How to get your first 500 followers on Instagram Right Now

Sep 21

The process I took to get my first 500+ followers was pretty simple. This is an in-depth explanation of the steps I adhered to get my results.

We’ve all heard of the theory of 1000 true fans, right? If not, that's okay. “1000 True Fans” is an article written by an author named Kevin Kelly. His premise was that you don’t need millions of followers to make a career out of a creative/artistic lifestyle. But you only need 1000 true fans; these are people that truly support you. Fans are the people that will attend all your events, buy your books, and purchase your merchandise.

Using his theory I was able to build a 500+ following just stating out my business

It helps that I already have 8,000+ followers on my personal Instagram. All these followers are primarily people I know, had experiences with, and built a relationship with. 8 years of building friendships pays off.

I started off by making an Instagram post. I made sure I use a pretty good-looking picture of myself, something that I know would get a lot of attention and support. It actually was from a large and historical event that I participated in during the homecoming of my senior year in college. I know a lot of people would recall that moment and choose to leave a like or comment.

But I didn't just stop there. I used the swipe feature on Instagram and added the logo of my business. When people swiped they could see the brand.

Some may be confused or even intrigued which would encourage them to take a look at the caption.

And here's where the magic happens...

In the captions I included this:

“I need your help! 👀

(Attention Grabber)

Don’t worry, I’m not in danger! I recently launched a digital marketing agency @Nine27.co, we specialize in social media advertising and I figure the best place to begin looking for potential clients is my existing network.

(Getting straight to the point)

If you have any business owner friends here or you have any in your network, it would be a huge help if you could put us in touch.

Let me know if there’s anything I can do in return - thanks in advance! And please follow @nine27.co!”

(asking for Help & Follow)

This encouraged people to follow the page and share with people they know who may need my help.

The reason you want to get followers to your business page is because when potential clients come over to visit your website having a following helps with the brand authority. The more people that follow you, the more professional and authority you seem to have.

After the post, it doesn't just stop there… After a day or so of getting followers and likes, I sent out messages. In marketing, there is always a funnel system involved and people don't always do their due diligence right away, there is always a Drop-Off. To prevent a drop-off, I hit them with this in the DMs:

Hey, hope all is well! A while ago I announced that I was launching a Digital Marketing Agency and you like the photo to show support. Thank you! I'm reaching back out to ask if you don't already, please follow @nine27.co . Your like and following goes a long way and helps with brand recognition and authority when new clients come to my page and take a look. Thank you for your support! ✊🏽 Godspeed!

And I got responses like this:

That was it!

To get your first 500 followers it is simple. Here is the recap of the steps I abide by:

Make a post connecting your personal Instagram followers with your business page. Draw attention and encourage people to follow up on your business page.
Respond to all the comments and messages.
Let a little time go by and start the follow-up process.
DM everyone thanking them and asking for a follow.
Once the followers come in you need to be consistent in your posting.If your page just becomes a shell with a name people are inclined to unfollow.

In a few words: Post, Engage, Follow up, and Be Consistent.

I hope this was able to help you. And please let me know how this process works for you. Shoutout to Jordan Platen who I learned the “I need your help” caption from.

For more information give my agency and I a follow on all the platforms below:

Nine27.co

https://www.instagram.com/nine27.co/

https://twitter.com/Nine27Co

https://www.facebook.com/Nine27.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nine27-co/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXzjHgJ0kO3a1FXH6ep67LA

https://www.nine27.co/

DeRonte Craig

https://www.instagram.com/iamderontecraig/

https://twitter.com/iamderontecraig

https://www.facebook.com/DeRonteCraig