Instagram is one of the most famous social media platforms out there with over 1 billion monthly users. This, obviously, represents a big opportunity for marketers, potential influencers, and brands to tap into this user pool. 

However, it is definitely challenging to build your Instagram presence and gain followers overnight. It is a process that takes time, a lot of time if I may add, but this post is here to help lessen that time. With our help, you can see results faster. You will learn how to hack instagram followers without following and grow to have the highest followers on instagram in nigeria.

We are going to show you how to increase your followers on Instagram in Nigeria 2021.

1. Write a Bio that stands out.

The first thing anybody will see when they visit your profile is your bio and therefore it is critical that you make a great first impression on the person or audience. You need to write a gripping, captivating Instagram bio to encourage people to follow you.

Aside from the basics like adding your contact details and website link, you should also tell your story in an engaging way. Simply saying what kind of business you run won’t make you stand out. You have to give people a reason to connect with you and follow you.

2. Be Unique 

Your Instagram feed is the next thing that anyone who visits your profile will see after your bio. And, the impression that a user gets by looking at your feed is important in determining if they will like your brand or not. (Brand in this context means you and what you put out there and not necessarily a global conglomerate)

It is vital to maintain consistency in colors, tone of voice, types of posts, etc. as these are what determine your brand’s personality. And, it should be in such a way that if anyone sees your post, they should immediately associate it with your brand. Be unique and stand out from the generic pool of profiles.

3. Use Hashtags

Your main aim on Instagram is to engage your current audience consistently while also growing your number of real followers. Posting new, engaging, and interesting photos will satisfy the first requirement, but to begin increasing your followers on Instagram you will find that using hashtags with your photos is extremely important. 

Using hashtags is a tried and verified way of reaching more people and increasing your followers on Instagram. You should research which hashtags are trending in your niche and which are applicable to your brand and content. Then use a mix of these hashtags for all your Instagram content to reach more people who follow those hashtags.

Also, remember to mix it up a bit and use popular hashtags, as well as niche ones so that you can actually stand out. Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags for each post, so you should utilize this feature to your advantage.

4. Do More of Reels, IGTV, and Videos.

It is not well known to the public but Instagram is gradually shifting from a picture-based platform to a video-based platform in order to catch up with TikTok’s increasing user base. So they are reconstructing their algorithm to prioritize videos and reels more than pictures. So what this tells us is that we or rather you should focus more on creating content that is short, engaging, and lasts up to 30 seconds at least, in other words, create a video. 

You have a higher chance of reaching a wider audience and converting them to followers using reels and videos than just taking pictures of cute and fluffy things.

5. Optimize Your Captions

The captions of your Instagram posts give you a huge chance to engage your current audience and even inspire them to refer you to their friends. So, why not use that opening to your advantage?

There is a lot that you can do with your Instagram captions like ask questions, start conversations, tag people, tell a compelling story, etc. The more you encourage your audience to comment, the more likely they will invite their circle of friends to join in on the discussion.

You can also offer discounts or promo and ask your followers to tag their friends and promote that offer. Also, remember to tell the story behind the picture or video that you are sharing as that will get more engagement.

6. Partake in Conversations

This is the other side of the story or coin to what we mentioned in the previous point. You should not just start conversations but you should also participate in them.

If there is a discussion started by someone in your niche that people are taking an interest in, you should join in and comment on your opinions. Who knows? Some people might be enthralled and decide to check out your profile and follow you. 

7. Keep Tabs of Your Tagged Photos

Sustaining a good reputation is very important if you want to gain and retain more instagram followers cheat. One way to achieve this is by keeping tabs on what kind of posts your brand is getting tagged in. Anybody can see all the posts that you are tagged in from your Instagram profile. So, it is imperative that you monitor who is tagging you and in what type of posts.

To do this you can use the “edit tags” feature or change the setting so that only the posts that you approve are shown in your tagged posts.

8. Go Local

Just like local SEO for websites and blogs, local hashtags, and geotagging works wonder for Instagram. Do not underestimate the value of focusing on the local audience for your business.

There are two ways you can do this.

1. Geotag Your Posts

By incorporating geotags into your Instagram content, you can attract local users to Instagram. A lot of people look for local content using Instagram’s search feature and using geotags can help you rank for those searches. It’s a lot like local SEO, but for Instagram. 

