Have you heard of Josh Horton, Jugglin’ Josh? He is a juggler at heart and used to do social media marketing for a startup to earn a living. While he was mastering the tricks of marketing and social media and climbing up the ladder, he was so engrossed in it that he couldn’t get any time for his passion, which is juggling.

Then one fine day, he just decided to quit his job and earn money only by juggling, which he once did before. But this time he went social, specifically on Instagram, his all-time favorite platform as a marketer.

Today he makes more money as an influencer than as a performer. When he left his job, in 2015, he had 8,000 Instagram followers. He now has 275k followers. Meanwhile, he has bagged 12 Guinness World Records too, just for juggling.

You must be wondering how he managed to do that.

Here is a report showing the average earnings of influencers from The Economist:

How to Get Followers on Instagram

We know influencers make money. At times, quite a lot. They make money mainly because of the huge number of followers they have. So, first things first, let’s see how they acquire so many followers.

1. Hook People with Consistent Aesthetics

In the online world, things change pretty quickly. You always need new tricks and freshness to stay relevant and get people around you hooked to your content.

But few things are timeless like staying consistent in what you are delivering. Because people follow you for a specific reason.

They get something special each and every time they visit your profile. Keep that aesthetic intact.

Handpick every image, post carefully, and plan your posts well ahead.

Take the example of Kat Walters, who herself is an Instagram expert. Her page is obviously a great instance for consistent color-coordinated aesthetics.

2. Create High-Quality Content

Frankly, there is no alternative to good quality content. Your content should be entertaining. Even serious matters should never look so serious.

Remember, humor is the key as it connects quickly and stays longer with your audience.

Create videos more often. Post high definition pictures.

People understand visual language better.

Good quality content will always be simple yet engaging. It should always deliver some value to the audience and build a long-term relationship with them.

And don’t forget to be original.

Check Natalie Mortimer and Holly Erickson (themodernproper)’s profile to see what good quality content should look like.

3. Post Content Related to Popular or Trending Issues

This is a little easier. But you always have to be vigilant about what is trending and make yourself pertinent to that.

If a topic is trending, no harm in taking advantage of it to get more visibility.

There are a few tools like TrendSpottr which can help you stay up-to-date. It tries to gauge trends even before it becomes a trend.

Also, you can use Google Trends to check what’s trending in general. Follow industry leaders and check what hashtags are working for them.

4. Use Hashtags

Hashtags are the best way to help make sure that your posts get discovered. They can also help you attract new followers.

There are different type of hashtags such as community hashtags, branded hashtags, event hashtags, or news hashtags. Some brands even use specific campaign hashtags.

Hashtags are targeted in nature. When used effectively, they can help you attract a relevant audience and eventually more followers.

You can also add hashtags in your Instagram bio and update them based on changes in trends.

5. Get Shoutouts from Popular Niche Accounts

Interact with popular influencers in your niche. This is just like doing PR for yourself.

If the person talks about you sometimes in their posts, your job is done. You are visible to their thousands of followers, many of whom may choose to follow you too.

6. Step Up Your Story Game

Make the most of Instagram Stories by using hashtags and location tags to attract new viewers to your content.

Remember, Instagram Stories should have a strong call-to-action. If people don’t see call-to-action, they won’t act.

You can also leverage the power of polls on Instagram Stories. And of course, showcase your best content in Instagram Stories.

Instagram will show you real-time data about how well your posts are working.

Over to You

Now you know more about how to attract followers on Instagram. Keep in mind that it’s a rigorous and continuous process.

Don’t forget, users always have the option to unfollow you, and you don’t want that. Instagram’s algorithm is ever changing. And new influencers appear on Instagram daily.

The trick to building and maintaining your influence is to be strategic and relevant all the time when it comes to acquiring and retaining followers.

If you have any success stories to share, or more tips on how to get more followers, please share them with us in the comment box below.