How to Increase Instagram Followers: The 2026 Strategy Guide

Instagram has over 3 billion monthly active users. For brands, creators, and businesses, this represents an unparalleled opportunity to connect with a global audience. More followers mean more influence, more community, and more doors opening for you.

Yet, gaining more followers on Instagram is a common challenge. You post consistently, try every trend, and yet your follower count seems stuck. What are you missing?

The truth is, growing on Instagram today requires a strategic approach that aligns with how the platform actually works.  It’s not about luck or magic tricks; it's about understanding Instagram's systems and executing a clear plan.

This definitive guide breaks down the exact strategies you need. Based on insights from Instagram experts, creators with proven results, and the mechanics of the algorithm itself, we provide a actionable blueprint to help you grow your Instagram followers and build a thriving community.

1) The Foundation – Set Your Account Up for Success

Before we talk about content types and best formats, let's review your profile. Your profile must be engineered to convert visitors into followers.

Here's how you can optimize your profile for maximum conversions: 

a) Positioning: Find Your Niche

Instagram’s algorithm uses “account embeddings” to identify topically similar accounts. If it can’t pinpoint your niche, it won’t know who to show your content to.

• Ask: What type of content will I create? (e.g., running tips)
• Ask: Who is this content for? (e.g., beginner runners)
  Clarity here is non-negotiable. As one expert states, “If you want to scale and grow quickly, you have to pick one topic.”

b) Branding: Communicate Your Niche Visually

Profile Photo

Use a clear, high-quality photo with great lighting. If possible, connect it to your niche (a running creator wearing running gear, a chef in their kitchen, etc.).

Username

Keep it simple, memorable, and easy to spell. It doesn't need to include your niche, but it should be brandable.

Name

This is the most searchable part of your profile. Include relevant keywords that describe what you do.

Examples:

• Sarah | Instagram Growth Expert
• Mike | Running for Beginners
• Lauren | Vegan Chef & Recipe Creator

When someone searches "running tips" or "vegan recipes" on Instagram, having these keywords in your name plate helps you appear in search results.

c) Clear Bio, Category, & Call-to-Action (CTA)

• Bio: Don’t make it about you; make it about your follower. Tell them what they gain by following you (e.g., “Helping high-achievers overcome burnout and design a balanced, fulfilling life.”).
• Category: Use Instagram’s built-in profile categories. It literally “help[s] people find accounts like yours.”
• CTA: Direct followers to a next step. Even from day one, consider leading them to a freebie (like a downloadable guide) to build your email list or to a low-ticket digital product.

2) Create Content That Converts and Grows

With your foundation set, it’s time to build your content engine.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, has confirmed that shares (sends per reach) are one of the most important ranking signals. The more people share your content via DMs, the more Instagram's algorithm will push it to new audiences.

That said, you want to created sharable content.

If your goal is growth, prioritize Instagram Reels. Instagram has explicitly stated that Reels are designed to help you reach new people who don't already follow you. Here's a simple roadmap to get you started:

1. Research: Use Instagram Search. Type in your niche (e.g., "life coach") and explore the suggested terms (e.g., "mindset coaching," "imposter syndrome").
2. Save & Analyze: Save top-performing, recent Reels (from the last 3 months) into folders. This is your inspiration bank, proving what currently works.
3. Plan Your First Videos: Choose some ideas from your bank to test different formats: talking head, voiceover, trending audio, educational, inspirational, entertaining. Variety helps you see what resonates.

3) Use Hook Layering to Capture Attention

First impressions matter on Instagram! With endless content competing for attention, the first 3 seconds are everything. That’s why it helps to implement a multi-layered hook:

• Text Hook: The compelling text shown on screen. For Reels, this means the text overlay. For carousels, it’s the text on the first slide.
• Audible Hook: The first sound or words people hear.
• Visual Hook: The striking first frame. For Reels, that means adding interesting visual elements in the first few seconds of your video. For carousels, it means using design elements that communicate your idea quickly and spark curiosity.

A strong, layered hook can drastically increase watch time and shareability. Here's an Instagram Hook Cheat Sheet:

4) Write Keyword-Optimized Captions

Instagram now uses keyword search, meaning your captions play a crucial role in content discovery. This is Instagram SEO in action.

Include relevant keywords in:

• Your captions
• On-screen text in your videos
• Your hashtags

For example, if your video was inspired by searching "running tips," use that exact phrase in your caption and on-screen text. This helps Instagram understand what your content is about and recommend it to the right people. It also helps your content appear when users search for that topic.

5) Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags are still relevant and you should use it, but don't obsess about it! Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri has been clear: hashtags don't directly increase your reach. However, they can help people find your content when searching for specific topics.

Best practices:

• Research relevant hashtags
• Focus on quality over quantity
• Choose hashtags that accurately describe your content
• Use 3-5 relevant hashtags in your caption and on-screen text.

This helps Instagram understand and rank your content.

4) Prep and Post with Strategic Consistency

The more you post, the more you grow, but sustainability matters more than intensity. Don’t post five times a day for a week and then burn out.

Instead, find a schedule you can realistically maintain for months (or even years):

• Start with a baseline (e.g., 3 posts per week)
• Once you feel comfortable, gradually increase your frequency
• Prioritize consistency over perfection
• Consider using tools to automate and streamline your workflow

This is where a social media scheduling tool like MeetEdgar can really help lighten the load, save you time, and keep you posting consistently.

