No matter how many times we say that marketing is not just Instagram, we know that for most small business owners, Instagram is the marketing platform of choice. 

And based on what we see? We can only guess that business owners are spending a ton of time on it, but we need to ask—is everyone actually growing their Instagram? Or do we just see more and more people complaining about the algorithm, how much content they need to create, and that they can’t stay consistent? If you fall into the latter, this post is for you. We’re going to cover exactly what you need to do to get more Instagram followers this year.

In this post, we’ll talk about:

• Why you need to start with a social media marketing strategy
• Why followers actually matter (and why they’re not just a vanity metric…kind of)
• Strategies for how to grow your Instagram following
• How to use AI and Enji to make the process easier
• Why it’s important to attract the right followers and track your growth

Start With a Social Media Strategy

Before you start throwing more Instagram content out there and hoping for the best, you need to create a social media strategy. Why? Because winging it might get you a few likes from your existing followers, but it won’t build a real audience. 

A broader social media strategy helps you stay consistent, post content that actually attracts the right people, and avoid that awkward “Why isn’t this working?” moment. Plus, it saves you from wasting time on random trends that don’t move the needle. 

If you want to get more Instagram followers this year, your social media strategy should be giving you the roadmap to understand who you’re trying to target on Instagram and how it fits into your bigger goals, like increasing your brand awareness. 

Pssst…When you create a marketing strategy with Enji’s marketing strategy generator, we create your social media strategy too!

Why Instagram Followers Actually Matter

Now let’s dive more into the goal to “get more Instagram followers this year”. Should that be your marketing goal? To be honest… yes and no.

It’s easy to think that followers are just a “vanity metric” that doesn’t really impact your business, but here’s the reality: your follower count is often the first thing people check when they come across your profile. So while it definitely isn’t the most important thing (and you don’t need 10,000 followers to have a profitable business), a higher follower count can (and will) make your brand look more credible and trustworthy. Basically, it’s a form of social proof. 

Plus, adding new followers means you’re constantly introducing fresh faces to the top of your marketing funnel. The more people who find you, the more potential customers you have down the line. So yes, followers matter—but it’s also about quality, not just quantity.

Why Social Media Marketing is Important

Before we move onto the actual tactics to try to get more Instagram followers this year, do you have time for a quick pep talk? We know marketing your business tends to get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list, but at the end of the day, the more people you reach, the better your business will be (most of the time anyway!). Rather than just seeing your follower count grow, you’ll see greater engagement and conversion down the line. That’s worth the extra elbow grease, isn’t it?

Social media marketing is important as a whole because it’s a great way for potential customers to find you (and become followers), but it’s also the best way to communicate with them and retain them long term. One-off customers who become loyal followers can help spread awareness about your brand and even return to make ongoing purchases. 

Tactics to Grow Your Instagram Following

We’re sure you’ve tried to get more Instagram followers before (because let’s be honest—who hasn't?). In our experience (as small business marketers for over a decade now), here are some tried-and-true tactics to help you attract more followers (the right way):

1. Consistent Posting 

Oof. We felt that eye roll through the screen. But it’s true—consistency is one of the most important things when it comes to growing your Instagram following. Regular posting keeps your audience engaged and shows that you’re active, which is more likely to attract new followers. It’s not enough to get someone to just find your profile, you need them to want to stick around too!

If you need a little help with this, that’s where Enji’s Social Media Scheduler comes in handy. Our scheduler allows you to plan and schedule your posts in advance, so you can see your posting schedule “at a glance” and be honest with yourself about where there are holes.

2. Collaborations (using the Collaborator feature)

Not gonna lie, this is probably one of the best things Instagram has come out with. Adding someone as a collaborator on a piece of content is a fantastic way to reach a broader audience (someone else’s audience!). You can partner with influencers, brands, or other businesses that share a similar target audience. Then, by teaming up, you expose your brand to their followers and gain access to a whole new group of potential customers.

A little tip? Make sure your collaborator content feels genuine and aligns with your brand. The goal is to attract followers who are genuinely interested in what you offer. If you need a little inspiration, we do this a lot over on Enji’s instagram account!

3. Engagement

It might sound obvious, but being social on social media is kind of important. Take the time to engage with your followers by responding to comments, liking their posts, and even reaching out and chatting in the DMs. Make sure that you also engage with people who don’t follow you too! The more you interact with others, the more likely they are to check out your profile and follow you back. It’s called “social” media for a reason. Show up, engage, and build real connections with your audience.

