How to Engage and Grow Organic Followers on Instagram

Tasteful and Trendy Followers are your Friends

The social media world is full of companies and public icons posting perfectly edited and original content. Hellooo have you seen these Instagram models?~ Get with the times. The basis of any company’s organic following is the content posted, using other marketing advice may help increase followers but, followers won’t stay unless your feed is fire.

There is no doubt that Instagram is more competitive than ever.  Play around with free apps such as VSCO, FaceTune, or Gliche. Go beyond filters on these apps and mess around with tools like exposure, contrast, grain, etc.  All of these applications can instantly create better photos that come off aesthetically pleasing to one’s eyes. Figuring out what images your audience enjoys will enhance your number of followers instantly.

Don’t over-edit and stay away from the Instagram app’s harsh, unprofessional filters. Instagram filters typically out of trend and noticeable to viewers. Followers want to follow things they’ve never seen before, it’s what keeps them liking and waiting for your next post.  

If your stuck trying to figure out what’s in right now content-wise, base it off of popular pages that relate to your brand. Focus on color themes, and page looks like once you master the skill of editing photos. The general look of the page can really determine if someone follows or not.

Find your inner ‘stalker’

Let’s be real, at one point or another you’ve for sure sunk into the deep depths of your favorite celebrity, best friend, or ex-partner’s ‘gram-feed’ trying to dig up gossip or understand more about them. Personal profiles are, for the most part, a reflection of who people are or what they want to be seen as. When you’re first starting out on social media, it’s key to look at followers’ pages to find out what they ~ vibe~.  No matter what you’re doing business-wise, looking through a potential customer’s feed is essential for market research. Simply giving a five-second look through someone’s feed can help improve what you’re producing.

Another part of ‘stalking’ Instagram followers is liking photos that relate to your content, commenting on posts you like, and liking their comments back. This shows the followers that whatever business you have is not some huge corporation that doesn’t have time to take their concerns into perspective. Even screenshotting a public profile’s trendy picture and editing it can be a great way to connect with people and increase following.

To Post or Not to Post?  

When in doubt… POST. Staying relevant is important in order to keep followers and grow organic followers.  But don’t over-post. Learn proper Insta etiquette. Don’t act like your mom when she first discovered Facebook and post every 10 minutes about what new Zumba workout she tried or TLC show she just watched. No one cares that much or wants their feed clogged (even if it’s your own mother).

Post your best photo to your page ONCE a day (the most liked photos are posted between 1-4 pm on weekdays and 8 pm on weekends). Post a reasonable amount on the Instagram story, around five times — this will have your business on followers’ minds 24/7. If you skip posting for multiple days, people will start to find your company irrelevant.

Communication is Key

Say goodbye to the old days of calling a customer service number — people are using DMs to ask questions, engage, and show interest in the business. Make sure to respond, it’s the quickest way to interact with your company’s community. Frequently check direct messages to accept and chat with people. The best companies are always responding to people and making sure they are certain of choosing the product or service. Respond to comments, ask leading questions, and grow a bond between customer and business.

Besides followers sliding into DM’s, message and reach out to people to promote your product or service. For instance, I’ve been running an account for tour pages (shameless plug: @urbanadventuresmiami @nolatourhub @phillytourhub) so, it was vital for me to DM hotels, travel bloggers, and photographers to post something about my pages or use my photos. Asking is simple, the worst they can say is no. Who knows, they may want to work with you or may follow you which will make your page seem more legitimate to followers if big names are following and promoting. Keep your page active through communication.

Find a Niche

At first, trying different things to see what gets the most likes can be strangely frustrating and kind of hurtful. I often find my feelings a little hurt when a post I think is on point gets below-average likes. Something that you like may not be something everyone enjoys. Post a few different things and figure out what gets the most likes, you’ll probably be super surprised. Whatever it is, stick with it and replicate images similar to that. Find what you’re good at creating content for,, doing something you’re good at will get more likes because you master one style instead of multiple. More real people will see this and eventually, you could become people’s go-to Instagram page for that service or item.  

No one said organic followers was easy. It’s extremely difficult in such a complex cyber world we’ve all come to rely on for a multiplex of things. You have to stay up with the competition and consistently be sharp on what’s popular. Stay engaged and active on the gram and the real followers and big bills will follow.