Social media has become a must have for any business’ marketing plan and Whitsett Maxie Creative has taken full advantage of these powerful marketing tools, especially Instagram. Our team decided long ago that we would not purchase followers, likes, or any other unauthentic metric. But instead, we would focus on the real: real connection, real interaction, and real community. These are the secrets to how to gain your first 5k followers in 6 months on Instagram.

#1 Choose the Right Content and Style

We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but it is actually worth about 60,000. The human eye processes visual content around 60,000 times faster than plain text. In fact, it only takes around 13 milliseconds. This is why choosing the right content is so important to building a real, engaged following on Instagram or any social media platform. And to choose the right content, you first must understand what your brand should authentically post, what naturally attracts your ideal follower and what style will keep them coming back for more. This step will take some thought and effort on your part but will pay off in real engaged Instagram followers.

For the most part, there are a few types of images that work effectively in most industries: posters with inspirational or humorous quotes, quality “behind the scenes” content, and informational graphics. Partnering highly valuable content with a distinct style that builds your brand recognition is the most effective strategy to gain real, engaged Instagram followers.

Remember, Instagram is known for being a highly visual platform and providing a completely different user experience than that of other platforms, like Facebook or Twitter.

Question to ask; “What is it about this image that will make my ideal follower do more than just scroll on by?”

If you can’t answer it, you need to rethink the content.

#2 Consistently Share Your Brand Story

People are more likely to follow who they connect with and do business with those they trust. The secret to building true connection and trust is by being consistent with sharing your brand story. Sharing your story on a steady basis gives ample opportunities for first time visitors to “stumble upon” it and gives returning visitors a deeper connection with your brand and its mission.

#3 Choosing the Right Hashtags

Hashtags are an effective way to bring new eyes on an Instagram account. By choosing the right ones, your business can leverage something with existing influence or popularity to help your brand gain exposure. When choosing hashtags, be careful to utilize ones that are related to your brand, products, services, or niche.

Question to ask; “If someone finds this post when searching for this hashtag, will they be interested enough to click through, or will they be disappointed since there’s no clear connection to the hashtag?”

#4 Become an Expert Thief

Now that we have your attention, let us explain. One of the fastest ways to grow a truly engaged audience of real Instagram followers is by stealing (or borrowing might be a better word) followers from influencers and businesses in your niche. Follow this simple, yet powerful roadmap for growing your following.

1. Locate some leading Instagram accounts in your niche.
2. Follow them and turn on your notifications (don’t skip this step as it assures you don’t miss an opportunity to connect with followers).
3. Leave thoughtful, multiple line comments on at least 10 post daily. Make sure to also answer questions that others may ask in the thread.
4. Repeat

By showing up each day in your ideal follower’s feed, you build a real connection and become a trusted voice in their day.

#5 Always Include a Call to Action

Every micro-conversion your brand evokes from your potential customer moves them further down the sales funnel and closer to a purchase. The same is true for converting a visitor into 5k Instagram followers in 6 months. Whitsett Maxie Creative includes strong calls to action to encourage people to follow us, like our posts, or comment in the thread. By adding in a call to action, Instagram users are around 25% more likely to follow through on that action than without it.

Instead of always asking visitors to “like” or “double-tap” your post, get creative, and use relevant CTAs that play on your brand’s voice, style, and niche. For example, a Yoga instructor could as for visitors to share their funniest yoga class story or a productivity consultant can ask viewers to DM them with questions about a particular tip they’ve shared.

The Future of Marketing

Social media is not just the current marketing landscape, but the future. With the consumers wanting more transparency, connection, and access to businesses, social media is here to stay.

Whitsett Maxie Creative is here to support you and your business as you navigate the digital frontier. Contact us today to set up a consultation to discover how our customizable services can meet your needs.