Today we're talking about the question I get asked the most - how to grow your Instagram account.
I'm also going to get deep (bear with me) on whether these efforts are really worth it... but that's later.
I'm not a marketing specialist, these are the things I've observed growing my account from 0 to over 10k in one year.
I'm also not going to go into every single tip, just the ones I've found make the most difference. Yes you should tag brands, use hashtags... in fact I have lots of thoughts on hashtags, but I'll save that for another time.
Let's get into it.
HOW TO GROW YOUR INSTAGRAM
1. Post every day
This is THE MOST IMPORTANT tip I'm giving you. You have to post every day. Even if I miss one day, I see a drop in likes and engagement. The time zone doesn't matter, just between midnight and midnight - post!I often see people using sliders where they post 5 photos at the same time, but then they don't post for 4 days. In my opinion this is a mistake. Save those photos and post them once each day. Sliders have a useful function and we'll get into that, but don't sacrifice your daily photo to post a slider.
2. Post videos
Instagram rewards you for time spent on your post, so when people are scrolling through and stop at your post, the algorithm will consider it 'important'.Videos are more likely to get reposted by brands and repost accounts which can be very helpful.
3. Think about time differences
I live in Montreal, so posting between 11am - 4pm gets the Europeans, the west coast of North America and my time zone during peak times; mornings, lunch, after work and bedtime. If you live in LA and you're posting at 9pm, you lose a big chunk of the English speaking followers who are asleep!4. Sliders
Yes these sliders I mentioned earlier - they do have a benefit. If people don't swipe through to see each photo, Instagram will show that post again with the second photo, and on and on until you've seen each photo (I believe). So it's a way to get a 'second chance' at being seen.5. Have a consistent feed
If you look on my Instagram, you'll see I always post 3 similar type photos so there's a vertical pattern. Some people use a specific filter so all the photos look the same (with manicures that doesn't work since we're looking for true to color photos, but it's a thought). Just make sure when people come to your profile, there is some sort of pattern, order or cohesion.That being said, don't focus so much on it that seeing an individual post in the feed is annoying - for example when people post a sliced photo image that looks amazing all together when you look at the profile, but looks like random nothingness when you see it in the feed.
6. Challenges
Participating in nail art challenges is a great way to connect with a new audience. This account posts nail art challenges. Some popular ones are #glamnailschallenge and #nailartchallenge. If you do a challenge, make sure to go and like/comment on the other posts.
BUT IS IT WORTH IT?
Instagram doesn't pay you for having lots of followers like YouTube does. Yes you can get free products - this is something I was really excited for, but honestly when it starts happening, it's kind of a pain.
Companies expect certain things of you and you usually don't get to choose what you receive, so you end up with extra products you won't use.
Storytime
This whole year I've been so dedicated to Instagram, posting religiously every day.Then about a month ago, some exciting things started happening in my life - I was dating a lot, I rekindled some old friendships, and I started a beauty business doing lash lifts!
While I still had content to post, I was so busy living my life that I'd occasionally forget - I was still posting regularly, but missing a day or two here and there.
Guess what happened? My engagement tanked. I am literally losing followers every day. Compared to earlier this year when I was averaging about +40 new followers a day, this was a big change.
This got me thinking about the past year and I wondered: is my success on Instagram inversely proportional to my success in life?
If I'm bored and lonely at home, my account does great.
If I'm out with friends and dates, starting a new exciting business... my Instagram dies.
The algorithm is so punishing, there's no lenience at all. You can't have a 'day off'. You really have to dedicate yourself to it, otherwise you'll be penalized harshly.
I do Instagram for fun, but it is rather demotivating to feel like there's no growth.
So what's more important? Success in real life or success online?
I'm not saying you can't have both, but it's definitely not easy. This is something I've been thinking about.
I will always do nail art because I love it. It makes me happy expressing myself in this way, chatting with others about it. But I'm definitely reconsidering my commitment to Instagram.
We'll see what happens in the coming months.
Love and lacquer,
Michele