25 Tips To Get More Instagram Followers Hacks From A Full Time Instagrammer

Well, well, well, welcome to my channel. Thank you so much for stopping by. You picked a really good date to do it because today I am going to be teaching you, yep, how to grow on Instagram. And this is probably the number one most requested video that I ever get. So I finally decided to film it. And the reason I get asked this question a lot is because, A, I'm a full-time travel blogger and Instagrammer, so people are naturally very curious how I was able to do that or become that. And B, I have, I think it's 82,000 followers on Instagram now, and I get between 2,000 to 4,000 likes per image. So again, people are curious and want to know how I was able to do that. And obviously, I'm not the biggest Instagrammer out there, but I do do this full-time. Do, do, do. Before we get started, there's one thing that I need to ask, and that is, if and only if you enjoyed this video, then please don't forget to subscribe to my channel and also comment below, letting me know that this was useful and give this video a thumbs up. Because without that, I literally have no way of knowing that you guys enjoyed it or that you found the video useful and helpful. So if you want more videos like this one, just let me know by subscribing, because that way I'll be aware of it and I'll make more like it. Alright, I'm gonna kick this off with a little bit of a pep talk, because I know all of us on Instagram could probably really use one. And here goes. If your likes are lower than ever, if your engagement is dropping and decreasing, it's probably not your fault. You're probably not doing anything wrong at all. And the reason for it is that back in June 2016, Instagram rolled out a new feature, the non-chronological feed. And what that did is it jumbled old and new photos together, and their mysterious algorithm now determines which photos show up first on your feed. And that can be really bad for us little fish just swimming around saying, please, please notice us. And another reason why people are struggling on Instagram is the platform's insane popularity. Every day there are new people coming to Instagram, posting pictures, some of which are really stunning, so it's becoming harder and harder to stand out. And according to recent studies, the average user of Instagram follows 822 other users. So you're competing with 821 users for space in that news feed that is now non-chronological. So if you're not getting many likes, obviously it's very difficult for you to succeed and to show up there at all. But as you've guessed by now, yes, my 25 tricks are...they're not tricks, they're genuine, you know, useful tips, are going to help you beat the algorithm. All right, tip number one, and this is probably the most important one, is do not try to cheat the system. I know this makes me sound like a bit of a downer, but I promise you that if you like... sorry, if you buy followers, if you buy likes, if you play the whole follow-on-follow game, it will bite you in the butt. And Instagram is really cracking down on shady activity right now, so if you get caught in that web, you might have your account disabled or deleted, and it's just really not worth it. And even if you do succeed somehow by, you know, buying likes and buying followers, you will not feel good about yourself at the end of the day. And other Instagrammers know their stuff, and they will know that you did that, and nobody in the industry will respect you. So it's just really not worth it at all. My tip number two is improve your photography. And I know this is probably not a very popular tip because it sounds so obvious, but Instagram is such a visual platform that if your photos aren't beautiful, then you're probably never going to succeed. So you really don't need a bulky DSLR to succeed on Instagram, even though that will help. You just need a smartphone and a bit of understanding of how light works, how image composition works, and then just a little bit of knowledge about editing, and that's really it. And by the way, for a lot of niches, it's really useful to include yourself in the photo. So if you're comfortable doing that, that will probably help you if you're a travel Instagrammer like me, for example. Number three, develop a consistent editing style. And this goes back to what we just discussed. You need to learn more about image editing if you want to succeed on Instagram. And it's very, very simple, actually. You can do this in Lightroom if you have that software on your computer, but you can just do it on your smartphone. So you can get these apps like VSCO Cam or my favorite, A Color Story. And in these apps, you can save different presets. So then you have this filter that feels very you, and you can just apply it to whatever image you put into that app. So that way, you'll get a very cohesive look that's going to look like a real gallery. And that's what people on Instagram really enjoy. It needs to have your mark on it yourself. So you can decide whether that's black and white images, or if that's like soft and dreamy, or if it's very HDR-y, which I personally don't like very much, but some people really enjoy. So just decide what your aesthetic is, and you'll grow into this. Don't be, you know, afraid of experimenting at the beginning. Number four, be an active Instagrammer. And what I mean by that is not just, you know, post every day. What I really mean is comment on other people's pictures and interact with them. And you shouldn't just comment in a spammy fashion just saying, lol, great image, or whatever, seven hearts, or my favorite, the poop emoji. Like, what do you think I'm going to do with that? Seriously. So yeah, leave well-thought-out, meaningful comments on other people's images, and it will really help kickstart your progress on Instagram. And I mean, if you don't enjoy using the platform, then why even bother trying to grow on there, you know? Numero cinco, interact with the right people. And what I mean by that is find people that are most likely to be interested in the topics you're interested in, and that you're posting about. So for example, for me, I will target hashtags like hashtag girls vs globe, which is actually a hashtag I created, or hashtag dame traveler. These are hashtags that a lot of female travelers are using, and they are the kind of people that will be interested in my content. So figure out what those