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Instagram has been one of the fastest growing social media platforms for well over two years now. Even with the release of other similar image-based sharing apps like Snapchat, Instagram still reins king of social connection.

Growing a strong following on Instagram is by no means “easy”, but it can be more manageable if you are willing to put in the time to build your tribe. It is often said that the number of followers a person has on social media is not a correlation to how much money that person actually makes through their followers. Although this is true, there is still some truth in numbers. If you have a loyal audience on social media, you will be able to direct that traffic and those views to your website, which, if built correctly will convert into sales. It is definitely worth the time investment as customers are turning more and more to social media for products and services versus searching the internet.

Here are 4 must haves to growing your Instagram to 1000 in the next 2 weeks.

1) Direct bio

Curating a specific, engaging bio will often mean the difference in between gaining a follower or only having your profile looked at but not followed. Your bio is the area right below your picture and should say exactly who you are, what you do and who you do it for. This is often the second thing people look at on your profile after your profile picture and if you have written something vague or confusing they may back out and go follow someone else. Do not be afraid to be clear about your intentions. Whether they say it or not, people like to know what they are getting themselves into.

2) Clear niche

Everyone is not your customer. A niche is an area of focus or expertise that you have in your market. You need to be specific about your specialties and abilities. Similar to what I said above, your bio should be direct and if it is, your niche should be included.
For example, if you are a fitness trainer you could choose to specialize in one of the following niches;

• Post-partum fitness
• Fitness over 40
• Professional Athletes
• Prospective draft players for college teams
• Women

3) Strong branded posts

After someone visits your profile and they view your profile picture, and bio they will be looking through your posts to see if what you are selling/ posting applies to their life. We all want to follow profiles that we feel connected to. Even if your message is good, if your profile isn’t cohesively branded subconsciously the message may not even matter. It is important to keep either a consistent color palette, consistent style, or even a consistent filter usage. In the mind of a prospective follower consistency means “I can depend on this person/ brand”.

4) Interaction and transparency

Last but certainly not least.  Interaction and transparency is where most users fall short in gaining followers. In order to gain real life followers you will need to be active. The Instagram algorithm is more likely to show your posts if you are truly engaging with people. Keep in mind that no matter what your intention is the motive of the app is to be more social and any profile that is doing so will be favored. Interact with users by following, liking and commenting on posts. Being you is key. Users will respect you more for being transparent.
Sure, you can always buy followers, but why would you want a ton who won’t even interact, care or most importantly buy from you. The effort you put in to growing your profile will be the same result that you receive. Remember, it is quality over quantity.

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