I know that as much as I preach about followers not being the main goal of your Instagram, you still want to grow your following. I get it. You think more followers will help you make more money.
And while it’s not the thing I would recommend you focus on, you aren’t necessarily wrong. As long as they are the right followers, a big audience can help you make more money (as long as everything else is set up right…)
But it seems like all the old ways of growing your following are now outdated and don’t work or take up so much damn time that we might as well all become social media managers. So how the hell do we grow?
GO VIRAL (OR JUST BIGGER)
Honestly, you don’t even have to go viral. You can go mini viral. As long as your content is shareable, bold & is something your audience can repost or share, then your content can travel far and wide.
When your audience shares your content, it acts like a trigger to their followers that they are vouching for you. And you will be one step ahead in gaining their trust because someone they trust already gave you the badge of approval.
I gave a few different kinds of shareable content in THIS BLOG POST.
USE TARGETED HASHTAGS
I cannot lie that hashtags took a huge hit in 2020. Where they used to account for the majority of my reach, they now account for much less. This isn’t because I’m using the wrong hashtags (trust me, I have tried them all). This is because Instagram puts less weight on hashtags and more on engagement in the last year.
You want your post to do well, get people to engage with it.
However, it doesn’t mean we can ditch hashtags altogether. They are still the only organic tool we have to target customers that don’t follow us. So, you have to use them, and use them wisely.
If you are not confident with hashtags, and not getting at least 50% of your reach from hashtags, check out my DIY Hashtag Strategy course. It will help you research your hashtags to target your custom audience, and help your group them for maximum effectiveness based on the size of your account.
MAKE A REEL
Instagram is still trying to compete with Tik Tok (and it’s kind of working). This means that they are still pushing reels out to audiences more than any other kind of content right now.
You can capitalize on this by recreating your most popular post in the last 3 months into a reel.
HOT REEL TIP: Using popular or trending audio can help your reel go further. Aim to find a reel where the original audio has over 1 million views and use that audio in your reel. If you don’t know how, send me a DM on Instagram and I will walk you through it.
COLLABORATE WITH OTHER ACCOUNTS IN YOUR NICHE
This remains to be one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences and one of my favourites.
Lifting each other up not only helps you get in front of new audiences but it shows that you are connected with other talented businesses who provide value.
Just make sure that you are partnering with a business who has a similar audience to yours. It doesn’t make sense for a florist to partner with a car dealership. But a florist & a wedding planner, event venue & a bridal shop makes perfect sense.
This doesn’t even need to be a content or giveaway. You could just highlight each other for a week. This is something that bloggers and influencers do that I think businesses should do more of as well.
FIND YOUR CLIENTS & START A CONVERSATION
I saved the best for last. Honestly, if you want to grow your following, starting some relationships with potential customers is the best way to start.
Try searching a hashtag that your audience uses or follows. Find their posts and comments and, instead of trying to sell them your product, just say hello. Check out their profile, leave a few likes and comments without asking for anything in return. They will be curious as to who is giving them attention and come check you out. If you have chosen wisely, they will be intrigued by your content and give you a follow.
Now, the truth is that you don’t need to have thousands of followers to make some money. You really don’t. I have less than 1500 writing this blog and I make a full-time income. I’m not going to lie and say that I make 6-figures (yet!) but I support my family and pay my bills. However, I have helped several businesses use social media to make 6, even 7 figures in the last 8 years and know that this is possible for you too.
I have some fun things happening this year and you won’t want to miss it. So, I want to invite you to my VIP group for small businesses called the Small Business Support Group. This is meant to be a safe space for all walks of small business owner to give feedback, advice, share their wins, and commiserate their losses with other supportive peers.
I am here to help support your business & give advice on how to use your business’ brand message & your story to get booked solid & sell out with social media and digital marketing.
This group will include exclusive trainings & offers to help you connect with your dream clients & master your messaging and I am inviting you to join us.
