5 Ways to Gain More Instagram Followers

Everyone is on Instagram now, seriously, even my grandma. If you’re posting some awesome pictures but no one’s seeing them, you’re wasting those, and you can never post them again (I’ll get to that later).

1. Know when to post.

The picture below shows Instagram activity at certain times of the day.

The picture above shows Instagram activity at certain times of the day.

According to Lastergramme, a service that tracks Instagram posts, and the Huffington Post, the best times are around 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. EST. You may need to become a late night poster to see any improvements.

2. Post quality pictures.

So you know when to post now, but what are you posting? According to Socialmediatoday.com, your pictures will get more attention if:

• The image is lighter
• The image has more background, less close-ups
• The image has blue or cold themes (compared to red and warm)
• The image has lower saturation

Source: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/carianneking/2015-10-07/what-types-photos-get-most-likes-instagram-infographic

3. Know how to use hashtags.

Pictures gain more traction with the use of hashtags. If you #hashtag something common, your picture has a shot at being seen by other people just browsing that topic. Don’t, and I repeat, DON’T over tag you pictures. Two or three tags will do. Here are the top four most popular hashtags on Instagram:

• #Love
• #instagood
• #me
• #tbt

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-honigman/the-100-most-popular-hash_b_2463195.html

4. Only post 1–2 times a day.

So you’ve got all these great pictures and hashtags and you’re waiting for 5 p.m. to roll around, but how many pictures should you be posting a day? According to Forbes, averaging 1.5 a day will keep your followers around. They also mention that if you post more, your followers expect more, So keep it consistent!

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2014/05/02/the-surprising-data-behind-how-often-brands-should-post-on-instagram/#34b7a7b419e6

5. Never, EVER, like your own post.

Vogue puts it best, “It is never acceptable to like your own ’gram. The simple act of posting the picture to Instagram indicates that you do, in fact, like it. Adding a like is obvious and sad.”

Source: http://www.vogue.com/13299678/instagram-rules-social-media/

So there it is. Five ways to gain more followers and get your name out there.

P.S. As an additional off-list hint, keep away from selfie sticks.