There are no definitive “growth hacks” for increasing your Instagram followers — but don't worry, there are still plenty of practical things you can do to build a solid growth strategy that actually works.
Building a meaningful Instagram presence takes intention, consistency, and a solid understanding of how people discover and connect with content today.
I have tested a lot of growth strategies over the years and seen firsthand what really works, what burns you out, and what actually fuels growth over time. In this article, I'll walk you through x strategies I'd use to grow my account intentionally from the ground up.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow beyond a plateau, the tactics below focus on sustainable, organic growth — the kind that compounds over time.
Let's get into them all.
1. Get clear on your goals before chasing growth
Before thinking about follower counts, take a step back and clarify what role Instagram plays in your bigger picture. Having a clear idea of where Instagram fits into your overall social media marketing strategy will not only help you gain more followers, but also help you get more relevant content ideas for Instagram.
But how do you create an Instagram growth strategy?
Step 1: Get clear on your goals
Instead of learning how to get more followers on Instagram, step back and reflect on what you plan to do with your follower count.
Do you want to build a personal brand? Or raise brand awareness for your company? Perhaps you want to drive website traffic. Maybe you want to collect more user-generated content.
Whatever it is, define it clearly — with measurable milestones — to put intention behind your Instagram strategy. Clarifying your goal dictates the content you post and calls to action, and keeps your Instagram feed on-brand.
Step 2: Get a 360-view of your target audience
Knowing the basic demographics is crucial. But also go beyond that and deeply understand what your audience struggles with and how you can help them resolve their challenges using your Instagram content strategy.
Next, get a 360-degree view of your ideal follower. I would start by clarifying three simple things.
- Who am I talking to?
- What am I helping them with?
- And what do I want them to feel when they land on my profile?
This will allow you to create content that truly resonates with your community — helping you gain more Instagram followers.
Natasha Pierre — creator and host of the Shine Online Podcast — says losing sight of your ideal follower in exchange for virality is the single biggest mistake creators make.
“People often focus so much on going viral and reaching as many people as possible that they lose sight of the ideal follower they're trying to reach,” she says.
“You could go viral today, and if you're reaching mostly the wrong people, chances are it won't result in them following you. [Even if they do], it would lead to Instagram followers who aren’t engaged.”
“Taking the time to reflect on who your ideal follower is will help you create specific-to-them content, which will not only result in better growth but quality new followers.”
Step 3: Define your brand voice and aesthetic
Even if you’re a creator and not a company, it’s worth crafting a social media marketing voice that’s uniquely you, so Instagram users can identify your posts without seeing the username.
Brand voice is hard to track or quantify, but it’s non-negotiable to be memorable. On Instagram, you can also define your aesthetic along with your brand voice. Use brand colors, stick to a consistent content theme, and have a personality.
Step 4: Create content pillar themes and stick to them
Decide on a niche for your Instagram account. Have a few overarching topics you’ll post about, and don’t deviate from them too much. This has many benefits:
- You don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel for brainstorming great content ideas
- Your Instagram community starts recognizing you for the type of content you create
- You don’t get distracted by the new, shiny thing, and keep revising your Instagram strategy
2. Optimize your Instagram bio
When you think of how to get more followers on Instagram, you might not think of the Instagram bio. But the bio is a crucial part of your Instagram feed — it gives people a high-level view of what you do, what you post about, and what they can expect by becoming part of your journey.
The skincare company, Kinship, is an excellent example of how to ace the Instagram bio.
They use the right Instagram category for their account (health/beauty) to instantly establish their niche. Following this is one line about their brand mentions, another about what they sell, and the last one about their strongest features. They’ve also added multiple links for their Instagram followers to tap on and learn more.
Here are the elements you need to nail for the perfect Instagram bio:
- A descriptive category
- A straightforward description of what you do and/or what you sell
- A touch of brand personality
- Links that leads somewhere useful, like your website or a Buffer Start Page
Want to show up in more searches?
The Instagram algorithm prioritizes search results containing keywords in the name and username. Add one or two keywords that describe what you do right in your name field or handle — think “vegan recipes” or “wedding photographer.” Those words act like SEO for Instagram, making it easier for the right people to find you.
For example, creator Hannah Hargrove has the keywords “Baby + Toddler Nutrition” on her Instagram account, right next to her name. Her username is also “tinyeatersnutrition” — these specifics instantly tell you what to expect from her Instagram account.
