Growing your Instagram followers should be a relatively easy task. With so many users, it is impossible not to grow your channel if you are posting consistently. Right?
Wrong. In fact, because there are so many people interested in just that – building their following – it has become an even harder job to attract and sustain followers. Especially if you are just starting to build your channel and cannot yet reach other creators from your niche.
Attracting more Instagram followers has always been a hot topic. There are thousands of articles and videos available online that will help you get an idea of exactly what you have to do to grow your IG following. In fact, you are reading one right now. So why are you here?
Most likely, you are still searching for an answer or a better perspective that will give you the missing piece to your strategy. Or perhaps, you just wanted to check out the list of things you need to do and refresh your knowledge.
So let’s not waste any of your time and discuss today’s topic – how to get your first 1000 Instagram followers?
How to get your first 1000 followers on Instagram?
Reaching 1000 followers on Instagram seems small compared to the big picture but it’s still a valuable milestone. It gives you the signal that you are doing something right that people like and want to see more of. It gets easier as you grow but it is common for new Instagram accounts to face a hard time with their first couple of hundreds of followers.
Getting your very first 1000 Instagram followers is not an easy task – you still lack trust, credibility, and knowledge, so you have to put in a lot of work to prove yourself. But this list of things will help you reach your goal faster:
Let’s get started!
Complete and optimize your profile
To complete your Instagram profile may sound pretty basic and unimportant to some of you, yet many people skip this step. This action instantly decreases their chance of success and growth on the platform. There are a few things you will need to take care of in this section:
Your handle/username
Your biography and bio link
Your highlights
Your handle/username
First thing’s first: make sure your Instagram username matches your business name. It is a good idea to find the same handle for all Social Media channels of your company but this is not always possible. If that’s the case for you too, it is best to find something similar and close to your business name, so people can know for sure that it is your account they need to follow. Plus, your handle (username) and name can both appear in Instagram search results, which can also help you get discovered.
Your biography and bio link
While your Instagram handle and name will both appear in Instagram search, your bio (biography) is the one that makes the real impression and can impact the way people see your business. So, it is always a good idea to spend some time creating a dope bio that will attract followers instead of pushing them away. Use this space to tell people who you are and what you do in the best way possible.
Make sure that your Instagram bio clearly states who you serve and what you do. If you skip this step, people will most likely not take you as a serious business. Don’t be afraid to use emojis to make it aesthetically pleasing for the eye and CTA to encourage people to take further action.
Remember to include a custom link (URL) beneath your Instagram bio. That way followers will know where to find you outside of the platform. In addition, sharing your website or blog will help you get more traffic while you are also helping the visitor to find and verify your business information a lot easier.
Your highlights
Instagram highlights are a handy tool to introduce your business or services by providing additional information for your potential followers. They are curated Instagram stories that you can add to your Instagram profile for your target audience to see. But unlike Instagram stories, the highlights you add do not disappear after a day. Quite the opposite – their goal is to stay on your profile, so it is very easy to spot them.
Instagram highlights make your profile look more professional and complete. But that is not the only reason people use it. They appear right below the Instagram bio and website link and provide a lot of helpful information about your business venture and overall profile that people can easily see with just a few swipes.
Brands can use them to share their company’s background and testimonials, answer FAQs, put a spotlight on their latest blog posts, promote events or anything that matters. Influencers and creators can also use them as an introduction to their profiles and life.
Switch to a Professional Account
If you convert your personal Instagram account to a professional account, you will get access to unique data that will help you understand your audience and the way people react to your content better. Instagram Insights will be available to you and you can use them to optimize and improve your strategy going forward. With their help, you will be able to track the performance of each and every post, story, and overall account.
When switching to a professional account, Instagram will give you two options to choose from – a business or a creator account. If you are a brand or a company, the business option will be the more suitable choice for you. But if you are an influencer or aspire to be one, then the creator will make the most sense to you. There aren’t many differences between the two options, so make sure to pick the one that suits your profile and goals the most.
Connect with your network and find your friends
Once your profile is complete, it is time to start thinking of building an audience and increasing your Instagram followers. Well, what better way to start this process than reconnecting with people online that you actually know in real life like your family, friends, and co-workers?
