5 Tips to growing your Instagram account
Updated: Jan 17, 2019
It is well known that Instagram favours pictures and videos and that's about all the average person really understands about the application. Well, it's not the average people that are really taking advantage of this platform it is the rich, famous, talented and attractive.
Instagram has become a platform used to promote extravagant lifestyles and to sell high-street and high-end fashion products. If Instagram were to be a city it would probably be Paris because of its exclusive character, charming scenery and romantic undertones that make it the ideal place to get away from the real world for a short period of time.
That's what 1 billion users and growing are doing, it's impressive to think that 40% of 18-34-year-olds are logging in to their accounts more than once a day. With such high figures its no wonder the big business's, brands and celebrities are competing for the 'blue cherry' on the cake.
To become an elite member of Instagram you must!!! have a verification stamp, yes rare to see but it's the blue tick next to your screen name. This verification tick is a modern day status symbol for members of the social media world, just as revered as an OBE from the Queen or a hero's badge of honour. Those that hold the verification badge have really put in work.
Unlike other social media platforms, Instagram has regulated the distribution of the tick so much so that people are seeking illegal vendors claiming to be able to award the accolade for ridiculous prices. This method really doesn't work and isn't sustainable, if a verification sign does magically appear in your account then the system has so many tell signs that will eventually pick you out and this social embarrassment wouldn't be worth thinking of.. but if you legitimately receive the recognition (like @zynnellzuh) then you deserve to be fully revered as your account has been crowned.
The challenge doesn't stop here now the task is to trend amongst the 95 million posts uploaded every day (as of 2016). So to successfully grow and viral trend in this digital ocean of data has its own never-ending strategies.
I have listed 5 tactics to master, that will help you ride the wave to your greatest 'social' desires. As with everything in real life consistency will be the key to 'your' success; many have dreamt of being professional footballers but more have failed along the way. Take some risks:-
" The biggest risk is not taking risk. In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking risks" - Mark Zuckerberg
1) First impressions - Your account has to look right instantly or you will become a swipe lift or that friend who is always hanging out with the cool people - what's his name? you know.. well anyway to prevent this your Display Picture (DP) and Username need to be 'on point' and by this, I mean like 'WOW'.
Even if you're a book author or a hair stylist your display picture needs to tell people you are already successful and very interesting to follow. If you want someone to start looking into your profile you really have to promote what makes your brand special in as little as 5 seconds. Be sure you use a high-quality image clearly displaying your most recognisable features, corporate logo or product and ensure the image fits well within the selected areas.
There's no reason for slacking because you never know when your lucky break will come and you wouldn't like to bounce away potential followers.
2) Category - The options here are really limited because most of us feel we cannot be put in a box easily and doing so is restricting or creative zen. Well, see it rather like the best way Instagram can compare you to your peers.
So, in short, make sure you select the category that you are wanting people to know about you, maybe your an 'actor' but prefer to be known as a 'public figure'. It is possible to do this and build your profile around your public appearances than you big screen ventures only. On the flip side staying if your a musician own it you might not be getting paid gigs yet or even released a commercial single but you are presenting yourself clearly in the field you intend to start entering into.
It is possible to change this setting along with your journey and as you evolve so try and start by being focused.
3) Profile - Less is more as they would say and as you are limited to 150 characters making the most out of them requires creative grammar and modern-day morse code. See these words as your elevator pitch, you will probably keep coming back to these crafted dialogues to shorten, change, prettify or probably totally simplify over time and definitely after verification.
Take inspiration from those in your field that are doing well. Your biography says a lot about the creditability of your account and potential. We have all received random follow request then clicked the attractive DP just to find a single word in the Bio or some random text about the person loving sports and their favourite activity! boring and ignore!....If your not a gold medalist swimmer or single survivor of a plane crash then people don't really care.
Your biography on Instagram should be carefully worded like a can on a supermarket shelf, it should say exactly what's inside. You are also provided one link option this can be used for a website but also to direct people to any content you might have stored online. You can put video links, links to articles or pictures you can get creative and offer this space to help promote other brands.
Hashtags and tags are also allowed in the man body of the Bio and putting links here can help as it can add value to followers liking your page.
4) Page content - This section deserves a whole blog dedicating to how to use this to engage followers. You have paid endorsements, geotagging, gifs, jpegs, MP4, boomerangs, 30 secs or 1 min video's, Insta stories, Insta TV, first line comment, comment tagging and hashtagging. Not to mention understanding the best timings for these posts to get maximum engagement; this includes optimal days of the week, hrs of the day, number of post's per day which further differs by product or service.
It's actually a true art form to get all these factors inline. If your new to Instagram then hopefully by now you are realising the platform isn't just pictures and video's its actually a labyrinth of social marketing mystery. You would probably be best to study the Kardashians family or Paris Hiltons usage of the platform for a month to experience the perfect implementation of the tactics above.
In simplicity creating 'relevant' content should be your root goal, if your page is unique, targeted and provides a social fix like no other page; then you have the ingredients to be a Instagram golden child. Now confidently invite people to find you; and this involves using multiple platforms like facebook(tm), twitter(tm), websites, blogging, vlogging, sponsored ads, brand associations, shout outs and much more.
You really have to take your hat off to today's 'verified crew' as they make this all seem very effortless. Whilst in reality a single post can actually take many hours of concept development, implementation and strategy team engagement.
5) Posts, Followers, Following (PFF) - THIS IS WHAT THE HARD WORK IS ALL FOR. PFF is the oracle of instagram, what people have lost sleep over, travelled the world for, injured body parts, lost equipments and shaken criminal hands for. 'PFF' is the be all and end all status symbol amongst millennials.
Followers is it actually the most straight forward factor as it has no limits simply the more followers the better; as more equals success and totally validates your position of influence in comparison to your peers. Following and posts are a tricker kettle of fish, high numbers here in the wrong ratio can mean that you are trying too hard and thats just not cool...
"Everyone thinks they are famous when the get 100,000 followers on Instagram and 5,000 on Twitter" - Meek Mills
So a successful public figure, musician, artist, brand or business is measured by following less people than you have followers; this really contradicts social ideologies. People have developed little cheats and have been known to desperately build accounts by following loads of random accounts hoping to be followed back then with cunning discard they delete your existence during the night; all for the perfect follower/following ratio; this gambit is the same to be true with posts.
"P:F:F" ratio - like physical attraction and beauty in facial features on Instagram everything looks better if there is symmetry; so a ration of 1:10:1 seems to work perfectly 2:4:3 is a good effort, 4:4:4 will receive no accolades and if you use a 6:2:8 you need work. It actually helps bearing these ratio's in mind when growing your account as followers are known to also associate with people solely based on huge followers in the hope they will also be recognised and gain followers by association. - JNC Nelco and Future
Get these basic's right and your in line for the verified badge but don't forget I mentioned the key to consistency its not for the faint hearted and can take years rather than months for some. Those who attempt to cut corners are are likely to be caught by the ever developing algorithms.
Once you catch the Instagram fever you will never see social media in the same way again because you are now a knight of the global popularity platform plus you stand to make a lot of money.
Written by: JNC @nelcoandfuture