How to Build a 25,590 Instagram Following Using This Daily Routine

Instagram recently announced it reached 700 million users!

Of those users, 100 million signed up in the last four months, marking the platform’s fastest-ever growth rate.

If you’re wondering how it stacks up against other major networks, see for yourself:

It’s currently the third most popular social networking site and has a commanding lead over Twitter.

Here’s another visualization of this data:

This, of course, means there’s a serious opportunity to build a following.

And the beautiful thing is Instagram doesn’t discriminate.

If you know what you’re doing, post epic content, and genuinely entertain your audience, your following will grow.

But in order to expedite this growth, I find it helpful to establish a regiment, a routine.

You need to be practical and tactical with your approach.

I’m a huge fan of routines—daily processes you can follow to achieve massive results.

Recently, I developed a focused strategy to help one of my clients—a B2C e-commerce brand—to curate a massive following (25,590 to be exact).

Here’s the sequence of steps to follow daily that will help you build a 25,590-member following.

(For more information on building your Instagram following quickly, be sure to check out another article I wrote on the subject.)

Respond to your followers’ comments and questions

Let’s start from the top.

I’m not trying to bore you with trivialities, but the first two steps are an essential part of the routine.

The first order of business is to spend a few minutes engaging with your followers.

Identify all valuable comments and questions, and respond to them individually.

If you’re just starting out and currently have a minimal following, you can do this in no time.

Leave at least three comments

I like to be on the offense when building a following.

Unless you already have a built-in audience, it’s up to you to make the first move.

Look through the photos of the people you follow, pick three photos, and leave comments.

Stay away from the generic comments like “nice pic!” and say something that stands out and shows you put some thought into it.

This will put you on people’s radars and should eventually lead to return engagement.

Post at least once per day

One of the great social media debates is how frequently you should post.

This, of course, depends on the specific network in question, but the average Instagram account posts once per day.

However, profiles with larger followings usually post more often than that.

A 2015 study from Quintly found a correlation between a higher frequency of posting and a higher follower count:

Notice that profiles with 10k-100k fans post 41 times per month, or 1.32 times per day.

However, those with over 10 million fans post 95 times per month, or 3.06 times per day.

By examining these findings, you can conclude you should post at least once a day.

But if you can post three times a day, you’ll be in even better shape.

The bottom line is you need a steady flow of content.

Don’t allow yourself to become complacent and have major gaps between posts.

Research proves that brands that post often tend to have bigger followings.

You may even want to batch your posting by auto-scheduling on a platform such as Hootsuite to save time.

Post at the optimal time

You probably already know the timing of your posting is a major factor dictating how much visibility your content receives.

According to an article from Later,

Instagram announced that they would be replacing the chronological feed with an algorithm that gives more priority to posts with higher engagement, which means the more likes and comments your post receives, the more people will see your post!

Here’s a screenshot from Instagram’s blog that confirms this:

What are the implications of this algorithm?

It means if your content gets a lot of engagement shortly after being posted, this tells Instagram you’re posting quality content.

In turn, your content will move toward the top of your followers’ feeds.

This means one thing.

You need to figure out the optimal time to post.

Numerous variables go into determining this factor, including where the majority of your audience is located, when they’re most active on Instagram, etc.

Different studies suggest different optimal posting times.

For instance, one from HubSpot found that the best time to post on Instagram is anytime between Monday and Thursday, except between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

A 2015 study from Mavrck found that “midnight, 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. were the most popular times to post, with Thursday, Friday and Wednesday being the most popular days.”

They also said that “posting between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. during off hours when posting is low could work to your advantage, because users are still browsing their feeds.”

The point here is that there are different types of logic you can use when determining when to post.

I recommend doing some of your own experimentation to pinpoint the sweet spot for your brand.

The Later article I mentioned earlier offers some solid advice for doing your own testing.

For instance, you can start by posting at different hours Monday through Friday for week one and measuring engagement.

Record your results in a spreadsheet. Google Sheets works great for this:

Week two, repeat the process, but switch the hours.

Again, record your results:

Keep repeating the process until you know for sure what the optimal posting time is.

Once you’ve figured it out, rinse and repeat.

Your engagement level should continue to increase, which will help your content rise to the top.

This ultimately translates into a bigger following.

Use 11+ hashtags

Hashtags are a big deal, especially on Instagram.

Countless studies have attempted to figure out the ideal number of hashtags for each social network.

While some people may use only one or two hashtags on average, others may use as many as 30 (the maximum).

Here’s a post with a ton of hashtags:

Although using “X” number of hashtags per post won’t necessarily guarantee you a 25k+ following, it can definitely give you an edge.

To determine the ideal number of hashtags, let’s look at the data.

According to a study from TrackMaven, “interactions are highest on Instagram posts with 11+ hashtags.”

A separate study from Max Woolf seems to concur.

Here’s what the distribution of likes on 120,346 Instagram photos looks like:

This means the odds of engagement increase when you include 11 or more hashtags on an Instagram post.

So don’t worry about “hashtag fatigue.”