Add locations to your posts and get discovered when someone searches for Instagram content using a location search. That way you can attract local people to your profile and gain more Instagram followers.

2. Use Local hashtags

Local hashtags also serve a similar purpose, in that you can reach local people who are interested in a particular niche. A lot of people on Instagram follow local hashtags and by utilizing them you can gain access to that audience.

9. Use CTAs 

Instagram offers lots of options for you to add calls-to-action in your content and you should use all of them. It could be a simple “swipe up to know more” on your Stories or “shop now,” or requesting that people share your content, visit your profile, hit the like button, or whatever call to action you want them to take. CTAs can help you get your audience to take the desired action.

10. Use Influencers

Do not underestimate the level of influence these influencers have. Heck, it’s even in their name.

Influencers are people with a significant number of followers and engagement who are loyal and engaged, a feature that everyone wants in their audience. You can leverage influencers to gain access to their loyal followers and convert them into your own followers.

Not just any influencers will do the trick, it’s best you use one that is from your niche. Using an influencer that is a dancer to promote your profile that is all about real estate won’t convert, it might convert a little but not as much as a top-notch real estate critic or agent or building contractor. You get the hint.

As long as these criteria are met, you’re good to go as influencer marketing is a verified way of getting more Instagram followers.

11. Do a Contest

This might seem like an obvious cheap trick, but it is a tried and tested way to increase your followers on Instagram. A lot of brands and marketers utilize this technique and see immediate results.

All you have to do is create a contest and ask people to follow you and tag their friends to participate. By doing so, you not only get your ideal follower but you get exposure and additional followers when said friend visits your profile. And, write your caption in such a way that it encourages people to tag only relevant people who might be genuinely interested in your brand.

12. Invest in Instagram Ads

No list of tips to increase your followers on Instagram is complete without the mention of advertising. After all, it is the traditional way of getting more leads (followers in this case) for anybody or company that is willing to invest in it.

Unlike your posts and Stories, which are visible only to your current audience, Instagram ads are advertised to a much broader, relevant audience. You can reach a large number of people of a certain demographic or target audience by investing in ads.

13. Post at the Right Times

It’s no use doing all the things listed above such as using hashtags and videos only for you to post an hour when your audience is in dreamland or occupied with the hustle of making a living. You have to time your content rightly to the time your followers or potential followers will be online to view and engage your posts. 

A post at 4 am won’t get any engagement compared to a post at 7 am (on transit to work) or 11 am (break) or 5 pm (going back home) Even days matter, post on Friday night at 12 am could get more engagement than post on Sunday night at that same 12 am, why because people are already sleeping for work.

You can get a lot of great insight for free using Instagram analytics for business accounts, found under the Followers section. This will help you know what time to post and what day tends to have the highest engagement for your post.

14. Organize your Stories into Highlights

Whenever someone lands on your profile, you have a short span of time to convince them to follow you. And one way to do this is by using the Highlights feature on your profile to organize your Instagram Stories in a way that communicates what your account is about.

Use Story Highlights to increase your followers on Instagram by:

• Making trailers that tease what your account is about
• Organizing your Stories into themes (like countries you have visited, for travel accounts)
• Showing your brand through pictures and videos.

Since Stories have a 24-hour lifespan, Highlights can be used to give them a second life and attract others to follow you so they don’t miss out on more Stories in the future.

15. Ask for more followers

It sounds weird and obvious, right? But it deserves to be said: Don’t be scared to occasionally ask your audience to follow you. In the same way, YouTubers ask their viewers to subscribe, and like at the end of their videos, you can also ask viewers to follow you for more content.

Sometimes people can really enjoy what you put out on Instagram but need a push before they actually follow you. 

You can add this to your Instagram caption, work it into your content by pitching what your audience will get if they follow you or by hinting at content that is about to drop so that they won’t want to miss it.

Conclusion

These are some of the best ways to increase your followers on Instagram in Nigeria. Use these tips to see evident growth in your Instagram follower base and build a strong presence on the platform.

As with any social network, the most effective strategy overall is to be authentic, social, and know what to post on Instagram.