Are you interested in gaining genuine followers for your Instagram account in ways that don’t involve paying for followers? I managed to grow my account from 2 followers (yes really) to over 14,000 and counting! Here’s some ways you can grow your Instagram account that have worked for me.
Hashtags I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but hashtags are absolutely key. You have to take them very seriously. Do the maximum 30 hashtags per post. Mix up the hashtags you use from post to post, but keep an eye on which tags are really helping you gain exposure. I have first hand experience on the importance of hashtags. Early on in my Instagram account, I thought I was using the correct hashtags, but I wasn’t gaining followers or getting many likes. I had been following a fellow Harry Potter account and noticed the impressive amount of likes and engagement the account always managed to get compared to my account. So, I studied some of the tags being used that I wasn’t using and included a few on my next post. At the time, getting 100 likes was good for me, 200+ likes was rare and astonishing. With that one post, my likes exploded to almost 400. Hashtags are imperative! look at successful accounts that are similar to yours to see which hashtags really get traffic.
The post that exploded:
View this post on Instagram
Good content I don’t think you need to have the absolute best content to gain followers. I’ve posted photos I thought were incredibly mediocre and received thousands of likes for them, versus photos I spent twenty minutes setting up that get a few hundred likes. However, a level of quality is needed to really grow. You don’t need tons of money, but a creative eye. Above all, create photos you enjoy yourself, and that will shine through.
Bring something new to the table You don’t have to remake the wheel, but give something your own little twist and watch your content explode! Almost always on my most liked posts I’ve posted either a picture of rarer Harry Potter merchandise
View this post on Instagram
or done something somewhat unique in how I presented my photos.
View this post on Instagram
Often on these posts people will comment and ask where I got the item, or say how they’ve never seen someone with a display quite like mine! Don’t let this paralyze you, your account doesn’t have to be entirely fresh and special, but keep in mind people want to see something that catches their attention.
Study similar accounts Don’t copy what others are doing, but there’s nothing wrong with looking at popular accounts and taking inspiration from them. Take some aspects that you like and make it your own.
Follow people back Especially when you start out, follow back accounts you like that are similar to yours. Later on you can be a little more picky but this is a vital first step to gain followers. It’s almost impossible to grow your account without following people back. When you’re more established with a lot of followers, I still recommend following back from time to time. I follow accounts I find aspirational, people who like my posts a lot, people who post my account on their Instagram stories, and people who comment on my posts frequently. You want to show your appreciation to your most enthusiastic and helpful followers.
Interact with your followers Don’t just post and walk away, respond to comments! Post other people’s content in your Instagram stories. Leave comments on other people’s posts. Respond to DM’s though beware, you’ll get a lot of weird ones no matter what you do.
Use Instagram stories While I prefer the Instagram feed to the Instagram stories, when you don’t use Instagram stories you leave out a huge percentage of your audience! Try to post in Instagram stories 1-2 times daily. Even when I don’t have anything original of my own to post I highlight posts from other accounts I enjoy. Don’t forget to use a hashtag and tags on your stories as well.
Giveaways I had plans to do a giveaway at 10,000 but didn’t due to the virus that must not be named, but giveaways are a great way to gain followers. Make sure you say the person has to follow your account to qualify, and bonus entries for stories or feed posts is a good idea to increase your exposure as well.
Use an app for stats I use app “followers” to keep track of my Instagram stats. It’s really handy to see who isn’t following you back/who has unfollowed you, who engages with your content the most, and who engages the least. It’s not a free app but I find it to be worth it. This is also a good way to keep track of who is following you for giveaways and then unfollowing you right after.
Keep an eye on what works No matter how much you might love a post yourself, sometimes it just doesn’t work for your followers. I run a Harry Potter fan account, and three of my absolute favorite genres of posts are funkos in fun foreign locales
View this post on Instagram
and myself awkwardly holding a wand in beautiful places
View this post on Instagram
and photos of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
View this post on Instagram
Once in a while those photos are a hit with my followers, like the three posted above, but in general, they receive
Instead, I have discovered that shelfies of my collection, my collection arranged in artful ways, and shots of various merch are the most popular things I post. So while I still occasionally post photos of the first three things just because I love them, they don’t help my stats or my following.
Post at your best times of day I’ve discovered the things I post midday almost always flop. Generally either very early in the day posts or very late in the day posts get the most likes for me. It’s all about when your followers and potential followers scroll through Instagram and like things.
Make your captions interesting, long, or interactive I’m not saying I excel at this, but your captions should be one of three things: interesting, long, or interactive. Perhaps all of the above! You want people to spend time reading your captions and/or commenting on your posts. Both of these things are good for your Instagram algorithms and boost your following and likes.
Update: I initially wrote this blog a few years ago. I would since like to add the following tip.
Use instagram reels I know a lot of us prefer overall the instagram pictures or stories to the reels, but reels are currently the way to get followers, likes, and exposures. It’s just the way it is with the instagram algorithms at the moment. The ones I see blowing up and going semi viral are often funny, clever, or show a lot of merchandise or experiences. (Again, I’m just talking about the Harry Potter instagram universe, as that’s what I know. I assume this translates across instagram.) For me, I often post reels showing my new merch or Harry Potter locations I’ve visited. I’ve had huge success with advent calender reels in December. Don’t forget to use reels to really boost your impact. I’m definitely a work in progress when it comes to creating reels, but I have seen how they can increase your following first hand. Whenever I post a reel that goes semi-viral or even just a lot of likes I get a huge boost to amount of followers I have.
Another suggestion I have for reels is creating tutorials with them. This is my most popular reel to date, and it’s a tutorial for a blog craft:
View this post on Instagram
And lastly,
Use your account frequently Hopefully this helps with your account, and be patient! I’d have lulls and then explosions of followers. But as long as you continually plug away with some of my tips you will have success.
Are you enjoying my blog and are interested in how to support it? Click on my amazon affiliate links and purchase items you were planning on purchasing anyway! Also click on ads in my blog to help me fund future posts. 
