Instagram, the social media platform with hundreds of millions of daily active users, is one of the finest free tools for reaching your target market and promoting your business. But you can’t just simply throw yourself into a posting frenzy and expect to see results.

Yes, publishing on a regular schedule is vital, but it should be part of a bigger marketing plan for your Instagram account. The more users who are familiar with your brand on this network, the more trust you will gain and the more successful the remainder of your marketing strategies will be.

What’s even better is that there are plenty of free methods for promoting your Instagram account. So, if you are trying to learn how to increase engagement on Instagram, you are at the right place. In this article, we’ll guide you through six ways to promote and grow your Instagram account for free.

Create Valuable Posts Only

The first thing that you need to do is to publish useful posts. When the content you post is attractive, interesting, and useful, it gives users a reason to follow you. You can create something new every day or share some of your thoughts on Instagram Stories.

The most important thing when it comes to content is that it should be relevant and informative. If you want to get more followers on Instagram, then you need to create something that people would like to see in their feed.

Upload Eye-Catching, High-Quality Photos

Okay, we understand this isn’t a game-changing insight. However, contrary to common assumptions, you do not need to be a skilled photographer or have expensive equipment to create appealing and interesting Instagram photos.

There are several free photo and video editing tools available for Instagram and other applications to assist you in creating eye-catching, high-quality images.

Post At The Appropriate Time

Posting regularly and consistently on Instagram is essential, but this won’t help you promote your account if you don’t post at the right times. The appropriate timing varies depending on your target demographic, business type, and other factors, so give it some thought.

For example, if your targeted audience is mostly composed of executives, the optimal time to publish may be at the end of the day, around 5 p.m., or during their morning commute. If your target audience is mostly moms with young children, the best time to reach them is likely to be late in the morning, after they’ve dropped their children off at school. Experiment and examine your stats to determine the best time to post.

Use Hashtags Regularly

Hashtags are a great way to attract new followers and get your content seen by more people. They’re used to add context and additional information to your posts. They can help categorize similar posts, or they can simply be used as a form of expression.

For example, if you post a picture of yourself on vacation, you might use #travel or #vacation in your post to give people an idea of what the photo is about.

If you’re using Instagram’s built-in filters, you don’t need to worry about hashtags because they’ll be automatically added to every photo. But if you’re using a third-party app like FaceTune or VSCO Cam, then you’ll need to manually add hashtags to each photo if you want them included in your caption.

It’s important that you use hashtags regularly when promoting your Instagram account — but don’t overdo it because it could come across as spammy.

Prioritize Engagement

Instagram is a social media platform, so it makes sense to use it in a social way. Not only should your posts be personal and engaging, but you can also use the comments section as a place to start discussions with your audience. This will encourage them to comment back and engage with your content — making them more likely to follow you.

Follow And Interact With Instagram Influencers

One of the best ways to grow your Instagram account is to follow and interact with people who have large followings on the platform. You can find these people by searching for keywords related to your business in the search bar at the top of any Instagram page, or by using a tool like Iconosquare.

When you find a user that has an audience similar to yours, follow them, like some of their posts, and leave comments on others. This will help you establish yourself as someone interested in what they do and also build relationships with influencers who might want to work with you later on down the road.

Final Thoughts

By keeping your posts topical and focused on your target audience, you’ll be able to consistently engage with your followers, which in turn should help you grow. With the right audience for your brand, you could potentially develop a following that would rival most businesses on Instagram. And that’s entirely free.