I have to start by saying this ... "Instagram Followers are more like Ego-Building Proteins". And don't get me wrong, we all want a big following (me included) but you can't open an account and expect to have 41k followers the very next day.
My mom always told me, "good things take time", and the same applies for Instagram followers. However, here are a few ways to increase your following organically and a few more reasons why you shouldn't buy followers. Read on ...
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS ORGANICALLY
1. Write a compelling and catchy BIO. Include a link to your site and Highlight Stories with strategic info (i.e. tips, behind the scenes, promotions, reviews ...)
2. Post high quality content with interesting captions.
3. Have a strategy. Design a plan, define your goals and schedule your posts (Planoly is a great app for this).
4. Be consistent and mindful. Followers are more attracted to aesthetically-pleasing feeds so make sure that your posts match your brand's image in terms of: fonts, colors, filters and copywriting.
5. Optimize your posts. Use Geotags, tag related accounts, always include a group of relevant hashtags and perhaps a CTA (call to action).
6. Engage with your followers and industry related accounts. Write authentic comments, respond to messages and reactions. Be present!!
7. As you build a following ... study the posts with more engagements and the times when your followers are online. Constantly change your game and adapt. In social media there is no one-time-solution.
WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BUY FOLLOWERS
1. Fake followers directly affect your engagement. If you have 22k followers and only 13 likes and 0 comments per post ... something is not right. So don't be surprised if your exposure is minimum. Yes, even if you use hashtags and follow all of the above tips.
2. Fake followers will not buy your product or services. If my clients' company is based in Mexico and offers high-end local services; he'll kill me if I come up with 4,589 followers from Russia ages 22-31. Don't you think?
3. And following the Russia example stated above (no offense intended), this type of practice affects all of your metrics. This means you won't be able to build a real strategy because your metrics only show fake accounts and not potential clients.
4. Instagram is seriously tackling fake accounts and fake engagement apps. So even if you buy followers and have a nice number of following, you will most likely loose many of these over time.
5. Fake accounts come with spammy comments and these hurt your credibility as a serious business owner.
Now that you know all of this ... be patient & consistent. Trust me, I get you, but the best things in life come to those who wait and work hard everyday.