Instagram’s grip on the marketing world seems unshakeable. To stay competitive, establishing a presence is no longer optional.
But simply opening an account isn’t enough. To thrive in this competitive landscape, you need a strategic approach to promotion.
Wondering how to promote your Instagram account? We explore various strategies, including creating high-quality, shareable content, leveraging hashtags, and utilizing other platforms to drive traffic. Let’s get started!
How to promote an Instagram account for free
Social media platforms have evolved so much from the days of just keeping tabs on your friends. It has also become a really important business tool.
Obviously, Instagram is becoming one of the best channels to get leads organically if you play it right.
Let’s get right into our first tip, which is essential to promote your Instagram account for free.
#1. Build a content strategy
What you post and when you post are the two most important elements of any good strategy, so here are some tips on how to create an Instagram content plan that works.
Also read: Top Instagram Promotion Strategies
Theme
If you’ve ever stumbled on some accounts that look great even if you haven’t even opened any of the images yet, that is what you call a good content theme.
You should stick to a theme to make everything cohesive just like this account:
It can either have a color palette or well-thought-out and curated graphics that make it feel very cohesive as a brand. Use your brand colors or any other design elements to create templates for your posts.
After figuring that out, you also need to decide what kinds of content you’ll be posting.
Get inspired by exploring our 30+ creative feed designs!
Best Content to Promote Your Instagram Account
Deciding what to post takes the daily pressure off because you’ve already planned out everything.
The most important thing you need to consider is this:
Most people open Instagram for entertainment, and they don’t visit your page to feel like they are walking in a shopping center.
Let us put it this way:
You should plan to create and publish a variety of content, not just product samples (at least not for now).
There are many different types of content you can mix up with the posts surrounding your product, here are a few examples.
High-quality posts
First things first: visual appeal matters! To help you craft stunning posts, here are some key tips:
- Use the rule of thirds for balanced compositions.
- Play with perspective and leading lines to draw viewers in.
- Consider negative space for a cleaner look.
- Utilize natural light whenever possible. If using artificial lights, ensure even and flattering illumination.
- Maintain a consistent color palette that reflects your brand identity or content theme.
- Edit colors for vibrancy, clarity, and a cohesive look.
- Use high-resolution images or videos to avoid pixelation.
Remember, high quality doesn’t always mean expensive equipment. Smartphone photography can be excellent with an understanding of these core principles.
Funny Posts & Memes
What type of posts is being shared the most? Funny posts!
How many times have you sent a funny post to your friend or even received one?
Creating a funny post related to your field, can make your audience laugh, and this is what helps you to make them fall in love with you easier, and faster.
Educational Posts
This is another great value you can offer your followers to press that follow button.
By teaching them something, you give them a reason to come back to check your page out and a great reason to keep following you for a long time.
Step-by-step tutorials, tips & tricks and mythburstings are the best examples of educational content.
Note: interactive elements like polls & quizzes, or Q&A sessions are great for educational posts.
Plus, formats like carousels, short reels, stories, and Lives work best for this type of content.
UGC (User Generated Content)
Here’s the good news: You don’t have to be a content-creation machine!
Leveraging user-generated content (UGC) is a powerful strategy. When your audience creates content featuring your brand (positive experiences, photos using your product), it acts as social proof for potential customers.
The benefits are twofold:
- Increased reach: You can repost UGC on your account, expanding your reach to the original poster’s followers.
- Credibility boost: UGC showcases genuine experiences, building trust with potential customers.
But how to get your fans to create UGC, especially as a small business?
Offer incentives! Run a contest or provide a special offer in exchange for user-generated content. Be specific:
- What kind of content do you want? (Photos, videos?)
- What hashtag should they use?
- How should they tag you?
Once you receive UGC, simply share it on your account!
UGC is a free and powerful way to promote your Instagram account.
You can mix UGC with other content types like product shots, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and unboxings. Remember, user-generated content is highly shareable, which further promotes your brand organically.
Recommendation:
What we recommend is to create an Instagram content calendar and come up with three to five general types of posts that you can cycle between.
This way you’ll never be stuck for an idea, and your audience is going to come to look forward to the different types of posts that you become known for.
Drowning in Content Creation? We’ve Got You Covered!
Take a deep breath! Our content creation service is here to save the day. We’ll:
- Craft captivating content: Reels, Stories, feed posts – we do it all!
- Schedule for success: Post at the perfect times to maximize engagement.
- Free up your time: Focus on what you do best, while we handle the content.
Ready to ditch the content struggle?
Try Different Content Formats
Don’t just stick with a single format! All Instagram content formats are here to help you:
Single Images
These are cornerstones of Instagram and are perfect for showcasing products, sharing quotes, or delivering quick tips.
Carousels
Carousels allow for more in-depth content compared to single posts. They’re ideal for storytelling or presenting multi-step processes. So, keep viewers engaged by swiping through multiple images or videos.
Stories
Instagram stories are perfect for behind-the-scenes glimpses, live updates, and casual interactions. To boost your Instagram story engagement, utilize interactive features like polls, quizzes, and questions.
There’s also another trick:
You can hide your hashtags by blending the font with the solid background of your story.
So that way you have the benefit of being searchable, and that’s a great way to promote your Instagram account for free.
This way people can type in a hashtag, and you will still be found for it, But it doesn’t clutter up the look of your story.
Reels
Reels have a dedicated explore page, increasing discoverability. They’re ideal for showcasing creativity, tutorials, or product demonstrations. So, capitalize on the popularity of short-form video content.
Suggested post: How to get followers from reels on Instagram
IGTV
Honestly, one of the best things that has happened to social media and marketing, in general, is that you can go live.
