If you use Instagram to promote your business, it is easy to feel like a failure if you don’t have thousands of followers. 

We tend to look at the mega influencers on IG that have 100k+ followers, and ask ourselves “Why can’t I do this?” Meanwhile, we are fighting to get 10k followers so Instagram will grant us the “Swipe Up” feature on IG stories.  Ugh.

Organic growth on Instagram is not what it used to be years ago.  Those big influencers have likely been growing their IG following for many years (back in the day when it was easier).  Now Facebook has dramatically changed the algorithms, making it more complicated to quickly boost your followers.

If you are a busy business owner like myself, you likely don’t have time or energy to figure out how to beat the IG algorithms.  You will spend hours (that you don’t have) and still end up feeling frustrated. So how about if we take a simpler approach and try out three ideas that will help tremendously?

That is why I asked Alyssa, my social media manager, to give me her three best tips for gaining traction on Instagram and growing your following.  So here they are:

1. Tag your location on our Instagram posts and stories.

Well that is easy enough.  It’s a simple click “Add Location.”  As long as you have location enabled on your phone, your current location will pop up.  You can use your city or choose the specific location you are at that moment (a restaurant, a landmark, etc.).  This step enables users to click on that particular location and see all photos and stories posted from that location.  This can expose your account to more people.

2. Share your Instagram account on other social media platforms.

Let’s pretend for a moment that you have a very engaged and robust following on another social platform.  For instance, I have a much bigger following on LinkedIn. If my audience is more engaged with me on LinkedIn, then I can promote my Instagram account on LinkedIn.  Whenever you post on other social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube, ask your followers to connect with you on Instagram. Instagram is a completely different type of platform and followers may be delighted to see what you’re up to over on IG.

3. Use Instagram stories.

I admit I have been slow to jump on the IG stories bandwagon, primarily due to a lack of time.  Thankfully, I have Alyssa to help me move into the social future and create these stories for me.  Here is the thing to know about Instagram stories. They actually work! Last month, when reviewing metrics for one of my clients, I noticed she had 1 website visitor from her IG static posts as opposed to 27 visitors from IG stories.  And I believe she posted one or two IG stories that month. Imagine if she was doing daily IG stories. Instagram stories offer huge marketing potential for businesses and help you reach a bigger audience. When doing your IG stories, be sure to include interactive elements like polls, questions, and quizzes.  The more people interact with your stories, the more Instagram will show your content in their feed when you post.

Bonus Tip:  Use video!

Some business owners are natural at this.  One of my clients loves to record videos; they come easy for her.  She just gets inspiration and starts recording. Other people find video more challenging.  They overthink it and believe the video has to be perfect before posting something online. Here’s the deal.  Your videos need to be natural and spontaneous. People want authenticity. They want to know who you are and experience you on an emotional level.  And video allows them to do that. So try to post videos. These can be used on your IG stories and on IGTV as well. If you have a fear of video marketing, check out this post to help you overcome this obstacle.

So there you have it.  A simpler approach to Instagram marketing.  Try these tips first and see what happens. Do your best not to overcomplicate things, judge yourself, or compare yourself to the mega IG influencers.  If you truly desire to be known on Instagram and use this platform to grow your business, just be patient. It is just one of the many things you can do to get more customers.  Be consistent with these tips and focus your energy on other business growth strategies at the same time.

Lori Young is the founder of Amazing OBM, a boutique content marketing agency focused on heart-centered entrepreneurs.  If you need help managing your social media marketing, contact us for a free consultation.  We would love to help you spread your story and expertise in the world.