Instagram is a whole different animal when it comes to social media. From links that can’t be clicked to an interactive news feed that hardly exists, you may find that Instagram is one place you are struggling to grow a following.
Here are five tips to grow a yoga following on Instagram and how to get people to click the “Follow” button on your Instagram page.
1. Engagement Within Your Market
This is the bread and butter of not just getting people to click on your page, but getting the RIGHT people to do so. Since Instagram makes it easy for you to narrow down which pages we want to interact with, you can find your market through the endless world of hashtags.
My favorite hashtags to use when interacting with yogis are #yogaeverydamnday and #stopdropandyoga because they are mainly used by active members of the Instagram yoga community, though there are many other great ones to choose from. (Feel free to get specific!)
I recommend liking a few photos on each page and commenting on one of their photos with something unique that has a human element.
Start by spending 20 minutes a day hammering away at engagements and you will immediately notice increased traffic on your Instagram page.
(Pro tip: It’s great to also branch out to like-minded markets by interacting with healthy eaters, fitness junkies, and avid travelers!)
2. The Almighty Hashtag
As hashtags are how you are going to find others in your market to interact with, hashtags are also how users are going to find you. They are one of the most important tools when trying to get the right people to visit your page.
In my opinion the magic number of hashtags on each post is three; I recommend adding three hashtags to the caption of the photo and then adding as many additional tags in a comment immediately after posting. (Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post.)
Timing is key here because the longer you wait to post the second set of hashtags the more likely your photo will be lost amongst the millions of posts being made every single day.
Be sure to use hashtags that are specific to your market and ring true of what your photo is expressing so you can stay authentic and avoid looking spammy. If there’s one platform that users won’t waste time on spam it’s Instagram.
3. Give Your Photos a Theme
When Instagram users come to your page the first thing they see is a block of either six or nine photos. These photos should have fluidity, make sense together, and all be the same shape. (Instagram is made for square photos so we recommend keeping it square).
Maybe your photos all have the same filter, an outdoorsy feel, or bright colors. The opportunities here are endless, let your Instagram page be your own work of art!
4. Clear and Concise Bio
Keep your bio to a minimum and have it explain exactly what you are offering to the world. Your photos should reflect exactly what you share about yourself in your bio.
Are you a yoga apparel brand? Mention it in your bio and show me it in your photos.
Do you host yoga retreats and want people that come to your page to see how beautiful your location is?
Tell me in your bio, show me in your photos. This is also the only place where you can add a clickable link, so be sure to add the link that brings people straight to your call to action.
5. Tag, Tag, Tag!
Always give credit to who you’re wearing, your location, and other Instagram accounts that have inspired you. Not only will this give you credibility but it will give you a great chance of getting featured on other pages with large followings.
There are plenty of Instagram accounts that solely post featured photos of others. They won’t know you’re there if you don’t give them some love!