Everyone wants to be seen on Instagram and there are 8 solid ways that work best. Yet, there are many things you need to consider when it comes to Instagram’s algorithm including:
- Using quality hashtags to get a high ranking
- Early engagement
- Being an awesome caption copywriter
- Use of emojis
- Having an awesome concept that resonates with people and makes them want to be a part of it
In addition, to having the above winning combo, you will need…
- Quality Content
- Genuine & Active Engagement
- To Post Frequently
1) Notifications
Get seen through notifications by either following someone else or following, liking and commenting in hopes that the user will see your name in the Notifications area and hopefully reciprocate. The level of effort and difficulty are high as well as it being time-consuming. Of course, you can always hire someone with experience to do it for you, hint hint 😉
2) Shout-outs & Mentions
Having friends, influencers, or businesses mention you is another great way to be seen. Primarily it means you are popular, cool or actively seeking to collaborate with other accounts. The more you collaborate with them the more chances they will give you regular shout-outs. Contact other Instagrammers and ask to be a guest contributor for a day. Be creative with collaborating, such as using IG Stories or IG challenges. Focus on popular accounts with many followers and accounts you have similar interests with.
3) Contests / Giveaways / Promotions
This is where you really need to let your creativity shine in your offers / promotions so that you can stand out from everyone else. While others are offering 15% in their shop, or some sort of free guide, you should offer something far more enticing. It’s all about the value your audience gets. Make sure you stay within your target audience. If you’re trying to grow followers and you start attracting people who don’t fit within your brand or image, well, they’re not going to care about your content and will most likely unfollow you after the contest is over. Use this wisely and don’t rush it. If done correctly, it is certainly a powerful way to be seen on Instagram.
4) Hashtag Search Results
Accounts can get discovered by a #hashtag which means you MUST use hashtags and post consistently. This is something we preach all the time… get creative with your use of hashtags. Look beyond the one-word, obvious hashtags. The more interesting, funny, and creative, the better. Think outside the box and don’t be boring. That’s what makes you stand out. Use a mix of relevant hashtags on your posts including trending ones.
5) Instagram Direct Search
Unless you are a pretty well-known celebrity (or have a lot of stalkers), I wouldn’t count on this happening. People would have to actually search for you in the search box.
6) GeoTag Search Results
This one is pretty basic… geotag your location whenever you post! When people search for a specific place, your geotagged post will show up.
7) Other social platforms / channels / media outlets
Another pretty obvious way to be seen on Instagram are through your other social media outlets. Promote on your other channels such as a Blog, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, or Twitter by directing traffic to your IG profile. In short, promote your Instagram presence wherever you can. Other channels are high-quality online publications or newsletters and podcasts. Most obviously, your email signature. You have your phone number there, add your Instagram too.
8) Instagram Ads
Like Facebook and other social media platforms, you can run ads on Instagram. Actually, IG ads are run through Facebook business manager. Unless you have mad PPC ad skills and a good amount of ad dollars set aside, this can get expensive, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, if this is something you do decide to try, we recommend asking 99 Robots Facebook Advertising team for help.
Conclusion
Whichever of the methods you try above, the most important thing is to be creative. There are a lot of people on Instagram and you need to think outside the box to stand out in front. The old saying goes, the nail that sticks out the most gets hammered. When it comes to being seen on Instagram, that is a good thing.
