How to grow your Instagram account. Get advice from expert bloggers. 8 social media tips you need to focus on now.

Are any of you tired of working hard at Instagram and not getting a lot of traction?

Instagram can be a tricky social media platform.

People and brands are constantly following and unfollowing.

Instagram isn’t seen as a big traffic driver and you have to keep on creating high quality, beautiful images – which can be challenging for many.

So, why is Instagram a meaningful social platform and how can you grow your Instagram account in an authentic way?

I am happy to share with you extremely helpful advice from some women who are killing it on Instagram.

Instagram Pros Share their Advice on:

  1. Why Instagram is an important platform.
  2. Their top tip to grow a genuine following.
  3. Their 3 recommendations to have a meaningful and successful Instagram account.

After this insightful feedback, I have a recap at the bottom of the post with the top tips you can focus on to grow yourย Instagram account. So make sure to check that out too!

Need help to grow your Instagram in an authentic way? Listen to what these Instagram experts have to say... #socialmedia #Instagram #socialmediamarketing Click To Tweet

 

These 5 Instagram Experts Offer Their Top Tips to Grow Your Account:

 

Ashley Solberg – @ashleysolbergblog

Why do you feel Instagram is an Important platform?

I am a visual person, so I love that you are met with a picture first on Instagram before getting into the nitty gritty! Giving people a reason to stop their scroll and be attentive to what you have going on takes a creative eye, emotion and visual appeal.

What is your top tip to grow a genuine Instagram following?

People like the real deal. Being transparent and showing the trials we walk through in an encouraging way helps us stay relatable to our audience. As a mother, there are days full of joy and other days I don’t know what end is up, all of that is included in what we share. Engaging with my target audience with the intention of meaningful conversations and living life together has helped us continue to grow.

What are your top 3 recommendations to have a meaningful Instagram account?

1.ย Being authentic.

2. Provide valuable information.

3. Being uniquely you.

I love to have a meaningful Instagram account. We share our lives as a family with three kids which can be comical, full of adventure and fun.

Ashley Solberg Blog is a place where you find all things family, food and life. Ashley loves to write directly to her reader with all the in-between moments of crazy included. After three years of blogging, it’s wonderful to feel a place of community in our audience and other creatives that support and use their skills to make it all happen.

Follow Ashley @ashleysolberg on Instagram and check out her website atย https://ashleysolberg.com

 

Summer Telban – @summertelban

Why do you feel Instagram is an Important platform?

I believe Instagram is one of the most useful platforms to share your story and to connect with others. People are visual beings. Theyโ€™re drawn in by what theyโ€™re captured by and Instagram is a platform that helps bring visuals to life. Instagram leverages not only photos but it also elevates words, too. When two and two are put together, the potential for impacting someone in a positive way is limitless.

What is your top tip to grow a genuine Instagram following?

Always create with intention and your passion, and with that, keep your target audience in mind. You need to have patience, too! Something worth having never comes easy. The โ€œgrow quickโ€ schemes mayย seemย toย help for a moment but in the long run, youโ€™d be doing yourself tons more harm than good. Do you.

What are your top 3 recommendations to have a meaningful Instagram account?

My top 3 tips to having a meaningful and successful Instagram account are:

1. Be present! You canโ€™t expect to gain excitement and trust from your followers if youโ€™re not present. Respond to all of your comments, engage with everyone in your home feed, and just let the real you shine.

2. Make Instagram Stories a priority! Donโ€™t just share blog posts and photos on your Stories. Youโ€™ve got to show your face and chat with your audience! Let them learn more about you and the behind-the-scenes of your work.

3. Always strive to be improving your content, both your photos and words. If you want to have a meaningful and successful Instagram, make it a priority.

Summerย is the full-time blogger behind Coffee Withย Summerย – a blog full of authentic conversations about casual style, practical travel, and affordable lifestyle for the everyday millennial woman.

Follow Summer @summertelbanย on Instagram and check out her website atย https://www.coffeewithsummer.com

 

Want to learn how to make the most of your #Instagram account? Check out what these 5 Instagram expert bloggers have to say... #socialmedia #bloggingtips Click To Tweet

 

Alexandra Cook – @itsnotcomplicatedrecipes

Instagram food account to follow and what you need to know about Instagram. Tips and advice from pro bloggers on how to engage with your audience and grow your audience.

Why do you feel Instagram is an Important platform?

Many people say that you โ€œeat with your eyes firstโ€ โ€“ so, as a food blogger, I need to make a good first impression! Instagram allows me to share photos of my recipes โ€“ which in turn, hopefully, entices people to visit my blog or engage with my post.

