8 Tips for Organically Growing Your Business With Instagram

Nowadays, you need to be organically growing your business with Instagram. Whether you spend 2 hours a week to 2 hours a day working on your Instagram, you might often get told social media is an investment. Yes, it is. But, that doesn’t mean you need to spend money on it.  

It’s possible to grow your following without spending a penny. 

Here are some top tips to get you started on organically growing your business with Instagram! 

1. Know Your Audience 

Do you know who your customer is? Make sure you define who your audience is. It’s important to make sure you’re targeting the right audience and not just anyone. People who are interested in your product are more likely to share your product. 

2. Consistent, Consistent, Consistent 

With Instagram's ever-changing algorithms, you need to make sure you post your content consistently. Use a planner like Hootsuite to help you post your content so you can’t forget or get too busy. Prioritise 20 minutes of your day to post and engage with followers.

3. Be Different 

Why should people follow you? Think about how you can be unique and interesting to follow and be creative with it. Make sure you take advantage of everything Instagram has to offers, Posts, Stories, Reels, Highlights etc. You should be everywhere your audience might be, and if you can, be ahead of the trend. 

4. Use Hashtags 

Followers won’t follow you if they can’t find you. Take advantage of hashtags, you can use up to 30 on each post. The best way to find relevant hashtags? Look at the hashtags your top followers/ ideal audience users follow and build up a list of hashtags you know your target market is following. 

5. Start a Conversation  

Get involved with your audience. Ask your audience questions; anything from how their day is to their favourite seasonal films. You can easily add a question into your Instagram post or story. Stories offer a great opportunity to talk to your audience, with polls, question boxes, quizzes… Wherever your audience speaks to you, make sure to reply back and engage. 

6. Engage With Others

A conversation is a two-way street. Like and comment on followers' pictures and even accounts that are similar to yours. Make sure to be genuine and interesting and even add your input if there’s a discussion. Not only is this a great way to make your followers feel known by you, but it also opens you up to new followers. 

7. Know When to Post 

This might take trial and error, only you can really know your audience. You can look online and find a basic guide of best times to post, but these will always vary from your own audience. Use Instagrams insights to evaluate the reach, interactions, website clicks and more. 

8. Have a Plan 

Although it might seem okay, aimlessly posting is not a good move. Incorporate all of these points and create a strategy to get the most out of your Instagram without spending a penny. 

Complete our Girls in Marketing 'Instagram Growth Course'

To go along with these 8 tips for growing your business with Instagram, you can take part in our online course! The 'Instagram Growth Course' is original to Girls in Marketing and covers:

• Engagement strategies that work
• How to put across powerful branding on Instagram
• Creating original content
• The importance of community building on Instagram
• So much more!

Written by Alice Mutch