Think about how awesome it would be to get 1,000 more people to follow you in the next month. That’s 1,000 more people who can connect with you, buy from you, and share you with all the people they know, too.

Of course, you’re not trying to reach all 1 billion monthly users, or the 200 million users who visit business profiles every day. You’re just trying to quickly extend your reach so you can grow, scale, and watch your business take off.

The key is understanding how to get more Instagram followers. And guess what? I’ve got 12 reasons that, when you put them all together, unlock that Insta-growth you’re looking for.

Find your target audience

This is HUGE. So huge that I can’t stress it enough. No matter how much marketing experience you have, you absolutely must narrow down your target audience. If you don’t, you just end up wasting tons of time and money trying to appeal to people who’ll never find you appealing.

Think about it this way: you’re not gonna sell ice to people living on a glacier.

You’ve probably got some ideas about who to really go after, like local first-time buyers between the ages of 25 and 35. The cool thing about Instagram is that you can use Insights, the platform’s analytics tool that breaks down your audience’s demographics. You can see their age, gender, location, and even the hours when they engage with you the most.

Once you start to gain more and more followers, you’ll have a really clear picture of your target audience. That’s when you can refine your messaging to…

Engage users with the right content & captions

Instagram is all about the visuals. Post some stunning property photos or a great walkthrough video, and you’ll really get your audience’s attention.

But don’t stop there! You need to engage them even more with the right captions.

Think of your image/video as a way to snag their attention, and your caption as the thing that reels them in.

For instance, you post a photo of a beautiful bathroom renovation. The image is professional, the design is modern & spot-on, and your followers love the post. But then what?

With the right caption, you can capitalize on the opportunity to engage them even more. Give them the story behind the renovation, and then include a call-to-action that leads them to your website so they can subscribe to your newsletter.

BONUS TIP:

Use high-quality images

For real. Nobody wants a dim bathroom photo, or that blurry, out-of-focus hallway pic. Those only make followers scroll faster.

Your job is to post stunner-quality images. The kind that stops followers in their tracks and gets them thinking, “OMG! This pic fell from the heavens right into my feed!”

I mean, you don’t have to go crazy with it and take 45 minutes to stage every photo. Most smartphones have sweet cameras, anyway. But you need to take quality images and differentiate your brand. Use filters and other tools like Hyperlapse and Boomerang to do this.

So, target audience: check.

Fresher-than-fresh content: check.

Quality images: check.

Another important thing to remember is to…

Show your personality

Mundane. Boring. Salesy. These are what you want to avoid when posting. The best way to overcome these is to show your personality in your images and in your captions.

Of course, you should do everything in moderation (i.e. don’t go over the top with it by filling the feed with posts about your favorite coffee).

But you want to remind followers that there’s a person behind your brand. A person who has their own style, their own interests, and their own way of speaking.

You can show your personality in little ways, like posting an image of your favorite decor inspiration, giving followers a glimpse into your morning routine, or posting a walkthrough video with your canine companion.

You can also go big with personality. For example, if you specialize in new construction homes, you could create a character that engages followers and gives them insights into the building process. Before you know it, Bill DaHouse is elevating your brand with more and more followers every week.

Which brings me to my next piece of personality advice…

Write a great bio

Seems easy. Just talk about yourself for 150 characters and you’re good. Piece of cake, right?

Wrong-O!

The biggest mistake people make when writing their bio is thinking it’s all about them. Though you should inject a little personality into your bio, you need to make it about your target audience. Not just that, but how you can solve the problems your target audience faces.

Your bio is another opportunity to get more Instagram followers by engaging them.

If you just say something like, “Hey, I’m Jill. I’m a realtor and I like to sell homes, hang out at the beach, watch movies, etc.” then you’re missing out on getting new followers.

Instead, focus on what your audience wants, show off a little personality, and hint at why you’re qualified to help them. And include a call-to-action to take them to your website, social page, ebook, etc.

Don’t forget to use emojis and custom fonts (in moderation).