What is your top tip to grow a genuine Instagram following?

Engagement is key!

Instagram is a social media platform โ€“ you need to remember to be social!

I recommend engaging with profiles within your niche especially. Leaving meaningful comments on their post gets your name out there and you can make some great friends and contacts along the way!

What are your top 3 recommendations to have a meaningful Instagram account?

1. Be consistent! Your followers want to see/hear from you. This means updating your account regularly. You donโ€™t have to do this every day, but you also donโ€™t want to post infrequently. You need to stay present and up-to-date!

2. Be patient and do not get despondent. These things take time. It is better to grow at a slower pace and grow a genuine and engaging audience than it is to have a higher follower account and no engagement! It is easier said than done, but I recommend not focusing on the follower count. Focus on delivering great content, and success will eventually follow.

3. Be authentic. You need to be you. Your followers will pick up on this if your authenticity is lacking. You want to build trust!

Itโ€™s Not Complicated Recipes is a food blog that features simple and delicious recipes designed to inspire you in the kitchen! It is run by Alexandra, who lives in South Australia.

Follow Alexandra @itsnotcomplicatedrecipes on Instagram and check out her website at https://itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com

 

Teresa @mommaluvzblog

Why do you feel Instagram is an Important platform?

It connects me with like-minded moms that enjoy the same things I do! Instagram is definitely the platform where fans interact with me the most. I love doing IG stories each day and I get a lot of feedback from fans that they like seeing more of that real life side of our lifestyle.

What is your top tip to grow a genuine Instagram following?

Keep creating great content that is genuine and your fans will come. If you’re looking to grow it’s important to try to post consistently, use hashtags, and engage regularly. Instagram does require effort if you really want to grow, just like anything else.

What are your top 3 recommendations to have a meaningful Instagram account?

1. Let your guard down a bit. Share things that people can connect or relate too. Sometimes that means digging deep and letting fans see more of your “real life”. Like I mentioned above I do this mostly through my stories.

2. Keep working on your photography! The reality is that Instagram is a visual platform. Make people want to double tap and engage with you. Taking a great photo doesn’t mean you have to use expensive equipment. There are many great apps you can use to tweak a photo and help plan your feed to look cohesive.

3. Have some fun! Offer a Giveaway, Partner with a brand you love, Post a candid shot! Keep things fun and interesting.

Teresa is a Canadian Lifestyle Blogger. You can usually find her exploring outdoors with her two kids, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. She’ll always be sharing all things parenting, recipes, travel, fashion and whatever else us mom’s get up to.

Follow Teresaย @mommaluvzblog on Instagram and check out her website atย http://www.mommaluvz.com

 

Kayla Butler – @the_ivorymix

Why do you feel Instagram is an Important platform?

More and more, Instagram has proven itself to be a powerhouse for brand-building because of the seemingly elusive nature of the Instagram algorithm. Newcomers think it’s magic but there are not tricks. Engagementย = Success. Which makes Instagram an important place for building report with an engaged community. If you can get your community to engage with you on Instagram, you’ll be seen as an authority figure to your audience and within your industry.

What is your top tip to grow a genuine Instagram following?

I mentioned it already, but in order to grow a genuine Instagram following, you have to be a genuinely engaged person. Those who engage with you more will see and respond to your content more, and thus the cycle begins.

What are your top 3 recommendations to have a meaningful Instagram account?

1. Post frequently (stories too).

2. Always be adding value.

3. Be present and respond to all comments.

Kayla is the Owner and Creative Director of Ivory Mix – a styled stock photography and visual marketing education website. Instagram is where Kayla shares her more humorous side with her audience, while also dropping fun quick tips to simplify the marketing strategies of highly creative (also complex and introverted) entrepreneurs.

Follow Kayla @the_ivorymix on Instagram and check out her website atย https://ivorymix.com

 

Here’s what we’ve learned to grow your Instagram:

  1. Be authentic. Be you. Show your true self. If you want to maintain a genuine following this is how. Don’t be shy about getting a little more personal. This is what your audience/followers are connecting with.
  2. Provide value. If you are able to share great advice, tips and solutions this is fantastic. Your audience will be even more connected if you can inspire them as well. Get your followers thinking!
  3. Be present. Show up! Respond to comments, ask your followers questions and engage daily.
  4. Focus on Instagram Stories. Get chatting so your audience can see the real you.
  5. Always improve. See what your audience is resonating with and improve those skills. This relates to the quality of your images and the words you share.
  6. Be relatable. Think of your followers when you are sharing a post. Be relatable to them and let them see your true self. Everything does not have to be staged and life is not perfect.
  7. Work on your photography. This is key! Instagram is a visual platform and people are interacting with imagery that gets them inspired.
  8. Have fun! Don’t take yourself too seriously. Think of new and interesting ways to engage your audience. Make sure you have fun and your followers do too.

