6 Authentic Ways to Network on Instagram

Instagram is a powerful platform to grow your network. Although best known for its photo-sharing features and following trends, Instagram can also be a very effective networking tool. After all, at its core Instagram is a social app ... so why not use it to your advantage?

Whether you are a marketer or an influencer looking to build a career from Instagram, you can successfully use the platform to grow your network. Here are six ways to make authentic connections on Instagram, and in the process, build a community.

1. Follow Brands and People in Your Industry

Follow influential figures, brands, and businesses that interest you. This will ensure that your Feeds and Stories will have relevant content that you enjoy reading and watching.

If you want to grow your network on Instagram, you must stay up to date with conversations, trending topics, and industry news. By following relevant accounts, this will become easier and you’ll find more interesting content ideas to share with your followers.

2. Share Others’ Content in Your Stories

Sharing Stories and content from accounts you follow is one of the best ways to grab the attention of potential brands and influencers with whom you want to collaborate.

As a best practice, acknowledge the source of the content you’re sharing. And if you want to take it to the next level, tag them in your Stories. This helps you come into their radar and they might even contact you for possible collaborations.

3. Comment on Posts

To make a connection on Instagram, you must get out of your comfort zone and start posting relevant comments.

Commenting is a way to connect with brands, leaders, and influencers in your industry. Join the conversation in the comments section, reply to Instagram Stories, and ask questions during Instagram live sessions. These actions will help you start conversations and establish real connections on Instagram.

4. Tag Them in Your Content

You may have noticed this already – when someone tags you in their content you receive notifications about it. Similarly, when you tag your favorite brands in your content, they will see notifications and the content where you tagged them.

To increase your chances of getting noticed, tag your favorite brands in posts you write. Although you probably won't hear from all brands you tag, maybe one or two of your favorites will reply. You won't know until you try it!

5. Send DMs When Appropriate

Don’t shy away from writing direct messages if you have questions or have a biz proposal. Communicate with others through DMs and let them know how much you like their product and/or appreciate their content. You could also let them know if you plan to collaborate with them or host a contest featuring them.

6. Use Hashtags

Hashtags make it easy for you to find other Instagram accounts that share similar content and vice-versa.

Add relevant hashtags in posts or comments and see how they help you increase your reach. You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram. Make use of the limit to add the right set of hashtags and watch your post views soar.

You can search hashtags manually or, better yet, use a third-party tool like Hashtag Expert.

Hashtag Expert is a hashtag search engine and social media tool that gives you personalized hashtag suggestions, slices and dices hashtag performance, and tells you an average number of posts and likes per hour. Also, Hashtag Expert tells you how likely your post is to be seen if you use a particular set of hashtags.

Put these tips to use and it's very likely you'll expand your network and make more new connections on Instagram.

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