That way, you can have a great bio like this:

Sell 🏠 FAST with RI’s top realtor

$10+ mil sales/year since 2003

List & sell in ~30 days 🤝

120+ five ⭐ Zillow reviews

Free consult & ebook at jlrealty.com

Find the right hashtags

Hashtags are huge for SEO on Instagram. So making sure you use the right ones is critical to reaching new people.

How do you find the right ones? Do some research. Understand your market by looking at what your customers are looking for and what your successful competitors are doing.

There’s a catch, though. Using too many can feel spammy and doom your post. You can use up to 30, but reaching the limit is usually overkill.

Instead, shoot for just a handful of specific hashtags. Include a couple that speak to your brand, throw in a few about a specific product/service, and mention some relevant to what’s actually in the post.

When a user searches for any of these topics, your post will show up.

Remember, stay focused on your target audience. Don’t use hashtags to try to get in front of everyone.

Talk WITH your audience

Instagram is a great platform to advertise your brand for free. But it’s still a social network, so it goes without saying that socializing is important.

You’re not on Instagram to just pitch yourself constantly.

You’re on it to get more Instagram followers, which means you need to have conversations with them. Real conversations. You know, in comments and DMs.

Say you put up a new listing or an invitation to an open house. If someone comments on it, give them a genuine response. Even if they’re not interested in buying or coming to your open house, your response matters. It shows your entire community that you’re listening, you’re active, and that you’re trustworthy.

It’s also a great opportunity to show more of your personality.

Use Instagram ads

To get more Instagram followers, you can create feed and story ads to promote your profile. These are great for expanding your reach and brand awareness, and boosting your posts.

How do you do it? It’s all about targeting the right audience (quite a theme here, huh?).

For example, if you have a new blog post or some other helpful piece of info, create an ad around it. That way, your followers (and potential followers) will see the value you bring, which keeps them interested in what you’re posting.

Use story highlights

Put simply, Instagram Stories have higher engagement rates than regular posts.

That’s because they give followers a go-to source for updates about you and insights into your brand.

Use them to show the people behind your business, special products & services you offer, your involvement with the community, and more. When users find the interesting stories you’re telling, they’ll be more likely to follow you.

Discover the best times to post

The best times to post depend on your audience. Once you build a substantial following, you can do plenty of research using Insights to find out when users are most likely to engage with you.

In general, Mondays are the worst (no surprise), so save your really good content for another day.

Tuesday through Friday is much better. You’d be surprised how many people wake at 5am and check their phones right away. After 5, some of the higher engagement rates come during the four-hour period from 11am-3pm.

And for real estate pros (most likely you), the best day to post is Wednesday.

Just remember that these could be way different depending on your audience/location. Just do your due diligence in researching the right times when your audience gets big enough.

Share user-generated content

This sort of complements my advice about talking with your audience. When someone tags your brand in a post, share it to your profile.

This does a bunch of things:

1. It shows that you’re active and engaging with your audience.
2. It shows that you appreciate your customers.
3. It shows how satisfied customers are and how much they trust you.

These are all HUGE when it comes to establishing your credibility and trust, which go hand-in-hand to get more Instagram followers.

Tag people/influencers in your niche

Tagging influencers in your niche can help you reach even more people.

For instance, if you work with a top mortgage company in your area, tagging them in a post gives you access to their followers. Because these people share similar interests with your followers, they’re likely to engage with you and become potential followers.

Use IGTV for long-form content that shows your value

Instagram TV lets you show long-form content (longer than 60 seconds).

Studies show that video is most effective at engaging users. So use IGTV to your advantage and show off your brand, property walkthroughs, client testimonials, and whatever else your audience would love.

And here’s a pro tip: when you set up your video clip, make sure to grab an interesting thumbnail that gets your audience’s attention.

When you get more Instagram followers, it’s like adding rocket fuel to your business. You can engage with your audience, boost your credibility & trust, and build your brand like SHAZAM!

If you’re serious about improving your social presence and marketing ROI, subscribe for more Instagram help. I’ve got advice on how to use it like a pro, what’s up with hidden likes on Instagram, & more.

So sign up and make sure you don’t miss a thing!