How to Get Followers on Instagram: 14 Tips for Growth

Loyal followers are the key to lasting growth and engagement on Instagram. It’s all about establishing real connections with people who value your content. To build a dedicated audience, you need a strategic approach that maintains consistency and promotes active interaction with your community. 

Whether you're starting fresh or looking to expand your reach, our expert tips will teach you how to get followers on Instagram and boost your growth strategy. 

14 Tips to Build a Dedicated Following

Growing your Instagram following involves more than just posting great photos and Reels. It requires a thoughtful strategy for upping engagement. These 14 tips will help you attract, connect with, and retain followers. 

1. Optimize Your Profile to Attract Followers

Your header and profile picture are the first things people see when they come across your page, so these elements need to grab attention and spark curiosity. Both components should reflect who you are and encourage users to learn more about you. 

• Choose a clear and memorable username that’s as close to your brand or name as possible.
• Use relevant keywords in your bio. For example, if you’re a fitness trainer, including terms like “workout tips” or “personal training” can boost your profile in search results.
• Select a high-quality profile picture to help establish credibility.
  

2. Maintain a Consistent Aesthetic and Brand Voice

A consistent aesthetic and clear messaging are vital to creating a strong online image. Your colors, fonts, and tones should all align with your brand identity, making it easy for visitors to recognize you across any social platform. 

Cohesiveness builds trust and attracts those who connect with your values.

3. Use Trending Hashtags

Hashtags make your content more discoverable to users searching for specific topics. Including a combination of niche and trending tags in your posts and Instagram bio increases your reach and helps boost your Instagram followers. Just try to avoid overly saturated hashtags, which might bury your posts among hundreds of others.

• Use Captions’ AI Hashtag Generator for tags tailored to your content and audience.
• Mix popular, niche, and branded hashtags for a balanced approach.
• Instagram’s Explore page often highlights trending and popular hashtags. Look at these tags and incorporate the ones that fit your niche.
  

4. Interact With Your Followers Regularly

Instagram is all about connecting with people. Engage with your followers by responding to comments and direct messages — building stronger relationships and encouraging them to return. You want to create a community that feels connected to you.

5. Follow and Engage With Similar Accounts

When you interact with other creators in your field — by liking, commenting, or sharing their posts — your profile becomes visible to their followers. If your interaction is thoughtful and valuable, it may encourage their audience to check out your page.

This type of connection not only boosts your exposure but also helps build genuine relationships with others in your community.

6. Host Giveaways and Contests

Interactive posts on Instagram, such as giveaways and contests, encourage followers to like, comment, and tag friends, increasing engagement and visibility. This participation not only boosts your reach but also creates excitement around your brand, attracting new followers and strengthening your community.

7. Collaborate With Influencers or Other Brands

Partnering with influencers and scoring brand deals within your niche can expand your Instagram following. Reach out to creators with a large community and propose partnerships like joint giveaways, shoutouts, and co-hosted events to introduce your account to their audience. 

8. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content

People love genuine moments, so share behind-the-scenes clips to let them in on your daily life. Show moments like your work process or how you create your products, making viewers feel more connected and in-the-know. 

9. Use Instagram Stories and Highlights

Stories pop up at the top of Instagram feeds, making them a great way to stay visible. To make key content easily accessible, save important Stories as Highlights, which appear directly on your profile below your bio. Use interactive features like polls, questions, and quizzes to boost engagement and keep your audience interested.

10. Post at Optimal Times for Maximum Reach

Regularly posting on Instagram keeps your account active and your audience engaged, but timing matters. Learn when your followers are most engaged and schedule posts accordingly.

Generally, the best times to post are before and after work (7–8 a.m. and 3–6 p.m.), during lunchtime (12–3 p.m.), and on Monday and Friday mornings and evenings. Avoid posting during traditional work hours (9–3 p.m.) and on weekends, when engagement is typically lower.

Be sure to experiment with different posting times to see what works best.

11. Run Instagram Ads to Reach a Wider Audience

Running Instagram ads can boost your visibility and increase your Instagram follower count beyond your existing network.

• Use Captions’ Instagram Ad Maker to create high-quality ads that grab attention.
• Target your niche audience based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors.
• Test different ad formats like Stories, carousels, or video ads to see which types people click on most.

12. Cross-Promote on Other Platforms

Share your Instagram profile link on all your social media channels. You can include it in your bios, posts, and comments so it’s easily apparent to people visiting your profile. Cross-promoting on different channels attracts followers from each platform.

13. Invite User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a way to build trust and engagement. Encourage your followers to share a post of them using your products or services and then feature them on your page.

• Create a unique branded hashtag and encourage your followers to use it on their content.
• Repost UGC on your Stories or feed, giving credit to the original creator.
• Host a UGC contest or challenge to motivate your followers to create content that showcases your brand.
  

14. Use Instagram Reels to Grow Your Followers

Reels boost your organic reach by showing up on the Explore page, giving you the chance to connect with a larger audience beyond your followers. To boost your visibility, incorporate trending audio. You can tell if a sound is trending by searching for it and seeing if it's featured in multiple Reels or browsing the Explore page for popular content.

Use Captions to Grow Your Instagram Followers

Building your Instagram community can be challenging, but with Captions' tools, you can easily create high-quality posts that help you connect with your audience and boost your growth. The Instagram Video Editor allows you to create, edit, and repurpose high-quality content effortlessly. Plus, you can customize captions with different fonts and styles while fine-tuning the sound to perfection with studio-quality adjustments. 

Try Captions today and create stand-out Instagram videos.

FAQs

How Can I Get 1,000 Followers on Instagram Fast?

While there’s no instant shortcut, following a solid Instagram growth strategy can speed up the process. Keep the Instagram algorithm in mind, which favors content that gets high engagement early on. Focus on posting consistently, leveraging Reels, and engaging with your audience daily. 

Don't forget to cross-promote on other platforms. You should slowly start to see your follower count increase as you establish yourself across multiple channels. 

How Much Does Instagram Pay for 1K Followers? 

Instagram doesn’t pay you just for having 1,000 followers, but you can still attract sponsorships or brand deals if your profile has high-quality content and meaningful engagement. The key is to have a well-curated Instagram feed and use the right hashtag strategy. You might start making money once you hit 10K followers and unlock Instagram’s features for creators.

How Do I Get Big on Instagram? 

To grow on Instagram, focus on consistently posting high-quality content that connects with your audience. Interact with followers and add relevant hashtags to reach targeted viewers. 

Track your performance with Instagram Insights and refine your strategy. Above all, stay authentic to build genuine connections and long-term loyalty.