With one billion monthly users and over 200 million Instagrammers checking at least one business profile every day, Instagram is essential for businesses. The better question is why wouldn’t you want to expand your brand on this platform? This is especially true now, as social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders have increased everyone’s online presence. Instagram has become a virtual haven and a welcome diversion.

Whether users are captivated by videos of trendy Dalgona coffee recipes, seeking a virtual escape from their living rooms, or simply passing time between meals, your business has a prime opportunity to connect with them on Instagram—and expand your reach in the process. However, this growth won’t just happen on its own. Here are 10 strategies you can implement today to boost your Instagram growth.

1. Maintain a Regular and Consistent Posting Schedule

Inconsistent posting leads to a decline in your audience’s anticipation and interest. If you maintain a daily posting schedule for a while and then disappear for a month, your followers will either be bewildered or forget about you entirely. In fact, they might even unfollow you by the time you decide to post again. “Sticking to a consistent schedule allows you to maximize engagement without experiencing any dips or periods of inactivity,” explains Buffer. “A well-defined Instagram strategy should always include a target post frequency to help you stay on course.”

M. Flynn, a Boston-based jewelry store, posts almost daily on Instagram! Establish a schedule and commit to it. This brings me to my next point.

2. Utilize a Scheduling Tool

Maintaining a consistent posting schedule is crucial for growth, but it’s often easier said than done. That’s why planning and using a scheduling tool are essential for achieving significant growth on Instagram. Scheduling your Instagram posts in advance not only saves you time but also reduces stress and the potential for mistakes. Fortunately, Instagram simplifies this for social media marketers. It offers a scheduling feature within the Facebook Ads Manager, and numerous other posting tools, many equipped with additional growth-enhancing features, are readily available. If you’re interested in exploring third-party social scheduling tools to maintain audience engagement, consult this list. Don’t forget to schedule your posts for optimal timing!

3. Explore Instagram Live

Did you know that 82% of people prefer watching live videos to viewing social media posts? Luckily, Instagram Live caters to this preference, and there are compelling reasons to give it a try.

First and foremost, Instagram Live videos secure the coveted top spot on your followers’ story feeds. Moreover, these live videos automatically send push notifications to your followers, alerting them to your live session. And perhaps most importantly, Instagram’s algorithm seems to favor business accounts that utilize this feature by enhancing their organic reach and making their profiles more discoverable.

4. Collaborate with Other Brands

What better way to accelerate your Instagram growth than by collaborating with a brand that already boasts a substantial following? It’s a win-win marketing strategy because you not only expose your content to your existing audience but also tap into an entirely new audience through a mutually beneficial partnership. To establish successful, growth-oriented partnerships, ensure that the companies you approach align with your business goals. Their audience should be relevant to your own. Additionally, it’s crucial to develop a strategic plan when proposing partnerships. How will this collaboration benefit your potential partner? What would a joint Instagram marketing campaign look like? Consider the example of Outdoor Voices, a women’s activewear brand, and Melody Dance Fit, a dance class company. This partnership is a natural fit, as the product (activewear) and service (exercise classes) complement each other perfectly. The companies joined forces to create a campaign called “Virtual Recess,” where participants don Outdoor Voice attire while leading an Instagram Live dance class. Brilliant!

5. Organize Contests

Instagram contests are another effective way to boost your page’s visibility and grow your account. Why? Simply put, people love freebies! Offer something for free, and you’re bound to attract participants. Contests and giveaways work exceptionally well on Instagram because there are numerous ways to encourage entries that can significantly increase your follower count and engagement metrics. For example, you can ask people to:

• Repost photos
• Leave comments and tag friends
• Like your posts
• Share your posts or stories The best part is that these contests or giveaways don’t have to be overly elaborate or complex to execute. Here’s a fantastic example of a contest I recently came across from a wellness blogger I follow.

As you can see, her contest concept was straightforward, requiring participants to like a few of her posts and tag a friend for a chance to win two books from her book club.

