10 Ways To Gain Followers on Instagram

Finding followers on Instagram can be difficult, especially when your profile is new or does not seem to be generating much engagement. When it comes to generating engagement, especially when it comes to generating new followers or comments on your content, it can feel like there is nothing more that you can do. Today, I will share ten easy ways you can gain followers on Instagram. Feel free to use these yourself, share them with others, and drop your best ways of generating followers down in the comments!

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, accounting for just about 10% of the global market share in 2024. Instagram is a great platform for sharing pictures, experiences, and memories with friends all around the world. So, without further ado, here are ten tips to help you grow your Instagram followers:

1: Post Regularly

The best and most common way to generate followers on Instagram is to make sure you are posting regularly. If you keep your viewers coming back on a regular basis to see what new content you have posted, chances are, they will give you a follow, and engage with your content as a show of appreciation. This does not mean you have to post everyday, but utilizing resources like a content calendar or an excel spreadsheet will allow you to generate ideas, and keep trac of which posts are going out when.

2. Comment on Others' Posts

Maybe your account is not to the point where posting regularly is feasible, or maybe your account only posts once a month. Commenting on other's social media posts, generating engagement, and showing that you share common beliefs and values could end up generating you a follower, as people tend to follow others who they believe share the same beliefs as them.

3. Follow for Follow

Generally, a lot of smaller accounts will follow you back when you follow them. While this idea is not entirely ethical, it does give you an option to obtain a lot of followers, in a short amount of time, with not a lot of work. Keep in mind that these followers generally will not engage with the page, and most likely will end up commenting on your page to increase their own visibility. But if your ultimate goal is more followers, this is an easy way to go about it.

4. Word of Mouth

Growing your Instagram does not need to be done all online. You can promote your Instagram channel wherever you are. If you are giving a presentation, put the Instagram tag in the bottom of the slide. If you are at a convention, find those who are looking for what your Instagram offers, and then share your account with them as an answer to their problems. This will not only allow them to solve their problems, but it will also solve your problem of a lack of followers.

5. Create lots of Instagram Stories

Maybe your channel is not in a place where you can generate a lot of Instagram posts. However, this does not mean you cannot or should not be posting a lot of content. Instagram stories offer a condensed, easy-to-upload style of content. With Instagram stories, you can upload smaller versions of content you have uploaded, share posts you made previously, and share content from other creators you liked.

6. Collaborate with other accounts

Another way to generate more followers is to collaborate with another account that may already have followers. This option is particularly helpful if the account has a similar style of content as you door if you already know the person. This way, the content you will be producing with this person and the content you already do will be the same. After the collaboration is over, make sure your social media handles are clearly visible, so those who liked the content know where to find your channel after the video is over.

7. Promote on Other Socials

This step only works if you have other social media channels for this business or for others that you can use. One of the best ways to gain followers, especially among those who already follow you on a different social media platform, is to advertise your channel there. Those who already like your content somewhere else, are much more likely to follow your content here too. Trying to get someone who watches your content to watch more of your content is a lot easier than getting someone who has never watched your content to watch one piece of your content.

8. Use Threads to Amplify Your Content

Threads, much like X (Twitter), is a great way to go about promoting your social media, as it gives you another space to talk about content that is similar to yours. Instagram forces posts you create to have some sort of Image associated with it, but on Threads, you can create purely text-based social media posts, most of which will lead back to your Instagram account to create more engagement. As Instagram and Threads are linked, those who are Interested in your account will have a much easier time finding and following your profile.

9. Run Ads

This step mainly works for corporate and business-type accounts. If your Instagram account provides a product or service to the reader, you are allowed to run ads on Instagram. These ads can link to a variety of places, such as your Instagram, your website, and a number of other places. These ads can be hyper-focused on who you know is most likely to follow you, allowing you to generate the highest ROI and making sure that the people who would like your content are most likely to hear about it.

10. Create Reel Content

Content does not simply have to be either text or image in nature, and sometimes, video form content can generate many more views than just Instagram posts alone. This is not to say that any video posted will instantly generate a lot of hype and views, but done right, with content that matches your brand identity, your video reels can be a great addition to your Instagram.

Keep in mind, as is the case with any social media platform, these tips will only work with determination and hard work. If you do not put in the effort, or only do things halfway, you may not see much of a return. But those who are willing to put in the work, and do what needs to be done, will more likely than not be pleased to see a healthy return on their investment.

Which tip was your favorite? Have a tip that you have used in the past? Let us know in the comments below!