The popularity and use of Instagram have outgrown any other social media app today. It helps businesses and individuals reach new audiences with their content and also builds robust communities.
A recent study concluded that the platform has over 2 million active users, and by the figure, you can understand the potential it holds.
The vast audience base of Instagram intrigues businesses to establish a name for themselves. Since more and more businesses are now trying to reach their target audience on Instagram, organic growth has become a tough job.
It is crucial to understand that the organic reach of a post on Instagram is only 20%, and the same is not enough to get the desired exposure. Today, we are going over some strategies to attain organic growth and more on dominating the platform.
How Is Instagram Organic Growth Defined?
To be very straightforward, growing your Instagram account organically refers to the growth of your audience without spending on advertisements. Organic growth refers to being consistent and leveraging the power of the platform without relying on any artificial techniques.
Organic growth doesn't imply any quick solutions, like running ads for follower growth, or to get leads; it implies long-term commitments for continued success and growth. There are several ways in which you can boost the visibility and reach of your brand, leaving the competition behind.
Let us first see how you can uncover the potential of the platform, seek organic growth, and attain loyal followers without spending money from your pocket.
11 Proven Strategies For Organic Instagram Growth
We take you through some compelling non-paid marketing techniques that will help you gain more followers.
#1. Cross-Promote Your Content
Do not restrict your presence to Instagram only.
Think about it: how many times have you shared your Instagram posts on any other social media platform? Not much, right? This is one of the common mistakes that people usually make.
You must be having accounts on multiple social media platforms. These platforms have different strengths and will help you reach different audience types. It also helps highlight your presence on Instagram on other platforms.
There are other ways beyond social media platforms where you can promote your Instagram account and help it grow. For instance, add your profile link to the website, newsletter, digital ads, and more.
You can also add some kind of promotion for people who start following you on Instagram. Say you add signage with the QR of your Instagram account to the offline store and offer a promo of 5% to your Instagram followers.
#2. Content Diversification
Instagram is no more about single videos or static videos. Instead, it has introduced several new content patterns that are also intriguing to the audience. Some popular and interactive content formats include reels, creators creating content, stories, collab posts, etc.
You should not keep your posts limited to one content format; instead, diversify the type. Try posting different formats and see what works best for you. If you have been posting photos and single videos for some time now, but your audience is not engaging as expected, try posting reels and stories.
Experiment with Instagram live videos, stories, and IGTV. Analyze what is working best for you and engage most of your audience. Try to post that content format often and obtain the maximum benefits.
#3. Leverage The Power Of Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the best ways that help increase your discoverability on Instagram. If you use some relatable and popularly searched hashtags on your posts, users will be able to find more about your brand organically. It will help you reach the right audience who are interested in your content.
Before using hashtags in your post, you should look for the popular ones on the platform. Find some hashtags that other influencers and content creators in your industry are using. Also, look for hashtags that are specific to your industry and also the most searched.
Using the right mix of hashtags will help you attain the desired organic reach, and attract more audience. Hashtags are proven to be the most potent way of increasing your brand awareness organically.
#4. Implement User-Generated Content
Leveraging User-Generated content has a great potential to attract more attention and leads to your sales funnel. This type of content refers to repurposing the content that is already created by your followers, where they share their experience with your brand.
User-generated content is becoming popular these days, as it helps your prospects understand the value your business imparts. It is also proven you generate more leads and almost 5x better conversions as compared to any other content form. User-generated content vouches for your brand, and people tend to connect more.
To encourage more followers to create content, you can host contests and campaigns. It helps create the much-needed hype for your brand, and a wide range of people get to know your brand.
#5. Be Regular With Posting Stories
Each time you post a story, your account appears at the top of the Instagram feed for your followers. At times, Instagram sends a notification to your followers that there is a story posted from your account. This way, there are fewer chances of your audience missing out on your story.
Also, since stories are not viewed without opening them, it creates eagerness in your audience to open and view the content. The content format is made highly interactive and helps engage audiences better.
Hence, you should be regular with posting stories so that your reach increases without putting in money. Usually, they are visible for 24 hours, but you can save them to the highlights section so that they are visible forever until you remove them.
#6. Run Contests And Promotions
Another effective way to attract an audience to your Instagram account is by hosting promotions and contests. Who doesn't like to win prizes? And so on, such a content format, you will receive way more engagement.
Furthermore, it will elevate your brand’s visibility to a great extent. The offerings of your contest should align with your brand so that you attract valuable leads. You will have a lot of entrants who are interested in your product, and this way, they may also keep coming back.
#7. Use Influencer Marketing
You can also leverage influencer marketing to increase the reach of your brand. Look for influencers who promote products in your niche, so that you get to reach your target audience. If major influencers charge money for promotions, you can attain benefits from the power of micro-influencers.