This will give your friends a heads up that you are on Instagram and most of them will probably hit the “follow back” button so they can learn more about what you are doing. While they are not your direct audience, they can help you create a follow base for your account. Plus, they will be more supportive of your content by liking, commenting, and engaging with anything exciting you post. Like it or not, they are your first followers.
Keep your following to the minimum and avoid spamming and following hundreds of followers because this will cut short your Instagram adventure and you might get banned.
Discover your audience
The main goal is to build a genuine audience on Instagram. To do that, you will need to have an idea of who they are and how to find them. You can start by describing the potential audience you want to attract. This will help you with creating content later on as well. But for now, focus on your ideal customer – who are they; who do they follow; what makes them interact with a specific account?
Then, look for other accounts that serve the same target audience you just described. It doesn’t mean that they have to be your direct competitors, although they are a good place to start. But think outside of the box. For example, if you are a fitness trainer, except for looking for fitness centers and gyms, try targeting also people who focus on having a healthy lifestyle in your location.
Once you find your people, you can start interacting with them by following and engaging with their accounts. Don’t follow and unfollow them the next day. Make it genuine and real by taking the necessary time to connect and build a relationship with your Instagram followers.
Liking and commenting on their posts will help you get noticed by potential clients and other businesses in your industry. These businesses could become your allies in the future, so don’t write them off because they are not your main target audience.
Stick to one topic
There is no point in posting general content. Even as an influencer, you can’t post random stuff that makes no sense. No doubt, your dog is very cute and your latest workout makes you feel energized and good-looking but there is no point in sharing these posts unless you’ve decided to share your lifestyle. Especially if your goal is to get your first 1000 followers.
Instagram is way too saturated, so you will need a strategy and a niche to cover, in order to achieve minimal success. So, you will need to find a topic you enjoy and stick to it. This will give you a clear perspective when building your account – from the content you post to the hashtags you use, it will all be determined by the niche you are in. Of course, if you are a business, you have already chosen your field, so you will not have a problem following the topic you are passionate about.
Find your brand voice and style
If you are looking to build up your account to 1000 followers on Instagram, you have to think of yourself as a brand. While you don’t need to take yourself too seriously, the content you create and share requires a specific style and tone that will help you grow faster.
The voice/tone of your Instagram is your (brand) identity. It’s the way you express yourself in your stories, write captions and engage with others. You don’t have to sound like a robot or be super formal about it. Instead, you can focus on discovering what makes YOU unique and incorporate it with a semi-casual, friendly, energetic, informative, or motivational tone. You can even try to be edgy and more expressive if that is your vibe. Whatever you do, think of your end goal – growing your Instagram audience.
The voice and style go beyond the way you speak. It is also about the visuals you share. Find your angle and express your creativity and style in the best way possible. Post high-quality content that captures your uniqueness. If you are highly dependent on photographing your own content, don’t be afraid to learn and improve by finding a detailed course that will help you get better.
Curate or create engaging content
Creating content requires a lot of time but it is absolutely worth it. Curating content from other users is much easier but you have to be very careful with crediting the people you repost from. With that being said, it is good if you can use both aspects to take your account to the next level.
Instagram is a visual platform, so there is no surprise that content is one of the most important things you need to focus on to attract more followers. If the posts you share are of poor quality, people might not find any value in following and engaging with your profile. It is not always about the beauty of the content, but also the usefulness and meaning behind it.
Before you start posting, spend some time posting and planning your content to prevent burnout. Do not post the best of your content. Instead, create more and sort it in an aesthetically pleasing way that your potential followers will like.
Think of the posts you create and find a good way to draw attention to them. If your content is interesting enough, you will most likely get a repost which immediately increases your reach and potential for more Instagram followers.
Don’t be afraid to post video content because it can be very engaging and preferred by the Instagram algorithm. Use videos to express your creativity, showcase your products, present yourself or be goofy. Just make sure it matches your niche and style.
Hold your social media to the highest standards in terms of the type of content you share. Here are some great content ideas that will help you get your first 1000 followers on Instagram:
Question-based content
Personal, funny, and interesting stories
AMA (ask me anything) posts
Contest/Giveaway posts
BTS (behind-the-scenes) content
Before and after posts
Testimonials and recommendations
Educational material and tips
Quotes
User-Generated Content
Set up a consistent posting schedule
Your first 1000 followers are important. That’s why posting regularly on Instagram is key. If you want to be seen and grow on Instagram, you need to set up a consistent posting schedule. A structured content calendar can help you a lot and give you peace of mind, when it comes to preparing content in advance for important events, holidays, or when you are facing a creative block.
