How to Blow Up on Instagram - 7 Secrets to Make It Happen

Instagram has already got 1.3 billion users and even more people ask themselves this one question each day:How to blow up on instagram? The social network in question is rated among the world’s top media and is still growing. Instagram brings money to brands and bloggers - as for 2021-2022, it is the most effective influence marketing platform. A single ad post may earn a blogger up to USD 10,000. Brands expand their audience, win more loyalty and boost sales — 90% of users follow commercial accounts.

Instagram is a fast-changing network with unpredictable algorithms. There is enormous competition yet the question about how influencers and brands should promote Instagram, remains urgent.

Here we are offering you 7 life hacks on how to go viral on Instagram

1. Reels

Reels are short clip-type video that Instagram launched in summer 2021. For conventional users, reels on Instagram are a way to have fun and entertainment, whereas for businesses it is another way to promote their goods and services. Now, for an influencer, this is a great way to introduce themselves and attract new followers.

Currently, reels offer the most effective way to promote your account for free. The network allows reels external coverage - while stories and posts work for the already available pool of followers (even though posts do get in the recommendations sometimes), reels enjoy more of potential. Gaining a million of views for an account with only 2,000 followers is not impossible.

Another advantage reels offer in terms of promotion is the life term. Stories will disappear after 24 hours, while a reel will remain there even some time afterwards. Besides, one video on reels can pull up other vids: the network will see that the audience likes a particular video, so the earlier created ones will be taken up, too.

Here are some facts about reels:

 

Reels can be created both in the app and uploaded from the phone camera.

 

Reels are made as a single piece or are assembled from a series of videos.

 

Assembling can be made either on Instagram or in other apps.

 

Since Instagram promotes reels format, these can be seen in the FOLLOWING page, in the recommendations, and in accounts run by people or brands you are interested in.

When creating a reel, you can:

 

apply audio tracks from the music archive;

 

use AR-effects and masks;

 

upload your own audio files to dub your videos;

 

save a track from a video to use it further for your own assembly;

 

to set the volume on a video;

 

to use your own dubbing for a video;

 

have remix of vids that have already released as reels by other users;

 

set the speed for yor video, making it slower or faster;

 

use a timer so you can create videos freehand, e.g. using a tripod.

What makes a reel content different from other contents is a clapperboard symbol on the video. Once you tap on it, a feed containing all the reels will open.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced that the platform in question is no longer an app to share photos. The management relies on statistics, focuses on users, their interests and need for short entertaining videos. We can see TikTok popularity soaring, with both kids and adults watching its short videos nonstop. The app itself has already been downloaded 3 billion times, with 20% of the Internet users enjoying it. Short video trend is definitely gaining momentum, now, given this, Instagram is trying to remain relevant and is introducing new types of content capable of attracting users. The platform does want to promote these newer formats. Those mastering them from the very beginning stand a better chance to embrace a new audience before the competition goes too hard.

How to use reels for promotion

Get the viewer hooked from the very first moment. It can be a dynamic scene or some large message telling about what will happen next. Videos are better to be kept short - those not exceeding 10 secs gain more views.

Have the sight line diverse - videos with close and long shots, as well as slow and quick motion changing each other are more fascinating so they are definitely to attract more views.

The quality of the video must be good. You had better not use poor light or some low-resolution camera. Instagram knows what quality content is, so poor videos will result in poor effect.

Add hashtags. For reels, no more than 3–5 relevant hashtags would do, so that the target audience can find you.

And here come the things to avoid when making reels.

Do not show any negative content: violence, accidents, alcohol or smoking. Besides, steer clear of any politics. Instagram algorithms do not offer such videos wide coverage.

Do not try to cheat boosting likes or comments. This may result in ban, including forever.

Do not upload into reels videos bearing TikTok or other networks’ water marks - such videos will not get much of a coverage.

2. Hashtags

Promotion with hashtags is a method that will not earn you a million of followers from a single post yet it will definitely attract some audience. Instagram has a special search based on hashtags and an option to follow them

What hashtags are to be used for promotion:

 

Special ones, related to your specific field, and localized, in case you relate to some particular area.