This strategy is brilliant because the contest entry not only enhances her post engagement but also expands her brand’s reach to potential followers as users tag individuals who may not be following her yet.

6. Embrace Instagram Stories

Like Instagram Live, Instagram Stories should be an integral part of your strategy! Why? For starters, 500 million people are active on Instagram Stories daily, with one-third of the most viewed stories originating from businesses. Stories have experienced a surge in popularity, and showcasing your brand through them provides your audience with another avenue to interact with your business. You can also leverage Instagram Story ads to promote your business to a wider audience. Another advantage of stories is their simplicity. Creating an Instagram Story merely involves sharing a quick photo or video with minimal risk, as it disappears after 24 hours. You can also archive older stories to feature on your page under relevant categories if you wish to extend their lifespan, as demonstrated in the example below.

7. Cultivate a Cohesive Instagram Page

This tip is paramount for Instagram growth: Ensure your page exudes a sense of consistency and relevance to your brand. People appreciate a unified aesthetic. The first step is to maintain consistency in your photo backgrounds and lighting during the shooting/filming process. For instance, if you’re in fashion marketing, avoid photographing your clothing items against different backgrounds for every post. Perhaps you’re aiming for a natural feel. In this case, consider photographing your models in the same forest, field, or street to showcase new styles. Lighter backgrounds generally work well, and if you’re using natural light, ensure you’re shooting either outdoors or near a window, avoiding direct sunlight to prevent harsh glare. Take J.Crew as an example. Their feed clearly evokes a nautical theme with its stripes, blue and white color palette, and frequent beach and waterfront settings.

The second step in achieving a consistent look for your feed is to apply the same Instagram filter or editing techniques to each post. This creates visual harmony among your images. Determine which filters complement your desired aesthetic and even experiment with your own editing skills. I personally enjoy enhancing my photos by brightening them, increasing saturation to make colors pop, and using tilt-shift to draw attention to the main subject.

8. Leverage Hashtags

Another quick, effective, and free method to grow your Instagram account is by using hashtags strategically. In fact, Instagram posts incorporating hashtags experience a 12.6% surge in engagement compared to those without. “Hashtags not only help social media users organize and categorize content, but they also serve as a driving force behind some of today’s most successful marketing campaigns,” notes Maddy Osman on Sprout Social. Hashtagging is highly effective because it categorizes similar content, enhancing the discoverability of your posts. This explains why hashtagged posts receive significantly more engagement.

If you’re unsure about how to use hashtags effectively, this comprehensive guide to Instagram hashtagging will transform you into a pro.

9. Explore Paid Promotion

I know, I know, you were hoping for growth strategies that didn’t involve spending money, right? While organic growth on Instagram is definitely achievable, investing even a small amount can yield a substantial return on investment. How? Firstly, Instagram grants you budget control, allows you to target your ads to a highly specific audience, and offers a diverse selection of ad formats (story ads, video ads, photo ads, carousel ads, etc.). Promoting even a single post can significantly amplify your reach. With so many options and flexibility in advertising methods, it can seem overwhelming. Start small by promoting one of your most popular organic feed posts to a relevant audience, monitor its performance, and reassess. Even with a limited budget, the potential ROI is significant, so experiment with paid content to accelerate your Instagram growth.

10. Give Back

Last but not least, a powerful way to enhance your Instagram presence is to showcase the compassionate and authentic side of your business, especially in times like these. If your company has the means to make a difference, however small, why not seize the opportunity? Whether it’s producing masks for healthcare professionals, donating to your local food bank, or providing meals for busy nurses, there are countless ways to give back to your community. And if you’re already doing so, why not share your efforts with your audience? It not only highlights the caring spirit behind your brand but could also inspire others to follow suit! Here’s a heartwarming example from Joanne Chang, a Boston-based restaurant and café owner who’s making incredible efforts to provide meals for hospital workers while her business faces its own challenges. Demonstrating this level of generosity is truly inspiring.

Now it’s your turn! Implement these 10 Instagram growth strategies and witness the potential expansion of your platform.