How to get more followers on your business Instagram

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With more than 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most essential social media platforms for marketers and business owners to connect with their audience.

If you’re new to the platform, you’re probably wondering how to get Instagram followers who are genuinely interested in what your business has to offer.

Growing your following takes time and attention, but there are a few things you can do right now to build your Instagram platform.

Let’s dive into the steps you can take to tap into your audience on Instagram and increase your follower count.

Table of Contents

How to Get More Followers on Instagram
The Best Instagram Apps to Get Followers

1. Don’t buy Instagram followers.

While many social influencers and major brands work hard to build an organic following, some choose to buy followers to increase their social reach and engagement.

Buying followers is cheap; some companies charge less than $5 for hundreds of followers.

However, buying followers and likes can severely damage your brand image and decrease engagement.

For example, Hootsuite created a fake Instagram account and bought 1,000 followers for as little as $15 to test how purchased followers influence audience engagement.

The company received some new followers over the course of a month, but the followers were fake, barely interacted with the content, and were unrelated to the brand.

Furthermore, you risk Instagram removing your account for violating their community guidelines if you buy fake followers.

Moreover, fake followers won’t buy your product or support your brand. Instead, focus on gaining authentic followers to increase your engagement and sales.

2. Create and optimize your Instagram account.

Your Instagram profile should tell your potential followers about your brand, what you do, and why they should follow you. Most importantly, your Instagram should be set up as a business account and not a regular personal account.

To set up a business account on Instagram, follow these steps. Once your business account is set up, you can optimize it to attract followers.

Username

As for your account’s name, start with a recognizable and easily searchable username — like your business name. If your business’ name is already taken, try keeping your business name as the first part of your username so people searching for your business are more likely to come across your account.

For example, the Australian activewear line Lorna Jane uses the username @lornajaneactive.

Pro tip: Make sure to add your full business name to the “Name” field by clicking “Edit Profile.” This will appear under your profile picture and your username in search.

Public Profile

Make sure your profile is public. To make your profile public, open Instagram, click on the gear icon to open “Options,” and make sure “Private Account” is turned off.