Instagram has more than 1.44 billion users, so you’d think attracting enough followers to sustain a thriving business would be simple. But if you’ve ever thought about turning your account into something bigger—or even launching a brand there—you’ve probably realized it takes more than just showing up.
Instagram’s algorithms connect people with content that matches their interests. To gain followers, you need to post content your audience genuinely cares about.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to get more Instagram followers (real ones, not bots) and engagement, helping you build the kind of audience that supports your goals—whether that’s growing a business, becoming an influencer, or sharing your passion with more people.
22 ideas for how to get more followers on Instagram
- Focus on Reels
- Tap into analytics
- Cross-promote content
- Optimize your Instagram profile
- Partner with creators and influencers
- Build your personal brand alongside your business
- Get placements on feature accounts
- Add keywords in captions
- Post at the right times
- Post every day
- Create content ahead of time
- Lean into AI tools
- Integrate with Threads
- Try creator seeding
- Engage with your competitors’ followers
- Use location tags to attract local followers
- Organize your Instagram Stories in Highlights
- Run a giveaway
- Share user-generated content
- Go live with other creators
- Offer an incentive
- Try Instagram Ads
Brands everywhere use Instagram to connect with potential customers. Ninety-two percent of social media marketers consider Instagram a priority. It’s a versatile platform that lets you reach new audiences in several ways.
While follower count is just one indicator of success on Instagram, increasing followers can help drive ecommerce sales, unlock monetization opportunities if you’re an influencer, or offer businesses valuable social proof.
Here are a few ways to get more followers and step up your Instagram marketing:
1. Focus on Reels
Instagram Reels are short-form videos that viewers can see without following you or visiting your profile, giving you a chance to reach people who don’t know you yet. Every day, Instagram users reshare 4.5 billion Reels.
“Unlike feed posts, which mostly reach your followers, Reels tap into Instagram’s algorithmic For You channels, meaning businesses can reach new audiences organically without ad spend,” says Steven Fingar, account director at Untitled Social, a social studio. “They’re also favored in the algorithm, so posting Reels can accelerate growth and engagement far faster than static content.”
Reels offer brands and creators a chance to be more candid and human on Instagram. “They’re a really good way to add personality and show the people and process behind your business or product,” says Rachel Karten, social media consultant and author of Link in Bio.
To create content for Reels, consider these tips:
Hop on the right trends
If you’re wondering what to post on Instagram, start by checking out trends on Instagram, TikTok, and around your favorite blogs and websites. Participating in social media trends increases the chance you’ll create viral Reels that reach new audiences.
However, it’s important to pick trends that feel authentic to you. For example, if you’re a slow fashion brand, you probably won’t participate in the I Love Stuff trend, where users show off their tchotchkes while the audio proclaims they love “stuff I don’t even use.” A better fit is the Fit Check trend, which lets you show how to make a capsule wardrobe feel fresh and exciting.
Post about your day-to-day
Giving viewers a look at who’s behind the brand can make them feel more connected to you. “I think every business owner should think about the things your business does that only you could really show,” Rachel says. Floral studio Calma takes viewers behind the scenes with process videos.
Make content relatable and simple
Not every Reel needs to be a Hollywood film. Unpolished videos can perform just as well as (if not better than) highly produced videos.
For example, JapanLA, which sells Japanese pop culture toys and apparel, uses casual Reels to share information about offers—such as letting customers spin a wheel if they spend more than $100 on certain days in June. The video is simple. There’s no music or special effects—it’s just a person talking directly to the camera.
Play with different styles
Creating a mix of videos—including how-to videos, tips, industry information, humorous takes on viral trends, and product demos—gives your audience variety and helps you learn what type of content resonates most clearly. Modern homeware brand Tarta Gelatina shares short clips of announcements (like where you can visit it in person), tips (like how to set up a picnic), and a play on the GRWM (get ready with me) trend featuring an ideal morning routine.
2. Tap into analytics
To understand what works and what doesn’t, use Instagram’s built-in analytics. Instagram insights help you understand your audience and how your content performs.
Here are a few things to track:
- Accounts engaged. This is the number of unique accounts (followers and non-followers) who have interacted with your content. This helps you determine if your content inspires action.
- Content you’ve shared. Get specific insights—such as likes, shares, saves, profile visits, and website clicks—on your recent posts. This helps you understand the types of content your audience enjoys so you can create more of it.
- Engagement rate per post. This is the percentage of users who engaged with your content relative to the total number who saw it, showing how well individual posts resonated with your audience. Tracking engagement rate reveals patterns and spikes in engagement, helping you identify what boosts your visibility on Instagram.
3. Cross-promote content
Cross-promoting involves posting similar content across multiple social media channels (or Instagram accounts). You can use this tactic to save time and resources. It’s also effective at increasing brand awareness and building your audience on Instagram.