But before you start sharing your content, make sure you have enough posts (15-30 posts) for days ahead. This will help you stay consistent and inform your followers that you are serious about your work. Does that mean you need to post every day?
Well, not necessarily. You don’t need to post on your feed every single day, but creating an Instagram story can go a long way. Uploading daily on your Instagram stories can keep your profile active and your followers more interested. Share tips, motivational quotes, behind-the-scenes footage, or anything that’s relevant for your followers to see.
Don’t forget to post at the right time. Use your Instagram Insights to learn when your audience is most active. This will increase the chances of getting more engagement and the Instagram algorithm might push your content in front of more people.
Write catchy captions
If your goal is to get your first 1000 followers on Instagram, you need to learn the craft of writing good captions.
An Instagram post is way more about the visuals. It’s about your personality and the story behind it. But there is no story without context. Or in this case – captions. Captions are an essential part of the success of one post. Great captions can humanize your brand and win you more followers on Instagram. They have the power to make your content more sharable and engaging – giving you more exposure.
Writing catchy captions is not an easy task. It takes dedication, knowledge, and creativity. The most successful captions can include meaningful questions that cause a reaction, the use of relevant emojis, a good call to action, or simply clever/witty comments.
There are so many ways to utilize them to make your audience more engaging or put a spotlight on your personality. Captions can encourage people to reply to your post and start a conversation. From questions to fun facts, they can be the final straw when it comes to increasing the number of your followers on Instagram.
Use hashtags
Hashtags are still a big part of Instagram and can help a lot with your journey to 1000 followers. They are the perfect tool to increase your reach and make your content discoverable by other users.
In fact, you can use hashtags to get to the Explore page of Instagram and get a ton of engagement and new followers. However, if you want to make them work, you should stick to only relevant hashtags and geotags. Create a list with the best and most suitable hashtags that are core to your niche. These are the hashtags that you will be able to use on almost every post you share.
Then, research other hashtags with 500 000 or fewer existing posts. There you have a bigger chance to get to the Top Posts section and receive more exposure in terms of likes, comments, and followers. If you have no idea where to find relevant hashtags, look through your competitors’ accounts, especially those that have been around for a long time.
When you are done, search for hashtags with a wider reach. The purpose of these hashtags is not to get you to the Top Posts section but to increase your engagement. Hashtags with high volume usually refresh every few seconds, so you will have a couple of minutes to gather likes and comments before your post gets lost.
To get the most out of your hashtag game, you need to be very selective. Don’t add 30 hashtags that do not have a meaning to your post. This will get you nowhere. Use niche hashtags that match your business and the topic of the specific post.
Learn about the Instagram algorithm
The Instagram algorithm changes quite often in order to give its users the best experience possible. With those changes, some accounts find it harder to get noticed and grow. That’s why it is a great idea to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Those changes affect the way your content performs and even though they are always changing, there are three main factors that decide the performance of your Instagram account – the relevance of your content, the engagement you receive from your followers, and the how recent is the post.
Of course, there is a lot more when it comes to the Instagram algorithm but focusing on these three factors will help you get ahead. To summarize – post relevant content that your followers will enjoy, build meaningful relationships with the people who follow and interact with your account, and post consistently.
Jump on trending topics and formats
Short-form videos have become one of the most effective content formats on Social Media. People can truly benefit from the use of short videos. They are easy to create and share, fast and straight to the point, kinda like Vine but better! It’s all because of the rise of TikTok – the platform where challenges rule the world. What does this have to do with Instagram?
Well, a lot of the content you see on Instagram, you can find on TikTok. Almost every new trend in terms of short-form video content starts there. Instagram is aware of the power of this type of content, so they introduced their own ‘place’ for short videos – IG Reels. And ever since they did that, they have been pushing Reels as their new thing. You can see them everywhere – in your feed, Explore Page, and Top Posts of big hashtags.
With a bit more luck and knowledge about the content you share through Reels, you can easily gain 1000 followers on Instagram in no time by following the next big thing. Although this sounds very exciting, not every account is able to jump on a trend and execute it perfectly. If you feel that the current new thing does not fit your topic, voice, or style, it is best to sit this one out until a relevant trend appears.
