So you’ve already set up your Instagram Account for Business and started to get free Instagram followers. But now you’re wondering how to grow Instagram followers organically. 

With more than 1 billion people using Instagram every month, Instagram is where it’s at for businesses. And you need to get in on the action! 

You can use Instagram to grow your business. Or you could even turn your Instagram account into a business by getting paid sponsorship opportunities when you have enough followers. #goals

But you need a sustainable Instagram growth strategy to be able to get to that level. And that’s where these 10 easy tips for how to grow your Instagram followers organically come in.

Keep these tips in mind every time you’re on Instagram or planning your content. They’ll keep you on track to naturally grow your Instagram following.

10 Tips for How To Grow Instagram Followers Organically

Instagram can feel overwhelming at times. But there are basic things you can do to stay on top of your Instagram growth strategy. Stick with these easy tips to quickly attract more real Instagram followers!

1. Be Consistent

This is probably the #1 thing you can do to grow your Instagram followers organically. I’ll be honest, I struggle with posting consistently myself. But it makes such a difference in your post engagement as well as with getting new Instagram followers. 

Set a goal for yourself and stick with it. You can start with posting just a few photos a week. Then eventually increase to 1 post per day. Creating a schedule for when you post can also help keep you on track.

According to Tailwind, “Tailwind members that share one post per day double their follower growth rate.”

You can use the Tailwind auto posting feature to post at peak times and schedule posts to automatically be published to Instagram. This is a fantastic way to stay on top of your Instagram game and post consistently!

Not sure what to post? You can also get a personalized Content Plan with Tailwind, use free stock photos, preview how your photos will look in the grid, and also get hashtag and caption suggestions.

Use Tailwind for FREE with the Free Forever plan!

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get a Personalized Content Plan with Tailwind

customize your Personalized Content Plan with Tailwind

schedule your posts in advance, use free stock photos, and also get hashtag and caption suggestions with Tailwind

preview how your Instagram feed grid will look with Tailwind

2. Be Intentional with Your Posts

Instagram is all about photos. So you want to be intentional with the photos you use in your Instagram feed. Don’t post photos with bad lighting.

And don’t post random photos of your dog or meal if they don’t fit with your branding. You need to post quality photos that are aesthetically pleasing to your audience and in line with your brand. This will help you grow your Instagram followers organically.

Keep your design consistent by using a theme, whether that’s colors, quotes, photo subjects, etc.
Lightroom photo filters are perfect for creating a cohesive look for the photos in your Instagram feed. They’re inexpensive and worth the minimal investment!

Use Canva to design visually appealing posts as well as stories and story highlight covers. There are tons of free Instagram post templates and fonts you can use. And with a Canva Pro account, you get access to thousands of premium stock photos!

Rather than using one template at a time with Canva (which can get tedious), another option is to purchase ready-made Instagram post bundles with hundreds of customizable templates included! Creative Market has thousands of them!

Then use a scheduling app like Tailwind to preview how your posts will look together before posting them. Rather than posting 2 back-to-back selfies, try breaking them up with other photos in-between to keep things balanced.

Tailwind for Instagram Grid Preview

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3. Post Engaging Content

Engagement, engagement, engagement! I’m going to harp on engagement and mention it numerous times throughout this post because it’s key for growing Instagram followers organically.

You need to get your audience to engage with you by participating with your posts. It helps to invite them to engage with you by telling them what you want them to do with your post. For example:

• Ask a specific question and tell them to answer in the comments below
• Tell them to double-tap if they like your post or can relate to it themselves

Let them know exactly how you want them to engage. Tell a story, share something personal, show them behind-the-scenes. Give them something they can connect with, something that will make them want to be involved with your post.

4. Actively Participate & Interact

Instagram wants people using the platform and rewards those who do so. So you need to show up on Instagram. You can do this by actively participating and interacting with others.

Set a goal for yourself and schedule time to be on Instagram. For example, set aside 15 minutes first thing in your morning schedule to comment on at least 3-5 posts by other people. 

And be sure to reply to comments on your posts. If someone took the time to write a comment on one of my posts, I like to take the time to show them that I read it and appreciate it. If you acknowledge their comment, they’re more likely to also comment on future posts of yoursl.

By interacting with other people’s content, your content may be shown by Instagram more. This is how to grow Instagram followers organically. Some people also say it helps to be active on Instagram by liking and commenting on other people’s posts 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after you post something.

5. Use Hashtags

You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram. So why not use all 30 to maximize your post reach? If you think your posts look cluttered with that many hashtags, you can include the hashtags in your first post comment. That way they’re out of sight.

