My Unique Story and Tactics of going Viral on Social Media - Instagram - 10Tips!

Ten Insider Tips to grow your social media account with active followers

If you’re reading this, you probably have a social media account that you wish to grow. Articles upon articles will try to convince you that this is easy and simple, but unless you brush shoulders with Justin Beiber or Lebron James, don’t expect to go viral over night. Lucky for you, there are a few tried-and-true strategies you can use to build a strong and active followership. I followed this simple formula and I used it to attract my active and targeted followers in just a couple of months. Ready? Here are ten methods you can use to expand your audience and build that base.

Instagram account: @CrossedFeet

1. It’s All About the Name –Your account name is how people will refer to your page and find you, so your goal should be a memorable, explanatory name. Think of it as a one word bio. Your name should describe exactly what your account is about or it should be your brand name. The spelling should be accurate and numbers should be avoided so people who are looking for you can find you. Lastly, it’s best to make sure your name is relevant to the material that you’ll be posting on your account.

2. You’re Your Best Advocate! – Word of mouth is known as being one of the most effective way of marketing, so talk about your plans everywhere you go and with anyone you meet. Be a promoter of your page - tell family, friends and even strangers about your page. After all, when it comes from you people are more likely to get involved and at the beginning, engagement is key.

3. Be Creative – Having a theme on your page will allow followers to understand your concept just by looking through your pictures. It is important to always stick to your theme, so others can expect and anticipate your next post. Try not to post irrelevant posts such as an ad or a picture with you and your grandmother. They might be nice but these types of posts will disappoint your viewers and reduce the quality of your posts.

4. Communicate with Your Audience – There is nothing your followers will appreciate more than your response to their questions and comments. Get involved. Make sure to communicate and connect with your followers so you can better understand what they want. When you learn your market, you will be able to better provide what they are looking for which will make them more likely to share your page with others.

5. Use Relevant Hashtags – Using relevant hashtags will attract targeted followers. When you have followers that are not related or interested in what you post, they will not like or comment on your content. You want to avoid these ghost followers who simply are there as a number. Your targeted, engaged followers are your best followers: they will comment, like and interact with your page.

6. Be Consistent – Your followers follow you for a reason. Whether it is funny, educational or interesting, they expect you to post and might even wait by their phone for your next picture. To keep your followers happy, it is important to consistently post and avoid long breaks. If you take a week off from Instagram, your followers will take a week off from you.

7. Experiment and Adjust – Don’t be afraid to try new things. Test different techniques and methods with your account to determine what works best and what attracts the most engagement. Once you have observed what is most effective for what you’re looking for, incorporate this into your personal Instagram strategy. Use excel sheets to record statistics in order to determine which tactics worked best. Marketing trends are always changing and to stay on top, you must, too.

8. Create Your Hashtag – Similar to your account name and most commonly interchangeable, your hashtag is your brand name and will help keep track of how your posts are shared. By creating your own hashtag, you are essentially acquiring a term that explains your concept and can be linked to a feed of similar concepts or posts.

9. Quality Not Quantity – The competition on Instagram is never who can post the most (quantity), it is who can post the best pictures (quality). Don’t focus on posting as many pictures as you can, and don’t force a picture to be posted if you don’t feel that it is great. Only post your best content. I am sure you have heard this before, but it is very important to stick to your best pictures rather than all your pictures. Nothing kills the mojo of your account faster than pictures no one wants to see. Keep it fresh and keep the quality high.

10. Credit and Communicate – It is important to give credit where credit is due. Out of common courtesy and respect, you should always give credit to the photographer if you post a picture that was not taken by you. From time to time you should engage with your followers to show you care about them just as much as they care about you. Relationships are always key!