Creating a good number of followers in Instagram requires patience, consistency and quality content. Then you can reap the benefits of the fastest growing social network.

Having created an account on Instagram, one of the fastest growing and popular photo sharing social networks is a great feeling; especially when you realize that it is a great marketing channel with 5 million active Australian users. However, shortly after making your first posting, you may realize that your reach is limited. That is because you don’t have any Instagram followers in the first place. So, here are a few techniques to get them.

Choose a Theme for your photos

If you are a sports photographer, you may choose the best photos you have clicked in your chosen sport. You can have a hashtag for yourself where you post them. People, who follow you, will come to expect the best sports pictures from you every day; so don’t experiment by posting your personal photos once in a while. However, you could definitely post photos depicting you at work. That way, your Instagram followers will know how your company goes about its daily work, and the process involved.

Have a Great Profile

When people come across your profile on Instagram, they will immediately make a decision based on its look and feel. So make sure that your profile looks impressive; include your best photos and delete the bad ones. Pick 20-25 of your best photos to go with your profile; it’s all about quality and not quantity.

Put on your Best!

Always go back and delete the photos which look outdated, or meaningless. Make it a point, to post only your best photos on Instagram. You don’t want to lose your audience just because of a couple of randomly clicked snaps.

Use Existing Channels

In order to get your first set of 50-100 followers, you may start with existing channels like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest and LinkedIn. You may also email all your address book contacts about your new Instagram account and the kind of photos to expect in their feed.

Connect with other Instagram Users

Once you have connected with your known contacts, it is time to connect with the rest of the world. Do not resort to short-cuts and get cheap followers for a price. It is better to live with ’10 persons you now, rather than be with 100,000 strangers, whom you don’t know. It is also futile to have 20 hashtags embedded in your tweet in order to attract different audiences.

However, you can check out the pictures posted by other Instagram users and like and comment on them. It must contain sincere appreciation. Show genuine interest and tell them what exactly you liked in their design or picture posts. Chances are that they will check out your profile and if appropriate, they will follow you in return.

Regular Engagement : the key to getting more followers on Instagram

Once you have a list of followers, you must keep them engaged. Keep posting photos regularly. Always remember that quality takes precedence over quantity. If you get some positive comments or even likes, take a note of it and remember to thank you.

Getting more followers on Instagram is all about quality and engagement; there are no shortcuts. Once that is achieved, you are ready to move onto the next step and that is Instagram marketing.