When it comes to which hashtags to use, you want to use popular hashtags that your target audience is using and searching. But you don’t want to use hashtags that have so many uses, your post gets lost in them.

If you search a hashtag, and it’s been used in millions of posts, chances are your post with that hashtag is not going to be seen. You’re better off using hashtags with roughly 100k posts (give or take).

Also, be sure to mix up your hashtags from post to post. You don’t want to use the same 30 over and over again. Otherwise, you risk being marked as spam and having to deal with the Instagram Shadowban. Instead, use relevant hashtags for each post.

6. Use Instagram Stories

I’ll admit, I haven’t used Instagram Stories much myself. But they’re on my to-do list! Stories have quickly become one of the best ways for how to grow Instagram followers organically. 

And with 500 million people using Stories every day, they’re definitely worth focusing your Instagram efforts on.

Stories are a fantastic way to create engagement with your audience. Use them to go live or create polls with stickers, including emoji sliders, questions, quizzes, and chat.

And while you’re at it, get creative with your Stories by using fun hacks to stand out. Not sure how to get started with Stories or what to post? I’ve gotchu boo!

Try pre-made Canva templates or purchase Instagram Story Templates. You can customize them to your brand by changing the photos, text, font, colors, and more.

You can also use Tailwind to schedule your Stories in advance to post automatically later. Scheduling your Instagram Stories will help you stay consistent!

And once you reach 10k Instagram followers, you can include links in your Stories to drive traffic to your blog or online shop with Instagram!

BTW… Don’t forget to use hashtags in your Stories. You can hide them behind an image or by making the font the same color as the background if it’s solid.

For more Instagram Stories tips, hacks, and strategies, this Ultimate Guide to Instagram Stories for Business has you covered!

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7. Follow Your Competitors Followers

This is extremely helpful for growing your Instagram followers organically! You want to follow people who are following accounts similar to yours (your “competitors”) in hopes that they’ll follow you back. 

If they like what your competitors are posting, chances are they’ll like your posts too! This is your target audience, the people who could end up being your die-hard fans to grow your Instagram account.

But you have to be strategic about who exactly you follow. Don’t start following every single person who’s following your competitors. You’ll end up following way more people than are following you. And that can make you look desperate. You don’t want that.

So to find your competitors and figure out which of their followers you should start following, check out my strategy for How to Get Free Instagram Followers: Gain 500+ New Instagram Followers in 1 Week!

8. Give Your Followers What They Want

Have you noticed that certain posts of yours seem to do better than others? If not, then you should start paying attention to your posts’ engagement!

For example, I love landscape photography and like to show off the beautiful places I’ve been. But I noticed that landscape photos with me in them tend to get more likes and comments than photos without me. So I try to post photos of myself every few posts.

I also noticed that photos of mine with longer captions seem to get more comments. When I tell a story and ask my audience engaging questions, they’re more likely to respond with a comment.

So take note of what’s resonating with your audience to figure out how to grow Instagram followers organically. What kind of photos or captions are getting the most double-taps and replies? Post more of that kind of content to give your followers what they want!

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9. Do NOT Buy Followers

You want real Instagram followers who care about what you post and say, who will engage with your content, leave meaningful comments, and hopefully even become customers at some point. 

You’re not going to get that from buying fake followers, you’re just going to waste your money. Because you could have thousands of followers, but if your posts don’t get any likes or comments, those followers are going to be meaningless.

10. Do NOT Follow then Unfollow

Don’t follow someone, wait for them to follow you back, and then unfollow them. That’s just downright tacky (and shady). So don’t be that person. Plus, it won’t grow your Instagram followers organically.

But, if someone doesn’t follow me back after a while (especially if I’ve tried engaging with their content), then I’ll unfollow them. Mainly because there’s a limit as to how many people you can follow on Instagram (7,500 max to be exact). 

So I’d rather find new accounts to follow and follow people who also want to follow me. You can read more about my unfollow strategy here. In addition to the above tips, be sure to always follow the Instagram Community Guidelines.

For even more ways on how to grow your Instagram followers organically, check out HootSuite’s post How to Get More Followers on Instagram (the Real Way) with 35 ways to get followers on Instagram (for free).

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Wrapping Up How To Grow Instagram Followers Organically

When it comes to Instagram, you need to be intentional with what, when, and how you post. You also need to be strategic with who to follow on Instagram.

Use the tips you learned about here to stay on top of your Instagram game. They’ll help you gradually and continuously grow your Instagram followers the organic way. 

Stick to these basic strategies, and you’re sure to see your Instagram account thrive. Remember, consistency and engagement are key when it comes to Instagram!

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