21 Easy Ways to Get More Instagram Followers for Free

Co-authored by Ramin Ahmari and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: March 23, 2023 Tested

Are you looking for quick and easy ways to get more real Instagram followers? If you're having trouble growing your audience beyond your first 100 to 5000 followers despite posting great photos, videos and Reels, you've come to the right place! This wikiHow guide will teach you the top 21 ways to grow your Instagram followers organically, including choosing the right content, using hashtags effectively, and connecting with other creators.

Things You Should Know

There are many ways you can increase your following on Instagram, but the easiest thing to do is to make sure your account is easily findable by others.
Participate in the community, use hashtags, and post memorable content to get more followers on Instagram.
Make sure you post content on Instagram that others will appreciate in order to get more followers.

1

Engage with similar accounts

Instagram is a community, and you will find yourself gaining followers if you participate in that community. This means interacting beyond simply uploading photos. Find people that are posting pictures that interest you, and follow their accounts. This will let you see their latest photos on your feed.
- Do a quick search for relevant hashtags on Instagram to find a list of photos and accounts that are similar to what you post. For example, if you post lots of travel pictures, then search for something like #instatravel.
- Don't just follow everyone you see, or your feed will become too overloaded to process. Limit yourself to following only those accounts that you find most interesting.
- It's more likely people will follow you if you have the exact same amount (or less) of followers and following. If you're following too many people, people might mistake you as a new Instagrammer or a bot and be less likely to follow you.
- Instagram limits you to following about 120 people per hour.
- Follow Shoutout accounts on Instagram to gain more followers, they usually give a shoutout to your account if you follow them or like one of their photos. You can also look into other ways to get shoutouts.

2

Use hashtags effectively

Hashtags make it easy for people to find you on Instagram, which can be a great way to attract new followers. You can use hashtags to hop on popular trends, join conversations, and show your support (or disdain) for trending topics. When you use the right hashtags for your niche, people searching for those tags will be able to see your content in the search results.
- Try to limit the number of hashtags to 3 to 5 at the most. If you have too many hashtags, your followers will feel like your images are too spammy.
- Hide the hashtags by using them within the caption sentence e.g. "I really #love this #girl" or place them right at the bottom of the caption.
- You can find relevant tags using websites such as All Hashtag, Hashtagify, or HashtagStack.

3

Like and comment on others' posts

Once you start following some people, take some time to like and leave positive comments on their photos. Not only will this make the other person feel good, but other people may see your name or comment and check out your profile. If you stay active, this can lead to a steady stream of new followers.
- When commenting on photos, take your time to write a longer message and use emojis when possible. It will be much more motivating for them to take the extra time to look over your profile.

4

Ask your followers questions

Use the photo caption to ask questions to your followers. This will make your comments section more active, which will attract more followers to your account. The more engaged you are with your followers, the more likely it is that potential new followers will want to join the conversation.
- Consider having a call-to-action, such as "Double-tap if you agree" or "Share your story in the comments." This will help improve your engagement rate.

5

Respond to comments on your posts

Interacting with your followers is essential to maintaining your follower base and building your community. Respond to any interesting comments and thank your followers for any compliments. If a follower asks an intriguing question, take the time to answer it properly.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Ramin Ahmari
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 5 April 2019.}
- Even if a comment doesn't require a written response, it might be worthwhile to like the comment to acknowledge that you've seen it and appreciate it.

6

Switch to a professional account

Convert your profile to a Business or Creator account to access helpful features for growth. Both of these professional account types are great for creators and brands who want to expand their audiences. You'll gain access to analytics that can help you understand your followers, tools to boost your posts, and even have the ability to collaborate with other accounts to promote products.

7

Use relevant keywords in your bio

Let people know who you are and why they should follow you. Your Instagram bio is an often-overlooked but very important part of your Instagram account. Everything you type in your bio is searchable on Instagram, so be sure to use any keywords you think potential followers might be searching for.
- Your bio is another good section to place a call to action.
- Mention your 'Following Guidelines' in your Instagram bio. Here's an example: "I am a mega-fan of Katy Perry!". There will always be a lot of people with the same interests as you and then you'll probably get a whole heap of Katy Perry lovers following you. You might even be lucky enough to get the real Katy following you.
- Make sure your username is something close to what you represent. You can change it after creating your account if you don't like it.

8

Use Reels, Stories, and Live in addition to creating posts

For the best chance at reaching new people, use all of the formats Instagram has to offer. Creating shareable video Reels and interesting Stories offers a multi-sided view of your page and increases the chances of other users following you and your content.
- Tap the + in the top right corner to be able to make a feed post, a Story, or Go Live. If you want to make a reel, tap the director's clapboard in the menu at the bottom of your screen, then tap the camera icon in the top right corner.

9

Geotag your photos

Instagram users are interested in photos from locations that they know. On top of that, as you post geotagged photos, Instagram will bring up other photos from that location.
- Other users posting photos from the same location may see your pictures and follow them to your account, giving you more exposure and potentially new local followers.
- Avoid geotagging your photo in a location where the photo was not taken. Incorrect geotagging could lead to negative comments on your posts or other forms of backlash.
- For your own safety, avoid geotagging your home or work locations. Remember these geotags are visible to the public.

10

Take unique and interesting photos

While this may seem obvious, one of the best ways to get followers on Instagram is to simply take good pictures. Instagram is swamped with pictures of people's meals and cats, so set yourself apart with well-shot photos.
- Try to take pictures that will relate to your target audience. If your audience can connect with the images that you take, they are more likely to follow you.
- A good photo doesn't have to be a "perfect" photo. Good photos seem human and imperfections can help add to that feeling.

