Instagram has more than one billion active users, and the number keeps multiplying every day. It is now the second most used social media platform besides Facebook.
With the rising love for food and the number of foodies, Food Bloggers are on a constant upsurge making maximum use of Instagram’s wide reach. The primary determinant that determines your success on Instagram is the follower count.
If you are a food blogger, trying to find your footing on Instagram, these tips will help you gain more followers and share your blogs with a larger audience.
Have a Clear Plan with a distinct personal brand
Since you are reading this article, it’s quite obvious that you want to increase the number of followers on your Instagram profile.
But, why? Brand awareness or brand visibility or mere engagement or there’s something else? Define your goals clearly and then chalk out a plan accordingly.
Identify your personal brand and the USP but make sure it looks nothing like the rest. You don’t want your audience to have an impression that you are just a copy with no personal voice
Here’s what the founders of 2 Hungry Guys have to say on their journey so far “Our rules are simple, and this should go without saying, be nice, and if you can’t be nice at least be constructive and respectful of the places you review”
Craft Your Bio and Profile right with a quirky username
Your bio is the first thing your potential follower reads when they visit your profile. Craft an intriguing and fun bio that clearly defines the purpose of your blog.
But, even before the bio, your username comes in contact with the audience. Choose a quirky, but short, username that reflects the kind of posts you upload. Make sure that your username stands out.
Check out this profile of Kevin Curry with the username ‘Fit Men Cook’, It instantly talks to you about his love for fitness and food. And well, you can’t miss out on his profile bio, just so precise and inviting!
Focus on Content and give them something they haven’t seen before
Now since you are already on the go, I am sure you have selected your target audience. The next step is to create and upload content that is engaging and attracts your target audience. Upload articles that leave them wanting for more. For instance, you can start a spree of recipes with one ingredient, or add a little history of the dosh with fun facts.
Use trendy hashtags along with your own
Hashtags are invincible if you want to promote your posts to a larger audience. But everyone else is doing exactly the same. How are you going to stand out? Here’s how –
Create your own hashtags, encourage your followers to use the same and let spree the spree begin. Create hashtags related to the type of food you are writing. Being a food blogger, you have a unique opportunity to create fun hashtags with each new post.
Here’s what Cassandra Michelin, does for her blog “Live it Do it”.
She has created her own hashtag called #liveitdoit and uses it in most of her posts which helps her develop a brand of her own.
Aim to get featured on the explore tab
More than 200 million people visit the Explore tab every day. It features IGTV, stories, and posts based on different topics that a user might find interesting based on the content they follow.
If you are featured here, the chances to get an increased following hikes multifolds. Try to expand your horizons. Upload posts that are not only food-centric it will increase your chances of getting featured in various sections of the explore tab. But make sure that the essence of your blog remains intact.
Wrapping up!
Originality and promotion are the keys to unlock organic followers. Apart from that, craft unique and original content to awaken your audience’s interest in it. Try to write about dishes you feel the audience might have an interest in. Use simple words and describe the dishes as vividly as possible. The clearer the picture in the audience’s head, the better.
Here’s hoping that these tips help you achieve your dream number of followers! Let us know in the comment section below.