But keep in mind, not every video is a good candidate for cross-promoting. “If you’re wanting to participate in trending content and sort of play into that, then you’re going to want to look at TikTok for the trends that are happening there and you’re going to want to look at Instagram Reels for the trends that are happening there and create per-platform in those cases,” Rachel says. “A song or sounds that’s trending on Instagram probably isn’t trending on TikTok.”
A better technique is to focus on evergreen content. “Think: quick tips or behind-the-scenes clips that feel native on both Instagram and TikTok,” Steven says. If you’re cross-posting, the key is to understand the preferences of each community and adjust accordingly.
The Instagram Reels format translates well to YouTube Shorts and Pinterest Stories, but you don’t have to limit yourself to just video. For example, athleticwear brand Gymshark posted a carousel of photos to announce Onyx Midnight, a collection of clothing in a black colorway.
For TikTok, it used the same photos and added moody music.
4. Optimize your Instagram profile
If Instagram users find your content appealing, they might visit your profile. This is a critical step in gaining a new follower, because a strong brand signals to potential customers and followers that your account is for them (or not).
Your Instagram profile is one of many touchpoints along the customer journey. Make sure your brand shows up just as clearly as it does on your ecommerce website, other social channels, product packaging, and customer communications.
Everything from your avatar and Instagram bio to your content grid matters. Your Instagram feed is like a billboard advertising your brand. It’s often the first touchpoint, so it should clearly reflect the essence of your brand.
Ask yourself:
- Do the elements clearly convey consistency through personality, filters, colors, or layout?
- Am I taking full advantage of the clickable link in my bio?
- Does the overall combination of elements represent my brand?
- Does my Instagram bio take full advantage of this space to communicate the right tone and information?
Stationery shop Be Nice Have Fun is a playful brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It opts for bold patterns and colors and uses casual language. It showcases its personality in everything from its Instagram profile to its Linktree.
5. Partner with creators and influencers
Partnerships with influencers can add trust and credibility to your paid promotions.
When adding influencer marketing to your strategy, be sure the partnership is a good fit for both your brand and the creator. Look for influencers with complementary audiences. For example, skin care brand Dieux tapped drag queen Julie J to promote its makeup-removing oil cleanser.
While Dieux and Julie may not typically share the same type of content, there is overlap between them. Julie wears bold makeup, which can be difficult to remove, especially eye makeup that’s often waterproof. In the video, Julie effortlessly removes her makeup while explaining how the product feels on her skin. She ends with a towel test to demonstrate that the product worked.
To determine who to partner with, look beyond follower count. Steven suggests prioritizing alignment over audience size alone. “Start by auditing their content style, tone, and audience demographics,” he says. “Check their engagement rate and the sentiment of comments. Does their audience trust them? A creator who genuinely shares your values and integrates your product naturally will outperform a big name with a mismatched audience.”
6. Build your personal brand alongside your business
If your brand is founder-led, develop your personal Instagram account alongside your business account. Using both accounts together can increase brand recognition, grow your audience, and boost sales.
It’s a tactic that works for fashion label Anine Bing. Alongside the company’s profile, founder Anine Bing builds engagement and awareness through her personal Instagram account by sharing her outfits and company milestones.
7. Get placements on feature accounts
Feature accounts curate the best content from brands and creators in a specific niche—and some have a massive following. If you get featured, it drives new viewers to your profile and boosts your follower count. There are feature accounts for every niche: travel, fashion, photography, pets, and more.
Discover Earth’s account curates travel content from creators and photographers around the world for more than 6.8 million Instagram followers.
To get picked up by these accounts and have your content broadcast to millions of Instagram followers, include hashtags commonly used by these accounts, tag them in relevant content, or check out their specific submission guidelines.
This is a great way to gain new followers on Instagram who already engage with content like yours.
8. Add keywords in captions
Search engine optimization (SEO) matters on Instagram too. “Instagram is leaning heavily into AI-driven searchable content—optimizing Instagram captions for keywords now matters more than ever,” Steven says.
To find the right keywords, try these tips:
- Type a term related to your brand into the Instagram search bar to see suggested terms.
- Look at Google Trends to see how keywords perform over time and get a list of related keywords to try.
- Use Google Search Console to learn which terms your website already ranks for.
9. Post at the right times
A strategic approach to your Instagram content calendar involves analyzing user behavior and your account’s performance to understand what content works best and when. While social media management tools can help streamline this process, built-in analytics can offer plenty of insights about the best time to post on Instagram.
Head to your profile and click on Instagram Insights in the menu (available to Creator and Instagram Business accounts). Click on the Followers tab to get more information about when your audience is most active by hour and day.