Before connecting with influencers, you should check whether their audience is engaged and active. Don't get fooled only by the numbers on their profile since you will need an engaged audience who interact with influencers’ posts and, as a result, your brand.
#8. Consistency Is The Key
For organic reach and growth, consistency is something on which you shouldn't compromise. You should plan well with your content calendar and also the quality of posts. Maintaining consistency in posts will keep your audience waiting for the next drop.
Also you should also be consistent with the content quality. Since the competition is high, you need to stand out from the competition by creating compelling content.
#9. Post At The Best Times
According to the platform, posting at night helps brands and influencers get more organic growth. As soon as you publish some content on Instagram, higher engagement on it is received within the first hour itself. However, it also appears on your feed later.
While many suggest different time slots for different days of the week to post content, experts say that anytime before or after work hours should work better. For weekends, from morning through afternoon is the best time to post. Experiment with different time slots to find the perfect spot.
#10. Utilize Instagram Reels
Video marketing is the talk of the marketing industry these days, and it is already helping a lot of businesses go leaps and bounds. Reels are an effective way of increasing your organic Instagram reach. Almost 91% of Instagram users are watching reels on the platform daily.
By the numbers, you can understand how beneficial it can be for your brand to post reels. You can create reels around different topics aligning with your brand so that it attracts a good audience base. Through reels, you can announce a sale, create how-to videos or, share some tips/tricks, let your audience know about the launch of a new product, etc.
You should keep your brand’s objective in mind to posting reels. Also, you should add relevant captions every time you post a reel so that viewers understand what it is about and is accessed easily, even without sound.
#11. Understand Analytics
Monitoring the numbers of your performance will help you understand how well your posts and profile are performing. It helps you better optimize your planning and strategies about what you should be following. Analytics gives insights beyond imagination.
It will help you understand what type of content is loved by your audience more and what is engaging them. You can also determine the peak hours when most of your audience is online to leverage the benefits. Analytics is the key to perfecting your strategy for organic growth.
Benefits Of Organic Instagram Growth!
Since so much work is involved in growing your Instagram account organically, asking about the benefits is a fair question. We drill down through the long-term benefits that you will obtain on Instagram.
#1. Attract More Potential Customers
One of your aims on Instagram is to reach more people and attract the maximum number of potential customers. Organic growth will help you reach an audience who are interested in your brand and may convert.
#2. Enhance Your Profile’s Integrity
When people find your content or brand intriguing, they will follow your account to stay updated with future posts. Your visitors will spot the hike in your follower count and know that your brand is providing something valuable. This is how organic growth helps increase brand value and integrity.
Furthermore, when these legitimate users will interact with your profile, it heightens the engagement rate, too. This further helps increase the credibility and authenticity of your brand.
#3. Increase And Safeguard Profile Engagement
As already discussed, the more followers you have, the more will be the engagement rate. Moreover, when the follower count of your profile grows organically and sustainably, the engagement rate is comparatively higher.
#4. Account Security
Organic growth nurtures your profile and helps increase authenticity. When you grow your profile organically, it is secured, and the platform will not shut down.
At times, when the algorithm suspects an Instagram account, it temporarily disables it, but accounts with organic growth are steered clear of all suspicious activities.
Is It Difficult To Achieve Organic Instagram Growth?
No, with the help of a few tricks and tips, you can quickly seek long-pasting organic Instagram growth. The crucial thing to remember when posting on social media is that your content should provide some value. There are plenty of ways that will help you grow your Instagram strategy.
Right from revamping your hashtag game to partnering with micro-influencers to posting quality content consistently, these will take you a long way ahead. Moreover, these days, the profile feed of every user is bombarded with sponsored posts so much that they look for organic posts.
Having said that, you can easily grow organically by posting quality content consistently. Also, keep engaging with your audience so that your posts get maximum reach. Developing a lasting and rewarding relationship with your audience will enable them to appreciate your brand.
Without spending on ads, organic growth will help increase your customer base and also achieve goals quickly.
The Importance Of Organic Growth For Your Brand On Instagram!
The organic growth of a brand on Instagram is used to measure its success in building relationships. A successful organic growth strategy will help maintain a high engagement rate for your profile.
Let us see why organic growth is becoming important day by day.
#1. Improved Brand Credibility
Through organic growth strategies, you will attract high-value users to your account, and these people are more likely to convert. Additionally, organic growth leads to healthy results and increased interactions. It adds to your brand credibility, making it look intriguing.
#2. Results That Last Long
Organic growth strategies help cultivate results and relationships that last long. Over time, more people discover your content, and if found engaging, share it with others, too. It helps build sustainable relationships and also customer loyalty.