I hope these fantastic tips from some of my favourite Instagrammers has given you some new strategies to grow your account.

Comment below with what you love about Instagram and also what you are most challenged with.

 

Let’s connect on social media!

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Related Reading:

Best Facebook Groups for Bloggers – Your Key to Traffic Growth

Improve Your Website or Blog with these Free Feedback Tools

How to Make Money Blogging – Tips for Beginners

Why Your Blog Posts Arenโ€™t Being Shared & What To Do About It

 

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What you need to know about Instagram. Tips and advice from pro bloggers on how to engage with your audience and grow your audience.

20 Comments

  1. Thanks for these tips, I learned a lot. I have a hard time with IG because I don’t particularly enjoy using it and although I’ve had an account for a long time, I’ve only just started using it consistently for my website. I know I need to make all future posts more cohesive and get better at photography but engaging with my feed is harder. Also the constant bots and following / unfollowing drives me nuts! Especially when so little relative traffic comes from IG. I’d like to participate in a Canadian giveaway to grow my account soon but need to know where to find one! Thanks for putting this together to help newbies like me! @radical_strength_with_rach

    1. The follow/unfollow drives me insane as well Rach! It’s actually quite comical lol Hmmm – you are giving me ideas now. Maybe we should organize a wellbeing give away in the Canadian Bloggers Unite Fb group!

    1. You’re welcome! I just love your Instagram feed. It always makes me hungry!! I love that saying too lol

  2. I love all these tips! I’ve been struggling with my Instagram account. I’ve been trying to be actively engaged, but I don’t feel like I’m getting a lot of feedback or engagement. I think I know some things I should change and start working on now! Thanks!

    1. Thanks! Glad it was helpful Lindsay. Instagram can sure be a difficult platform, but I think as long as we remember it works differently than other channels we can set our expectations too!

    1. Hi Sarah! There is so much on Insta and a lot of inspiration ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope these tips are useful!

  3. As someone who has to force myself to do any kind of social media (definitely not my Zone of Genius!!!), these tips are great to bookmark for later. I’m still pretty hesitant to get into Stories, but I know that’s where a lot of people spend their time on IG.

  4. I really struggle with Instagram. I am not a good photographer nor do I want to learn. I am too busy on Pinterest and FB. I wish I could juggle more accounts. but it is hard!

    1. I always say to focus strongly on max 2 accounts and once you start mastering those to think about a 3rd account. Therefore it’s totally fine if you are focused on FB and Pinterest right now – then in the future see what you can start doing with Instagram (if you wish)! I hear you though. Photography is key and something I think everyone works on.

    1. Hi Kelly! Glad to hear they are helpful. These women know what they are talking about so I will be following these tips as well!

  5. Thanks for the tips. They were all super helpful. I have a love-hate relationship with Instagram. Work on your photography seems to be fairly consistent in this post. I spend so much time curating content for IG, or I go days without posting anything because I feel my photography isn’t where I want it to be. Something I will continue to work on!

    1. I hear you Ashley. Photography can be a challenge depending on the time of year too. Lighting is key and in the winter depending on where you live, lack of light is a real problem. This is inspiring me to do a post soon on best ways to improve lighting for photos.

  6. I love your new website Yolanda! Great tips! I have found I’ve gained the most authentic followers from collaborating with other women too. Facebook groups gave me a really great start, but I found that in order for me to be authentic I couldn’t be following as many accounts. I’m in the slow game, and currently in a social media detox. I realize that it probably doesn’t help my Instagram game currently, but it’s great for my mental health. Trying to be more strategic in the future. ๐Ÿ™‚ Recently started doing stories and enjoying that!

    1. Thanks so very much Maria! I agree about having a balance on what you do in the Facebook groups. First and foremost sticking to goals and being authentic is key. I understand about the social media detox. It is absolutely needed at times, even as a blogger. It can also help have a fresh view on strategy and ideas too ๐Ÿ™‚ Take care!

  7. I loved this post! It’s important to remember why Instagram plays such a big part in your brand or blog journey- it’s an amazing way to show a bit more to those following you, and interested in what you have to say.

    1. Thanks Silvia! Absolutely. That’s what I love about it – that you can get a deeper glimpse into someone’s life/passions.

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