Instagram users searching for “toddler nutrition” will also find her account pop up in search (that’s how I found her!) — helping her gain more Instagram followers.
Just don't go overboard with keywords in your Instagram name field — it'll come across as spammy and water down their purpose. Use just a few phrases that tell people what your Instagram account is about.
🥡 Takeaway: The key to great Instagram bios is making them clear, creative, and complete. Anyone reading it should instantly know what you do or your company does, how it can help them, and where they can learn more.
3. Cross-promote your Instagram handle on other channels
Redirecting potential customers from other channels to your Instagram account is an easy way to gain more Instagram followers quickly — especially if you already have a strong presence on other social media platforms.
For example, at Buffer, we have our Instagram link on our website footer.
There are various ways to cross-promote to increase your follower count. Add your Instagram page’s link to:
- Your product packaging
- Your blogs (when relevant)
- Marketing and transactional emails
- Your website’s footer and/or sidebar
- Social media posts from team members
- Your and your employees’ email signature
- Bios on other social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube
- Networking events and webinars (Use your profile’s Instagram QR code for in-person events)
Cross-promotion will help you increase the probability of being in front of relevant users on Instagram. Existing followers from other social media platforms likely already know you and the kind of content you create — they’re quality followers; the ones who are most likely to enjoy and engage with your Instagram posts.
4. Post 3–5 times per week for consistent growth
When it comes to growing on Instagram, frequency does matter. Buffer’s data shows that posting 3–5 times per week is the sweet spot for reach and follower growth in 2026.
We analyzed over two million Instagram posts and found that accounts posting 3–5 times per week:
- Grow their followers 2× faster than accounts posting 1–2 times
- See 12% more reach per post on average
That’s a big payoff for just one or two extra posts a week.
Every post you share is another chance to reach new audiences
Remember, posting three times a week for three months will teach you more than planning for three weeks. If you want a shot at that golden ticket to virality, you have to enter the lottery as often as you can.
If you’re able to share more often — say 6–9 times weekly — that’s even better for growth. But if your time or creative energy is limited, aiming for 3–5 high-quality posts per week is a great, sustainable goal.
A smarter way to create more content sustainably
As creators or marketers, we often make the assumption that all of our followers have seen every single piece of content we create, but in reality, only a small portion of our audience will see a particular post.
So don't be shy to repurpose existing content. This doesn’t just mean repurposing content you’ve posted on other channels (though that is a great option, if you’re not doing that already), but also within the same platform. Don’t be afraid of tweaking content that performed well and sharing it again.
Some examples could be to turn a series of Instagram stories into a reel or an insightful caption into a poignant video. Here’s a great example of the latter from @stanforcreators:
Stay consistent with a content calendar
Another smart way to stick to consistent posting (on any platform) is to create a content calendar — a document sharing exactly what you need to post and when. If you’ve created and scheduled posts to go out in advance, you aren’t relying on inspiration alone to stick to your posting schedule.
What about trending content? Leave some gaps in your content calendar to mix both evergreen and trending content. This way, you have a healthy mix of both in your Instagram strategy.
If you want to level up even further, try blocking out time to create your posts in batches. Content batching is the method of creating social media posts in bulk so you can add them to your content calendar. Your future self will thank you. Instead of manually posting the posts in your content calendar, use Instagram scheduling tools like Buffer to automate the process.
You can't be everywhere all the time
To build a scalable system to grow on Instagram, you have to work smarter. To keep up with my posting frequency, I use the social media management tool Buffer to batch-create content ahead of time and give myself a longer content runway.
My content autopublishes when I'm offline, so I can unplug and recharge while growth continues in the background. I can also analyze my Instagram posts to track what's landing, schedule posts on multiple platforms, respond to comments, and crosspost to TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more — all from one dashboard.
5. Find your best times to post on Instagram
Posting when your followers are online gives your content a better shot at more reach. More reach means more chances to attract new followers.
According to our analysis of over two million Instagram posts, the best time to post on Instagram is generally between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.
If you want to dig deep into the numbers and how we arrived at these times, check out our YouTube video:
But if you want to understand when your followers are online, Instagram insights can tell you that in four simple steps:
- Open your Instagram app and navigate to insights using the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) on your account. If you’re on Instagram web, just click on “Dashboard.”
- Click on “Total followers” if you’re on the Instagram app or select “Account” if you’re on the web.
