Isn't it disappointing when you know your business could grow faster on Instagram, and yet, you aren't getting more followers?
You're doing great work and following the best practices for posting and engagement, but something doesn't seem to be working.
You browse through your feed and see newer businesses have more followers than you do. You end up asking yourself, "Why am I not getting any followers on Instagram?"
The truth is, there are reasons your business isn't getting Instagram followers, and it may surprise you.
But don't worry—there are solutions. Partnering with one of the best social media marketing agencies can help you diagnose these issues and implement effective strategies to attract and engage more followers. Read on to find out why you have low to no followers on Instagram and what you can do about it.
Table of Contents
- Why Am I Not Getting Followers on Instagram?
- #1: You’re Not Using Hashtags the Right Way
- #2: Your Posting Times are Bad
- #3: Your Content is Boring
- #4: You're Not Using Enough Call-to-Actions
- #5: You Don't Get Personal with Your Audience
- #6: You Have Bot Followers
- #7: You Don't Have a Proper Social Media Strategy in Place
- Why Am I Not Getting Followers on Instagram: Final Thoughts
Why Am I Not Getting Followers on Instagram?
Your business page is either not engaging enough, the algorithm of Instagram isn't in your favor, or your content is uninteresting.
Let's delve into each reason and the solution you can implement.
#1: You’re Not Using Hashtags the Right Way
Hashtags are a great way to get more followers on Instagram and other social media platforms.
But if you're not using them correctly, you may miss out on many potential new followers.
Hashtags are used to connect people and content through similar interests or subjects.If someone searches for a specific hashtag, they'll find posts that include it in their captions or tags.
This is where you come in: if you use hashtags in your posts and have good content, then people who search for those particular hashtags will see your post.
However, there are right and wrong ways to use hashtags. Here are some tips on how to use hashtags effectively:
- Use only 2-3 hashtags per post. You don't want to overdo it, or you'll look like an amateur—and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know how to use hashtags properly!
- Use hashtags that are specific to your niche. If you're a marketer, use hashtags like #digitalmarketingor #marketing; if you're an author, use #books and #writers; if you're an athlete, use hashtags like #sports and #training.
- Use hashtags that are frequently searched for. If you're unsure what hashtags are popular, use a tool like RiteTag or Hashtagify to help you out.
- Don't use irrelevant hashtags, and don't overdo it. If you use too many hashtags, it'll look like spam.
- Add a custom hashtag at the end of your post so people can easily find it when they search or scroll through their feed.
#2: Your Posting Times are Bad
The key is to post when your followers are online, as the Instagram algorithm prioritizes recent posting.
In general, the best time to post on Instagram to get likes and shares is 11 am on Wednesdays, according to a study by Hootsuite.
Hootsuite has found that Instagram users are most likely online mid-day and midweek, during work hours. That's when most people are on their phones, primarily if they work a 9-to-5 job.
While there are a lot of opinions out there about when your audience is most likely to be online, you may consider testing different posting times and see what works best for you.
You can use tools like Buffer or Agorapulse to schedule your posts in advance—but make sure that you don't post too often or too infrequently.
#3: Your Content is Boring
People are on Instagram because they like looking at photos and videos of exciting or inspiring things.
Here are a few things you can do to improve your content:
- Post Relevant Content: Make your Instagram feed relevant to your target audience. You might have the most incredible products on earth, but if nobody cares about it or understands how it will help them solve their problems, they won't follow you.
- Engage with Your Followers: An engaged follower is more valuable than a hundred followers. To engage with your audience on Instagram, you need to be entertaining and informative. You need to provide them with a reason to comment on your post. Try asking questions or offering exclusive promotions.
- Create Compelling Visuals: A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on a visual platform like Instagram. So, be sure each one counts by telling its own story rather than relying solely on text captions.
- Post More Often: One of businesses' most significant mistakes is not posting consistently. According to HubSpot, 40% of marketers believe that not posting enough content is the top reason companies lose followers. On the other hand, 33% said posting too much content may have the same results.
#4: You're Not Using Enough Call-to-Actions
If you're not using call-to-actions, you're missing out on a significant opportunity to grow your Instagram following.
You need to be using call-to-actions in every post, not just the ones that promote your products or services.
Being specific about what you want viewers to do will help them complete the action more easily.
Make your CTAs compelling and straightforward. If people aren't clear on what they need to do, they won't follow through.
Examples of good CTAs are:
- Save this post for later
- Double tap if this makes your day
- Tap LIKE if you agree
- What’s ONE tip you’d share? Tell me below
- Let’s chat in the comments!
- Tag your BFFs who need to see this
- Don’t miss my IG story for more updates
- Find more info in the highlights!
#5: You Don't Get Personal with Your Audience
You need to connect with them authentically, making them feel like they know you.
They'll want to follow your journey and share their experiences when they see that real connection. You can follow them back, like their photos, or comment on their posts, for instance.
You can also try reposting user-generated content. It's one of the best ways to grow your following and engagement because they are from your target audience.
If you see something that your audience is sharing on social media, repost it and tag them in the post. This will make them feel special and appreciated, increasing engagement and interaction.
#6: You Have Bot Followers
The problem with buying bot followers is that it can badly hurt your account's credibility.
For instance, if you buy bot followers and then try to sell something on Instagram, you'll find that people aren't interested in buying from you because they think the "likes" on your products are fake.
The whole point of Instagram is that it's supposed to be a social platform where you interact with others.
#7: You Don't Have a Proper Social Media Strategy in Place
With so many other companies fighting for attention, it can be hard to get followers. It's not enough to create a business account and start posting. You need a social media strategy in place before you start anything.
Here's a quick Instagram marketing strategy to get you started:
- Conduct Competitor Analysis: Understand who your competitors are and how they use their Instagram accounts. You should also look at the types of content they share and how often they post it. This will help you determine what kind of content will work best for your account and how often you should post it.
- Identify Your Target Audience and Tailor Your Content: To grow your Instagram community, you need to understand who you're marketing to. This can be done by creating a persona of your ideal customer and then breaking it down into demographics, psychographics, and behaviors. You should ask yourself: "what are my customers' pain points?" Once you have this information, you can tailor your content to fit their wants.
- Be Consistent with Your Branding: Make your profile look like it belongs to your brand. This means using the same colors and fonts as your website, having consistent captions and hashtags, using flattering photos of yourself and your products, and anything else that will help people recognize the image as belonging to you.
- Run Instagram Ads: Ad campaigns can help you reach the right people by targeting specific demographics and interests at the right time. You can even target users posting on particular topics or hashtags related to your business so they see your ads when they browse their feeds. Running ads is also great for boosting engagement with existing customers by creating offers
- Try Influencer Marketing:Influencer marketing refers to partnering with social media influencers to promote a product or service. The idea is that an influencer's popularity will make your business more attractive to potential customers, who will then follow you and engage with your content. You can find influencers in your niche by searching for relevant hashtags on Instagram or using an app like Klout or Klear.
Why Am I Not Getting Followers on Instagram: Final Thoughts
Anyone can create an Instagram account, but it takes serious effort to get the word out to grow your following.
Success on Instagram is about being consistent, following the best practices, being authentic, and posting great content.
Provide your audience with a clear understanding of what they should expect from your Instagram page and the value they can get from following you.
If your purpose statement makes it clear, your customers will feel more confident trusting you and, eventually, follow you.
Alternatively, you can always ask a professional social media marketing agency for help.
