Here are some of the tips I’ve learned over the years for growing your Instagram followers. I’ve realized many people are now using Instagram as their main social media hub so it’s important to optimize your activity.
Guide to uploading to Instagram from PC
There aren’t many tools/apps I would recommend since the standard Instagram app can do everything you need to be successful. In terms of photo editing I highly recommend VSCO Cam, Snapseed and Lightroom CC.
1. Post Great Photos
It seems like a no brainer to post fantastic photos in order to gain a following but it should always be reminded. If your Instagram profile is full of selfies why would I ever follow you? This also goes along with making sure your photos are sharp and in focus (No front facing cameras for landscape photography).
2. Post One Photo a Day at the Minimum
It’s great to post 5 photos a day but make sure you space them out over the day, or if you know you won’t have photos for the rest of the week try only posting one a day. Your followers want to see your photos and posting them all at once can lead to plenty of people being overwhelmed or missing your photos. Play around with posting at different times; if you post in the middle of the night you’ll get a lot less activity than at lunch time.
3. Have a Consistent Style
People expect a level of quality in your work. You can amplify this by having a consistent style in your photos. Some great examples of Instagram users with super consistent styles are @brightong and @MikeKus. Notice how photos from these users use very similar color schemes.
4. Follow Similar Users
I personally post a lot of photos from Washington DC so looking through #WashingtonDC (and alternatives #DC #IGDC, etc) gives me a ton of people posting photos in my city. This is a great tool for finding local photographers trying to achieve the same goals as me. Be sure to like/comment on other user’s photos appreciating their work and never ask for a follow back.
5. Communicate with your Followers
Try to reply to all comments on your photos, even if it is just “Nice Shot”. I love getting replies from users I respect on Instagram even if it’s “Thanks!”. The people who follow you want to hear from you so replying to their comments is the least you can do. Since Instagram added messaging you can do a lot of fun things such as sending some of your favorite fans a photo before it’s posted.
Hope these tips help in your Instagram journey, share some of yours in the comments and be sure to check out my Instagram profile @someguy
