How to expand your fanbase on Instagram in 2022

You’ve got an Instagram account for your project and your fans know it exists. Now what? We can help.

By James Shotwell from Haulix.

Boasting more than 1.3 billion active monthly users, Instagram is now the fourth most popular social media service globally. Every day, worldwide, millions of people open the app repeatedly in hopes of seeing a new post or Story update from their favorite friends and content creators. Those same people are looking for new accounts to follow, and that’s where this article comes in.

Building an audience on any social media platform in 2022 is a challenge. Most people have been online the majority of their lives, and many have used Instagram for over a decade. They know what they want and where to find it, so that’s what they do. Breaking those individuals out of their normal behavior patterns on the app is highly unlikely. Convincing someone there is another account they need to follow requires creativity, so today, we will share five small changes you can make right now to attract new followers using tools already available on IG.

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Don’t have time for the video? No worries! Here are five quick tips for building an audience on Instagram in 2022.

Instagram Collabs. No artist is an island. Every musical act has peers, and those peers have followers whose lives would benefit from following you. The problem is, how do you convince them to change? Instagram Collabs allow users to co-author a post or Reel with another Instagram user. That content can then be shared on both collaborators’ pages, including mentions/tags of everyone involved.

Example: Let’s say you’re planning to tour with three other bands later this year. You can create collaborative content with the various other artists/musicians and share that content to boost one another’s followings and your fans’ familiarity with the other bands on tour.

Instagram Reels. Since their introduction, Reels have proven to be one of the best tools for exposure. We recommend consistently sharing Reels that align with your niche to reach new audiences via Instagram’s suggested content feeds (aka the ‘Explore Page’). Artists should be making at least one Reel per week, though 2-3 would generally be better. You should also include 3-5 relevant hashtags in your captions to help the Reels algorithm categorize your content. OH! And don’t forget to share a preview of your latest Reel to your feed to boost reach.

Instagram Carousel Posts. The goal of Instagram is to keep you on Instagram. The company wants its users to spend as much time as possible on the app each day, and its algorithm aims to achieve this goal by promoting content that encourages that behavior. A perfect example of this is carousel posts, which are main feed posts containing two or more photos or videos. The presence of a carousel post encourages users to swipe between images, which keeps them on the app a split-second longer than a normal post. That might not seem like a big deal, but it adds up over time.

Adding A Keyword To Your Instagram Name Field. We’ll be the first to admit this one is a little weird, but it works! By adding a common search term to your Instagram name field, users can increase the likelihood their content appears on the Explore Page. 

Example: Let’s say you’re a young country artist trying to build a following around your music via Instagram. Rather than have your name appear as ‘John Smith,’ you should instead try “John Smith, Country Artist.” The IG algorithm will detect that phrase and consider promoting your account to any users who commonly interact with content it identifies as being similar to “country artist.”

Giveaways. Never underestimate the power of free stuff. People love free stuff, and most will complete a few basic tasks to receive something for nothing. Giveaways of any kind can make a huge impact on your Instagram. Not only does it boost engagement from your existing fans, but contests requiring entrants to share content in their feed or stories will also give the giveaway host a massive boost in exposure. 

James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement at Haulix and host of the company’s podcast, Inside Music. He is also a public speaker known for promoting careers in the entertainment industry, as well as an entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, Nu Sound, and Under The Gun Review, among other popular outlets.