How To Grow Your Instagram Account
Are you in a constant battle with the Instagram algorithm and you can’t seem to get to your next milestone when it comes to your followers? Using Instagram as a tool to grow your brand or business is a must for all influencers, online entrepreneurs, and bloggers.
But doing it right, growing your Instagram account, making real connections and figuring out all the tricks of the platform is not always as easy as it seems.
Today guest expert, Kelsey Chapman, joins us to chat all about Instagram and how she uses her platform to grow her brand and business. Keep reading to find out the tools and strategies Kelsey used to grow her account to over 50k followers and how she helps others do the same.
Because whether you are a blogger, influencer or shop owner, you need these Instagram tips in your life.
Please note that this post includes affiliate links and any purchase made through such links will earn me a small commission. As always, thank you for your support!
📌 PIN THIS POST FOR LATER
And now, without any further ado, I introduce to you the brilliant Kelsey:
4 Instagram Strategies For Online Entrepreneurs
Just three years ago, I was a fledgling entrepreneur spreading my wings and getting my “side hustle” off the ground. I knew it was important to utilize social media to spread my message, but I had no idea how integral Instagram would be to my success.
In three short months, I was able to grow my reach to 10k followers online, and within the year I had amassed more than 40,000 followers — followers that were turning into customers like hotcakes. How’s that for getting your message out there?
I quickly became enamored by the possibilities of helping entrepreneurs like myself reach more people with their message, product, services, etc. And it was at that point that I took on my very first client.
Since that fateful day in December of 2015, I now have worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs as they build their platform online, using my tool of choice, Instagram. I’ve learned a thing or two along the way, including these four important Instagram strategies that will be the game changer in your quest to maximize this platform.
1. Identify Your Niche
This may sound simple, but Instagram is about so much more than how beautifully styled your feed is or how many followers you have.
It’s important to gain the right type of followers on this platform, not just fluffy numbers. Similar to needing the right kind of customer to walk into the door of a local business, you need to attract the right type of followers for your business online – those who are most likely to convert to a customer.
Furthermore, similar to developing your customer segment when building your business plan, you need to do the same for your online presence. Ask yourself these questions about your ideal follower:
- Who is your ideal customer?
- Where do they live?
- What is their average income?
- Are they male or female?
- What’s their age?
- What are ways they enjoy spending their free time?
By fully understanding your ideal client, in any space, you’re able to attract the right customers and clients in store and online.
2. Target The Right Audience
Now that you’ve profiled your ideal client, your next step is to understand which social media platform they are on and master that channel.
Let’s break this down into a simple example. Does Coca-Cola spend its time and money looking for people at the wrong places? Are they trying to build brand awareness by advertising to people at dentist offices or Whole Foods? No!
They don’t get hung up on trying to attract people to the wrong places. Instead, they choose their ad placements carefully, focusing on movie theater commercials and Super Bowl ads.
Simple enough right? But so often, we think our ideal follower is everywhere when in reality we should be looking for them in very strategic places.
If you are a flowery self-help writer, why would you assume your audience is hanging out on Metallica’s page?! Instead, think about the authors that write in a similar style as yours and who are attracting an audience yearning for a similar message.
Like Coca-Cola, you need to be strategic when identifying your target audience and your marketing approach.
Take Action: Research three accounts that are projecting a similar message to yours or have lookalike audiences.
(Learning how popular businesses use Instagram stories will also come in handy.)
3. The Power of Connectedness and Your Brand Story
Let’s talk about connectedness and why it’s so important. When someone gets to your feed, they need to know who you are and what you do in the first 30 seconds.
We live in an instant gratification society and girlfriend, a judgement, whether good or bad, is being made about your brand within the time it takes them to look at the first 9 photos in your feed. There are millions of businesses online and you’re just a drop in the bucket unless you convince them to stay and get to know you, quickly.
This means we have to connect with our audience at the same speed in which they’re looking through your feed and deciding whether to click that follow button. Intimidating right? Not if you have your ground covered, let me help.
Answer these 3 questions whenever you’re developing content for the week:
- Will your consumers understand who you are and what you do by glancing at your feed?
- Are the key components of your business/brand highlighted in your feed?
- What do you want your audience to feel as they look through your feed – Does your content give off that vibe?
Build that brand story and let your personality shine. Some people will love it and some will give you a hard pass, but the ones that stay are saying yes to your invitation into a beautiful relationship. One that you’ll want to nurture and protect, we’ll talk about that next.
4. Get Visible & Engage
While this may seem like common sense, I know a good percentage of you are skipping this step in your day-to-day. Once you have found your people and they choose you back, prioritize forming and nurturing a relationship with them.
Take Action: Start carving out twenty minutes a day to:
- Post pre-planned content
- Reply to comments on previous photos
- Take the remainder of the time to leave comments on the feeds of your audience.
Guys, I like to keep it simple. The game plan is not about spending all of your time with your phone in your hands — because the reality is, there are more important areas of your business to focus on. But it is about maximizing your time to use this platform as a tool to expand your reach and convert those followers into customers. Focus on cultivating relationships through engagement and conversion will follow suit.
By focusing on profitability versus popularity, I’ve transformed my business and hundreds of other businesses that have trusted me as their social media consultant.
It’s time for you to stand out from the crowd and I want to help you succeed in this area by providing you with content covering everything from mindset, connecting with your audience, my favorite tools, branding and more!
So if you are looking for more guidance on your Instagram journey – check out my course, Instabreakout.
Note from Ana: Now that you have the 4 strategies you need to implement to grow your Instagram account, gain more followers and create more leads for your business, what are you waiting for?
Test them out and be sure to check out Kelsey Instagram course for more amazing tips and a solid plan on how to grow your Instagram.
I actually took the course myself, and while I’m still working on implementing all the amazing things I’ve learned, I can honestly say it’s worth the investment.
Here’s what you’ll take away from Instabreakout:
- How to take stunning photos for your Instagram feed
- How to edit your photos and craft an Insta feed
- How to pre-plan your content strategically to save time
- How to grow your Instagram organically
- How to use hashtags and avoid being shadowbanned
- How to boost your engagement and grow a community
- How to make the most out of Instagram stories
- How to monetize your Instagram feed and get paid to post
- How to grow your email list and generate leads with Instagram
>> CHECK OUT INSTABREAKOUT HERE <<
This is truly one of the most comprehensive Instagram courses out there (and this coming from someone who took a lot of Instagram courses!) and it’s taught in such a simple and easy to understand manner, that it’s impossible not to go away from it and make a real change with your account.
Do yourself a favour and check out the entire course curriculum using the link above. Get inspired and start growing your Instagram today!
Kelsey is an entrepreneur, business strategist, writer and online marketing expert over at www.kelseychapman.com where she teaches bloggers and business owners how to get their message out there and reach their ideal readers and customers.
Her popular Instagram course, Instabreakout, has already helped hundreds of online entrepreneurs to make more sales and have a bigger impact online, and her podcast is a must-listen resource for all creatives.
OTHER RECOMMENDED READS:
- How To Find & Choose The Best Instagram Hashtags
- How To Get 30 Real Instagram Followers Daily
- How To Take Blog Photography Like A Pro
- The Best Apps To Schedule Social Media Posts
This is an exact blog that I’ve been needing. Thank you so much.