Spring Business Owners: How to Build a Strong Instagram Following

Knowing who your audience is

First you should find out who is on the other side of the screen. You need to know your people not just the numbers. You can find out the age gender and interests of your audience by looking at Instagram Insights. This isn't just another task for your dashboard it's detective work that lets you see who is looking at your feed and why.

Give it some thought. You wouldn't have a Mexican themed dinner party if all of your guests wanted Italian food would you? To find out who your Instagram followers are you need to make a dinner menu. You should make sure that what you write is what your readers want to read. Your brand's look values and way of life are just as important as the products it sells.

Instagram tools like Sprout Social can help you learn more about your audience. This can help you not only gather data but also understand it. When you know what makes them interested your content will naturally start to attract the right people.

Writing things that are fun to read

What do you give your audience after you get to know them? Content that is interesting. First impressions are important on Instagram because it is a visual platform. Your pictures should be bright clear and sharp. But don't just look at the nice pictures. Good content either tells a story or gets people talking.

Think of it as plating like dinner. Would you like a plate with a dry piece of chicken on it? No right? The situation and how something is shown are very important. Every post should also have your brand's voice and story. Sometimes seeing things from behind the scenes makes them seem more real.

User generated content is worth its weight in gold. People will always trust other customers more than they will trust ads. Ask your customers to tell their own stories about your products. It brings people together. Check out Instagram's own guide to find out more about how to make interesting pictures.

It's important to be consistent

Content and timing go hand in hand. If you only water a plant once in a while it won't grow. You need to talk to your audience on a regular basis. When you post is just as important as how often you do it. You wouldn't post about working out in the morning at night would you?

This is based on science. Make sure your schedule fits in with when your audience is most likely to be online. For instance tools like Later can help you plan your posts ahead of time so you never miss the best time to post.

Sticking to a schedule is important but so is being consistent with your brand message and look. A well organized feed will not only look professional but it will also be easy to find right away.

Talking to each other for real

You aren't the only one who uses social media. Engagement is just as important as the posts themselves and it has to be real. Instead of thinking about followers think about the people you know.

Answer your followers' comments and questions honestly as soon as you can. Always use their names thank them for their feedback and make your messages as personal as you can. Don't treat them like just another face in the crowd talk to them like they're a real person who just walked into your store. According to "3 Body Problem" Ending Explained All Your Questions Answered real interactions on Instagram make people more likely to like your posts and stay loyal over time.

Questions and polls on Instagram People can talk to each other through stories. These are easy ways to show that you care about what they think. If you seem real and easy to talk to people are more likely to care about your brand.

Using hashtags and working together

Let's talk about visibility last but not least. Hashtags aren't just a trend they're a way to discover new things. You can reach people who are interested in your content but don't know about it if you use the right hashtags. Finding the right balance is important if you have too few you miss out and if you have too many you feel spammy.

Choose hashtags that show what your brand is like and what your audience might be interested in. You can use RiteTag and other tools to find popular and effective hashtags that fit your content.

People can find you with hashtags but working with others makes you more visible. Collaborate with people or businesses that share your brand's values. You don't have to do anything big. You could co host a virtual event or share guest content. Make sure that whatever it is helps both groups of people and brings your community closer together.

To get a lot of followers on Instagram you can't just look for quick wins. It's important to really connect with your audience post useful content often and talk to them in a real way. These strategies that focus on people are not only popular but they also work and will always work in the digital world which is always changing. Happy spring cleaning on Instagram! May your followers grow as brightly as the season!