We’ve all been there... staring at our follower count and wondering how to get more.
If you want to grow your followers on Instagram, I have a few tools that can help you do just that.
Use an "OG" Instagram Handle
A good trick I learned from Rob Ceccarelli is to use a broader Instagram handle name - known as an "OG" Instagram handle. In other words, you want to use a generic word instead of your name.
For example, Rob uses @ballin, which ties in his brand of sports marketing.If you were to own the handle @style, people will automatically assume that your content is fashion related and go to you for styling tips.
While this trick was undoubtedly easier back when Instagram wasn't so popular, it's still worth thinking about what generic handles may still be open, or what generic words could become marketable in the future.
Build Your Community
Before you even create an Instagram account, you’ve got to know who you are and build a community around your brand.
It’s good to have a brand, but if you have no community, you have no loyal followers, word-of-mouth advocates, test groups, or people to interact with. Community is everything - and you have the power to build it!
If you are going to build a fashion brand, post yourself looking around your local community at fabrics. Post about the places, people and things that inspire you. Ask questions about what your viewers like best, and listen to their opinions.
There are so many different ways you can post about your brand to draw in a community online - it all comes down to finding a creative way to do so.
Be Creative
Something people forget is you don’t actually have to be in front of the camera to grow your followers. Yep, that means a bad hair day is no excuse!
Even if you don’t want all the spotlight, you can still grow your followers. Get creative with your shots that make something other than you the center of attention. You can get an over the shoulder shot sampling fabrics, POV shots, voiceover videos, and reels.
The main thing is people want to feel like a part of what you’re doing! As long as your audience feels included and interested, you don’t need to be performing on camera every day.
Get Personal
You want to make sure you’re getting personal with what you post. Of course, you want to post about your brand, your product or your service, but people don’t want that all the time! Post a picture of you and your family enjoying yourself, or of you and your furry friend - it shows you’re human.
It’s okay to post outside of your brand from time to time, and it’s actually a good thing. You want to be able to connect with your followers, and you can do that by sharing a little bit about yourself with them.
You never know what may end up resonating with people online and building your community even further.
Have a Schedule
I’ve talked about the importance of planning your content on my blog before. You’ve got to be scheduling out your content to make sure you’re posting the right amount of each genre: personal posts, brand posts, sales posts, etc.
My team and I created a content calendar that I use for my own social media, as well as with all my other businesses’ social media. Check out my FREE content calendar here to experience the difference that having a posting schedule will have on your brand!
Don’t Fight Online
Something you should never do is fight on social media.
It’s bound to happen: a bad review, a nasty comment, a troll trying to get a reaction out of you. But listen, you never want to stoop to that level. It’s bad for your brand, and it’s unproductive!
The best thing you can do is address the comments privately. You may be surprised at what people have to say and what you can learn from them when you start a private, respectful conversation. It’s hard to see another perspective when you’re attacking one another!
However, if the other party has no interest in an open conversation and is only contributing negative comments… well, that’s what a block button is for!
Engage with Followers
Lastly, you want to make sure that you engage with your followers. If someone comments praising what you do, make sure to thank them. If someone has a question about your brand, answer it.
It makes your followers feel important and will make them want to engage with you more. It also makes your followers want to share you and your brand with others when you make them feel important!
The Bottom Line
These are just a few simple tricks to help you gain more followers, but I've got a whole Powertalk with Rob Ceccarelli all about Instagram growth and building your social media.
Check it out!
