Instagram has a very sophisticated algorithm that decides which posts are shown to which users. This is an algorithm that is constantly changed and updated. What worked to gain organic Instagram followers a year ago doesn’t necessarily work as well today. Therefore, you need to keep yourself updated with the latest techniques to get more followers on Instagram.

If you want to know how to start an Instagram account for your small business, read on. Here are the 5 best ways to gain Instagram likes and followers organically.

1. Make Your Instagram Name SEO Friendly:

If you want to know how to grow on Instagram, you need to start with the name you choose for your account. Make sure it is SEO-optimized. This means you have to think about what someone will search for on Instagram.

Will they search your name? This is very unlikely unless you are incredibly famous. They will most likely search for a keyword instead of your name, such as “fitness trainer.” This means you need to include a keyword in your name that relates to your business. Usually, the keyword you use to attract new followers is related to your profession.

2. Write descriptive captions for articles:

People see the first few lines of your posts before clicking through to see the rest of your content. This means you want to write something captivating that entices users to engage with your posts in some way. Remember, this is your chance to make money. In addition to uploading a photo that stops you from scrolling, this is a great way to connect with others.

After wowing them with your first sentence, you can let them know to click on the link in your bio. By writing descriptive captions for posts, you can attract more followers, generate more leads from visitors to your website, and increase engagement with your posts. When you attract more people to your website, they are more likely to sign up for your email list. Every time you send an email to your email list, you can include Wisestamp icons in your email signature to maintain icons and links to your social media accounts to keep engagement high.

Remember: When engagement is high, the Instagram algorithm rewards you by showing your content to more people.

3. Use Popular Hashtags:

There are many hashtags. If a word comes to mind right now, there’s probably a hashtag on Instagram. If you are new to Instagram, you might think that it is a good idea to add very general and generic words in the form of hashtags at the end of your Instagram captions.

Going back to our previous example about hairdressers, if you use the hashtag #hairstylist your post will disappear from the top 31.6 million more posts under this hashtag. This means that if you hope that people will come across your post under that hashtag when searching the recent tab, they will probably never find you. When there are millions of posts under a hashtag, new posts appear within moments. Your message disappears almost immediately.

Search by hashtag:

If you want to know how to increase your followers on Instagram, you need to search for hashtags. Look for hashtags with fewer posts and use those in your posts instead. We recommend that you avoid using posts with millions of posts. Small to medium-sized hashtags are great niches. The less popular a hashtag is, the more likely you are to get noticed.

But this too must be limited. Avoid using hashtags with fewer than 1,000 posts. This will likely place your posts closer to the top of the posts they are used in, but will only reach a limited number of people. Ideally, you should use some hashtags from 100,000 to 1,000,000, some from 10,000 to 100,000, and some from 1,000 to 10,000. This versatile approach will help you maximize your exposure, which can increase your Instagram likes and followers.

We also recommend creating a table with all hashtags from these three popularity categories. This way you don’t waste too much time remembering which hashtags to include in your posts. You can also just have a note on your phone and copy the hashtags directly into your posts.

4. Connect with others:

We know it can be time-consuming and tedious, but connecting with others on Instagram should be part of your strategy when it comes to getting more Instagram followers. You need to spend time and energy commenting and liking other people’s posts.

There are several main reasons for this. It’s that damn algorithm’s fault again. When Instagram detects that a lot of people are interacting with you, the algorithm shows more content to users. This is because the level of engagement with your content and comments appears to be higher.

Another reason to engage with the community around your company’s topic is to increase your visibility. By commenting on other people’s posts, you increase the likelihood that other people will see those comments and click on your account. You benefit from higher click-through rates when your posts contain something really meaningful and interesting. Therefore, avoid one-word comments or general comments as they are not very effective for you. If you want to become an Instagram growth expert, you must follow these five strategies diligently.

They still work great, get you more Instagram followers, and are a boon to your small business.

5. Generate Organic Subscribers from Your Emails:

Knowing how to get more followers on Instagram is only part of an effective marketing strategy. Once people click on your website, you can start collecting their email addresses for your email list. After all, Instagram is not a platform that you have control over. You can receive a shadowban or a complete ban every day. You have no control over many aspects of your Instagram marketing opportunities.