Ah, Instagram—one of the most fun and engaging social platforms out there. Although originally designed for users to share photos and videos with their friends, it has also become a great way to grow your business, if you know how to use it properly.In this comprehensive Instagram growth guide, we'll go over the organic and paid strategies your business can adopt in order to achieve Instagram growth in 2022.

Why should your business be on Instagram?

Instagram is a powerful platform for businesses to build their brand and connect with customers. With approximately 2.9 billion total visits per month, there's no shortage of opportunities for businesses to reach new customers.Additionally, 50% of Instagram users have admitted to heading to a brand's website to complete a purchase after seeing it in Stories.On top of that, Instagram business accounts gain 1.69% more followers per month, on average.That kind of growth isn't just good — it's great! But what makes Instagram so special? There are several reasons:

• You can connect with real customers — Instagram gives businesses an opportunity to interact with actual customers in real-time with actions such as asking questions or sharing polls through stories. This helps companies learn more about their customers' needs and preferences while also creating opportunities for interaction that don't exist on other platforms.
• You can tell your story with photos — Instagram is all about visual storytelling — because people are more likely to engage with photos than text-based posts. That means you can tell your story in a unique way that will stand out from the crowd and attract new followers who want to hear what you have to say!
• You can reach your audience when they're on the go — Instagram is mobile-first which means people will see your posts even when they're not using their computers or tablets. If people are browsing Instagram while they're on the go, they'll be able to see what you post easily and quickly without having to switch between devices constantly. That makes Instagram an ideal place for businesses that want to reach people who are always on the move and don't have much time available for browsing social media sites when they're at home or work!
• You can start using Instagram right away — Instagram has simple tools that make it easy for anyone to create beautiful photos and videos, which makes it an ideal platform for small businesses that don't have the resources to hire professional photographers or videographers.

Instagram helps you build a brand. It helps you build a following. It helps you build a reputation. It helps you build a business, connect with your audience, and create a legacy! Here’s how:

Ways to achieve organic Instagram Growth:

Organic growth is a great way for businesses to grow their brand on Instagram. It's a process that takes time, but it's worth it in the end. Organic growth means you're getting new followers without using paid strategies.There are several ways you can achieve this, here's the list of our most effective tips and strategies you should try for organic growth:

Leverage the power of Instagram insights.

Instagram Insights is a powerful tool that provides you with valuable insights about your Instagram profile. It helps you to understand your audience, engagement and content performance.Before you can start growing your audience, you need to understand who you’re targeting and why. This means taking a look at your Instagram Audience Analytics.Understanding the power of this tool will help you reach out to the right people, at the right time and in the right place.You can visualize the age and gender of your followers, when they use Instagram (hour and day), the countries they're in, as well as the cities and even towns where they are located.With this information, you can get an idea of the best times to post on Instagram. This is a great way to optimize your posting schedule so that you're not posting too late or too early in the day when most people are asleep or at work.Additionally, Insights allows you to see valuable information about the content interaction rates of your posts, measuring engagement and performance.You can see how many people viewed your posts, how many likes and comments each post received, and how many followers you gained or lost over time. This is so helpful because it gives you an opportunity to study what type of content works best for your audience and what doesn’t.This can help generate ideas for new content by showing what types of posts have been successful in the past.Overall, the data provided by Instagram insights will help you improve your overall strategy, so make sure you're taking advantage of these features as often as possible.

Create consistent content.

You've heard it before and you'll hear it again: Content is king!One of the best ways to grow your Instagram account is by creating and curating consistent content.That’s easier said than done, especially if you’re just starting out.The first step in this process is to create a content strategy, which outlines what you'd like your Instagram feed to look like, who it's for, and how you'll achieve that vision.A good place to start is with inspiration from other accounts you enjoy following. Take note of what they include in their posts (videos, photos, links) and how often they post them.After getting an idea of what works for others in terms of creating a cohesive brand experience on Instagram—and making sure that your own account aligns with those goals—put together a content calendar outlining when certain types of posts will go live so you can stick to it as much as possible.If you post consistently, people will come to expect your content. It will become part of their routine and they'll follow you for it.But if you stop posting for a while, people will forget about you and move on to something else.But that doesn't mean you should forget about quality.That's not just about how good your photos are - it also includes everything else that goes into creating a good Instagram post: the hashtags, the captions and so on.Here are some ideas:

• Post photos that showcase your brand’s products or services in an interesting way.
• Post photos that include people — customers or employees — who are interacting with your brand or products.
• Post photos that show what makes you different from other companies in your industry.
• Post photos that showcase any newsworthy events related to your brand or industry in which you were involved (like awards ceremonies).
• Post photos of real-world locations where people can visit if they want to learn more about what you do (e.g., stores or offices).

Use Instagram Stories.