Here is a tactic we use to engage with accounts who aren’t followers: Click into or swipe up on pieces of content to see who has seen the story or liked a post or reel and figure out who isn’t a follower (when you click over to their profile, look for whether the blue button under their profile says “follow” or “follow back”). If it says “follow”, the account doesn’t follow you—and that is your extra clue to engage.

4. Contests and Giveaways 

If you are hoping for a boost of new followers quickly, running a contest or giveaway is often a great idea. Who doesn’t love the chance to win something for free? Just be careful when choosing the prize. The goal is always to attract the right people who are genuinely interested in your brand (not just people who want a free Amazon gift card).

Pro-tip: You can plan your giveaway quickly with Enji’s giveaway marketing campaign template! Simply pick the template, select the date you want the giveaway to start, and Enji will recommend the tasks you need to do in order to get your giveaway started. Plus, there is a place to track your results.

5. Hashtags

Even in 2025, hashtags can still help you get found by new people. While users are not necessarily searching for them anymore, Instagram uses hashtags to help categorize your content and make it searchable to users who don’t already follow you. How many hashtags should you use on Instagram? The “official” advice from Meta is to use about 5-8 per post, but honestly? Do your own experiment and test using 5-8 really targeted hashtags for a month vs. a bigger mix for another month. 

6. Use AI to Get It Done Faster

Remember the days when we only had to worry about quality? They’re over. Now you need both quality and quantity to get seen by potential customers. But as a small business owner already wearing multiple hats, you’re going to need help. That’s why we added an AI Copywriter to our marketing suite. Our AI can help you create captions in seconds (read this for the best practices when using an AI caption writer). Plus, it learns your brand voice. 

How does this help you grow your Instagram following? If writing captions has stood in your way of being consistent, using an AI copywriter to get over that hump will help you get content created and consistently scheduled.

7. Focus on Building a Community

Last but not least, learning how to get more Instagram followers doesn’t just come down to what you post and when. One of the most important things you can do is focus on building a community, not just a following. 

The bigger your community on Instagram, the more people will be cheering you on and sharing your content, which gets you in front of more and more eyes. Plus, a community built around your business feels more authentic compared to constantly pushing content out.

But what does building a community look like on Instagram? It might mean constantly asking for customer feedback, making a point to educate your audience, and offering exclusive content or offers. You want your followers to know that your Instagram is a place where they can interact, ask questions, and engage, not just view your posts. 

With an active community, you can also do more with less, and your follower count will grow organically. 

Prioritize Growing the Right Followers

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers, but having thousands of followers means nothing if they’re not genuinely interested in your business. Focus on attracting followers who are likely to become customers, clients, or brand advocates. These are the people who will hopefully engage with your content, share your posts, and ultimately help you grow your business.

That means definitely no buying followers. Ever.

Get Consistent With Your Social Media

Now while we are talking about how to get more Instagram followers, we need to give you a little tough love if you aren’t growing as fast as you would have hoped. Be honest with yourself: are you putting in the same effort as your competitors? Along with the tactics above, you need to be consistent. They say nothing in life is easy, but it’s actually nothing in marketing is easy—growing your following will take time and patience. 

If you aren’t seeing growth after your first few posts, don’t freak out! Consistency is key to see true progress over time. For a lot of business owners, you might be consistent for a few months before letting your social media fall behind everything else you have to take care of. It’s so easy to do when you’re busy, but starting and stopping is how your Instagram becomes stagnant. 

Track Your KPIs to Measure Success

Finally, as with any marketing effort, it’s super important to track your progress and see what’s working. Here are some Instagram insights (KPIs or key performance indicators) to keep an eye on:

• Follower Growth Rate: How quickly are you gaining new followers over time?
• Engagement Rate: How many likes, comments, shares, and saves are your posts getting?
• Reach and Impressions: How many people are seeing your posts, and how often are they seeing them?
• Profile Visits and Clicks: How many people are visiting your profile, and how many are clicking on your website link or contact buttons?

By tracking these KPIs, you can see which tactics are driving the most growth and adjust your strategy accordingly. Plus, our KPI Dashboard will keep track of these numbers automatically for you so you can see them at a quick glance.

Get More Instagram Followers This Year

Growing your Instagram following doesn’t have to be complicated or super time-consuming. You just need to be extremely intentional about the limited marketing time you have (most small business owners only have 1-2 hours per week!). 

Ready to start growing your Instagram the right way? Let Enji’s all-in-one marketing tools and AI-powered features help you create an Instagram strategy that works for you! Start your free trial.