As the demand for Instagram continues to grow, with over 1 billion monthly users, lets discuss what you can do to build your following on the platform.

Instagram has an ultra-smart algorithm putting it in a competitive place if you want to grow your account and boost your following.

It is important to make sure your business stands out. Use the platform to show off your brand, and this will help to get you more followers. Work smarter, not harder.

So without further ado, here are some strategic tips and tricks you can try out to help grow your account.

#1 Use Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels  provide a huge opportunity to build your profile in 2021. If you’re not already implementing these, you are missing out on a lot!

Reels are one of Instagram’s newest video features that has taken centre stage in the navigation bar. In a nutshell, this feature allows you to record up to 30-second video using either multiple different clips or one long one. You can even set music to run over the Instagram reel.

Since reels are a new feature, we recommend jumping on the bandwagon now while competition is still low, especially since Instagram is giving extra prominence to Reels on users’ main feed and the explore page. With them being at the forefront of the platform, there is a significant push to have users browse and share reels more often in 2021. 

If you’re unsure where to find reels in the app, they have several locations. Not only will you find them on their navigation bar, they have a separate tab on individual Instagram profiles and are also visible in Instagram’s explore page.

To sum up, Instagram Reels are an incredible way to increase your reach way beyond your followers — and possibly go viral doing so!

#2 Optimise your profile

Optimising your profile on Instagram, particularly for search, is massively under-utilised on Instagram. This is a simple hack for growing your following — and one you should definitely try out in 2021!

Instagram recently announced earlier on in the year that English-speaking users in 6 countries will be able to search Instagram using keywords. Now this is a game-changer on the platform.

Previously, if users searched for ‘home workouts’, the hashtag or accounts with the words “home workout” in their username would populate. However now, posts with captions, names, or bios that feature ‘home workouts’ should show up in a search, even if that hashtag isn’t used in the post.

Because of this update, it’s more important than ever to ensure you optimise your profile through both your username and bio for search results.

What’s also useful to know is that the words you include in your username and bio are actually searchable on Instagram — making them prime keywords that will make you discoverable.

#3 IGTV Series

IGTV Series may have been big in 2020 and soon became a vital part of Instagram, however it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon! 

Instagram has become more and more popular in the past year during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Many social media users are turning to Instagram for entertainment. Creating an IGTV series is certainly a creative way to connect with your community while also reaching a wider network connecting to new audiences.

If you haven’t created an IGTV channel yet, 2021 is a great time to get in the game. Firstly, start by thinking about what longer-form video your audience would be interested in and then you can begin making content around that topic of interest. Simple!

If you didn’t already know, any form of video content tends to get more traction on your feed. This means more eyes on your videos which means more engagement and could result in more followers.

#4 Authentic & shareable content

The power of authenticity on Instagram for growing your followers is massive! We recommend jumping on the band wagon now as it’s likely to only grow even more in 2021.

One of the best ways to reach a larger group of people is by creating authentic and shareable content. Sharing content on Instagram is one of the best ways to spread your message. Users can share feed posts on their Instagram stories or through direct messages.

Whether it’s sharing your struggles of being a parent, or your step-by-step skincare routine, when you’re open with your audience, your followers sense it.

Because Instagram’s algorithm tends to favour posts that get a lot of engagement, it means that posts that are shared a lot will often appear on peoples’ feeds. And if a post has enough engagement, it might even end up on Instagram’s explore page.

The simple act of sharing can go a long way for any brand or business. This is why it’s worth putting effort into creating authentic and shareable content.

#5 Go Live!

As previously mentioned, videos are the future of Instagram, they gain a lot of traction to your post. However, another great feature is Instagram Live! It may be one of the best ways to use video to drive engagement and boost your following in 2021.

For those who don’t know, Instagram Live is an entirely unedited video platform, for your followers to tune in and engage with. And as in the name, it’s live-streaming. This means your audience can submit comments and questions in real-time.

Many users and brands hopped on the Instagram Live trend during the COVID-19 lockdowns, such as home workouts.

The content options are endless for Instagram Live. You can choose to either host weekly shows and competitions, online webinars or tutorials, Q&A’s and so much more. And now, you can even showcase your products to help drive sales.

#6 Promote your Instagram on other platforms

Cross-promoting your Instagram profile on other platforms is a fantastic way to grow your following and make yourself more discoverable.

To align with 2021 social media trends, we predict TikTok will be one of the best ways to grow your Instagram following outside of the platform.

TikTok has a unique algorithm that can easily send videos viral if your content is engaging enough! Many creators and brands have noticed an increase in their Instagram following since joining TikTok. This is because people will look more into you and your profile if one of your engaging videos appear on their feed.

Having your Instagram profile linked to your TikTok will mean people will click through and potentially follow you or share your content. So to ensure Instagram traffic to your profile, connect your account to your TikTok.

#7 Long captions

In 2020, posts with long captions became more engaging than those with one-liners. And these aren’t going anywhere in 2021, especially with the new Instagram keyword search.

Instagram was once all about the visuals. Providing an aesthetic and high-quality photo, and on-brand images was all you needed. But now, audiences are looking to learn more about you and your brand or business.

Research shows that the average caption length has more than doubled since 2016. And in 2021, our feeds will be filled with an average caption length of 405 characters — which averages out to be 65-70 words!

So what we’ve learnt from this is that when you share more with your audience through your Instagram posts, you build a stronger and larger community. And since Instagram is allowing users to search for specific keywords, including these keywords in your longer captions may help you get more organic eyes on your content.

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Growing your Instagram account can often seem like a challenge, but if you use the right techniques and strategies, you will find yourself building your following up throughout 2021!

Just remember it’s a combination of creative content, targeting the right audiences, and promoting your business in the right way. Try out some of our tips and see how much your account can grow this year!