
Are you on Instagram? What a silly question, right? Of course, you are! So are more than seven hundred million people. Now, the question of interest is what makes Instagram so popular that millions, irrespective of their age, mindset and expectations, join this particular social networking app?
Why is Instagram so hugely popular?
The answer probably lies in pictures! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. On Instagram, it is worth just as many likes. You may ask why Instagram when you can upload photos on other social networking platforms too? However, where else do you get to weave a story just through pictures? Where else is connecting with like-minded people as easy via hashtags? Moreover, no other platform has quite perfected filters as Instagram has.
That is the charm of Instagram. This appeal has led it to become the most popular social networking platform of today. According to eMarketer, by 2019, two-thirds of all millennial who use smartphones will have this particular app installed. Statista reports that by September 2017, Instagram has acquired eight hundred million active users, which is quite a jump from the 600 million of December 2016.
Who uses Instagram?
Well, as per the statistics mentioned above, nearly the whole world does! Interestingly, Instagram is used by individuals and businesses alike. While individuals like to share their lives and experiences with peers and the world at large via this app, companies use it to promote their services and solutions to potential customers. After all, this is where vast masses of the young crowd can be found.
However, even though many profiles on Instagram have an astounding number of followers Instagram, it is not as easy to gain followers as it looks. Many are struggling to gain more exposure for their profiles despite uploading high-quality and impressive photographs. The truth is that there is intense competition on the platform, and diverting the limelight from professional social media marketers is not always easy. The wise would just go for the best services to not only boost the number of Instagram followers, but also to increase the number of likes, comments, and shares.
There are also a few other points that you must keep in mind to keep increasing your follower count on this competitive platform:
- Do not use banned hashtags, Instagram does not like it. The platform has almost always kept a tab on what type of hashtags users get to include in their posts, but lately, it seems to have revised the way of censoring hashtags. There are roughly two levels of the said censorship. The first one is a bit ‘harsh,’ and it results in immediate blocking, which would return no results. The other one can be termed as ‘soft’ censorship which results in temporary censorship with only thirty or so results. Quick tip: try searching for a hashtag of your choice on the Explore page or a Preview page to see whether it is banned before you decide to use it in your post.
- Use location stickers when you are uploading stories as it will help you gain better local exposure. When you are uploading a post, you want maximum visibility for it. Location tagging not only increases the visibility of your post to the audience active in the particular location that you have tagged, but you can also interact with the people who have tagged the same area as yours. Also, you can find out about the ideal time for posting, and the user behavior of the audience that is most active at the location. It is especially helpful if you are trying to promote your business on Instagram as this feature enhances your exposure to a very targeted audience who may just be your potential buyers.
- You can use less popular hashtags and try to make to the ‘top’ section. It is an easy but highly efficient way of gaining more attention on Instagram. Well, nobody said that the hashtags you use have to be madly popular ones. Instead, you can try using ones that are commonly used but not overused. You will stand a great chance to be in the few most popular posts based on those hashtags. It means that the people who use these hashtags will see your posts first.
- Keep updating your bio and change it from time to time to see what clicks with your audience. You know what they say about the first impression being the most important one? Well, it is true. Most people, who like your post or at least look at them regularly, want to know more about you. So, make a solid first impression with an attractive bio. You do not have much space, and there is a character limit to abide by; make each letter count. Once you have gained a decent number of followers, revise your bio from time to time to inform your audience about your website, any event that you are arranging and so on. It is vital to keep them hooked!
- Choose your Instagram name wisely. Make sure that it is unambiguous so that your audience likes it and eventually identifies with it. Many people do not understand the importance of this factor, but you should be assured that it is of much significance. The Instagram name is much different from usernames. People look for authentic profiles on this platform rather than fake ones. So, if you want to be a storyteller, it is best to use your own name. If that is unavailable, make sure it is a name that your audience connects with instantly.
The above are only a few ways to get more followers on Instagram. There are a lot more ways to increase your follower count. Do remember, the trick is to know the platform as well as you can. Since, Instagram keeps rolling out new features now and then, keep trying out the new features to see how they make your profile better and help you to connect with your audience more. If you are not interested in paid posts and are not very keen on influencer marketing, you can try looking into few inexpensive ways of increasing the number of followers on your Instagram profile.