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A True Story Sharing of Growing Instagram Followers from 300 to 18k+

Most companies might not consider Instagram as their main advertising platform, but there is no doubt that the organic reach of Instagram has exceeded Facebook and the number of Instagram users below 30 years old are spending more of their time on Instagram.

Operating an Instagram account for 3 years, @moredigitalhk has attained more than 18k followers since its launch in 2019. Although this is not a number worth bragging about, having a significant growth in Instagram followers is never an easy job for a B2B company.

In this blog, MORE Digital will be sharing the strategies they have used to increase followers and data that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Back in the days when we first started @moredigitalhk, we did not put a lot of effort into managing our Instagram account. We thought content is all that matters so we simply reposted everything we have on Facebook onto Instagram and the content was not consistent. At that time, our followers remained around 300. 

Until 2020, we started allocating more time to manage our Instagram account which we made content exclusive to Instagram and utilized Instagram functions such as story, guides, videos, etc. Now, we have reached up to 18.8k followers and our Instagram layout becomes more consistent. 

In just two years, Instagram followers have multiplied by more than 50 times. Not only have we experienced changes in our post content, but also our mentality.

Strategy 1: Creating Content Exclusive to the Platform

We used to put more emphasis on Facebook, in which we “manage” our Instagram page simply by reposting what we have on Facebook onto Instagram. But of course, users’ habits on these two platforms vary a lot. At best, we can increase a small amount of exposure but not growth in followers.

Currently, we mainly post bite-size content on Instagram which makes it easier for the audience to understand and comprehend. We include captivating heading to get the audience to continue reading; using more graphics instead of words to catch people’s sights and foster interaction; including usable knowledge to get people to share or save our post. It will start with a few simple points and jump directly to the conclusion, the audience can then link onto our website for details.

Do NOT simply repost contents from one platform to another.

Strategy 2: Utilize Instagram Features to Increase Interaction

To increase engagement and interaction with the audience, we organize our articles with similar topics by using guides so that the audience gets to read posts published a while ago, which some posts have gained likes and exposure. 

We also use story stickers like “poll”, “count down” and “link” to boost our views. 

Depending on the positioning of your account, you can make use of other Instagram functions like Reels and Shop to increase effectiveness for gaining followers.

Strategy 3: Paid Promotion and Data Analysis

From our experience, it is getting more challenging to grow your account naturally without advertising. Your content needs to be extraordinary (not just literal content but also personalized) to get you to outstand other posts. Also, your content has to hit right at your target customers. This isn’t impossible but it’s not easy for most new business accounts to master.

After publishing our post, we will put HK$200 in promotion to test its effectiveness (amount can be adjusted depending on your needs) and continue promoting the post if the average price of each follower is lower than HK$2 for the post (If you aim to increase followers).

Below are data we will be paying attention to after promotion:

  • Growth rate of followers
  • Cost per follower
  • Number of save and share

With data collected after running your account for a period of time, you will know what types of posts you should promote. Then, you can modify your content direction accordingly.

Strategy 4: Be Patient Instead Of Demanding Rapid Growth

Instagram is a part of the marketing system but for sure it’s not the only one. Social media is just a traffic entrance but not our destination. So the number of followers, shares and saves of the post is just one of the targets to achieve. The most significant target is to serve inquiries and convert them into business.

Creating content is like planting trees, you can’t expect to harvest within a few months of planting. Therefore, content creators need to be patient and apply different growth strategies to find a suitable positioning and growth model for you.

The ultimate goal of operating social media is for business conversion.

Strategy 5: Adhere to Content Creation and Never Fake Data

You will probably know what types of content readers like after operating the account for a while but you can’t solely create content that interests your reader. Otherwise, you will be led away by the algorithm, and gradually you lose interest in content production, eventually giving up on content marketing.

Most importantly, we will never buy likes and followers. Although the number of followers might seem impressive, the followers will not interact with your account. They will soon bury their own accounts and become a pool of stagnant water.

In Short

Content has always been the key. Although there are many small tricks, we believe spending too much time on them would not help you achieve your goals. In the long term, it is better off focusing on the production of high-quality content for you and your brand.

From what we have observed, it is harder for B2B accounts to grow compared to personal-oriented (e.g. KOL accounts) or media accounts. The reason is that, generally, B2B accounts are corporate-based with not much personal emotion or character involved, making it difficult to give potential audiences a sense of humanity or communication and lacking relaxed and attractive daily life content. At the same time, as a business account, most inquiries or DMs revolve around business. It depends on your personal needs to choose your account positioning so it’s hard to say which is better.

Picture of Rem Chiu

Rem Chiu

Ms. Rem Chiu is the Co-Founder of MORE Digital, and has over 10 years experience in Digital Marketing. Rem and her team specialize in helping brands to maximize exposure, building awareness, reaching potential customers and increasing revenues via digital marketing solutions. They have created over 160+ articles and 40+ videos on digital marketing knowledge; through content marketing they have accumulated more than 1 million website visits in 3 years time. Their existing clients include Property Developers, Shopping Malls and Global Brands.

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