Growing your following as a blogger is
important. You read to be read. So, how do you ensure that you can do just that
and get your content out in front of others?
1.
Plan and Schedule Posts
You need a grand plan and schedule for your
Instagram posts. As easy as this may sound, planning your posts and scheduling
when these should be posted is no easy task.
It can be especially challenging if you try to publish posts 2 or 3
times a day. This is because your target audience and followers need
consistency and posts that do make sense. Digging up a picture or two every day
to post on Instagram isn’t an easy task for many, which is why you need an
excellent plan for it to work.
Planning your time properly can not only
save time but also help you stay organized. This is because you will have
enough time to come up with a photo to post in the next schedule time without
missed a deadline. You will also have a chance to edit the photos just as you like,
and have it set for the next upload. Apps such as LiketoKnowit and Latergram
can come in handy when editing these photos, while the likes of Vibbi can help with
metrics.
Having a properly laid out plan, or even
setting a reminder on your smartphone can help ensure all your posts and
pictures are uploaded in time. This
however doesn’t guarantee that all updates will be uploaded/posted at that
particular time, each day. The primary
plan here is to help create a sequence and consistency for your followers.
Potential and loyal fans will also be eager to know what you are up to, and
when to expect the next update or post.
Lifestyle bloggers, on the other hand, may want to use another approach
as this one may not work. This is
because lifestyle audience may want a more regular update just to stay in the
loop.
2.
Team up with other bloggers
The key to attracting more followers is by
being open to collaborations, more importantly, other similar brands and
bloggers. Working hand in hand with other bloggers to source for followers by
retweeting and reposting each other’s posts can boost visibility and inbound
traffic considerably. Having the other blogger retweet your posts, and you
doing the same, puts both of you in front of new eyes and potential
followers. The brands and bloggers you
wish to collaborate with however need to have the same interests, and in the
same niche as you.
Blogger collaborations provide an excellent
way to gain new followers quickly and easily. A good example of such
collaborations on Instagram is “Follow Friday.” Follow Fridays is a strategy that bloggers
use to promote other bloggers on their pages. This allows the other blogger’s
followers to see the link and probably follow him or her. Some people may,
however, see this as competition as you are in the same niche, but it isn’t. The two accounts benefit symbiotically as
they attract the same followers. Another good example of Instagram account
collaborations is a 'Mom Fashion' blogger partnering with a 'Kids Fashion'
blogger. If an Instagram user likes ‘mom
stuff,' then there’s a higher chance that he/she will love ‘Kids stuff’ as
well.
3.
Make Use of Hashtags
Hashtags can be
considered the driving force of Instagram and some other social networking
platforms. This is because a hashtag makes content visible to your target
audience and the exact people you are trying to reach out to. Although many
individuals may not know this, up to 30 hashtags are allowed per post for as
long as it doesn’t look over-saturated.
With millions of hashtags created in a minute, yours could be buried
faster than you created it. It is due to
this reason and more that you should consider using a decent and unique tag
that is relevant to what you do or promote. Simple tags such as #love, #style
#fashion are too common and saturated, meaning some creativity is needed to get
your tags trending. This therefore calls
for extensive research and brainstorming on an easy to remember yet unique
hashtag to use on your posts.
Using your brand’s tag for hash tagging can
be an excellent way to improve exposure on Instagram, and the World Wide Web at
large. The brand hashtag alone becomes visible to accounts that follow the
brand, which also increases the chances of its followers, following you. Tagging inspirational accounts and brands
increase online exposure too. As mentioned earlier, it’s the simple thinks such
as sharing that make the real difference on Instagram.
4.
Engage
Creating a unique and attractive hashtag
won’t get you to the Promised Land unless you engage your followers. Responding
to your followers’ questions and suggestions is one way to keeping these
followers engaged and want to come back for more. Engaging followers helps
create a relationship with which they return the favor by either reposting your
posts or hitting the follow button. In
addition to responding to their comments, you need to reach out and comment on
your followers’ posts as well. Adding
positive content to their posts not only cultivates loyalty but also makes the
other person want to follow you as well. The more active and engaging you are,
the more visible your posts will be to other users on the platform. Thanks to
the latest algorithm on Instagram, more active and responsive users get more
visibility than inactive ones.
5.
Use Apps to Boost Following
Various apps provide a great way to
increase visibility and following on Instagram. For instance, there are apps
capable of monitoring your follower’s activity online (when online or most
active), as well as track who is following or un-followed you. Some of these apps show when your followers
are most active on Instagram and days when they aren’t active at all. You can,
therefore, use these apps to come up with a better strategy to grow your
following.
In addition to using third-party apps, you
can switch to a business Instagram account to enjoy more features and insights
as well. Although this feature was just activated, it allows users to see how
many female and male followers they have, their geographical locations, and
time of the day when they are most active. Although a new feature, taking hold
of it can help spearhead your marketing strategies here on Instagram.
Iconosquare is one of the few apps that you
can use on Instagram to keep your account in check. The app provides features
and info such as follower count, comments, likes received, engagement rates,
and media posted. Although most of the features are free, you can get more
advanced features on its paid option. Other similar apps include Instrack and
Crowdfire.
Disclosure: This is a contributed post.
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