hashtags are for you, and then interact with people that are posting on those hashtags. Number six, change your profile picture. Now, obviously, this will not apply to everyone. Some of you, I'm sure, have amazing profile pictures. But if your picture doesn't look great in this size, like seriously, Instagram, why can't we click on profile pictures? It's very frustrating. But you need to pick an image that represents who you are, what your Instagram is about, that looks very enticing, so people want to click on your profile. And yes, that looks great in this size. That's it. Number seven, optimize your bio. Your bio is the first thing that people see when they come to your profile, aside from your images, of course. And you really need it to represent who you are and what you post on Instagram. So make it fun, make it memorable, make it snappy, you know, think of something creative, but just really make sure that it represents who you are and what you post about. Number eight, use all the hashtags. If somebody handed you 30 lottery tickets today, what would you do? Would you, like, play three or four, or would you use all of them? Exactly. Now, I'm not encouraging you to gamble, but when it comes to Instagram, why would you shoot yourself in the foot and not give yourself every opportunity to succeed? So use all 30. And by the way, there are trips, tips, tips, there are tricks and tips on how you can use 60, but don't do that, because if you do that, it will just render all of your hashtags invalid. Number nine, use the right hashtags. Now, this is where a little bit of research comes into play, but trust me, the time spent doing that is really worth it, because using the right hashtags is one of the best ways right now to grow on Instagram. So I'd really highly recommend you do your research. And if you're not sure how to find the best hashtags, then let me know in a comment below, and I will make a video on it. Number ten, tag your images, because it will really help you grow. Studies show that images with location included can perform up to 79% better, so just do it. Experiment with captions. Okay, so what I mean by that is don't be afraid to make your captions longer or shorter than usual, just don't be afraid to experiment a little bit. There are no stats really about how caption length impacts your engagement levels, but from my personal experience, if I write a really good caption that really connects with people, if I ask them a great question, then I will get so many more comments, and people really engage with me on like a personal level, not just engagement on the internet, but real engagement. They really, you know, share their stories, and it's very, very rewarding as well. So think about your captions. Don't just like pop three emojis down, especially the poop emoji. We've talked about this. No more poop emojis. Just kidding. I love the poop emoji. All right, come closer. Number 12, include a call to action. So we just touched on it now, but basically, don't be afraid to ask questions in your captions, even if you're a small Instagrammer and you're kind of worried about not getting a response, just do it. And another way to include a call to action is asking people to tag a friend or two. What else could they do? I don't know. You figure it out. Number 13, tag other people in your images. Now, you really don't want to overdo this because it will become very, very annoying, but if there's a feature account that your photo is relevant to, for example, you're traveling through, I don't know, Italy, and you're in Venice, so you are going to tag the tourism board of Italy and of Venice. That's totally fun, and they will probably appreciate it, and they might repost your image. So in that case, it can be very useful. But I, for example, get a lot of people tagging me, and I don't share other people's images. So that can get a little bit annoying. So don't tag other Instagrammers, but do tag feature accounts. Number 14, stay on topic. I know this can be difficult for a lot of people because as humans, we are very multifaceted. We have very many different varied interests. But on Instagram, you really want to narrow down to two to three interests that you're going to be covering on your account. And if there's like one that's completely incompatible with those, just make a different account. Honestly, I know it can feel a little bit limiting, but it's definitely worth it because if you suddenly start posting photos of like your puppy, well, no, puppies are fine. Puppies are fine. But if you suddenly start sharing photos of sports cars, but up until then, you've been sharing photos of your food and your puppy, then people are going to be really confused and they might unfollow you. So it's just not worth doing. Number 15, work in big trending topics because it can really help other people discover your account. So for example, March 8th, Women's Day, you can work that into your gallery or December 10th, Human Rights Day, or my personal favorite, May 25th, International Towel Day. I will wait while you Google that. Actually, Google it after this video. Pay attention. But it's amazing. It's amazing. I love it. Number 16, this is getting difficult now, keep a consistent schedule. So you can post once or twice or three times a day. Three times should probably be the cutoff. That's totally fine. But post at similar times every day so that your followers know what to expect and when to expect your photos so that they can already look forward to it and maybe go to your account. So personally, I only post once a day. And I post around 9pm UK time, which I have found to be my optimal time, which actually brings me to number 17, which is post at the right times. So when it comes to determining the right time to post, you can just use logic, you know, when do people use Instagram, they use it in the morning, at work, maybe around lunchtime and before going to bed. That's my personal experience anyway. But you can also get a little more scientific about it. And you can use data from services like Iconosquare, or the Instagram business profile, which brings me to number 18, switch to a business account. And I know this is a little bit controversial. A lot of people think or you know, assume that their engagement is going to drop. And some people have experienced that. Personally, when I switched to a business account, I'm going to tell you what happened. You're ready. Nothing, nothing