- Scroll down to the bottom of this page and look for “Most active times” to understand when your Instagram followers are online. You’ll be able to toggle between hours for every day of the week or look at specific days.
Want to take it up a notch? Use Buffer’s analytics to determine the best times to post, the best types of posts, and the best post frequency — all in one tab.
Buffer uses data from your previous posts and followers’ activity and organizes the numbers in a way that’s easy to understand.
Along with the time, also consider when your Instagram posts would be more relevant logically.
A step-by-step video recipe will perform better after working hours when people cook. On the other hand, coffee shop Instagram Stories might do better at the 2 p.m. afternoon slump.
Experiment with posting times to determine when you reach new audiences (and gain new followers!).
Now we’re moving on from the fundamental tips into intermediate territory. We recommend completing steps 1 through 6 before tackling the rest of this list.
6. Write compelling captions
It’s enticing to skimp on Instagram captions when you’ve toiled to create the perfect carousel or video. But Instagram captions hold more weight than you think: They can either nudge someone to follow you or scroll past you without looking.
Plus, the longer someone lingers on a post — particularly a reel — is a strong signal to the Instagram algorithm that your content holds value. So give folks something to read.
For example, wellness brand Cosmix doesn’t simply write, “shop on our website!” on its Instagram posts. It explained the ingredients used, how Cosmix products help specific issues, and mentions the studies that back up these claims.
Writing the perfect Instagram caption is about understanding your audience and the context of your post. If you’re writing an educational post, it makes sense to have a longer caption. But when you’re sharing an aesthetic product image, shorter is sweeter.
Similarly, also think about captions based on content formats: Instagram Stories need a shorter caption (or text on media) because your followers view them quickly, but carousel posts might need more context.
If coming up with cheeky captions isn’t your forte, try Buffer’s AI assistant to generate a rough first draft in seconds.
If you need more inspiration, Buffer also has a free template library to help you scour through hundreds of ideas for your captions and posts. You can also filter them based on post type (hot take, opinion, promotion, etc.), goal, format, and creator type (individual vs. business).
Whenever you’re in a creative slump about what to post and how to write a captivating caption, just go on to the template library and scroll until you find something interesting you can use!
Nail your call-to-action
What action are you hoping someone takes after consuming your content? What's the value being delivered in the end? Maybe you want them to listen to a podcast episode. Maybe you're crowdsourcing ideas, or maybe you're asking for their opinion on something.
Here are a few examples:
- Which tip was most helpful?
- Agree or disagree?
- Want a part two?
Invite your community in and create space for thoughtful action.
8. Use relevant hashtags, locations, and keywords
People often search for relevant keywords, hashtags, and locations to find the type of content they’re looking for. If you rank for these searches, you expose your Instagram content to potential followers.
Keywords
Use keywords related to your post (without stuffing them). Think of the phrases and words your audience might be using to search for the type of content you’re creating. Instagram picks up keywords from captions, visuals, and hashtags — so use the relevant keywords in all these places.
How do you find the relevant keywords? Run a search for the phrases you think your audience might use and see which keywords other brands are using. Instagram will also fill in related terms when you search for a broad keyword, just like on Google.
Hashtags
How many hashtags should you use? Instagram recommends using three to five relevant hashtags with every post. Mix popular and niche hashtags to increase your chances of ranking on the Explore page when someone searches for the hashtags in your niche. This will allow you to make the most of Instagram hashtags without cluttering your posts.
How do you find relevant hashtags? You can search niche hashtags to find popular Instagram hashtags related to your posts. You can also use hashtag generators like Buffer’s free hashtag generator to find relevant hashtags.
Simply share what your post is about, click on “Generate hashtags,” and Buffer will share a list of hashtags you can use.
Buffer can also help you curate a list of hashtags and organize them into groups using the hashtag manager. For example, make a group of product-specific hashtags and another for niche or industry-specific hashtags. Select from your pre-saved groups on Buffer and add hashtags to your scheduled Instagram posts with one click.
Location
For local discovery, add in a geotag as well. Tagging your city, neighborhood, or event space helps Instagram surface your post to people browsing that location — a simple step that can land your content on the Explore page for nearby users. This might also help your content surface in followers’ Friends Maps.
9. Understand your analytics
Regularly checking your Instagram analytics is key to understanding what’s helping you get more followers on Instagram.
