Maximize Your Instagram Growth: Strategies for Gaining Free Followers and Enhancing Engagement

Have you ever imagined going from 1000 Instagram followers to millions in months? That’s the story of Khaby Lame, a content creator who became famous for his hilarious, wordless videos poking fun at overly complicated hacks.

Khaby joined Instagram in early 2020, and his account EXPLODED in less than two years. At the time of writing, he has over 81 million Instagram followers! How did he achieve that?

All over the world, Khaby Lame’s straightforward, relatable content resonated with people, skyrocketing his follower count. Thanks to these followers, Khaby’s life has been TOTALLY transformed. He has collaborated with notable brands like HUGO BOSS, Fortnite, and Google, and even started his own fashion line. 

Instagram followers aren’t just numbers. They can often translate to money — and the success of your business or personal brand. Are you an influencer looking to work with brands or a company trying to transform visitors into customers? A solid follower base is needed to help you stand out successfully.

In this article, we’ll share simple tips to get free followers on Instagram. Ready? Follow us, and let’s get into it!

Post Content Consistently

As a business or influencer starting out on Instagram, the question that needs answering is usually, “How often should I post on Instagram to gain followers?” 

There’s always the worry of posting so rarely that your content goes unnoticed, and the fear of posting so frequently that it feels like spam.

A best practice is to post on Instagram three to five times per week. The type of posts you share will depend on your audience, but strive for at least three posts per week, whether you prefer Instagram Reels, carousels, or static posts. 

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri confirms, “The more you post, the more your followers usually grow because more people discover you, more people share your content, and there’s more content to be discovered.” 

Research by Later reveals that different-sized accounts have varying posting schedules:

• Nano accounts (up to 10k followers): Average two feed posts weekly
• Micro accounts (up to 100k followers): Average three feed posts weekly
• Mid-sized accounts (up to 500k followers): Average five feed posts weekly

This suggests that there is a correlation between posting frequency and follower count. The Later study also found a pattern regarding Instagram Stories:

• Nano accounts: Average 3 Stories weekly
• Micro accounts: Average 4 Stories weekly
• Mid-sized accounts: Average 15 Stories weekly

Diversify Your Content Type

Instagram started as a picture-sharing platform, but its engagement is no longer limited to in-feed posts. The app introduced a 15-second video option in June 2013 and with time, Instagram has come to lean more into video sharing to compete with TikTok. With the ever-increasing variety of content types, like Instagram Reels and carousels, more opportunities exist to increase your followers, engagement rates, and, consequently, your organic growth.

Sharing visually appealing photos with captivating captions on the profile grid remains a staple for showcasing life highlights, promoting products, and engaging followers. Utilizing Instagram’s carousel feature enables you to share multiple images in a single post, enhancing storytelling through a “photo dump.” 

Instagram Stories offers a unique opportunity to share spontaneous content that disappears after 24 hours, which is ideal for behind-the-scenes glimpses and interactive elements like polls and quizzes. For lasting impact, Stories can be saved as Highlights on your profile. 

Incorporating Reels into your content strategy is also essential. These short, engaging videos — often featuring trending music, text, and special effects — boost creative expression. Reels, which appear on the public-facing Explore page, can increase reach and have higher engagement rates compared to regular posts. 

In 2024, Instagram industry benchmark data revealed that the average Instagram engagement rate for Reels reached 1.48%. To provide more context, the engagement benchmark for carousel posts is 0.91%, while the engagement benchmark for image posts is 0.69%.

Reels: Your Ticket to Instagram Stardom (or at least a few more free followers)

Here are some tips to excel at creating Reels: 

1. Trend-surf like a pro: Keep your eyes peeled for the latest crazes sweeping Instagram, TikTok, and the interwebs. Put your unique spin on them faster than you can say “viral content.” For example, at the time of writing, “very demure” is the latest trend. And it’s all about being mindful, not doing too much, and being very cutesy. The trend exploded on TikTok when an Aug. 2 video from creator Jools Lebron went viral, in which Lebron explained how she acted “very demure, very mindful” at work. Businesses and influencers are replicating it on other social media channels. 
2. KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly): Not every Reel needs to be the next “Avengers: Endgame.” Sometimes, a video of you tripping over your own feet is all it takes to win hearts. Relatable content is king — or queen; we don’t discriminate in this kingdom of likes.
3. Edu-tainment is the new black: Mix up your Reels with a cocktail of education and entertainment. Shake in how-to videos, Get Ready with Me videos (GRWM), and remember to add a twist of humor. Serve chilled with a product demo. Your audience will be smarter and thoroughly amused — a dangerous combination!

