13 Tips for High-Converting Instagram Growth

Instagram is one of the most effective social media portals on earth with over 500 million monthly active users as of last year.

This year is going to be amazing, with more features, story options and filters being added.

Features are added, almost every quarter it seems, with more emphasis being given to engagement and reach. Content that does well gets featured on the explore page and based on what photos you like or comment on, more photos are showcased.

Here are 13 tips to help make your Instagram profile shine –

#1: Creative content

Creativity is key when it comes to Instagram, as you want to be able to get your followers’ attention quickly. Influencers who have a large following gain them by being extremely creative in their photos.

It could be a lifestyle page, a fashion channel, or even a B2B construction site – creativity is what counts on Instagram.

You need to have a goal in mind and that goal’s vision is seen through your creative.

#2: Cross-promoting your brand

When trying to do something unique on Instagram, you want to be able to get some larger pages to collaborate with you.

If the can share something of yours’ that’s unique and interesting, then both parties can benefit from interesting content and reach.

The hard-work is in figuring out which page is better to collaborate with because it’s not always the ones with the biggest following.

#3: Show you care

You want to be a real person, when it comes to Instagram.

So, you want to follow a few pages everyday and communicate with the ones that inspire you genuinely. If there’s nothing in your niche that you can find, then you can become the inspirational one who cares about the industry.

Remember to be human and talk to the people that follow you on a regular basis.

#4: Hashtags

Posts with hashtags perform better than the ones that don’t.

Hashtags are a great tool to increasing your reach as people can now follow hashtags on Instagram. By ensuring that you have the right hashtags ready, you can get a leg up when it comes to growing your profile.

Hashtag stories are also growing rapidly, making hashtags the premier method of growing your Instagram following.

#5: Call Ghostbusters

You want to be able to find people that follow you but haven’t interacted with you in a long time.

These are called ghost profiles and often need a bit of attention to get things going. Interaction with these accounts will kick the algorithm to promoting your posts into their feeds.

You can quickly convert a lot of ghost profiles with this technique.

#6: One theme only –

Pick a theme that your audience engages with well, and stick to it.

Don’t over-exaggerate with a unique artistic style that no one can understand. Keep it simple, but keep it aesthetic. If you’re the only one admiring your Instagram feed, then it’s time to change it up a little bit.

Pick a theme that resonates with you and with your audience.

#7: Educate your audience –

Be open and frank with your audience about how they can follow you or support you in your endeavours. If you’re looking for Patreon support, then ask them.

If you’re looking for likes on a great post, ask them. Educate your audience. Educating them about what you are all about, also includes what you need as a person on Instagram.

#8: Join a POD

You might be asking what’s a POD. POD is an engagement pod that is a group of 10-15 Instagrammers who like or comment within the first 20 minutes of posting.

This shows Instagram that the post is a highly converting one, and pushes it to the top of the feed of your other followers. It’s a great way to get the engagement going.

#9 Edit your photos

Editing photos requires skill and an artistic bend, but with apps like Snapseed and InstaEdit, you can become an editor within minutes.

So, don’t be lazy and edit your pictures as best as you can.

You want to be able to capture a mood or an emotion so that you can create a beautiful work of art within the confines of your overall message.

#10: Be original

You should find an original voice on Instagram and push it until it makes sense for your audience. If they are a discerning audience, then they will appreciate the effort and investment put in to being original on Instagram!

#11: Quality photos

Poor quality photos aren’t working on Instagram anymore.

You need to click high quality and beautiful images to be able to outrank others. Bad pictures from low-end cameras or phones don’t cut it anymore and everyone needs to 2X their investment into photo taking and editing.

#12: Don’t be like Google

You don’t want to be boring and generic.

If you can find a photo on Google, then you don’t want to post a similar looking one. You want to ensure that your content looks so different and eye-catching that it inspires your audience to click, comment and share.

If you’re at a location that has been capture a thousand times, then make sure that your picture stands out from the crowd.

#13 Work at it

Nothing comes easy in life, and that is doubly true for Instagram.

If you’re genetically blessed and are Instagram model, you still need to compete with the thousands more who have the same skillset as you.

When you want to work at it, you should ideally invest 8-10 hours of your week towards it. Many Instagram influencers have build a following based on hard-work and dedication.

Conclusion

For the best type of Instagram growth, you need to follow the 13 steps outlined above. You should also focus on creating great content and allowing your audience to engage with it. Instagram is a “social” platform, meaning that you need to talk to your audience and remain their friend while you grow larger.