It lets you engage with your audience in real-time which is an amazing opportunity for any business. Live videos make your brand more real more relatable like a real human is being behind the brand.
You can do anything with the live video, you can do a live contest with prizes, you can announce a new product, a new service, or just a live Q&A where your audience can ask you anything.
You know if you’re a restaurant you can try doing a cooking show, do a tutorial, or teach a new skill through a live video.
If you’re a content creator who relies on engagement this is your big chance to get it all right.
#2. Optimize Your Bio
Your Instagram bio is what your audience is going to see first, and that’s why it’s important to make the most of it.
Here is what you need to do to optimize your profile:
Switch to a Business Profile:
This unlocks features like analytics and contact buttons. (Go to Settings > Account > Switch to Business Profile)
Choose a Strong Profile Photo:
- Use a clear logo or high-quality photo representing your brand.
- Consider using PhotoFeeler to get feedback on your photo choice.
Craft a Compelling Bio Description:
- Include relevant keywords to improve discoverability.
- Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP) – what sets you apart?
- Use emojis strategically to add personality and save space.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA) by adding your landing page link in the bio. (Link in bio tools can be used to manage multiple links)
Suggested post: 20 Threads bio examples
#3. Hashtag Strategy
Hashtags are a great way to promote your account on Instagram, and they are completely free.
They give you the chance to be found by new people who search for your topic.
What you want to do is to start by making a list of your desired keywords.
Then type them into the search of Instagram(Or use AiGrow’s free hashtags generator), and that’s going to start showing you a lot of related tags.
It also shows you how many other posts are using it. this is going to give you a sense of the competition level involved.
The good strategy here involves using several tags from every level of popularity.
You are looking to use all these four kinds of Hashtag:
- A few with maybe millions of posts
- Some with hundreds of thousands
- Some with tens of thousands
- Niche ones with maybe a thousand or fewer.
Keeping that good healthy mix from all levels of popularity is what helps you get found in every stage.
The popular ones will get you found the second you post
The less popular ones will kind of keep you around for the long term.
#4. Use Other Social Media Platforms
Driving traffic to your Instagram account doesn’t have to happen solely within the app itself. Other social media platforms can be a goldmine for attracting new followers and boosting engagement. Here’s how to strategically leverage them:
1. Tease and Promote Upcoming Instagram Content:
- Twitter: Briefly announce upcoming Instagram posts with a captivating image and a call to action (CTA) to “follow you on Instagram for more!”
- Facebook: Share a snippet of an interesting Instagram video or image with a teaser message and a link to your Instagram profile.
- TikTok (if relevant to your niche): Create a short, engaging TikTok video related to your Instagram content and subtly mention where viewers can find more (your Instagram handle).
2. Repurpose Existing Instagram Content:
- LinkedIn: Share informative Instagram carousels or infographics related to your industry and add a link to your Instagram profile for extended content.
- YouTube: If you have an explainer video on Instagram, consider creating a shorter YouTube version with a clear CTA to follow you on Instagram for future content.
3. Host Interactive Giveaways or Contests:
- Run a giveaway across multiple platforms: Partner with complementary accounts on other social media platforms to host a giveaway where the entry requires following all participating accounts (including your Instagram).
- Encourage cross-platform engagement: Run a contest on Instagram that requires participants to share the post on their stories and tag a friend (on Instagram) to enter. Mention bonus entries for following you on other platforms.
Suggested post: Why is my Instagram engagement down?
4. Utilize Platform-Specific Features:
- Facebook Stories: Share short, engaging Instagram Story highlights directly to Facebook Stories to showcase your Instagram content and entice viewers to follow you there.
- Twitter Polls: Run a Twitter poll related to your niche and ask viewers to see the results on your Instagram for the full breakdown.
5. Partner with Influencers in Your Niche:
- Collaborate with micro-influencers on other platforms who share your target audience. They can promote your Instagram account or co-create content that’s featured on both platforms.
#5. Know Instagram Algorithm
Having a good knowledge of the Instagram algorithm and the changes it’s going through increases your chance to promote your Instagram for free.
That’s because you already know the tips and tricks that they get money for to share with you.
Let’s jump right into it.
Ghost Followers
The Instagram algorithm works in a way that when you post a photo, it doesn’t show that photo to all of your followers.
It shows it to only 10-20% of them and waits to see if they engage with your content. The answer to this question decides whether more people are going to see your post or not.
You probably have guessed how important ghost followers are and the importance of identifying them, and getting rid of them.
We have a whole blog that helps you identify and get rid of ghost followers in a way that doesn’t hurt your account.
Action Limits
Since 2019, Instagram has been taking serious measures to stop spamming.
For that reason, it has developed a daily action limit.
Your actions are limited to a specific number per hour, and that enables Instagram to identify bots and spammers.
The Unwritten Rule
Many different factors make Instagram decide whether to show you to more people or even send you on the Explore page, But here is the most important one:
You should be considered an active person who creates content regularly on Instagram.
It’s essential to have at least 20 posts per month, and for the best results go for 30 per month.
The same rule applies to stories (1-3 stories/day is good).
What you want to do is to have both posts and stories frequently.
FAQs
How can I boost my Instagram account?
To promote your Instagram account, create captivating content, post consistently, and optimize your profile. Promoting your page on other platforms, engaging with your audience, and using relevant hashtags will also work.
Can I pay Instagram to promote my account?
While you can’t directly promote your account, you can pay and boost one of your top-performing posts.
What is free Instagram promotion?
Free Instagram promotion refers to free strategies such as creating high-quality content or engaging with followers to grow your Instagram account and reach a wider audience.