You might find that your audience responds best to entertaining reels, but educational posts work best as carousels. Maybe you discover Instagram giveaways are best for engagement, but they don’t help you gain followers. Watch closely for those patterns and evolve your content strategy as you go.
Instagram has native analytics on its app, but they’re pretty limited. You can’t see your individual posts’ performance in a single window to analyze them side by side, nor can you handpick metrics important to you.
It’s better to use a third-party tool like Buffer’s analytics to get all the data at a glance and even make custom reports for stakeholders.
Which metric is the most important to track?
It depends on your Instagram goals and strategy. For example, if you’re testing a new hashtag, knowing the number of new followers is more important than tracking likes from your current followers. But if you’re experimenting with posting times, keeping an eye on impressions is more important.
I like to focus on real plays, saves, shares, and follower sources. This saves so much time by showing me where to double down instead of creating content just to fill the feed.
10. Collaborate with Instagram creators or other small businesses
This is a personal favorite of mine and one of the fastest ways to grow on Instagram: Post collaboration content. That might look like a co-created carousel or a reel, story takeovers, and tagging each other, joint giveaways, or shared resources. The possibilities are endless.
Instagram collab posts with other creators via influencer marketing or partnerships with small businesses are a win-win because they expose both parties to potential Instagram followers.
The critical bit is ensuring you partner with a company or creator who aligns with your values and whose followers’ demographics and interests overlap with your target audience.
For example, the period tracker app, Flo, collaborated with Charity Ekezie and created a paid Instagram post to highlight the company’s social initiative to offer premium features for free in countries like Ethiopia and Haiti.
These posts are shown on both accounts — meaning all followers of your creator partner will see the shared post (and, by extension, your Instagram profile and small business).
If influencers with over a hundred thousand followers are out of your budget, run a micro-influencer campaign. Smaller creators often have a tightly-knit community that trusts their recommendations.
How to find these influencers? You can go through a manual Google search or search using hashtags and keywords on Instagram. A smarter approach is to use influencer discovery tools like Modash to save time and find relevant creators.
It’s not necessary to restrict yourself to partnering with individual creators. You can also form partnerships with other small businesses. Take a look at how LinkedIn and Headspace collaborated to create a post about recovering from job loss.
Collaborating on Instagram doesn't only mean creating a shared post, either. You could also:
- Go live with a creator
- Do an Instagram account takeover
- Repost Instagram content from an influencer’s profile to your Instagram stories
- Post videos created by them natively on your brand account (with permission!)
11. Experiment with different types of Instagram posts
It's been a long time since Instagram was just a photo app. The platform has introduced many formats, including short-form video content like reels, stories, and carousel posts.
Once in a while, I like to post something unexpected. Testing different formats gives you the space to experiment and learn, and offers fresh insights into what resonates more with your audience.
Which type of posts will help you boost engagement and gain more followers?
Buffer’s analysis of over 4 million posts found Instagram reels get 36% more engagement than other post types.
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has confirmed that Instagram reels get more reach. He’s also advised against using watermarks/logos and reels longer than three minutes, as they get less reach.
But remember, reach isn’t the same as engagement. Our research — the same one that found reels get the most reach — also found that carousels get 12% more engagement than other content formats.
It’s likely because carousels have more chances to show in users’ feeds. They might have swiped to three photos and left — so Instagram will show that post again to help them pick up where they left off.
The bottom line: Experiment with all content formats of Instagram to check which post type is best for what kind of content.
For instance, reels might be best for entertaining bite-sized content and getting more Instagram followers. Carousels might be best for in-depth educational content and keeping your existing followers engaged.
Use Instagram’s Trend Report and their creator account to keep a pulse on the Instagram algorithm and the new trends. Trial reels are the best way to experiment with your content and reach new audiences at the same time.
Speaking of different post formats: don’t sleep on Instagram Live. Going Live sends a push notification to followers, places you first in the stories row, and lets you answer questions in real time. Try a fifteen-minute Q&A, a product unboxing, or co-host a Live with a creator in your niche to tap into their audience, too.
12. Talk to your audience in comments and stories
Social media is a two-way street. Every single interaction — whether that’s via interactive Instagram stories or responding to their comments — puts you on someone's radar. It's a portal to more exposure and an opportunity to build a real community.
Remember: Getting more Instagram followers isn’t just about adding new followers; it’s also about maintaining your follower count. You don’t want to lose your existing community because you’re unresponsive.
