How To Build a Big Following on Instagram: Tips That Work!

You’re currently facing the daunting task of how to build a following on Instagram from scratch. We know what you want. You want an army of loyal, active users that engage with your content. Who doesn’t want this for their IG brand? 

Unfortunately, achieving this is harder than it looks (and it already looks pretty hard). It’s not impossible, though. In this article, we tell you how to build a big following on Instagram.

It may not take a single post to do it, but success is within reach. We give you realistic goals and expectations in this article. We also tell you the tested and proven methods. Let’s get started!

How To Build a Big Following on Instagram From Scratch Using Low-Effort Methods

You are starting this account after millions already exist. It is a bold and brave decision to start yours. 

In this section, we will give you some methods to yield high engagement using minimal effort. 

Building a following on Instagram from ground zero doesn’t have to be impossible.

1. Take Advantage of the Reel Templates

If you want to create Reels to expand your reach on the platform, you’re making a good decision. Reels are an excellent way to reach new audiences. You’ll need to pump out the Reels constantly without sacrificing quality, though. 

This is why it’s such a good thing that Reel templates exist. Have you ever seen how some creators can post video clips exactly on the beat? They can cut and edit those clips so well. 

With an Instagram Reel template, you can take advantage of their excellent video editing skills. When you see a Reel with a good edit, look for the option to Use Template. 

Not all Reels will have this option, so you may have to do a bit of scrolling. When you do, you must select the photos and clips to go into the pre-selected template. You just cut down the time it would normally take you to produce a Reel. 

With this kind of efficiency, you can produce content consistently and impress the Instagram algorithm. 

2. Collaborate With Someone

People can only follow you if they know you exist in the first place. One way to get your brand out there is to use an Instagram page that already has a following. Instagram allows its users to make joint posts on the platform. This means that you and another user can jointly upload a photo or Reel to Instagram. 

It will end up in both of your respective Instagram feeds. The followers of the other user will see that you are a collaborator. 

This gives you the exposure you need. It also shows that this creator can vouch for you. So, there is also some added credibility there.

3. Upload Photos as Reels

You may not be a modern-day Spielberg, so Reels seem complicated. Do you know how to build a following on Instagram with just photos? You can upload a single photo in a Reel. There have even been trending audio clips that make fun of Instagram’s bias towards Reels. 

You can go through the same process of uploading a Reel but use photos instead. This could take the place of a carousel post. If you use a trending audio clip, you could still benefit from the reach Instagram gives Reels.

The content strategy you use for these photos is up to you. It can be user-generated content (UGC), for example. This is a great way to show that other creators already support you.

4. Use Relevant Hashtags

Implementing hashtags into content production effectively builds a following on Instagram. We even have a blog post about the best way to create an Instagram hashtag strategy.

A mixture of popular, niche, and branded hashtags is a good starting point. Once you find the best ones for your type of content, let them do their magic.

How To Build a Follower Base on Instagram Using Instagram Stickers

Instagram likes to give you opportunities to increase your following. They’re always introducing new features that creators may like. Have you heard of Instagram stickers? 

You’re missing out on some serious follower growth potential if you haven’t. But don’t worry. We will tell you how to build a follower base on Instagram using stickers.

1. Invite Your Followers To Ask Questions

Do you want to increase your engagement rate and get on Instagram’s radar? This means that you need to trigger some interaction with your followers. You can do this by inviting them to ask you some questions.

Maybe you lead a very aloof lifestyle. Or, you could lead one that raised more questions. They could be eager to find out more about you. Take advantage of this. 

There is an Instagram sticker that you can use to invite questions from your followers. This is how you use it:

1. Go to your Instagram story by tapping the plus sign (+) on your profile picture. 
2. You can take a photo or video or use an existing one. 
3. You’ll see the sticker icon at the top of the screen. Tap on it. 
4. Look for the Question sticker. When you select it, it will show up on your Instagram story saying Ask Me Anything. 

Now, followers ask you they’re burning questions. The sticker also allows you to respond to these questions publicly. That way, your followers know you are answering their questions and not just reading them. They are anonymous to the public but not to you.

This could help boost your engagement rate and encourage Instagram to share your content more. That potentially leads you to grow your follower base. 

