Instagram is one of the most valuable social media platforms that exists today. Its broad and very active user base gives brands the perfect opportunity to attract new audiences, and drive engagement with followers.
Instagrammers are active, and they have an appetite for new and creative content.
According to Instagram’s own statistics published here, the social network has more than 500 million users, and 60% of those users log in daily.
On a single day, those users have logged 4.2 billion likes and close to 100 million photos and videos.
And Instagram users are young: Brand Watch stated that 90% of Instagram users are Millennials below the age of 35.
These impressive figures make the image-based social media platform the most engaged social network site after Facebook.
Given Instagram’s broad and active user base, reaching out to audiences and potential clients using the platform is essential for every brand.
But what’s the best way to go about getting Instagram followers for your brand?
Nathan Chan of Foundr magazine went from 0 to 110,000 Instagram followers in 5 mnths. Here are some of his keys strategies for new brands looking to build a following quickly.
1. Tailor Content to your Target Audience
On Instagram, content is king. Ensure that your content is relevant by making it relatable to your target users.
2. Consistency is Crucial
Once you identify the right content for targeted users, the next step is to stay consistent with your posting schedule. Consistent posts create expectation, and expectation creates anticipation. If users can count on the fact that you’ll post everyday at the same times without fail, they’ll be more likely to “tune in” for your post. Once users are tuned in, you’ll have a better chance of getting likes and of users sharing your posts with others.
3. Use Apps to Generate Compelling Content
Creating unique content quickly can be difficult to maintain. Using apps to help automate content creation will help you stay consistent, and ensure your content is compelling to your target audience. Chan notes that apps like Wordswag allow to create dynamic posts by placing text over your images.
4. Use Questions and Contests to Encourage User Participation
Create a dialogue with users by asking questions, running contests, and encouraging followers to tag their friends. Not only does this set your posts up for more likes, but also increases visibility by encouraging users to share your posts with others.
The most important thing is always listen to your audience, and learn from what they like. Instagram offers a global network of young, active users and is the perfect platform to help grow your brand by creating and sustaining dialogue with your target audience.
Some friends of mine are possessed by Instagram. I do not know is it good or is it bad, but they are really care about numbers of followers. The most of them use zen-promo to gain this number. But I also always listen to “hash-tag cry”, huh.