For those new to Instagram, it’s a picture sharing app for mobile platforms, both iOS and Android that lets one to choose photos from library (album) or pick from within the app, and apply an effect before it gets uploaded on Instagram server. With over 200 million users, Instagram is the most loved social media network and having a great profile can mean a stronger community, more views, and more sales for business or brand.

Here are 7 ways to boost the follower’s numbers

Post Best Pictures

Want to stand out in the crowd? Dedicate time to post the best pictures; if you have 20 pictures, choose any 5 awesome photos to please your base portfolio. These images should be catchy enough to grab user’s attention and set you on right path with some decent number of followers. You can also use it as a convenient channel to share images on Foursquare, Twitter, and Facebook. If you have already posted many pictures in the past, then go back and keep only quality pictures (delete the repetitive or low-quality images).

Like Pictures in Your Niche

In the early period, it is better to like and follow other people’s profile and like their pictures. Go through 4 to 6 pictures on someone’s profile and leave a genuine comment, so that they can follow you. In this way, you can get a genuine network. Look for users in your niche, using famous hast-tags. You will have to look authentic, not a spammer. What do famous accounts have in common? The pictures are relatable, and personal that cannot be replicated or copied. Look for such audience and take pictures, which are humanized, unique, and connect well with the audience.

Request Users to follow you on Instagram

If you have quality blog and profiles on other social media, than it’s obvious that people are following you there. You have to use one idea and just tweet something to encourage your followers to follow you on instagram. (Like – Hey guys, here is my new profile on Instagram, please follow me over there, thank you). It will get more followers then you expect.

Create Engaging Hashtag

The best method to build community and gain fresh content is to create engaging hash-tag. A beautiful message can be shared using hashtags, such as LIfeIsColorful or HappyLife, so that people can put/share happy or colorful pictures. Like Twitter, Instagram makes use of hashtags to prioritize pictures and best way to do is use relevant, catchy hash-tags.

Evaluate What Your Followers Likes

You can link your Instagram profile to other social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter. View/analyze pictures to identify the number of comments and likes. You can as well geo-tag pictures, so that it looks genuine or recently visited place also.

Try to run a contest

If you have good idea which you’d like to share, try to run a contest. Let the instagram users post particular images and ask them to tag you in caption. Or tell them to use your name in hashtag in their pictures. You could also try a loop giveaway, if you like to co-ordinate with other Instagram users.

Comment Matters

Whatever you respond to the comments in your own posts or in the other posts, it should be genuine rather than posting just few words like “wow that’s nice”. Try to post good comment which can encourage them to post more and more photos.

Author Bio:

Simon Hopes is a content editor and SEO expert, he love to write articles on social media and how to increase likes and followers. Currently he is studying on how to buy Instagram followers and how it can boost online business.