My answer to How can I get Instagram followers & likes?
Answer by Trevor Carss:
It took me awhile to figure out the science behind follower and like capture, and I am happy to share with you my successes below:
Followers:
The best way to capture organic followers is to post 1–4 times per day, every day, with relevant hashtags and high-quality photos.
You can buy 1,000 followers for around $10, but that is not real engagement.
You will want to consider a posting and engagement schedule similar to the one I have created below (I like to spread out my activities with breaks, it’s up to you):
Post photo.
BREAK
50 likes of your followers’ new pics.
10 follower comments.BREAK
200 likes in related hashtags.
20 comments.BREAK
Like, comment and follow 100 competitor followers.
Also consider these tips to capture followers:
Reach out to top influencers in your industry through Direct Message, ask them to collaborate on a special promotion. Great tactic to build up followers quickly.
Use the 9-square grid as a unique way to post your photo. I posted 9 squares for the image as an experiment and captured 30+ followers from the approach.
Now for likes:
I managed to get over 160 likes for a recent photo using highly relevant hashtags in the caption. Some people suggest not posting so many hashtags, but it seemed to work well for me in this instance.
I break my hashtag groups into 3 sections:
Company-specific hashtags
Product-specific hashtags
Influencer-specific hashtagsYou should have a branded hashtag for your company, i.e., I use #CarssClothing in every photo I post. Then you should have some mission-statement hashtags related to what you do in there. One of mine is #WearHappy.
Product-specific hashtags will get specific, like #MensFashion or #MensTshirts. Choose hashtags that relate to what you’re selling.
Influencer hashtags could be related to bloggers and people in your industry that could potentially share and re-post your photo. If you have an influencer’s product in your photo, they will be more likely to notice, especially if you tag them in the photo.
Final note:
The more followers you have, the more likes you will potentially receive. Keep growing your following by using the schedule above and likes will follow.