11

Limit selfies

Everyone likes to post a selfie every now and then, but you shouldn't let these pictures dominate your content. Most followers don't want to see you, they want to see your photos. Posting constant selfies can come across as narcissistic and can drive followers away.
- The exception to this, sad as it may be, is if you are attractive. You can get a lot of followers by posting attractive pictures of yourself. Even then, don't let it dominate your content!

12

Use creative filters

Instagram got popular because of the filter options. These filters adjust the color of your photo, giving it a more "real" feel. Instagram has a variety of filters available, so don't be afraid to try multiple ones until you find one that works well with your photo.
- Avoid using the same filters over and over, or your images will start to feel too similar.
- If the picture is striking enough without a filter, a popular hashtag on Instagram is #nofilter. Use it!
- if you are struggling to find a good filter then try a third-party photo editor like Google Photos which has many different filters that are not available on Instagram.

13

Write engaging captions on every post.

A good caption can turn an okay photo into an amazing one. Captions help grab the viewers' attention, and if you can make them laugh or smile with your caption you'll retain more people as followers. Jokes or cute captions are especially popular.

14

Use interaction hashtags

If you want to try to bolster your likes, comments, or followers you can use some of the more popular like, comment, or follow trading hashtags, such as #follow4follow #like4like or #comment4comment. Just make sure that you actually hold up your part of the deal and like, comment, or follow the user back.
- Some people consider this a "dirty" tactic, and you may lose some followers if you tag this too often.
- Try to avoid posting many photos at once with random hashtags.
- While this tactic may lead to new followers, be aware that they may only follow you to gain more likes on their own photos rather than out of genuine interest.
- Make sure you follow through with your side of the deal to avoid any nasty comments or unfollows.

15

Use services like Linktree in your bio

You only have one area that works as a link, so why not use Linktree and link to multiple locations? With Linktree, you only have to register (it's free) and you can link to different sites as often as you'd like.
- Go to Linktree and fill in your information.
- Then check your email and follow the on-screen verification instructions.
- Add links to your Linktree dashboard and customize it. You'll be redirected to the dashboard once you verify your email.
- Copy the URL of the Linktree you created and add that to your Instagram bio.

16

Use apps for expanded editing control.

While you can do some minor editing in Instagram, there are a variety of apps for both iOS and Android that can give you way more tools. Use these apps to brighten, darken, crop, add text and effects, and much more.
- Popular editing apps include Photo Editor by Aviary, Afterlight, Bokehful, and Overgram.

17

Create collages

A great way to show a progression or a collection of images is to create a collage to post on Instagram. Several apps will allow you to do this, including PicStitch, InstaCollage, InstaPicFrame, and even Instagram's collage app named Layout.

18

Post at the right time

Instagram is an incredibly popular service, and your followers' feeds update constantly. If you want the most people possible to see your photos, you need to post them at the right time. The best time to post photos is during the morning and after normal work hours end for your audience.^{[2]
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- Find your analytics to see how well posts at one time of the day fare against posts at other times of the day. If you have a professional business or creator account, tap View Insights below your post.^{[3]
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- Instagram photos typically last around 4 hours in a person's feed, so avoid posting in the middle of the night or your followers may never actually see the image.
- You can find the best times to post pictures for your audience by using websites such as IconoSquare.

19

Post consistently

Don't dump all of your photos into your feed at once or post at different times each day. If you have multiple photos that you want to share, spread them out over a couple of days at the same time. If you post too many pictures at once, your followers are likely to start skipping over them. On the other hand, if you don't post often enough, you will have difficulty maintaining followers and drawing in new ones. And if you post at random times during the day, your followers won't know when you're active and might unfollow you.
- It will help if you do more posts and tag them more regularly than just once every 12 hours. Other people might just think you're boring. (Which you're not!)

20

Connect your Facebook account

Instagram is owned by Facebook, and you are losing out on a lot of potential followers if you don't connect your accounts. Once connected, all of your Instagram posts will be pushed to Facebook as well, giving you double exposure. This also makes it easy for all of your Facebook friends to find your Instagram account and follow you.

21

Create your own hashtag

Once you have a decent amount of followers, you can try creating your own hashtags. This could be your company name or a slogan that applies to many of your photos. This will help brand your Instagram account, and lead to a more cohesive community presence. Use this tag in all your photos you post as well as in your Instagram accounts bio.
- Use capital letters to separate words in a hashtag rather than spaces. Instead of "Just do it" you could use #JustDoIt

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I get more followers on Instagram with hashtags?

Ramin Ahmari
Social Media Expert
Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, an AI-led fashion house using machine learning on social media to forecast trends & eliminate fashion's problem of overproduction. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

Ramin Ahmari

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

In general, use hashtags that are specific and targeted. These will be more effective than broad, popular hashtags since you'll have less competition when using them. Keep in mind that Instagram will limit you to a maximum of 30 hashtags per post. When you're first starting out on Instagram, use all 30 hashtags if you can.
Question

How can I get more followers for my fan page?

Community Answer

Try following similar fan pages and commenting on their posts. The people running them or their followers may notice you and start following you. Make sure to tag your posts with popular hashtags or tags related to the topic of your fan page.
Question

How do I get followers if my account is on private, as I don't want it on public?

Community Answer

Many people on Instagram have the same problem. Just try to get followers from your friends' friends. You can also try to interact with schoolmates and classmates, who are on Instagram and ask them to follow you, and in return you can follow them.

Warnings

Don't use a follower generator to get fans; not only may they not work, but they may also steal your personal information and/or your money. Even if they do work, Instagram deletes fake accounts anyway, so you get ripped off either way.

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