 

The hashtag topic is to reflect the post and the image topic, which will make Instagram have a better idea of the point of your post, to further show it to the right audience.

 

Do not opt for some viral Instagram hashtags starting from 500K. The more is a hashtag used the lower the chances are that your post will be viewed, unless you are Kim Kardashian or Lauren Conrad.

 

Check your hashtags to make sure they remain relevant, If they were used a couple of years ago then, then they will be never effective now.

How many hashtags to put? There is no definitive answer to it. Instagram allows up to 30, so use it up to the maximum. We recommend developing a pool of hashtags, break them into groups and rotate. Select all that is related to your account topic, your geographic location, and even something that may be not related directly yet could stir some interest among your target audience. Let’s say you have a blog offering some advice to other Moms. Now, you could use hashtags like #strollers #learninggames #childsafetyseat, etc.

Try to experiment and do not just copy the same hashtags through all your posts — this is not effective. Besides, this might send the network thinking you a robot, which will result in a ban.

Don’t use the most popular hashtags - basically everyone uses them in the same network, which will quickly result in such posts losing their ratings in the searchline.

Try to invent a special signature hashtag and use it in every post to enhance the awareness. You can also create a special hashtag for each column within your blog thus improving the navigation for the followers, e.g. if you run a make-up shop, you can break it into something like chapters: body; hair, face. Should you happen to be running a fitness blog, then why not have it like workout; nutrition; tips; humor, etc. Those who get interested, will then easily use the hashtag to see other related stuff.

3. SFS

SFS stands for shout out for shout out, which means a mentioning for a mentioning. SFS is sort of a friendly promotion, collaboration or networking. Try to see profiles in some related themes, where your target audience is likely to be highly represented, and then arrange joint contests, quests, and other activities. This is not the right solution for the How to Have Your Instagram Account Zoom from Scratch task. The account to collaborate with and to launch cross-promo or mutual PR has to have some audience already.

Choosing an influencer

While choosing an influencer for promotion, try to spot those focusing on narrowly specified topic - if you are trading beauty aids, then look for a beauty-blogger or a beauty expert. And never overlook microbloggers - the audience of followers they have is small yet not enhanced with bots.

What next?

Exchange content, e.g. have guest posting, go joint-live or have joint marathons.

A good cross-promo example is a sportswear brand account launching a marathon of fast workouts with some coach.

In 2022, the SFS is getting no longer so relevant since users have already got too much of it within these years, yet some influencers still go on using it - rather effectively, to be admitted - to promote their Instagram accounts. As for the format that has been the most relevant this year, then it is SFS in Stories. Posting a story allows avoiding some extra pics in the feed, so followers are rather willing to join SFS.

This way of promotion, even though not to be viewed as fresh and new, yet remains quite effective for bright and vivid blogs with a true and committed audience. Try different formats, interact with your followers and you will see that this method is still good to help you attract even more users.

4. Use the $1.8 strategy

This is what Gary Vaynerchuk - one of America’s top influencers - used to boost his account. The point here is to share your 0.2 cents in the top 9 posts related to 10 hashtags - all this coming up to $1.8 invested in your account promotion.

How to blow up on instagram employing this method? Choose 10 hashtags on each topic and comment on 9 posts each day. If a post contains a question, then offer a well-considered answer. Mind the involvement: the post is to have at least 5% of likes from the number of followers. Do never give up and go on investing your 2 cents per day.

5. Launch a marathon

Assemble an audience for a good and useful marathon. Think of some topic and easy-to-do tasks for the entire week. You can also promote the post (provided you have turned your profile into a business-profile, because this is how you can do it straight from the Instagram account). Ask your friends to join or spread the word. Make sure you have some activity going on under the posts and in the stories thus promoting your account: get feedback on the tasks completed or invent some challenges on making videos for Instagram stories.

Info-business now is rather a popular niche on the Internet, which has been developing especially fast since we’ve got lots of of jobs that can be done remotely: now that working from home is a reality, why not master a new job or pump up some skills without having to attend formal classes.