Remember, creating Reels is like cooking — you may make a masterpiece or set off the smoke alarm. But keep at it, and soon you’ll be the Gordon Ramsay of Instagram (minus the yelling, hopefully).

Share Your Instagram Content on Other Platforms

Cross-posting is a strategy used to ensure consistent posting. The great thing about cross-posting content is that it allows you to get a bang for your buck and keep your page active using a single piece of content. Doing this is like casting a wider net in the sea of potential followers. Your content gets to strut its stuff on multiple platforms, attracting new fans faster than free pizza at a college dorm.

Did your TikTok video blow up like a science fair volcano? Don’t let it die there! Slap that bad boy on Instagram and watch your follower count rise like bread in a warm oven. Spread your content to Facebook, Pinterest, and even that new kid on the block, Threads. It’s playing the field but for your brand.

And hey, how often do you mention Instagram on other platforms? It’s okay; we won’t judge (much). But seriously, give your Insta some love on your other social media accounts. Remember the offline world, too. Slap your Instagram handle on everything — emails, websites, even your grandma’s birthday card if you can get away with it.

Use Automation Tools and Chatbots to Schedule Posts, Reply to Messages, etc.

Automation is like the trusty sidekick of any Instagram marketing strategy, handling mundane tasks like scheduling posts, compiling reports, and answering common DMs. It acts as the Alfred to your Batman, keeping things smooth behind the scenes. But beware: Over-automate, and you risk cheapening the experience or even getting banned. Balance is key to maintaining a human touch.

Instagram is great for connecting with customers, but managing a flood of DMs manually can be overwhelming. So, take advantage of Manychat’s Instagram integration to automate customer communication, leaving you with time to focus on creating great content and making sales. Here’s a guide to get you started on how to use Manychat’s Instagram automation. 

Community Engagement: Foster Genuine Connections

Building a strong community on Instagram is essential for organic growth and, subsequently, more free Instagram followers. There are so many ways to foster genuine connections, like responding actively to comments and messages from your followers. Prompt and authentic responses show you value their opinions and want to build a relationship with them. 

You can also encourage customers to create and share user-generated content (UGC). UGC is any content — videos, photos, written reviews, audio, and more — made about a brand by a fan, customer, or follower. This helps humanize your brand and lend it credibility. Encourage your customers to create and share product content, and feature their posts on your account. Other ways to engage your community include running contests and giveaways. For instance, you can give away a freebie and check if the person is following you. Don’t forget to: 

• Follow Instagram’s promotion guidelines, and be sure you do everything legally.
• Make Stories to share tutorials, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your brand, polls, product packing videos, and questions to encourage engagement.
• Use Instagram Broadcast Channels, which function as dedicated spaces where you can curate and share posts centered around yourself or your brand.

Try Instagram Ads

You’ve been using organic growth strategies to grow authentic followers, but there’s one last trick in the books that many marketers and brands use on Instagram. 

Instagram ads are pretty smart cookies. They can find users who match your target audience faster than you can double-tap a photo. Whether aiming for local customers or global reach, paid ads can help bridge the gap.

Remember, while paid ads can work wonders, they’re not magic. Use them wisely, and you might see your follower count climb faster than a cat up a Christmas tree. Your future followers (and your budget) will appreciate the strategy!

Research and Utilize Relevant Hashtags 

Hashtags categorize your content, making it more discoverable to relevant users. To use them effectively:

1. Research relevant hashtags in your industry.
2. Mix broad and specific tags.
3. Use 3-5 hashtags per post, either in the caption or first comment.
4. Monitor performance using insights and analytics.
5. Regularly adjust your strategy based on what performs best.

For example, if you’re a fashion influencer, consider pairing a broad tag like #fashion with more targeted ones like #fashioninfluencer or #streetstyleinspo to draw a more focused following.

Instagram Don’ts:

1. Don’t buy fake followers or engagement
2. Don’t spam hashtags or use irrelevant ones
3. Don’t post low-quality or blurry images
4. Don’t ignore your audience’s comments and messages 
5. Don’t post too frequently or inconsistently
6. Don’t use copyrighted material without permission
7. Don’t engage in negative interactions or arguments
8. Don’t rely solely on automation for engagement
9. Don’t forget to proofread your captions
10. Don’t forget to disclose sponsored content or partnerships

Conclusion

We’ve said a lot! Now, it’s your turn to put our tips into practice and start seeing results. Remember: Growing your Instagram followers is as simple as it gets, but consistency is necessary for your strategies to be effective. Focus on providing value and genuinely connecting with your audience… Who knows? You just might become the next big thing on Instagram — don’t forget to tag us when you do.