Instagram is a great platform to grow business for e-commerce platforms and also share your life with the world in photos, but it can be challenging to get others to notice you. So. how to increase reach in Instagram without paying for ads?
Your feed’s visibility depends on your follower count. The more followers you have, the more likely Instagram will show your posts to other users within their algorithm of choice, which takes into account things like who has interacted with your posts in the past and who you follow.
During this process, Instagram will also prioritize users on people’s Explore pages. If you want to increase your reach and visibility on Instagram, here’s what you can do:
Post more often
You probably already know that posting consistently is important, but it might seem counterintuitive if you’re just starting out on Instagram.
After all, posting multiple times a day means more opportunities for your posts to be shown to other users. However, if you don’t have an established account or many followers, Instagram might actually believe that your content isn’t relevant enough to put in feeds and therefore not widely visible.
To make sure you aren’t wasting time and effort, here’s a simple hack: Post once to three times a day for the first few weeks, and then adjust your posting frequency to something that makes sense for you. That way, you’ll be posting enough to increase engagement but not so much that Instagram isn’t seeing your posts as relevant anymore.
Focus on the right hashtags
Hashtags are a crucial part of growing your Instagram account. In addition to helping you gain exposure by putting your posts in the feeds of relevant users, they make it easier for people outside your Instagram feed to discover your content via Search and Explore.
According to a study from TrackMaven , posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement than those without hashtags. Additionally, you can capitalize on Instagram’s algorithm and mine for relevant hashtags by using a tool like Hashtagify.
As soon as you begin adding hashtags to your posts, make sure you stick with them — otherwise, your post will get placed in none of the right feeds and hashtags and your hard work will be for nothing.
Use Instagram Stories strategically
Instagram Stories is a feature that lets you share up to 24 hours of photos and videos with other users who follow you. By posting directly to stories, you can increase visibility by putting your content in front of new eyes and grow your reach in Instagram.
At the time of this writing, Instagram has over 300 million active users and Stories has about ~200 million. That means making your presence known through stories demands a certain amount of effort, but the payoff can be worth it.
If you’d like to learn more about how to use Instagram stories effectively for free, we’ve published a guide that tells you everything you need to know.
Interact with other accounts strategically
The best way to attract new followers on Instagram is by consistently creating content that your audience enjoys and interacting with their posts as well. This is because when people see quality content from those they follow liking similar content, they’re more likely to return the favor and follow them as well. This phenomenon is as “social proof” and it can be incredibly powerful for your own account.
However, you can’t just like posts blindly without thinking about it because Instagram will see that as spammy behavior and may even shadowban your account. You’ll need to find a healthy balance between who you interact with so that you maximize the number of people who see your content while not coming across as overly promotional.
You can also use tools like Everypost , which allow you to schedule photos, videos, stories, and more at optimal times throughout the day. This allows you to focus on creating quality content while keeping an eye on when it should go live.
The good news is this: The above tips are all completely free! However, if they still aren’t working for you after some time, it can be incredibly beneficial to invest in your account by starting an Instagram marketing campaign with the help of Instagress .
Engage with your followers.
In order to increase your reach, you need to interact as much as you can with your followers as well as those who follow them. The more engagement you have with those on Instagram, the more people they’ll interact with, and the faster your post will gain reach.
Mix up content types
Share a mix of content that reflects your brand and engages your audience. You’ll waste a lot of time curating a mix of content that reflects your brand if you don’t know what kind of content it currently is or what kind of content resonates best with them. Once you know this, it will be easier for you to share the right type of content at the right time.
Tag influencers and location tags.
If you’re going to work with an influencer or a brand in your industry, tag them in a post to give them credit for their contribution and ensure that they’ll be tagged when someone else uses it on Instagram as well. Location tags also work the same way.
Don’t be shy to ask for a follow back.
At times, we want our posts to reach as many people as possible and this is one of the best ways to do it if you don’t have a large audience yet. If you want more followers on Instagram, there are a lot of ways to go about it, but asking for a follow back is one of the most straightforward and effective.
Conclusion
The more you can engage with your followers and other accounts on Instagram, the higher chance that they’ll interact back with you. This is because when people see quality content from those they follow liking similar content, it will be easier for them to return the favor and follow you as well.
The best way to attract new followers on Instagram is by consistently creating content that resonates best with your audience while also interacting with their posts. You won’t just like posts blindly without thinking about it though because this could come across as spammy behavior or even lead to an account shadowbanning which would negatively impact your reach significantly. In order to maximize how many people see your content while not coming off too promotional at all times, find a healthy balance between who you interact with and who you share your content with.
