Growing a following on Instagram (or anywhere!) can sometimes feel exhausting. After a lot of work, I finally hit 500 Instagram followers. It may not seem like a lot, but this has been my goal for a few years, so it’s satisfying to finally achieve it. Since joining Instagram in December 2012, I made a few mistakes and learned a few lessons along the way that I’d like to share. Here are my 3 Instagram tips to help you grow:
Dive in quickly
I didn’t take Instagram seriously fast enough. At first my BlackBerry held me back and then I installed Instagram as soon as I got my first iPhone. Unfortunately, I didn’t develop or implement a hashtag strategy until 3 years later! Although I posted some cute pics in the beginning, they didn’t reach many people.
Takeaway: If you see a new platform taking off, like TikTok, check it out and learn the tricks ASAP. The faster you create an account and start creating content, the faster you can start building an audience. Get familiar with how the app works and find ways to improve future posts.
Stay positive and stop comparing yourself to competitors
Although I was determined to grow my account, it was easy to compare myself to other content creators who had larger audiences and more engagement. Instead of thinking, “That person is better than me because she’s more popular or I’ll never become as popular as her because she started earlier,” I should have focused on developing content.
Takeaway: There will always be someone who’s prettier, smarter or more popular, but you still have an opportunity to shine. Focus on putting in the effort for your own business instead of complaining about why you’re potentially falling behind.
Take advantage of resources
You can discover tons of Instagram tips for free online, such as through blogs or YouTube tutorials. Once I find an expert I like, it’s good to follow them on Instagram to see how they practice what they preach or subscribe to watch their latest advice. Often they tend to cross-post, so you don’t need to follow them everywhere. Once you do this, you’ll start seeing more tips when you log on, which will keep your knowledge fresh. You can also sign up for a course, but be selective, as there are tons of masterclasses available now and they all claim to offer the same results.
Takeaway: You can learn a lot about social media for free. Once you start reading articles or watching videos about how to grow, you’ll get hooked! There are so many interesting “hacks” and tricks for how to stand out. And if you rely on free resources, you’ll have more money to spend on editing apps.
You know I’m all about celebrating social media milestones, so it’s been nice to reflect on my journey and share some Instagram tips. My account is @hotonthestreet and if you’d ever like to chat about all things social media, just DM me or comment here!