Engaging with your audience shows that you care about them, take their feedback seriously, and believe in reciprocity. These real relationships lead to real growth.
So, invest early. Pay attention to meaningful conversations in your own comments and make an effort to engage with posts from others in your niche. When they see you supporting them, they'll often come back and support you.
The yogurt brand Chobani is a good example. They respond to almost every comment they receive.
Responding to every comment might be unrealistic once you start receiving thousands of them (good problem to have!), but do your best to respond to as many queries as possible.
Buffer’s Community feature makes it easy to respond to all comments from all your platforms, right there on the Buffer dashboard. You can set up notifications, filter and sort your comments, and even create a new post from a reply.
Show up in stories and use engagement tools
Stories are where trust builds. People appreciate lived experiences that give them a peek into a problem you solved, a lesson you learned, or a chapter of life you survived.
I host a podcast called The Lavender Fix, and I often use story polls to understand what topics my audience is most interested in, link a sticker to a new episode, or share a casual behind-the-scenes moment from one of my recording sessions.
13. Avoid buying followers
It’s tempting to buy Instagram followers to inflate your follower number. But it’s worth remembering that fake followers aren’t going to interact with your Instagram profile.
They’ll either be bots or fake accounts — not real Instagram followers (and definitely not relevant ones). So your follower count might soar, but your engagement rate will plummet.
Fake Instagram followers also hurt your credibility. Potential collaborators and your audience will sooner or later get suspicious of the mismatch between your number of followers and engagement rate. This can make your audience lose trust in you and harm your personal brand in the long term.
If that wasn’t enough, the Instagram algorithm also pushes posts with authentic engagement. The platform might penalize you for disguising fake accounts as real followers.
14. Get verified on Instagram
Having the coveted blue checkmark next to your Instagram account is a badge of instant credibility. It helps you stand out in search results, avoids impersonation, and even get higher engagement rates.
If your aim is to increase your Instagram growth rate, getting verified will undoubtedly help.
But how do you get verified on Instagram? Don't worry if you're not famous — the blue-check is no longer exclusively resevered for public figures.
The easiest way is to buy a subscription through your Instagram profile. (There are certain eligibility requirements you have to meet, like adhering to Meta’s minimum activity requirements, but that shouldn't be hard.)
Remember that growth does not equal worth
So if I were starting from zero, I'd do it by showing up with purpose, creating high-value content, and staying consistent to uncover the patterns that ultimately lead to growth.
Following your count is a lagging indicator, not a reflection of your value. It's so easy to forget that when you're in the thick of it, when a post underperforms, when someone else takes off, or when your numbers plateau.
But what I've learned over and over again is that forming a deep connection with your audience is the real win. It's that moment when someone says, "Hey, that really helped me." So yes, grow your presence, but set realistic goals so you can pace yourself and still feel creatively energized.
Getting more followers on Instagram isn’t a one-time affair
With these 14 tips under your belt, you’re certainly more equipped to get more followers on Instagram.
But it isn’t a one-and-done deal. Maintaining Instagram growth requires regularly publishing high-quality content and staying on top of your social media strategy.
It’s time-consuming and laborious to manage the planning, posting, engaging, and tracking manually. Having an all-in-one tool — like Buffer — lets you do all of that under one roof. Don’t take just my word for it: Get started for free today and see for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get my first 1,000 followers quickly but organically on Instagram?
Focus on content that people want to share. Post short, engaging reels, use clear keywords and a handful of relevant hashtags, and add strong calls to action in your captions. Comment on posts in your niche, reply to every comment you receive, and cross-promote your handle on other platforms. A steady posting schedule —made easier with a tool like Buffer — helps you show up in the feed more often and reach new people faster.
What is the 5-3-1 rule on Instagram, and does it work?
The 5-3-1 rule is a daily engagement habit: like five posts, leave three thoughtful comments, and follow one new, relevant account. The goal is to spark genuine conversations so more people check out your profile and follow you back. It’s simple, free, and a good way to build community — as long as your interactions stay authentic and on-topic.
How often should I post if I want to grow my follower count?
Most accounts see steady growth when they share around three to five high-quality posts per week and a few stories in between. Mix formats — reels for reach and carousels for deeper engagement. Check your Instagram Insights (or Buffer analytics) to learn when your audience is online, then stick to a schedule you can keep up with long-term.
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