2. Add Your Content

The Add Yours sticker is a great way to join a community of people who want to share their content. You’ve likely come across this sticker on the stories of other people that you follow. You will see that it gives you the option to add your own story to that sticker. 

The sticker gives you instructions on what to add. It could be a scenery that doesn’t involve people. It could be a flashback to when you were much younger. 

You’ll notice that you get to see the stories from other Instagram users. In the same way, people get to see your story when you add to the sticker as well. 

That’s a way to put your content out there to new people. If you look at the views on your story, you’ll see that some of them are strangers. This means that your story is reaching more than just your follower base. You just need to make sure that you create content compelling enough to inspire someone to follow you.

3. Host Polls To Hear Your Followers’ Views

The goal is to keep creating content your followers want to see. You could take a hint from how well certain pieces of content perform. Or, you could ask your followers what they want from you. 

Of course, you don’t want to invite too many suggestions. You still have an overarching brand to maintain. It will be better to circumvent the possible responses. There is an Instagram sticker just for that purpose. 

You can use a poll in your Instagram story and regular Instagram posts as well. You could ask a question like “What do you like to see the most on my page?” Then, you could give defined answers. Only you know your brand and what content you can manage to produce. 

The great thing about the poll sticker is that it counts the answers for you. When the results are all tallied up, you know the kind of content you need to focus on. This method almost guarantees that you’ll get engagement. With more engagement, Instagram puts your content up to more people. 

4. Be Playful Using Instagram Quizzes

People regard Instagram stories as less serious than Instagram feed posts. This means you can play around here and get some responses from your followers. It’s all in the name of engagement, so don’t take it too seriously. 

For example, you could be casually trying on multiple outfits in a changing room. If you’re a fashion influencer, you could ask your target audience to guess which outfit you bought. The quiz sticker lets you indicate which answer is the correct one. 

This way, you don’t leave your followers hanging on. They know what you ultimately bought.

Best Way To Build a Following on Instagram With the Power of Reels

People aren’t just using Reels because they think they’re fun to make. It’s also not because they have all this excess content from their TikTok profiles. Reels are excellent tools to grow your Instagram following. 

The platform incentivizes the use of Reels by increasing its reach. We want to give you the best chance at success. We’ll tell you the best way to build a following on Instagram with this tool.

Use Trending Audio Reels

There is one song that lives in your brain rent-free. You’ve never voluntarily looked up this song, but it always finds you. It’s not that it’s a bad song. You just wonder how you always stumble upon it when you open your phone. 

You won’t like the advice we are about to give you. To help your growth on Instagram, you will have to use that song to make Reels. 

Building a following on Instagram may require you to hop on this audio trend. If you hear a particular sound on the platform a lot, it’s currently the audio that Instagram is promoting. This means that the Reel that uses this audio gets some promotion as well. 

Your Instagram Reel could be among this number. You don’t have to make a huge, detailed Reel for it to count. You could just select a series of photos and clips. Let the Instagram algorithm do the rest.

Keep Them Short Where You Can

You have to give Instagram the impression that people are replaying your Reels. One clever way to do this is by producing very short Reels. This way, people will inadvertently replay the Reel. This inspires Instagram to share your Reel with others since it is so compelling. 

By “short,” we’re talking about seven seconds maximum. We know that this may be far too short for some creators. Consider doing a multiple-part series. This gives you multiple opportunities to go viral on the platform. 

It even makes people want to stick around to find out what else happened. This is how to build a following on Instagram, focusing on your video length.

How Long Does It Take To Build a Following on Instagram? (Not Long With Plixi)

This growth rate is between 9.4% and 16%. So, you want to know how long building a following on Instagram. This is a fair question. You want to know what kind of expectations you should have. 

According to Statista, IG accounts with a follower count below 1000 increased by about 9.4% over six months. This source also says that accounts with 10,000 to 1 million followers increase by 16%. 

You asked, “How long does it take to build a following on Instagram?” because you want to expedite the process. We fully understand your sense of urgency at Plixi. There are so many opportunities for creators these days. It makes sense that you want to take advantage of them.

Because of this, you should use the services of seasoned growth professionals. Plixi has an in-house platform of Instagram influencers with the answers to your pressing questions. 

We also have access to a propriety AI targeting algorithm. We’ve been building it for the last decade. We know how to build a big following on Instagram. We have everything you need to go to the next level. 

Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today.