#3. Monetization Opportunities
When the engagement rate is high on your profile, the algorithm pushes your content in front of more people. It helps increase the watch hours and views on your videos. Heightened watch hours make your profile eligible for monetization.
#4. Reduced Spending On Advertisement
With organic growth, you are already reaching the masses and, so there is no need to spend money on advertisements. Organic strategies are a cost-effective way of reaching your target audience. These methods don't require any kind of financial investment.
In addition to the best practices discussed above, the analytics section of your Instagram account will work as a catalyst for organic growth. Let’s see how you can give a sharper edge to your organic growth strategy.
Utilize Analytics and Grow On Instagram Organically In 2024
For business accounts, Instagram provides an analytics section from where you can track your progress. Furthermore, you can determine what is working right for your brand, and whatnot. See what posts brought in more traffic versus the ones that didn't receive much engagement.
If you notice peaks on certain days, see what content was posted and the engagement rate it reaped. The stats will help refine your future strategy, and you can incorporate more such posts to gain traction. Organic growth is about teaching every single post in your schedule with full planning.
Also, from the analytics section, check when most of your audience is online. We recommend scheduling posts around those hours for more visibility. Organic strategies are more robust than paid tricks.
The Bottom Line
Instagram is one of the most effective channels when it comes to marketing your business online. All you need is the implementation of smart moves to gain momentum and grow your profile organically. Getting ahead of the competition is no rocket science; instead, you need consistency and patience.
All the methods mentioned above are tried and will bring results a sure shot. Focus on the tops and tricks, and slowly track the progress your profile starts making. Analyze the impact that the strategies are making on your profile so that you can refine them further for better results.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What is the best way to organically grow my Instagram account?
The best way to grow your profile organically on Instagram is to post content regularly and engage with your audience whenever possible. Also, posting at the right time is the key so that you get maximum reach in front of the right set of audience.
Furthermore, you should optimize your posts according to the insights gathered from the analytics section. Be social on the platform to build your brand.
#2. Can I successfully grow my Instagram account?
Yes, growing your Instagram account is easy when you follow a strategic approach and put in consistent efforts. Without spending hefty amounts on advertisements, you can leverage the organic growth strategies and cultivate results better than what is expected.
Create high-quality, highly engaging content that aligns with your brand and also resonates with your target audience.
#3. How can I get noticed on Instagram?
Each Instagram account is different, and for you to get noticed, we recommend trying different strategies and understanding what is working better. Initially, you will have to rely on some trial and error to add value to your posts.
Build a great content strategy by mixing different content formats and cross-promoting them on different platforms. Also, you can work with some micro-influencers in the initial stage to get visibility on Instagram.
#4. Can I get 1k likes on Instagram?
Yes, you can get 1k likes on your posts and even more if you post attractive and appealing content. You also need to understand the preferences of your audience, their demographics, and interests.
When you create content tailored to their taste, you can easily reach the 1k likes milestone and also beyond. Moreover, more content display means more likes, and also followers.
#5. Will the organic growth on Instagram help monetize my Instagram reels?
Yes, there are specific criteria that your accounts need to meet to be eligible for monetization. If you meet the requirements organically, you can apply for your account’s monetization.
In fact, at any point in your growth journey, you can apply for Instagram monetization. Only a few hundred loyal and active followers will help you earn some money on the platform. Hence, from the beginning, cultivate a genuine following.
#6. How can I use Instagram stories for growth?
Yes, experts say that when marketing campaigns have story ideas included in them, they perform better than the ones that don't have stories incorporated. After posting stories, you can also go through the analytics of your profile to drive conclusions about its performance.
Instagram stories increase your brand’s reach and also more and more people get to know about your offerings. Stories are highly effective and help attract attention better than other content types.
#7. Will Instagram reels help build my profile?
Instagram reels are another great way of attracting your target audience to your profile. After you start posting reels regularly, you will notice that the number of views of your posts and also stories increases. Reels will take you a long way and also help with organic growth.
Reels on Instagram are one content type with better organic reach and hence help increase engagement. Interacting with the audience through reels delivers unexpected results and growth.
#8. Can I build brand awareness for free on Instagram?
The organic growth of your Instagram profile is building your brand awareness for free on Instagram. Boosting your follower count is one of the most innovative ways of increasing your brand awareness. The best part is that you can achieve it without investing in ads.
Using the right combination of hashtags by posting consistently and engaging with your followers will help increase reach and, ultimately, brand awareness.
#9. Is organic reach on Instagram lower?
No, organic reach is substantial and can deliver better results than advertisements. It is just that advertisements deliver results quickly, whereas organic reach takes time. The rate of sponsored content on the platform has increased so much that it becomes a bit difficult to cut through the competition.
However, there is an upside to this, too, that users want to see more organic content, which is why you can never fail when growing organically.
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