happened. Nothing changed at all when I switched to a business account, except that now I have all these stats and analytics at my fingertips, I'm able to you know, determine when is the best time for me to post who my followers are, where they come from, how old they are, what gender they are, basically, it is very, very, very useful. So I would highly recommend doing it. And also a new feature is that in your Instagram stories, you can now include a link so people can swipe up and go directly to that link, which has really helped me go traffic grow traffic to my blog, and also to my YouTube. So yeah, number 1920 minus one is listen to those analytics. I have loads of blogger friends and Instagram or friends who have business accounts, they pay for Iconosquare and then they just end up doing whatever they want. Anyway, you need a little bit of discipline to succeed on Instagram typically, especially when you're starting out number 20 reply to your comments at the beginning, this should be fairly easy. But as you begin to grow, it will become more and more difficult. So for example, when it comes to my account, I get between say 60 to 100 comments per image. And that is starting to feel a little unsustainable, it's becoming very difficult to reply to every single one of them. But I still try to eventually I try to reply to everyone. And I don't really reply to comments like beautiful love anymore, you know, things like that, like one word comments I don't bother with. But if somebody took the time to leave a thoughtful comment on your account, then I think it's only fair that you reply because that's what it's about. That's you know, the engagement and having a conversation. So social media, keep it social. Number 21 use Instagram stories. So Instagram has rolled out loads of different features over the years. And they really, really want you to use them. So by using Instagram stories, you'll benefit in several ways. And here are two that I think are most important. So number one, you will get more recognition from your existing followers, they're going to see your face as the first thing when they log into Instagram. And the reason for that is when you go to your feed, up top, there's a little row of different people's stories. And if you keep yours recent, then you might just be one of those first, I think it's five people that they're going to see. So that's really, really useful. And number two, I think I don't have direct proof for this. But I think the algorithm secretly favors people who are really active on Instagram, and who use all of its features. So by using Instagram stories, you're sending a signal to the algorithm that you should be ranking higher in the newsfeed in the feed, whatever it's called. So that's something that's worked for me. Again, I don't know, this is all hearsay, because we don't have access to the exact data about the algorithm. But that's something that's worked for me. And 22 even better than Instagram stories is Instagram Live. So the reason it's better a it's because you know, you're having that direct conversation with your followers. So that really helps them feel like they know you and that really makes them invested in your account. But number two, and this is really, really cool. If you save your Instagram Live, and you show it for 24 hours, kind of in your stories, you get two tabs, so they can click stories or live, you will I can guarantee that you'll be one of the first people on anyone's on anyone's homepage, because that's how it's arranged first the lives and then everybody else. So I really, really highly recommend you start doing Instagram Live. I know it can be a little bit daunting, but it's worth it. Number 23, post more videos. I don't really do this enough myself. But I think it's another feature that Instagram wants you to be using. So posting videos can be a really good way to get to the top of that feed. And videos for a lot of people get more views than they would normally get likes. For me, that's not really the case. I don't know why I think people hate my videos. But yeah, definitely give this whole video thing a try and see how it goes. And let me know if it worked for you. Number 24. We're just one away from finishing this video is promote your Instagram on other social media networks. It's very self explanatory, you know, drop a comment about your Instagram on Facebook or on Twitter, or what else do people use Vine, not sorry, that was mean too soon. But yeah, if you already have followers on another network, then let them know that you're also on Instagram. And that should bring a few of them over. Don't expect hundreds, you know, or 1000s of people to come over because I had a really big following on Facebook and on my blog, and it was still a slow trickle. But every little bit helps. So I definitely recommend you do that. And number 25. The final point that I want to make is partner with your fellow creators. I know people do this a lot here on YouTube, but on Instagram, people aren't really doing that very much. And it's a real shame because that is a really, really, really great way to grow, not just by being featured by feature accounts, but by directly one on one working with other Instagrammers that you like, and that you know, whose work you're passionate about. I think this works really well. And I wish that more people did this. You can even do something very simple, like giving them a shout out in your stories or whatever. It doesn't have to be a lot of work, and it can be very effective. So I definitely recommend, you know, getting in touch with other Instagrammers that are about the same size as you. Or you know, if you know someone who has a bigger following, and you're already friends, obviously don't mooch off someone. But if you know someone, then you know, try and talk to them and make it worth their while somehow. I don't know, do their laundry, whatever, you know, whatever it takes, because we all want to be famous on the internet. Which brings me to the very end of this video. Please, please subscribe to my channel if you enjoyed this one. And I would really appreciate it if you also commented below, letting me know if this was helpful, if you have any other Instagram tips, things like that. And also give this video a thumbs up. And if you subscribe, and even if you don't, I really hope to see you next Friday, because that's when I bring out new videos. Bye bye bye bye bye