Instagram stories are a unique way to communicate with your followers and to show them a behind-the-scenes look at your company's day-to-day activities. It’s a great way to humanize your brand and give it an extra edge over the competition.You can use Instagram stories for:

• Behind-the-scenes photos/videos - Show people what goes on behind the scenes at your company or business. You can also share funny moments from office parties or interviews with employees, customers or partners. This will help build trust between you and your followers as well as increase their loyalty to your brand.
• Product updates - Share photos and videos of recent product launches, new products or features that you have added to an existing product line (e.g., new colours, new packaging). Posting these types of updates helps increase awareness about what’s new within your company.
• User-generated content (UGC) - Repost followers' pictures when they tag your brand to create a sense of community around your business.
• Engagement - Use this feature to interact with users through polls, contests or giveaways that will drive engagement, which will lead to more followers.

Start by creating just one or a few stories per day, and then gradually increase the number of stories that you create.It's a good idea to keep an eye on the comments and reactions from your followers so that you know whether or not they like your story. If they don't like it, try changing up what you're doing until you find something that works for you.

Go Live.

Instagram is the perfect platform for brands to connect with their customers on a personal level and drive growth through live video.A live video can be an incredibly powerful tool for connecting with your audience and creating a deeper connection with them.It also gives you an opportunity to deliver content in real-time—something that's not possible with a pre-recorded video or photo.One great way to use live videos is as part of a storytelling strategy; this means answering questions from viewers and telling stories about your brand or products.If they're interested in what you have to say, they'll continue watching future broadcasts too!Another great opportunity is when there's something specific happening around the business—for example, if there are new products just released into stores then it would be worth broadcasting these so everyone knows about them right away.The best way to get people to watch your live videos is to share them in advance. That way, when it's time to go live, people will already be waiting for you. They'll know what time and date your next broadcast will happen, so they can tune in at the right time.If you're not sure how to promote your next live video ahead of time, simply share some photos or videos from previous broadcasts on Instagram Stories.

Collaborate with other accounts.

Collaborate with other creators or businesses. One of the best ways to grow your following is to collaborate with other creators or businesses who have similar interests and target audiences.The goal is to drive engagement and for both parties to gain more followers that are likely to love your business.In order to collaborate with other creators or businesses, you need to be able to provide value for them. The more value you provide, the more likely they will be willing to partner with you. Here are some ways that you can provide value:Give them free access to your products or services if they mention your brand in their bio or posts.Come up with a topic that resonates with both of your audiences and create a live event out of it. For example, if you're a healthy snack business and they're a nutritionist, why not do a live Q&A session?Create a giveaway together, where users must follow both accounts in order to be entered. You can use these collaborations as ways of introducing yourself to new audiences and getting them excited about what you do.

Use hashtags strategically.

Hashtags are one of the most popular and effective features of Instagram. They are used to connect with your target audience, increase engagement and boost organic growth, but there's more to hashtags than just adding them to your posts and hoping for the best.If you're looking for maximum results from Instagram hashtags, there are some best practices you need to follow. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind:

• Place them correctly - Use them in the first comment or at the end of your caption.
• Be specific with your hashtags - Avoid vague terms like '#like' or '#best'
• Don't use too many hashtags at once - This is a sure way to look spammy. In a recent post on Instagram’s @creators account, the company recommended that users use between 3-5 hashtags.

The best hashtags are those that are relevant and popular, but also niche enough that they're not something everyone else is using.There are two ways to find hashtags for your posts: manually or automatically.Manual methods involve searching through lists of popular tags on Instagram or other platforms like Twitter or Google Trends.Automatic methods involve using an app that can analyze the content of your post and suggest relevant hashtags.Both methods have their pros and cons, so just find what fits your budget and needs!

Stay on top of trends with Reels.

Instagram Reels are the new way to promote your business on Instagram. They have a lot of potential and they’re easy to set up. As long as you know what you’re doing, you can make a reel that shows off your brand in the best possible light.Instagram Reels are basically videos that show off your brand. They look similar to Instagram Stories, but they don’t disappear after 24 hours.They're also a great way for brands to expand beyond the photo format. Instagram Reels allow you to highlight different aspects of your business and show them off in a creative way. Instead of just showing off products or services, you can tell stories about your business through video.If you want your business to go viral, creating an Instagram Reel is a good place to start. People love viewing short videos on social media sites — they're easy to digest while still being interesting and fun!A good Instagram strategy takes time but can be an effective way to build a following for your business.When it comes to achieving Instagram growth, there is no secret formula. But a good Instagram strategy takes time to implement and will help you get more engagement and followers on the platform, which can help boost your brand's visibility.

Ways to achieve paid Instagram growth

As businesses see the opportunity to reach a large audience on Instagram, they're looking for ways to grow their following. Fortunately, there are multiple paid strategies that can help you achieve paid Instagram growth.You should use paid strategies along with organic growth methods to maximise results. After all, paying will get you visibility, but organic methods will maintain it.The good news is that it’s not as expensive as you might think. In fact, it can be quite affordable depending on what you’re looking to achieve. Here are some of the best ways to grow your Instagram account using paid strategies:

Run Instagram Ads.