Check out what others are posting
If you have the feeling that your content is getting repetitive, you might feel stuck in one place. This will not help you gain new followers or create interesting new content that your followers will like. For that reason, it is important to keep yourself inspired and informed of what your competitors are up to.
Keeping an eye on your competition will help you understand what’s the latest trend from their perspective and might give you an idea of what your audience wants to see next. That does not mean copying their posts, style, or tone. But it can help you get inspired. And when you are stuck, there is nothing better than finding new ideas that will help you keep going.
Engage with others
Engaging with others is important for gaining more followers on Instagram, so make sure to add it to your daily list of tasks to do. Don’t spam other accounts from your industry with blunt comments but if you see something you like and feel the urge to comment on, follow your gut.
There is nothing wrong with engaging with others. It is actually recommended. Commenting on similar accounts will help you get noticed by their community, especially if your input is valuable. This is an easy way to gain more followers and build relationships that otherwise you won’t be able to.
Use video content
You should know by now that video content is extremely popular. It is way more engaging than looking at a static image. So, if your goal is to get fast to your first 1000 followers on Instagram, consider including video content in your marketing strategy.
In addition, Instagram prefers video content. The algorithm tends to give more exposure to videos than photos. Over the last few years, the platform added several new ways to share video content. You can now post long-form videos with the help of IGTV, short-form content with Instagram Reels or stream live with Instagram Live.
Pay attention to your Instagram Analytics
As soon as you switch to a professional profile, you will unlock a new section of Instagram – Insights. Instagram Insights are an essential part of your Instagram growth. You can use them to learn more about how your profile is performing, get to know your audience, track the performance of your content and indirectly increase the numbers of your followers on Instagram.
With Instagram Insights, you can optimize your Social Media strategy and grow your account. You can pay attention to your post insights, engagement rate, story insights, profile visits, website clicks, and even discover the best time to post (once you hit 100 followers).
Use Reels
We already discussed Reels but it is good to mention that they can be great for expanding your target audience and discovering new people. If you are really looking to get your first 1000 followers on Instagram fast, Reels is an excellent way to reach that goal. Unlike IGTV and regular posts, Reels are easy to create and many people watch them on loop. Plus, they are easy to share and save for later. If your reel is performing well, you can even add them to your feed.
Promote your Instagram account
One of the best and fastest ways to gain followers on Instagram is to promote your account. Paid advertising will give your account a good foundation that you can build on. You might think that Instagram ads are there for selling certain products, but this is far away from the truth. You can use them to reach a wider pool of people, get noticed by your dream audience, and increase your following. Needless to say, this process requires investment from your side and if you don’t know what you are doing, you will most likely be wasting your money.
Encourage future action
With everything said in this article, you must know that having a professional-looking account is the only way to reach thousands of followers. But it doesn’t stop there. You need to have the ability to encourage your potential followers to take an action instead of being passive viewers. Most of them are just browsing and might not be interested in what you have to show. Plus, the platform is so saturated that it takes time, consistency, and creativity in order to stand out.
Encouraging future actions is a hard task to achieve. Add a call to action to your bio, captions, stories and anywhere you find appropriate. Encourage your audience to become a fan. Be patient and ready to experiment, test, and shift the content you post in order to discover what your audience finds enjoyable. Do not settle for something that’s not working but try to improve it every time until you master it. Do not be afraid of change either.
There are Instagram accounts with years of experience that you probably won’t be able to beat. But the truth is – you don’t have. There is a certain standard that you need to cover if you really want to make a name for yourself. Other than that, it is up to your creativity and passion to make it work. If your business depends on it but you cannot succeed in your mission, do not hesitate to seek help.
Cross-promote on other platforms
Staying on only one Social Media platform is a thing of the past. Nowadays, you want to get the most exposure so you don’t miss a single person that might be interested in what you have to offer. That’s why cross-promotion is mandatory.
Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Youtube already have the option to add your Instagram account to boost your reach. The goal is to make their transition from one Social Media to another as smooth as possible and worth it.
To encourage people to find you elsewhere, organizing a contest or a giveaway is a very good thing to do. People will have the urge to follow you even if they haven’t thought about it before. It helps if your Instagram account is as active as the rest of your Social Media channels because again this gives your audience a good reason to hit the follow button. Just make sure you are not being repetitive with the content you share.