If you want to grow your following on Instagram, then engagement is key. And it can’t just be every once in a while. You should be engaging in various ways multiple times a day, every single day. Here is how to make the most out of your engagement on Instagram.

Who to Engage with:

You should be focusing your engagement on new accounts that fit your ideal client/customer and those who don’t already follow you. This part is crucial to your success. The more targeted you can get with your engagement, the better results you will see! First, you will need to figure out who your ideal client is. What demographics do they fit into? Which platforms are they on? And who else are they following on social media (industry leaders, influencers, etc.)? Get specific with these answers and make a list of other accounts that share a similar target market to you.

How to engage:

Once you’ve identified the right kind of accounts to engage with, you want to start with the following actions:

1. Like a few of their posts

   Liking is the easiest way to engage with other creators. Give away likes like free candy!

2. Leave a meaningful and well thought out comment

   Comments are one of the highest weighted forms of engagement on Instagram, especially when they are personal and thought-provoking. Ideally, you want to include a question in your comment to keep the conversation going. And don’t forget that your response to comments is equally as important as leaving a comment. Always respond! 

3. Share a Story or Post

   Shares measure vitality on Instagram. You should be creating sharable content and also sharing other users’ content.

4. Use DMs

   Use DMs to build relationships, offer special deals, and convert followers into buyers. And since you already know that this person fits into your target audience, this is an incredibly valuable resource. You can also slide into someone’s DMs by responding to their Story.

5. Follow an account

   Following is the highest form of engagement on Instagram. If you come across an account that aligns well with your business, consider following them. Not only does doing so tell the user that you love their content and want to come back for more, but the user is more likely to go check out your account in response.

Wait a day or so and see if you get a response on any of these touchpoints. If not, keep working through the list above! Remember, MEANINGFUL engagements with the RIGHT people will yield much better results than mass engagements with the wrong people.

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When to engage and how much:

You want to be engaging as much as possible within Instagram’s limit. Remember - Instagram limits the number of engagements that you can perform per hour. This is their way of trying to eliminate any automated engagement from bots. So instead of mass liking/following, aim to engage with 25-35 accounts uber targeted accounts per hour. If you do this 2x per day (total of 50 accounts per day), you can expect to gain between 300-1,000 new, engaged followers per month.

Focus on Converting

Once you’ve established a steady flow of new, targeted followers, it’s time to start converting these people into paying customers. Start by refining your offerings. Look at what your most popular introductory product/service is, i.e., what do most new customers end up buying first. Keep creating valuable and informational content, but start working in a powerful CTA at the end that drives followers to take that first step towards buying. Then use the various features of Instagram to really drive your point home by making Stories, Reels, and posts. Be careful not to let your sales pitch take away from the value you are offering in your content.

Social media is all about being social, and engagement is Instagram’s native language! Your growth on this platform is a direct reflection of the amount of engagement that you give! The more you give, the more you get. It’s as simple as that!
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Any questions? Comment below and start engaging today!