12 Ways to Get More Instagram Followers in 2025

With over two billion monthly active users, Instagram is far more than a simple photo-sharing app; it’s an essential platform for marketing, branding, and community building. In 2025, a strong presence on this network is critical for businesses, content creators, and personal brands alike. Recent studies show that over 80% of users follow at least one business, and time spent watching Reels has surged by more than 40% in the last year alone. Gaining more Instagram followers is not a vanity metric; it’s a viable business strategy to increase visibility, generate leads, and build audience loyalty. However, the competition is fierce, and the algorithm is constantly evolving. It’s no longer enough to post pretty pictures. A strategic approach, often starting with a complete guide to SWOT analysis, is required, blending high-quality content, authentic engagement, and a deep understanding of the platform’s features. This complete guide reveals 12 proven strategies to grow your follower count organically and sustainably in 2025.

Optimize Your Profile: The First Impression Is Everything

Your Instagram profile is your digital storefront. It’s the first thing visitors see, and you have only a few seconds to convince them to click the “Follow” button. A neglected profile is a guaranteed way to lose potential followers before they even see your content.

A Clear and Compelling Bio

Your bio must instantly explain who you are, what you do, and the value you provide. Use keywords relevant to your niche to improve discoverability. Don’t hesitate to use emojis to break up the text and make it more visually appealing. The ideal structure answers three questions:

Who are you? (e.g., “Nutrition Coach,” “Ethical Fashion Brand”)
What do you offer? (e.g., “Daily tips for healthier eating,” “Sustainable clothing made in the USA”)
Why should they follow you? (e.g., “Join a supportive wellness community,” “Link to our new arrivals every week”)

A Recognizable Profile Picture

For a business, your logo is the obvious choice. It should be clear and legible, even in a small circle. For a personal brand or creator, a high-quality, smiling, and professional headshot is essential. People connect with people; a friendly face builds trust instantly.

Strategic Use of the Link in Bio

Instagram allows only one clickable link in your profile, so use it wisely. Instead of pointing solely to your homepage, use a “link in bio” tool like Linktree, Beacons, or Carrd. These create a simple landing page that can house multiple important links: your latest blog post, your online store, your newsletter sign-up, and more.

Create High-Value, Algorithm-Friendly Content

Content is the heart of your strategy. For people to follow you, they must find real and consistent value in what you post. In 2025, the trend is toward authenticity and content that educates or entertains.

Video First: Dominate with Reels

It’s no longer a secret: the Instagram algorithm massively favors video content, especially Reels. They represent the single greatest opportunity for organic reach and discovery by new accounts. Since growth depends on this format, mastering Instagram Reels is key. Focus on creating short, engaging Reels that capture attention within the first three seconds. Use trending music and effects to increase your chances of being featured by the algorithm. The most successful Reels often follow a simple formula: a strong hook, valuable information, and a clear call-to-action.

Use Carousels for Education and Saves

The carousel format is extremely powerful for sharing dense information in a digestible way. Use it to create mini-guides, tutorials, checklists, or case studies. A high-quality carousel encourages users to save your post for later, which is a powerful positive signal to the algorithm that will boost your content’s reach.

Embrace Authenticity: Behind the Scenes and Human Stories

Perfectly polished and overly curated feeds are losing their appeal. Users crave connection and transparency. Show the behind-the-scenes of your business, share your successes and failures, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Stories are the ideal format for this kind of spontaneous and personal content.

Master Instagram’s Features to Boost Visibility

Instagram offers a multitude of tools to increase your reach. Ignoring them means missing a huge opportunity to attract new followers.

The 2025 Hashtag Strategy

Hashtags remain a key lever for discovery, but the strategy has evolved. Don’t just use the most popular hashtags (over 1 million posts), as your content will be buried instantly. Adopt a tiered approach:

3-5 very popular hashtags (for potential broad reach)
5-10 niche-specific hashtags (to reach a highly qualified audience)
2-3 branded hashtags unique to you or your campaigns

Also, make sure to weave keywords directly into your captions. The algorithm’s semantic search capabilities are improving, meaning it analyzes the text itself to understand the context of your post.

Post at the Right Time for Your Audience

If you have a professional account (which is free and easy to set up), you gain access to detailed audience insights. Check the “Followers” section to see the days and hours when your community is most active. Publishing just before these peak times maximizes initial engagement, which helps the algorithm push your post to a wider audience.

Leverage Interactive Features in Stories

Stories are packed with interactive stickers: polls, quizzes, questions, sliders, and more. Use them daily! Every interaction is a positive signal to the algorithm. Moreover, they allow you to create a real dialogue with your community, better understand their needs, and strengthen their loyalty.

Build a Loyal Community with Engagement Strategies

Having followers is one thing, but building an engaged community is another. Engagement is the key to healthy, sustainable growth.

Collaborate with Other Creators

Collaborations are one of the fastest ways to get in front of a new, qualified audience. Use Instagram’s “Collab” feature to have a post appear on both your profile and your partner’s, sharing all the views, likes, and comments. Choose partners who have a similar target audience but are not direct competitors.

Run Relevant Giveaways and Contests

Contests are excellent for generating short-term buzz and engagement. To ensure this translates into loyal followers, make sure the prize is directly related to your business. Offering an iPhone will attract everyone, but offering one of your products or a free consultation will attract people genuinely interested in what you do. The classic “Follow us, like this post, and tag 2 friends” entry method remains highly effective.

Launch Targeted Ad Campaigns

To accelerate your growth, allocating a small budget to Instagram advertising can be highly effective. Instead of just “boosting” a post, use the Meta Ads Manager to create campaigns with a “Profile Visits” objective. This allows you to precisely target the audience you want to reach based on their interests, demographics, and online behaviors.

Growing your Instagram following in 2025 is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires consistency, creativity, and an approach centered on providing value to your audience. By optimizing your profile, creating engaging video content, mastering the platform’s features, and interacting authentically with your community, you will build a solid growth strategy. Remember that the quality of your followers will always trump the quantity. A smaller but highly engaged audience is far more valuable to your brand than a large, passive one.