There is a lot of emphasis placed on competing other info-business people: course developers, online school speakers, and even influencers sharing their info-content. Therefore, the main task when advertising your marathon (regardless of it being paid or free) is to stand out of a whole crowd including hundreds and thousands of similar online-products.

Marathons can be of different formats:

 

paid or free;

 

with home assignment or without any;

 

involving one o r several speakers;

 

lasting from a couple of days to months.

You can join a marathon run by another author. Launching a marathon typically takes starting a special account to announce lectures, share tasks, go live and display information about the speakers.

Joining a marathon will require following all the speakers. Speakers are experts sharing their knowledge at the marathon. They are the ones who deliver lectures, share checklists, give assignments to complete at home, and then check them. This is what will help you win more of interested followers.

Once the marathon is underway, do not forget about your personal page - you will want to keep your new audience interested.

6. Seek help from friends

Many users think about how to go viral on Instagram. The main point here is not to hesitate to seek help from your friends and just people you know - you need your account main page to feature at least 50–100 followers.

Nobody will be attracted by an account with zero followers, so at least a small audience will make it easier if you have plans to start promoting your Instagram account on your own.

Help you can expect from people you know is a whole free promotion implying no investment. You will have to ask your friends start following you and recommend the account in their posts or stories. Many will repost something from your account provided your posts contain a nice image coming along a well-written text. Do not be shy, just ask for help and someone will definitely offer you a hand.

7. Advertise your account

This will take some investment. You can launch targeted ads, have some cool offer and gifts for subscription. Besides, you can buy promotion from influencers. When choosing one, keep in mind that it is not the number of followers that matters here (they may be really many) but their involvement. The quality of followers can be typically judged by the number and the level of comments.

Of course, there are some risks possible, so we would recommend turning for help to professionals. You, for instance, can create your own promotional campaign in Post Market and pay for new followers only. The CPF model will completely dismiss any possible cheating with bots, so the audience you get will be only followers takin genuine interest in your blog.

“I do my best and they do not come to follow”

Getting no flow of active followers makes some feel desperate. The issue is often about the profile and not what you do. Now, what can be done to go viral on Instagram?

Clear topic. The description offer the answer to the following question: “Why would I follow this account?” or “What is so interesting about this?”

Even a glimpse of the images may reveal the topic of your account, and they must be beautiful (Instagram is a social platform that is about the visual images).

Texts written in a clear and comprehensible language, and they do stick to the topic. Try using some unusual topic - this will make promoting your account easier. People will come to follow just because they have seen nothing similar before. One of the popular Instagram accounts is that of a girl who lives in Paris (France) and goes out to take interview from common people passing by.

The content does catch up with the audience

You are aware of who are trying to involve. Don’t write something like “Girls, why don’t you visit my page and see the flowers I am offering for the Women’s Day” under a fitness coach’s post offering tips on weight loss after pregnancy. Some advice concerning yoga rugs would make much more a reasonable message. Don’t launch a my-weekly-menu marathon in case you try to sell financial planning services.

Regular posts

You may have released 12 posts already and abandoned your account while working o promotion. To have your Instagram stories symbol always active, and posts released at least 2-3 times a week, you can use delayed posting. Create some content for stories, write posts, spend a couple of hours on delayed planning and work on attracting new audience.

The following types of content are good for Instagram:

 

viral content - something interesting and creative to attract new followers. Instagram users love situational content, so try and find various reasons and discuss them with your audience.

Expert content that will reveal you or your company as an expert in a particular field. This kind of content serves a trigger to making decision on buying the respective product or service.

Branded content. This is good not for any company yet for those only whose product or service are visually attractive.

Never forget that Instagram users have a special sense of aesthetics and value the visual part the most.

Not less important than the content of the account itself, is User Generated Content, which is what users create. Always check to see if you have it. All it takes is entering your brand in the searchline and see if people post anything featuring your brand and how attractive a view it makes.

In case you already have some great posts, use them. Should you have posts that are not so nice ones yet contain some positive feedback, tag a link, attach a story or a hashtag. Just encourage your followers to create this sort of content.

Promoting your account is about offering people what they want to get, even though doing it correctly and unobtrusively. Put your strongest points forward, develop a concept, and then follow it.