Social media, especially Instagram, is the modern storefront for B2C brands, and your profile is the new homepage of your website. With Instagram’s new sales-driven features, B2C brands that don’t have an Instagram account are only hurting themselves. 

So you’ve created an Instagram Business profile and have all of 0 followers, where do you start? Whether you’re a startup or an established brand that’s late to the party, here are 6 actionable steps to grow your brand on Instagram: 

#1. Start with your profile 

If your Instagram profile is the new homepage of your website, it needs to be good. Start with building a catchy bio and adding a link to your website. Then, start utilizing story highlights. Plan out cover photos that are consistent with your grid aesthetic, organize your stories into categories, and start naming them! Since stories have a 24-hour lifespan, highlights can be used to give followers a glimpse into past campaigns and initiatives that may have missed. 

#2. Use long-tail hashtags 

Anyone can add the basic #love,  #food, or #fashion to the bottom of their Instagram copy, but does it apply to your products or brand? Generic and popular hashtags may garner you a few sporadic likes, but it’s the long-tail hashtags that lead to long-term engagement, relevant new followers, and conversions. 

#3. Target your competitors’ followers 

One of the best ways to get relevant followers is to look at your competitors’ followers and engage with them. Browse through their followers and start liking, commenting, and following those users. While this may seem tedious, they will start following you back in no time!  

#4. Host a giveaway 

Everyone loves free stuff, so it’s no surprise that giving away a free product, service, or gift card is one of the best ways to increase your followers. Start by running bi-monthly giveaways asking participants to follow, like, and tag 2-3 friends to enter. 

#5. Be consistent 

Content is king on Instagram. Make sure your aesthetic, brand voice, and post frequency are consistent from the start. Start by creating a content calendar with branded templated posts and stories 4-5 times per week to keep track of your grid aesthetic and cadence. 

#6. Leverage influencers 

It’s never too early for influencers. Not only will influencer’s credible testimonials drive sales, but they will also help boost your following and create user-generated-content. Start by researching micro-influencers in your industry (use a free tool like BuzzSumo to help) and narrow it down to 10-15. 

Growing your Instagram following won’t happen overnight, but remembering these 6 steps will help you establish your presence and boost your brand awareness. 

If you’d like to discuss how TribalVision can help with your social media strategy, please don’t hesitate to reach out!