Getting more followers and organic reach on Instagram is always a priority for creators. The good news is that it’s not impossible.
The best Instagram reach tactics include posting photos and carousels, contests, questions/choices, and going live. In addition, timing is key as the algorithm rewards recency and speed of engagement.
Create Shareable Images
Posts that encourage interaction boost reach. Create carousels of pictures, videos, and IGTV posts to engage your followers. These can be anything from life hacks to motivational messages or humor (if it fits your brand tone).
Ensure that your content aligns with your niche and target audience. Use a content calendar to track the days and types of posts you plan to publish in a week or month. This will help you maintain consistency and comply with the Instagram algorithm.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a classic Instagram feature that can help you boost your reach. However, adding a ton of random hashtags won’t improve your space.
Instead, focus on a few quality hashtags relevant to your audience. For example, if you’re a beauty brand, try hashtags like #lasheducation or #salonlife. These tags are less competitive and will bring in a more targeted audience.
Using location and hashtag stickers on your posts can also increase your reach. These tapable stickers make it easy for your followers to discover more of your content.
Promote Your Posts
Once you clearly understand your audience, it’s time to start promoting. Instagram offers a variety of tools for this, including Instagram Insights for both your account and individual posts.
Promoting your posts through your email marketing program is also a good idea if you have one. This will help you reach a new group and add your Instagram followers who may need to follow your Instagram account.
Remember to keep experimenting with post times and frequency. Once you find what works best, stick with it!
Encourage Followers to Share Your Posts
Providing an incentive for your followers to share your content is a great way to increase organic reach. This can be done by offering a discount, freebie, or even asking your audience to tag you in their posts!
As with all social media marketing, increasing your Instagram reach requires a combination of strategies that align with your audience and the algorithm. Remember to keep track of your results and continually optimize your content! Using Later’s Best Time to Post feature can help you find your optimal posting times.
Create a Giveaway
If you want to reach more people on Instagram, a giveaway can help. Just make sure you follow Instagram’s rules for promotions.
Your contest’s entry criteria must be consistent with your goals, such as increasing brand awareness or boosting website traffic. You should also display a list of contest rules on your website to ensure participants understand them.
Pick a prize that matters to your audience. Otherwise, you’ll generate much interest that doesn’t translate into your business goals.
Ask Your Followers to Follow You
Instagram’s algorithm dramatically affects how much reach your posts have. Posts with many likes and comments will likely appear higher in the Explore section than posts without engagement.
Getting followers to share your content is another excellent way to boost your Instagram reach. This can be done by posting calls to action and encouraging followers to tag their friends or share photos.
Adding your business’s contact information to your Instagram bio is also helpful. This helps users find you in the search results for relevant terms.
Create a Contest
If you’re looking to boost your Instagram reach organically, contests can help. They signal to the algorithm that your posts are engaging, increasing their likelihood of being served to more users.
You can announce your contest on a grid post, Story, or Carousel and encourage participants to tag friends to increase visibility. You can also use a tool like Insense to find vetted creators to create user-generated content for your giveaway.
Make sure your prize aligns with what you want to achieve for your business, and keep an eye on Instagram trends with Sprout’s Reels Trend Report.
Create a Poll
A great way to engage your followers is through Instagram polls. These can be posted in stories or sent as direct messages.
To create a poll, open the Instagram app and swipe left. This will take you to the screen where you can add music, location, countdowns, and more.
Select the poll sticker and fill in the questions and responses. You can also choose to create a slider poll, where your audience will slide a bar to indicate their preference.
