Instagram Business Account Growth Strategies: Ideas for Your Account

One of the many Growth Marketing services that we offer includes growing Instagram business accounts. Instagram growth is becoming more and more competitive for trying to get your account in front of the right audience or build a social media community. There are plenty of strategies, hacks, and ideas out there.

Instagram business account growth strategies are a key component of both digital marketing and social media marketing, helping brands reach their target audiences, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. Digital marketing encompasses content marketing, SEO, and social media efforts, with Instagram growth serving as a vital part of this broader strategy, and you can stay updated on these areas through our digital marketing and growth strategy blog.

We will introduce a few quick Social media management ideas to boost your organic followers on your business account. Please note, there are many methods that are against Instagram’s TOS, we will not be discussing these today as they often have your account ‘shadow-banned’ (temporarily banned), or permanently closed.

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1.    Co-hosting Instagram Live sessions-

Co-host a live session with accounts in your niche that have a similar or a slightly larger following. You don’t need a large account to do this or need to find those with a high amount of followers or an industry giant. Find accounts that your followers currently follow or that will provide value to your audience for your co-hosting session.

For example, you could interview an industry expert who might have a few thousand followers. This industry expert will now be sharing your account and you will be sharing theirs during the live session. You are now exposed to new potential audiences, which can help increase your instagram followers, while also providing your current followers with valued content. Co-hosting sessions like these can also encourage followers to engage with your content or share it with their own audience. Win-win!

Link in the Instagram Bio-

If you have an account over 10,000 followers, then you have the ability to create a story and tell your audience to swipe up which will take them to a link that you have set. If you don’t have that many followers, then directing your audience to this clickable link needs to be done differently. Put the link in the ‘Bio’ section marked with its content a clear Call to Action.

If you post any content via stories, photos, or videos then refer the audience to the link in your bio. Using the link in your bio should align with your Instagram goals, such as increasing followers, driving website traffic, or boosting engagement. Sending the visitor away from your Instagram profile is not the objective, however, providing content that they are interested in or that solves a problem provides value to that person who in return will ‘follow’ you.

3.    Account ‘Hijack'

Please note- This will only work on larger accounts and be very cautious not to appear like a spammer.

Find a large account that is similar to your audience or that provides a product to your audience. This account needs to be so large that it’s hard for their admin to keep up with the comments on Instagram posts. Take a look at the Instagram feed and see if there is any way that you can assist queries or genuinely comment on that comment.

When engaging, focus on leaving meaningful comments that add value to the discussion, such as answering questions, sharing insights, or offering helpful suggestions. This approach encourages community interaction and demonstrates your expertise.

For example, if you are a freelance graphic designer with an Instagram business account, you could visit the Adobe account and possibly answer queries posted in their comments or engage in positive and knowledgeable discussion with commenters. This will display expertise, create an image of a brand that is focused on relationships and interactions, and awareness of your brand, all of which are core parts of building a sustainable startup growth strategy. This brand awareness can convert into immediate followers and Instagram interactions.

By consistently providing meaningful comments, you can increase your follower count by attracting users who appreciate your expertise and engagement, especially when these efforts are paired with data-driven growth marketing for your broader digital presence.

4 . Hashtags- Be Strategic

Hashtags are used to identify content and assist others in identifying relevant content that is useful. You click on the search button and search for a hashtag related to your content. It’s very important to Instagram and its users, that’s why this marketing strategy can be so powerful.

Hashtags are usually overused, underused or misunderstood. The questions always arise, ‘What hashtags do I use’?, ‘How many hashtags do I use?’, ‘Where do I use them’? , ‘Do I need them in my Instagram bio?’ and so on.

Developing a hashtag strategy is important because it will have you in front of your target audience, being found by those that will be most interested in your product and engage with the account. Your hashtag strategy should be a key part of your overall digital marketing strategy across channels, ensuring that your posts are aligned with your business goals and resonate with your audience.

The Instagram platform allows up to 30 hashtags and you could use all of those allocated tag slots.. So when it comes to hashtags, how many should you use? We recommend using 15-20 hashtags.

How do you come up with 15-20 hashtags? Firstly, pick 3-5 of the most popular tags related to the post, then 3-5 five niche-specific, 2-3 Branded tags, then 3-5 content-specific. To select the most effective hashtags, it's crucial to understand your Instagram target audience—where they are, what they are interested in, and which hashtags they are already engaging with.

Why this strategy?

Popular hashtags give you an initial burst of activity from non-followers but within minutes your content is buried behind more popular accounts or content. This engagement burst can show the Instagram algorithm that your content is valued to the user and can be shown more on their hashtag feeds. This will hopefully cause your content to appear as a top-performing post in the niche-specific tags which could stay for days, weeks, and even months!

To get the most out of this strategy, think about where your audience is, what is your audience doing, and who is your audience. Using in depth insights from advanced growth hacking and analytics tools can help you refine your hashtag selection and content approach, providing greater insight into the best hashtags to select.

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Optimizing your Instagram Profile

Optimizing your Instagram profile is crucial for establishing a strong online presence and attracting potential customers to your business Instagram account. Your Instagram profile is often the first impression users get of your brand, so making it both visually appealing and informative can give you a competitive advantage on social media platforms.

Start by choosing a clear, high-quality profile picture—ideally your business logo or a recognizable image that reflects your brand identity. Make sure your business name is easy to read and matches your other social media platforms for consistency. Next, craft a compelling Instagram bio that quickly communicates what your business offers. For a hospitality and property management brand like AvantStay, highlight your unique value—such as luxury vacation rentals, group travel experiences, or concierge services—using concise language and relevant keywords.

Don’t forget to include a link to your business website or a dedicated landing page. This is a prime spot to drive traffic from your Instagram profile to your booking platform, property listings, or investor information. If you have shoppable posts or special offers, mention them in your bio and use a link-in-bio tool to showcase multiple destinations.

Switch to a professional account or business profile to unlock features like contact buttons, Instagram insights, and the ability to run Instagram ads. Make sure your contact information is up to date so potential customers can easily reach out via direct message, email, or phone.

Finally, curate your Instagram feed to reflect your brand’s aesthetic and values. Use consistent colors, filters, and branded hashtags to create a cohesive look. Feature high-quality images of your vacation homes, behind-the-scenes content, and user generated content like customer photos or followers photos. This not only builds trust but also encourages followers to engage with your Instagram business account and share your content with their own followers feeds.

By optimizing your Instagram profile, you set the stage for sustainable growth, attract more followers, and turn profile visitors into loyal customers or property owners interested in your services, especially when you support it with strong digital storytelling and brand narrative.

5.    Use business analytics and post analytics-

In Growth Marketing, Data is always one of our best tools. The business account analytics and post analytics will allow you to learn more about your audience, including tracking follower growth over time to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies. Analytics also help you identify your audience's pain points by analyzing which content resonates most, allowing you to better understand your potential audience and where/who you should target, especially when you pair insights with data-backed storytelling as a growth lever.

You can access this from the View Insights button, this will tell you you how that post performed,  and where your impressions came from. If it is not appearing, you may have a ‘personal account’ and need to create a business profile, which is also a key step if you ever decide to work with or become a growth hacker focused on rapid audience growth.

Is that all?

No, definitely not! There are so many Instagram growth strategies out there and we will be adding Instagram business account growth ideas weekly! Keep checking in for more great ideas to grow your account followers.

For a more in-depth look, be sure to check out our comprehensive blog post on Instagram business account growth strategies.

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