4 Tips To Boost Your Instagram Account

Instagram's usage exploded in 2014 and continues to grow this year. Social media users are getting sick of Facebook's algorithms (all in favor of that, raise your hand! *raises hand*) and the fast-paced, often inaccurate information found on Twitter. Plus, we're humans. We're visual. We like pictures.

But just like the other social media platforms, there's a way to use Instagram to get the max engagement from your followers. It's not simply point + click + post = gain likes and followers.

For roughly the last three to four months, I've conducted a very (un)scientific study of my Instagram photos. I recorded and analyzed my findings (no seriously, I did. This is what happens when you have a Master's degree and decide to stay home with a baby...) to yield:

4 Tips To Boost Your Instagram Account

1) Post pics during high traffic times. This is logical: the more people who are on IG, the more interaction you'll get with your photo. But what are those times? From my data, I've found early in the weekday morning (before people go to work, such as 6-7am); the early evening (between 7pm-9pm) and anytime on Sundays, but especially on Sunday evenings. Now, I have a national audience following my IG account and am in the Central timezone, so you may find you have to tweak these times slightly if your account differs. When you post during a high traffic time, you'll see more likes, comments and new followers from every post!

Despite a typo autocorrect fail, this was posted at a high traffic time and got plenty of likes and comments

2) Use hashtags, but not IN your post. Whether you're annoyed with hashtags or not, it's a way to connect your photo to similar photos, and people who are interested in that topic. It makes your photo searchable and viewable to more people than just your followers (as long as your account isn't private - see #4). So where do you put those hashtags if not in your actual post? In the comment section! If you put them in the comment section, every time someone comments on your post, your pic gets bumped up to the first of all the photos with that hashtag. Which will invite more participation on your pic. Which will get you more likes. And more followers. See the cycle?

See how the hashtags are the first comment under my pic post? That's where you want them!

3) Post clear, bright, relevant photos. That blurry pic you caught of your dog running after a ball might be cute to you, but the rest of us don't care. However, if you get a pic of your dog balancing a treat on his nose and it's in focus, that's likeable to a wider audience. The same principle applies to children, times 100. I feel like I can say this because I'm a mom, and post pics of my baby on IG. Nobody cares to see an empty, messy high chair after your 9 mo old eats ravioli. But catch them in the act making a funny face? That's likable. Babies are generally likeable as long as they're cute, funny, and in focus. A witty hashtag also helps. Excessive photos of your children doing daily, mundane tasks? Not interesting. The difference is unique content that's in focus.

This was a "#myhomeIRL" tagged post. I used a bright, clear photo where Henry is smiling while he makes a massive mess!

4) Make your account PUBLIC. If you're a blogger and your account if private, nobody can see your photos via hashtags, no one but your followers can interact with you and you're wasting a HUGE opportunity to promote your blog and build community. Make your account public. Why have a public blog and a private IG? If someone you don't like follows you or comments, simply block them. If you don't want "just anyone" to see your photos, you should likely take stock of what kind of photos you're putting out there - nothing should be risque or inappropriate. So if you want to see growth both in your IG following/interactions and your blog, make it public.

I link up with #FridayIntroductions about once a month, and because my account it public I gain tons of followers from that hashtag alone.

A little over six months ago, I had just over 300 followers. After I started to use these tips, my account has grown to over 1400 followers, and adding more daily. Trust me, consistent use of these tips will grow your Instagram following and boost your interaction!