And don’t forget: a content that’s “good enough” and actually gets posted is infinitely better than a perfect content that never gets published. Social media trends are shifting toward authenticity: people want real, not overly polished content.

5) Upcycle Your Best Content

Here's a time-saving secret that successful creators use: repost your own content after 3-4 weeks.

Instagram have confirmed you can repost your own content as often as you want the algorithm doesn't penalize you. Most of your followers didn't see your post the first time anyway, since people see thousands of posts daily.

You can:

• Repost the exact same video after a few weeks
• Recreate successful concepts with slight modifications (different caption, minor edits)

Many creators posting 250+ times per month are upcycling 60-75% of their content. We even shared a case study on reposting on Instagram that proved it’s absolutely worth repeating. This strategy allows you to maintain high posting frequency without constant content creation.

P.S. You can use MeetEdgar to automatically upcycle your Instagram content! 😉 Try for free here!

6) Leverage Trial Reels for Growth

Trial Reels are a powerful feature that only reach non-followers. They never appear on your profile or to your existing audience. This is pure growth-focused content.

You can post up to 5 trial Reels per day. For these, recreate your best-performing content with slight modifications. Since the concept has already proven successful, you're maximizing your chances of converting new followers.

7) Jump on Trends

Trending audio and formats can give your content a visibility boost. However, don't just copy trends, adapt them to your niche.

If there's a trending lip sync format, think about how you can use it to deliver value to your audience while making it relevant to your niche. Trends work best when they feel authentic to your brand, not forced.

That said, you shouldn’t feel pressured to jump on any trend. Sometimes trends simply don’t fit your niche and won’t attract the right audience. Trends work best when they feel authentic to your brand, not forced.

8) Collaborate With Other Creators and Brands

Partnerships are a major growth hack that tap you into a new audience. You don't need to work with mega-influencers—nano and micro-influencers often have higher engagement rates and are more affordable.

Collaboration ideas:

• Guest appearances in each other's content
• Instagram Live sessions together
• Product collaborations or giveaways
• Shoutouts and recommendations

The best collaborations are mutually beneficial and feel natural to both audiences.

7) Analyze Your Performance and Double Down on What Works

After posting your first 9-15 videos, dive into your analytics. Study these three key metrics:

• Watch Time: Which videos kept people watching longest?
• Shares: Which videos did people send to their friends?
• Follows: Which videos converted viewers into followers?

Look for patterns in your best-performing content and create more like it. Also study your underperformers to understand what to avoid.

Review analytics at least monthly. If you're posting daily, make it a weekly habit.

8) Engage Authentically With Your Community

While engagement doesn't directly boost your algorithmic reach (confirmed by Adam Mosseri), it matters for human reasons. Building genuine relationships creates community, loyalty, and word-of-mouth growth.

If time is limited, prioritize this way:

1. Respond to DMs (especially questions and inquiries)
2. Respond to comments on your posts
3. Send thoughtful DMs to community members
4. Comment on other creators' posts

Focus your energy on posting great content first, engagement second.

9) Cross-Promote Your Instagram Account

Don't rely solely on Instagram's algorithm. Promote your account through:

• Your email signature
• Your website and blog
• Other social media platforms (TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn)
• Your email newsletter
• Offline touchpoints (business cards, packaging, events)

Every audience you've built elsewhere is a potential Instagram follower. Cross-promotion is a smart approach to get more followers on any social media.

MeetEdgar makes it simple to cross-promote your content across all your social channels. Start a free trial to try it out.

10) Experiment With New Features

Instagram is always launching new features and updates. And it has confirmed they boost content that uses newly launched features. Whenever Instagram releases something new:

• Test it immediately
• Experiment creatively with it
• Use it regularly until it becomes mainstream

Just like we mentioned with Trial Reels, other recent examples include Close Friends Lives, Notes, the Add Yours sticker, and the Edits app.

Tip: Follow Instagram’s official account @Creators, where they share new features firsthand so you can stay up to date. Or subscribe to our newsletter to get social media news delivered straight to your inbox each month.

What NOT to Waste Time On

Just as important as knowing what to do is knowing what NOT to do. These activities waste time without contributing to growth:

• Buying Instagram Followers: buying followers or using bots to inflate your numbers is a terrible long-term strategy. It violates Instagram's Terms of Service and only brings fake followers that don't engage, and send low engagement signals to the algorithm that your content isn't valuable
• Removing spam followers: The algorithm doesn't care, and you might actually hurt your account.
• Deleting old underperforming posts: Every post can reach new people weeks later. Learn from it and move on.
• Overthinking every post: Burnout comes from perfectionism, not posting frequency. Done is better than perfect.
• Spending hours engaging hoping for algorithmic rewards: Engagement doesn't directly boost your reach. Post great content instead.

Key Takeaways

Growing on Instagram is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires a strategic foundation, a commitment to creating valuable, shareable content, and the wisdom to find sustainable systems, stay consistent, and genuinely serve their audience.

Start with the basics: optimize your profile, choose your niche, and post your first pieces of content. Analyze the results, double down on what works, and keep showing up.

The followers will come. But more importantly, you'll build a community of people who genuinely care about your content and what you have to offer.