Be careful, though. Tagging someone just to get their attention isn’t a great idea. Instead, only tag users featured in your photo or relevant to your post’s content. Some potentially relevant users to tag might include: Customers Suppliers Other relevant businesses Colleagues or employees Someone who taught you a skill or told you about something you share in the post Anyone who appears in the photo Encourage others to tag you Another way to introduce your Instagram account to a new audience is to ask other Instagram users to tag you. When they tag you in a post, their audience sees your handle and can click on it if they want to learn more.
Your bio is a great place to ask people to tag you on Instagram. For example, Visit the USA asks Instagrammers to tag them for a chance to be featured on their account. Visit the USA's instagram bio Source: @visittheusa on Instagram Cross-promote your Instagram account on other networks If you want to get followers on Instagram for free, you need to make it easy for people to find you.
Your Instagram profile should be easily discoverable. If you’ve already built a following on another social network, let those fans know about your Instagram account. Share a link to your Instagram profile and give your existing social followers a reason to check it out. (Like an Instagram-exclusive coupon code, event, or contest.) When BlogHer hosted Jameela Jamil for an Instagram Live, they made sure to promote it on their Facebook Page as well. If you’re just starting your Instagram account, make sure to post some content before you promote the account elsewhere. Aim for a minimum of 12 posts.
You could also highlight some of your best Instagram posts on your other social channels. Consider boosting these posts with paid advertising so your other social followers can find and follow you on Instagram. Embed Instagram posts in your blog You’ve already seen some embedded Instagram posts in this blog. These clickable posts allow users to head directly to the relevant post or Instagram profile. Embedding your own Instagram posts in your blog is an easy way to share your content and drive traffic to your profile. Every new visitor to your Instagram profile is a potential new follower. For example, say Hootsuite wanted to announce our mascot’s makeover. Sure, we could share a few pictures of Owly’s new look. But we could also embed an Instagram post, like this: Any time you’re sharing visual content like photos, charts, or infographics in your blog, there’s an opportunity to embed an Instagram post with that content instead.
Share your Instagram account in other communications Think beyond your social channels when sharing your Instagram account. You can link to your Instagram account on your website, in your email signature, and in your online newsletters. The link doesn’t have to be big, either. You can use a small Instagram icon. Email signature featuring social media links If you’re promoting a new Instagram account, a quick email blast is a great way to get free Instagram followers fast. And don’t forget about your offline materials. You can include your Instagram handle on coasters, posters, packing slips, business cards, or packaging. It’s a simple way to drive more free Instagram followers to your account. Use Instagram QR codes Your Instagram QR code is a scannable code that allows other Instagram users to follow you instantly. It’s another easy way to promote your account on physical materials like packing slips, signage, and product packaging.
Buy Instagram FollowersYour QR code is also a great way to get new followers in real time at networking events and conferences. People you connect with in person can scan your code to follow you without having to type out your handle. Try printing it out and tucking it into your namebadge holder for easy access. Find your Instagram QR code by tapping on the three lines icon at the top right of your Instagram profile and selecting QR Code . Try to get featured Feature accounts are Instagram accounts that curate and re-share content based on a hashtag or tagging. Some of these accounts have a huge following. If they share one of your posts (along with your handle), they can send a new stream of Instagram followers your way. There’s a feature account for just about every niche and interest on Instagram, so start exploring. For example, @damngoodstitch features embroidery posts. The account has more than 180,000 followers. Aim for the Explore page The Explore page is what you see when you click on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the Instagram app. According to Instagram itself, this is where “you can find photos and videos that you might like from accounts you don’t yet follow.”
Half of Instagram accounts visit Explore every month. That’s a huge opportunity for brands looking to grow their audience. Ending up on the Explore tab isn’t easy. Luckily, we’ve got an entire article dedicated to helping you get there. You can also pay to get into the Explore feed by selecting Explore as an ad placement. Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear. Get the free guide right now! different examples of the Instagram Explore page and Ads in the Explore feed Source: Instagram Step 4. Engage with your community Follow relevant accounts You should only tag people in an Instagram post when the content is directly relevant to them. But you can follow anyone you like. And when you follow a user on Instagram, there’s a good chance they will check out your feed and consider following you back.
Social listening is great for finding conversations and influential users (a.k.a. influencers) to follow. Instagram’s “Suggestions For You” section is also a handy resource for finding relevant accounts to follow. These suggestions show up in your Instagram feed between posts, in between Stories, or on the right side of the screen on a computer. Just remember not to follow too many other accounts too fast. Your follower ratio, or the number of people who follow you compared to how many you follow, is important for credibility. And don’t follow people just to get their attention, only to unfollow after they follow you back. This is kind of a jerk move and will hurt your Instagram reputation.