Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms out there.
According to Oberlo, the number of Instagram users is expected to hit 1.35 billion worldwide in 2023.
Instagram is a great platform for lead generation, driving website traffic, and raising brand awareness.
With so many users on Instagram, it won’t be easy to succeed. It requires hard effort and long-term dedication.
There is a vast number of Instagram features you can use to grow on this platform and gain more followers:
1) Use hashtags
Hashtags are popular on Instagram because they help categorize content and reach relevant users. When users search on Instagram for a specific hashtag, posts with that hashtag will show.
Use this feature wisely and include 3-5 hashtags relevant to your niche in your posts. It will help you reach more potential audiences and grow your followers over time.
Learn how to find the best hashtags on Instagram by reading this post.
2) Adding a profile action button
Action buttons can help you gain customers directly from your profile. If you have a business account on Instagram, you may add an action button to encourage users to get in touch, order from your shop, and more.
3) Use Instagram's long videos feature
Instagram currently allows you to post in-feed videos of up to 60 minutes. Uploading long videos can help you connect with your target audience and raise brand awareness.
Most Instagram users don’t usually post videos that long. However, keep in mind that there’s an option to do that.
4) Use Instagram Reels
The Reels algorithm is similar to other vertical short video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Uploading short and engaging Instagram Reels can help you reach many users and grow your followers even if your follower count is not high.
5) Use Instagram live videos
Live Instagram videos can be up to 4 hours in length.
Using this feature allows you to interact with your target audience and respond to their questions and thoughts in real time.
Another great feature of live videos is Live Shopping, which allows you to sell products directly from the app in real-time. That could be a great way to grow your sales.
6) AR effects
Using AR effects (augmented reality) in your photos and videos can make them look much more engaging. There are thousands of AR effects available on Instagram for free.
7) Collaborative posts
Instagram has a collaboration feature that allows content creators to collaborate with up to three users. You can collaborate on any feed post or Reel.
When you collaborate with other users on a post, the same post will appear in their profile as well, which contributes to reach expansion and more engagement.
8) Sticker polls
You can use sticker polls within stories to ask your target audience custom questions and receive feedback. A poll can also be inserted into a Reel
It’s a great way to see whether there’s a demand for a new product/service you are considering.
9) Story
Stories allows you to upload images/videos available for 24 hours. It’s another type of post you can upload and reach your target audience with.
10) Story highlights
Even though stories exist only for 24 hours, you can still show them to everyone who enters your profile.
Using Story highlights, you can group past stories uploaded into a section and show them on your profile page.
Story highlights are often used by businesses to display customer reviews, educational content, and more.
11) Direct messages
Use direct messages to start chatting with your followers and target audience. You can send them images, videos, and even video chat with others.
Don’t send too many direct messages so it won’t look like spam.
12) Instagram Ads
Using paid advertisement can boost your online presence and grow your followers.
If you don’t have a large marketing budget, try boosting only posts with a high engagement rate so that more people see them.
To conclude,
Instagram offers so many features you can take advantage of in order to grow your followers and online presence.
Whether you are an individual or have a business, we recommend using as many Instagram features as possible to grow in the long term.
Reading this post may also help you gain more Instagram followers.