While most of your audience might be on the app at specific times, you may find those times don’t always match peak engagement. Be ready to adjust your posting schedule as you gather insights to find times that consistently perform well.
10. Post every day
Posting every day helps new viewers discover your content. As Steven says, “Post frequently—especially to Reels—to stay visible.”
A content calendar can keep your ideas organized. Using a tool like Google Calendar helps remind you of events like Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day that can spark content ideas. Here are a few other ideas you can try if you need inspiration:
- Anniversaries. Celebrate your business’s first social media post, sale, or launch.
- Inspirational figures. Share who has inspired your business and why.
- Audience appreciation. Show your followers what their support means to your brand.
- Behind-the-scenes. Give audiences a peek into how you run your business.
- Customer testimonials. Let viewers know why your product or service is special.
11. Create content ahead of time
Creating content ahead of time helps you post consistently. Say you have a brand launch—you might have extra orders to pack or more questions to field, making daily posting challenging. Planning ahead lets you use a social media scheduling tool to automatically publish your posts so you don’t miss a day.
12. Lean into AI tools
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help you create visually appealing content faster. Using AI tools for content creation and performance analysis can help you attract new followers. “Tools like Later or Buffer’s AI Assistant can help with caption generation and scheduling, while Canva’s AI features streamline visual design,” Steven says. “For analytics, Metricool and Hootsuite’s AI insights can uncover performance patterns.”
While AI can simplify content creation, Steven warns to use it as an aid—not as a replacement for your own creativity.
13. Integrate with Threads
Threads, Meta’s text-based app, lets users have deeper conversations. Users see posts from those they do and don’t follow.
Since Threads integrates with Instagram, you can use it to direct viewers back to your Instagram account. The app has grown steadily from 130 million users at the end of 2023 to 275 million by late 2025, meaning there are many opportunities for your brand to be discovered by new audiences.
14. Try creator seeding
Creator seeding, or sending free products to influencers, can help you reach new audiences. This is a strategy Starface used to get more eyes on its star-shaped pimple patches.
“We knew that it played really well on social media and our community took pride in showing looks with the different stars,” Starface president Kara Brothers says in an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast. “So whenever we seed influencers, we seed as many people as possible. We find different corners of the internet—different people who have big following or small following in their own individual talented areas.”
The result? A steady stream of content to post on Stories and products featured on a variety of accounts.
15. Engage with your competitors’ followers
Your direct competitors’ followers are the perfect audience to help grow your own Instagram following. After all, they’ve already shown they’re interested in a product or brand like yours.
The most common types of engagement on Instagram are:
- Follow a user
- Like a post, Story, or Reel
- Comment on a post
- Save a post
- Share a post via your Stories
- Interact with a Story sticker
- Tag a user in your content
- Use a branded hashtag
- Send a direct message
Engaging with your target audience shows you’re open to two-way communication and building a relationship with fans and customers. Actions like these prove there’s a real human behind your account—not just a bot auto-posting content.
16. Use location tags to attract local followers
Make your Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels discoverable by tagging your location—either the city you’re in or the venue where the photo or video was taken.
Locations not only have their own Instagram feed but also their own Stories, where your content can reach locals and tourists searching that location.
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, add your address to your Facebook Business page so it appears on the Instagram Map. Users can then tag your location in their posts and Stories.
17. Organize your Instagram Stories in Highlights
One profile element you shouldn’t overlook is Story Highlights. Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, but you can prolong their value by organizing them into Highlights.
Story Highlights provide an additional opportunity for new visitors to your page to get a taste of your brand, content, and products. If users can instantly find the information they’re looking for, you’re more likely to gain Instagram followers.
“Think of Highlights as your Instagram homepage—they should tell your brand story at a glance,” Steven says. “Keep them clean, visually consistent, and purposeful. Use categories like How To, New Arrivals, or Customer Favorites, and refresh them regularly so they don’t feel outdated.”
Ruggable curates Story Highlights of its product collections, inspiration, and recognizable brand collaborations to help boost credibility.
18. Run a giveaway
One of the best ways to encourage people to follow your account is by running a giveaway. Often, brands and creators ask users to complete one or more actions to enter.
Common giveaway entry actions include:
- Following the account (and the accounts of any collaborators)
- Liking the giveaway post
- Tagging one or more friends in the comments
- Leaving a comment on the post
- Sharing the post to Stories
- Filling out an entry form on the brand’s website (which also helps build an email list)
All of these audience actions help with boosting your visibility onInstagram. Tags bring you a potential new follower, driven by a trusted recommendation, and engagement signals to the Instagram algorithm that your post deserves wider reach.
Tights and shapewear company From Rachel hosted a giveaway for best friends. To enter, followers and their friends had to follow the brand, doubling the number of followers it received.
