A question I get asked all the time is, “How do you grow your Instagram followers?”

To be honest, I would love to know all the answers to that question because I am learning myself. One thing that I am big on is sharing what I am learning.

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of research on how to grow my followers. I had a really nice meeting yesterday with my two influencer friends, Jasmine Dustin and Jessica Hall. Jasmine has grown her followers from 3,000 to 100,000 in the last year. She is a travel blogger and gave me a lot of insight.

1. Be authentic.

This is so important because people can spot someone who is a fake. For a long time, I was trying to find my identity on instagram. Am I a mom blogger? Am I a beauty blogger? What box do I put myself in? The only box that really matters is the box of authenticity. Be you. Post about what you do and how you do it. If today you’re with your kid and you want to post that, then that’s fine. If tomorrow you’re with your co-worker and want to post your office outfit of the day, then that works.

2. It’s OK to practice.

Look at some of my old photos below. Let’s just say I have come a long way from my early days of being a blogger on Instagram.

3. Like other photos in your niche.

Start following people that do things that are similar to what you do. If you have no idea how to find people that are in your similar realm, then go by hashtags. For example, as a mom I look at #Mom or #MomLife. I look at all the people who use those tags and see who I connect with, then I follow them.

4. Socialize.

It is important to socialize with all your followers. Connect with them and comment. For Instagram it takes a lot of work, but you need to spend time and socialize with people that you are following and their communities. It’s also a beautiful thing meeting new people and learning new things from other people. 

5. Create a theme for your photos.

This is very important to get new followers. It is important to make sure your theme is consistent. This is what attracts new followers. A great way to do this is by using the VSCO app. You can download it to your phone and use it to edit your pics.

6. Create a hashtag and encourage others to use it.

This is a great way to stand out from others. Also, it feels good to see your followers using your hashtag. For example, I used the hashtag #MakeItHappen on a recent post because it’s true to who I am. I make shit happen! 

7. Run a contest.

Running a contest works really well to get new followers. Ask your other followers to follow you on Instagram! The only problem with this is that you might lose followers the second the giveaway is over.

XO,