5 Quick ways to get more Instagram followers

I am a bit slow to jump on the Instagram bandwagon, since I have only started using it at the beginning of this year. However ever since I have snagged myself a new mobile Samsung galaxy 3 I have been enjoying it since. 

So I started taking lots of pics and but not really getting any followers or even likes from other people. It usually puzzled me that I have about a dozen pics, which I thought were reasonably well, did not receive any likes or followers. While on the other hand, browsing other users, they only have 1-5 pics but getting an over hundreds or thousands of followers.

So I started putting on my marketing hat and analysed their techniques and listed down the things that were common to all of the Instagram users. The below are some of my tips to get more followers to your Instagram account.

1. Produce quality photos

Without quality photos all of your other efforts will be in vain. I found that high quality photos with people in them - not just landscape photos have better chance of getting you more followers.

2.  Use hash tags

Popular hash tags will get you more interest and followers to your Instagram account. As of 26/4/2013, the below are popular hash tags that you should pay attention to:

1.	#love (+)	57,006,349 photos
2.	#instagood (+)	31,095,298 photos
3.	#me (+)	30,139,706 photos
4.	#cute (+)	27,347,348 photos
5.	#tbt (+)	26,703,667 photos
6.	#eyes (+)	23,832,717 photos
7.	#statigram (+)	22,490,737 photos
8.	#photooftheday (+)	22,484,276 photos
9.	#christmas (+)	22,164,834 photos
10.	#instacollage (+)

3. Geotag your pictures

I find if I geotag my photos from overseas trips, people tend to comment on them more and the followers will soon increase. Instagram brings up photos of similar location, so people within your location will see your photos as a priority. It increases followers since it gives them something to relate to - ie your location.

4. Follow and comment others

One good way to get instant followers is to be active and follow others and comment on other people's photos. Although this is not a guarantee, but it is a very good chance if you follow people, they will follow back. If you look at some of the accounts with many followers the follow to follower ratio is relatively even.

However, as with everything else in marketing.. it all about targeting. Make sure the people you follow are not just some randoms, they have to be popular and have photos that you personally like.

5. Personal photos

By analyzing the likes of over 1000 photos, images that are about lifestyle (fancy cars, homes, living a luxurious life) or that are personal tend to get the most engagement. Photos that don’t contain either of those two elements tend to get 11.4% less likes.