There are several rules to follow (and to ask your entrants to follow) when you set up a contest or giveaway on Instagram. Instagram has its own set of rules and guidelines, which include setting your own eligibility requirements, tagging content accurately, and asking users to agree to an Instagram release.
19. Share user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content—videos, photos, written reviews, audio, and more—that a fan, customer, or follower creates about a brand. UGC helps humanize your brand and gives it credibility because it serves as a trustworthy review from a real customer, encouraging others to follow.
“UGC works best when it feels authentic and aspirational,” Steven says. “Choose content that aligns with your brand’s aesthetic and showcases the product in a real-life context your audience can relate to.”
Blume, for example, shares before-and-after acne treatment UGC, showing Instagram users real results from people with the same skin concerns.
UGC best practices
Your biggest fans will share their experiences with your products without prompting, but encouraging helps.
Here are a few ways to encourage more UGC:
- Create a branded hashtag to make UGC easy to find.
- Add a UGC call to action in your Instagram bio.
- Run a contest and ask for video or photo reviews as entries.
- Add a postcard or callout in product packaging asking customers to share their experiences on Instagram.
💡Tip: Use a Shopify app like Social Photos to pull UGC from your Instagram followers into your website to display on product pages. These become visual reviews that help other customers see your product in action.
20. Go live with other creators
Instagram Live allows you to broadcast live video to your followers. It includes interactive features to let viewers directly engage with each other. Live also lets you stream with other creators (you can use Live Producer to stream through a platform like Streamlabs), which helps both parties amplify their reach. If you work with someone who has a complementary audience, you might share some overlap, but it’s a chance to introduce each other to your followers.
You can also share Lives and repurpose them later as short snippets on your Story, Reels, or grid.
Here are a few tips for using Instagram Live to grow your following:
- Host influencer account takeovers.
- Go Live in a Room with up to three other accounts to increase reach.
- Interview creators or other compatible brands and promote the session ahead of time on both accounts.
21. Offer an incentive
Offering an incentive can draw in new followers and generate word-of-mouth referrals.
Sustainable beauty brand Fluff uses the community rewards platform TYB to offer coins that fans can redeem for discounts on products. Following the brand on Instagram lets customers earn 50 coins.
22. Try Instagram Ads
You’ve learned how to build Instagram followers through several organic methods, but there’s one last tactic used by many marketers and brands: paid ads.
Instagram Ads are accessible through a self-serve platform that allows you to set your own goals and budgets. These ads help you reach Instagram users with matching interests or in locations where you do business.
If you have a Shopify store, you can download the Facebook & Instagram app to manage ads directly in your Shopify admin.
Your Instagram account is a powerful sales channel
Now that you understand how to get more followers on Instagram, it’s time to put that learning to work. Develop your social media content calendar, start creating Instagram posts, and prepare to reach new audiences. Don’t forget to engage with your existing followers and adjust your social media strategy as trends evolve and new Instagram features become available.
Growing your Instagram followers is only the first step in using the platform to reach your business goals. Your Instagram account is one of many social media platforms where you can showcase your brand to new followers and customers. Once you’ve built an audience, you can unlock even more opportunities to monetize your personal brand and convert follows into sales.
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How to get more followers on Instagram FAQ
Does collaborating with influencers help in gaining more followers?
Yes, collaborating with influencers can be a great way to get more followers because it builds credibility and trust while increasing your exposure to your target audience. Influencers often share authentic content with high engagement levels, and partnering with them gives you a slice of this pie.
How can I get to 1,000 Instagram followers?
There are several ways to get to 1,000 Instagram followers. You can craft a compelling Instagram bio, regularly share content your potential followers want to see, engage with relevant users, and study Instagram Insights to understand which content performs best.
How do I gain real followers on Instagram?
To attract real Instagram followers, post high-quality content, mix up the content in your Instagram feed, tag relevant users, and post consistently. You’ll see your real follower count—and your engagement—increase on the platform developing these habits.
How do you get more Instagram followers for free?
If you want to understand how to grow on Instagram but don’t have a budget to promote posts or buy paid ads, try these tactics to find potential followers:
1. Find and use popular keywords in your captions.
2. Create Instagram Reels and post regularly.
3. Encourage UGC from your customers.
4. Cross-promote content to expand your reach.
Why do Instagram followers matter?
Here are a few reasons Instagram followers are important:
- Business growth and opportunities. A larger audience can translate to more potential customers.
- Monetization potential. More followers can create monetization opportunities. As a creator, you’ll have more opportunities to work with other brands.
- Community and engagement. A large following can result in more comments, letting you build a tight-knit community.
What is the 5-3-1 rule on Instagram?
The 5-3-1 rule is a strategy to increase followers. For every new post, you should like five posts from your target audience, comment on three posts, and follow one person who represents your ideal customer.
