Gain One Million Followers on Social Media
Let me repeat, THIS IS A GOOD THING. Those people who don’t like your content for whatever reason are never going to engage with it, and your goal should be collecting a following that likes your content, believes in what you have to say, and will comment, share and heart your posts with enthusiasm.
2. Create Instagram Captions Your Followers Want to Read
Captions are important, whether they’re 3,000 characters or 10. Depending on your aesthetic, vibe and your photo content, you can get ahead with either!
I’ve always made sure to spend some time on my captions, and make them interesting to read. When penning captions, always include the following:
- Entertainment factor – whether you’re telling a joke, a pun or an amusing story that happened to you, your caption should get buy-in from your followers. Sad and truthful captions can be entertaining too – in the sense that you make your audience feel something and resonate with what you’re talking about.
- Informational Factor – You don’t always have to add in a bunch of info and education to your caption, but if your post subject calls for it, you should definitely include context and the who, what, when, where and why.
- Community Factor – In each caption, you should try to ask a question that everyone wants to answer. This creates an ongoing conversation under your post that’s great for engagement!
You can also continue the conversation by posting regularly on your Stories, talking directly to your audience on Stories and exploring Lives and weekly Q&As.
3. Post More Videos
This is a huge secret I’m about to tell you! With the new Instagram algorithm and changes to the platform, likes are hidden. No matter how hard you work to get an extra like, it won’t really count in the long run. Videos are a great way to get around this. Videos get more views and a higher engagement ratio than just a regular picture.
In fact, you can even turn regular pictures into videos with apps like Sparkle Cam, Pixaloop, Plotaverse and more! You can then save your still photo as a video and post it.
Tired of Trying to Figure Out Instagram? Try TikTok!
Everyone’s talking about TikTok, with good reason. It’s way easier to use and way less discriminating than Instagram.
I’ve been so bummed by Instagram’s algorithm updates lately. It’s so hard to get engagement and reach – more difficult than it’s ever been! With TikTok, you have a high chance to go viral. It seriously does not take much!
You can also include your Insta handle in your TikTok bio so you can get followers from there.
Posting on TikTok daily gives you a high chance to grow fast, and you don’t even have to worry about creating all-new original content daily. Just join up with one of the trending challenges (there are so many!)
This is an easy way to get eyes on your content and even get more potential followers on Instagram. I call that two for the price of one!
What’s your biggest frustration with authentic growth on Instagram – and have you tried TikTok before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments – I read each one! 💕
