As of June 2018, Instagram has already a billion (1 000 million) monthly active users and we want to help you gain the trust of those following you. Follower count matters, thanks to the Instagram algorithm, but so does engagement, even more than the follower amount. The more active, engaging followers you have, the better chance you have of Instagram putting your content on top. Finding Instagram accounts that follow back and belong to your target audience isn’t really that hard. In this article, we will be giving you some tips and tricks on how to approach them and gain them as your followers.
1. Put Out Great Content
Content is the key, always on any social media platform – especially on Instagram that revolves around visuality. We can’t stress enough the importance of quality of your content. If you wish to be successful on Instagram, you need to invest in the quality you put out. Forget about those grainy photos and videos, they will not make people interested in your account.
As long as you’re putting out good quality content, you have a way bigger chance on attracting those Instagram accounts that follow back.
2. Don’t Automate Too Much
Automating social media is a great possibility, especially for businesses. However, if you’re taking it too far, you’ll end up losing followers, or at least you won’t gain new ones. Social media is just that, social, so if you automate everything you do, it will get very impersonal. To gain your followers’ trust, it’s important to keep things as personal as possible.
Don’t automate every comment you put out, nor even every like – make your activity personnel. Automation is okay, but don’t take it too far.
3. Interact, interact, interact
Social media is all about interacting with others, don’t take it out of it, even if you’re running a public business account. Your followers want to be involved with an actual person, not just a machine. So take some time out and actually interact with your followers.
Don’t just use answers you have crafted in advance, or just say “thanks” if someone praises your content. If you do so, you’ll end up giving out an image of not being interested in your followers. That is a sure fire way not to gain or keep those Instagram accounts that follow back.
4. Ask Them
Sometimes it pays off to just ask. You most likely have a ton of so-called ghost followers that like and even comment on your content, but for some reason, still don’t follow you yet. Like for example YouTubers are pretty much always asking people to follow them. “If you like my videos, please subscribe” – works as well on Instagram. In your photo or video caption, write down a similar request; “Hey, if you like this, come to check out my profile and give me a follow for more amazing content”.
5. Reach Out to Instagram Influencers
Being a social media influencer is all the rage these days and to gain the trust of new and already existing followers, you should work with them. If your brand appears on influencer accounts, you will definitely gain from it. People trust these influencers, which means, they trust that the products and services they promote, are good and trustworthy. It is in your businesses’ best interest to collaborate with those influencers.
It is not the easiest or simplest strategy to find Instagram accounts that follow back, but it is one of the most efficient ones. Check here for great instructions on how to approach influencers.
6. Give Back
No one likes to be taken advantage of and that goes on social media too. Gaining the trust of Instagram accounts that follow back will be easier if you also give back and not just take from others. Help other, smaller accounts, or accounts about the same size as yours, and promote their profiles and content – they will most likely do the same favor for you and get your account to a new set of eyes from their profile.
Of course, make your business the main thing on your account, but every once in a while it’s good to give the spotlight for someone else for a moment. It makes you appear kind and human, which is something Instagram users like.
7. Don’t Buy Followers
The Internet is full of sites offering you tons of new followers if you pay them. First of all, the algorithm doesn’t like those bots, and secondly, you don’t really get anything out of them. They are bots, not real people and as such, not potential customers.
It is more important on social media, to be a person, not a machine. People are not interested in accounts that act like machines, they’re on social media to be social and connect with others. Buying followers and automating every little thing will drive potential followers and customers away. Quality over quantity – you don’t need the fake followers.
In Short: How to Gain Instagram Accounts that Follow Back As Your Followers
There is a simple formula on getting those Instagram accounts that follow back to stick around: interact, post great content and interact. Social media is all about that interaction. And interacting with a machine is not really fun, so remember to keep it personal – even if you automate some stuff. Automating is perfectly fine, as long as you don’t overdo it. Gain the trust of your followers by being human.