Instagram Ads are a great way to promote your products or services, and they offer an easy way for you to reach a large audience.You can create your own ads that target users based on their interests, age group and location. This means that you can make sure that your ad is seen by people who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer. To learn more, read about the best practices and trends you need to follow in 2022 for Instagram Ads.Instagram advertising is also a good way for brands to connect with their existing customers and encourage them to purchase more products from them.The platform offers companies many ways to advertise. Here's a brief overview of the different formats for Instagram ads:

• Images — These are static images that can be up to 1,200 x 612 px in size. They're great for promoting your brand's latest product or service, and you can use them to promote events, too. Additionally, they can be vertical, horizontal, or square.
• Video — You can upload 15-second videos or longer ones if they're uploaded as links to external sites or apps.
• Carousel — This format lets you showcase multiple images in a grid format (up to 10). It works especially well for displaying multiple products or services at once.
• Stories — This format lets you create an interactive story within Instagram where users swipe through different images and videos in their feed. It's perfect for highlighting new features or products without filling up people's feeds.

Your Instagram ad will be shown in people's Instagram Feeds and Stories, along with posts from the accounts they follow and hashtags they search.Also, Instagram ads can be placed in the Explore feed. The Explore feed is where people can discover new accounts that they don't already follow.The most important thing to remember when advertising on Instagram is that you're not just reaching your followers — you're also reaching their friends and family.That means your content needs to be consistent with the rest of your Instagram account so that people who enjoy seeing your photos in their feed won't feel like they're being "sold" something when they see your sponsored posts.Finally, take note that when you create an Instagram ad, a sponsored icon will appear next to it. The image may also contain a CTA button and a caption below it.

Work with influencers.

One of the easiest ways to grow your Instagram account is by working with influencers.If you’re not familiar with the term, an influencer is someone who has a large following on social media and can help promote your business or product.The main benefit of working with influencers is that they can reach an audience that would otherwise be impossible for you to reach as a small business owner. This is because influencers already have an audience who trusts them and will follow their advice even if it comes from someone they don’t know personally.It's important to note that influencers come in all shapes and sizes – from micro-influencers with thousands of followers to celebrities with millions of followers.You can work with influencers in a lot of different ways:

• They could be paid for posting about your brand or product on their Instagram feed.
• They could be paid for doing an Instagram takeover where they post pictures and videos using your products.
• They could get free products in exchange for promoting them on their feeds.

Or they might do something else entirely! Any kind of collaboration between you two is possible!Using influencers can help you achieve your goals, but it isn't easy. You need to find the right person, negotiate a deal and make sure they deliver what they promised.The first step is to find influencers who resonate with your brand. This is a process that takes time, but it's worth it.Once you've found them, make sure they understand what your brand represents and how you'd like them to represent it in their posts.Finally, you'll want to sign a contract with the specifics of your agreement, including the budget and time frame.

Leave it to the experts.

Perhaps you don't have the time to focus on growing your Instagram account, but you're smart enough to recognise how important it is. Let us do the work for you!303 is a creative digital agency that provides a full range of Instagram marketing services. From creating organic, in-the-moment content to managing Instagram ads and developing the creative assets that will be used within paid and organic campaigns, our digital team is dedicated to helping you reach your goals. And we'll help you monitor your progress along the way with insightful monthly reports.

Collecting Cars’ experience with 303

Collecting Cars, which is a 24/7 global marketplace for classic, sports and performance cars, worked with 303 in February 2021 to grow their brand's awareness.303’s partnership with Collecting Cars has been highly successful for their business, identifying that Instagram was a great platform to generate bids on car auctions as well as enquiries for cars they can auction in the future.Our engaging copy and creative resulted in a tripled click-through rate (CTR), and ads attributed to 10,000+ bids on Collecting Cars.Read the complete case study here.

Which is better: Organic growth or paid growth?

Paid ads are a great way to grow your account quickly, but they’re not a magic bullet. If you’re just starting out, you have to do some legwork first.The benefits of organic growth are especially important for small businesses that don't have the budget for ads. But even if you do have ad dollars to spend, organic growth can help fill any gaps in your paid efforts and make them more effective overall.

Key takeaways

The most amazing thing about these strategies is that they are neither difficult nor expensive to follow. We say this because even paid strategies can be adjusted to your budget.But every single one takes time.If you are following a consistently updated content strategy and marketing campaign, you will notice your Instagram growth.Do the right things, and the results will come.The most important thing in online marketing is to be yourself and deliver pure value to your customers.If you do so, the people will follow you on Instagram. The last but not least advice: learn every day!Try new things and types of content, and test different actions and strategies to quickly find out what works best for your business and audience.