Just be sure your hashtags are relevant to the content and not spammy, and you should be good to go.

Research hashtags

My last point demonstrates that hashtags are a good thing on Instagram.

But how do you go about choosing hashtags to populate your posts with?

Should you just pick them at random, or is there more of a science to it?

Well, of course, each individual post will require certain hashtags to properly describe it.

That’s common sense.

But if you’re consistently posting around a central theme, it’s smart to do a little hashtag research to spot winners.

From there, you can make a list for quick reference.

One of the easiest ways to generate quality hashtags is to type a relevant keyword into the Instagram search box and see what pops up.

First, click on the search box:

Then start typing a keyword. I’ll use “content marketing” as an example:

Just like that, you’ve got several ideas for hashtags.

You can also gauge how popular a hashtag is by checking how many posts are using it:

Another approach is to use a tool called Hash At It.

It’s really simple to use.

Type in a keyword in the search box, and click “Search”:

Here’s what pops up:

Scroll down, and you should be able to quickly generate some good ideas for hashtags.

I suggest making this part of your daily Instagram routine.

This way you’ll always have a rock solid list of hashtags ready to go every time you post.

For more tools to help you research hashtags, check out this post from Kickstagram.

Kill it with your captions

The way I look at it, captions can turn a great Instagram photo into an epic one.

Some people just have a knack for writing awesome captions that hit all the right notes.

Take this one from Doug the Pug for example:

It’s super funny!

I suggest spending some time looking through lists of captions and recording some you could use in the future.

Here are a few resources worth checking out:

• this one is from Tech Junkie
• this one is from TechnoFizi
• and this one is from BloggerPunit.

Of course, originality is important, so try to tweak them whenever possible to fit your brand.

Follow three accounts

Finally, be sure you’re continually following new brand-related accounts.

I recommend seeking out at least three or more each day and following them.

Ideally, they’ll be major influencers because any engagement from them can quickly boost your following.

This will ensure you stay on the radars of others, which should bring additional exposure to your account.

As long as your content is high-quality and relevant, a sizable percentage of people should return the favor and follow you back.

Conclusion

Let me summarize everything I just discussed in a step-by-step sequence for your daily Instagram routine:

1. Respond to comments and questions
2. Leave at least three comments
3. Post at least once a day (two or three times is even better)
4. Post at the optimal time (based on your own research)
5. Use at least 11 hashtags on each post
6. Spend a few minutes researching hashtags (and add to your list)
7. Study and record awesome captions
8. Follow three accounts

A steady routine like this should help even the most obscure account build a 25,590-member following fairly quickly.

If you follow this routine daily, you’ll gain followers steadily and consistently.

Having more Instagram followers provides a ton of benefits, including increased brand exposure, continual lead generation, networking opportunities, and ultimately increased sales.

How big of a role does Instagram play in your brand’s overall marketing strategy?

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How to Become a Highly-Rated User on Quora

I’m a curious person by nature.

I find myself constantly doing research on nearly every topic under the sun.

If I’m chilling at a restaurant with friends and someone wonders about a current event or mentions a fact, I’m Googling it on my phone.

(Yeah, I’m that guy.)

A lot of my Google searches begin with “what is,” “why is,” and “how to”…

And there’s a trend I’ve noticed when I Google a lot of these questions.

A sizable percentage of the results I get are from Quora.

Here’s a good example:

Here it is, chillin’ at a solid number three spot for this particular keyword phrase.

And this is by no means a fluke. Quora gets plenty of love from Google.

Interest in this large-scale Q&A site is definitely on the rise.

Just look at how interest has grown over time, according to Google Trends:

I’d say that’s significant.

With 190 million users as of April 2017 and 400,000 topics, there’s a solid user base and one that’s continually growing.

More importantly, Quora is an excellent resource to build trust and authority while expanding your brand.

I use it to bring in plenty of quality referral traffic and reel in countless leads.

I’ve seen Quora’s potency firsthand and highly recommend leveraging its power.

But you can’t just haphazardly throw up some answers and expect amazing results.

Like in most areas of marketing, you need to follow a process.

In this post, I’d like to share a process that’s worked for me and, I know, can work for you too.

To be upfront, it’s going to take some time to get the ball rolling.

But following this process can help you become one of the highest-rated users on Quora.

Pimp your profile

Your first order of business is to take some time setting up your profile so that it drips with awesomeness.

Here’s a quick look at mine:

You’ll want to cover your “Credentials and Highlights,” beef up your “Knows About” section and provide a thorough explanation of your bio.

And don’t forget to include a professional headshot for your profile image.

If you need a little help getting set up, check out this post I wrote on NeilPatel.com.

The bottom line is, the more information you provide on your profile, the better.

More specifically, you’ll want to select topics you’re highly knowledgeable about.

This will be important later on because you want to provide answers only on topics and questions that you understand in and out.

It’s integral for being seen as a trustworthy figure and someone who knows their stuff.

Here are some of the topics I chose:

Offer insanely helpful answers

Typically, on different platforms, you can employ hacks to build your audience quickly, boost your reputation, etc.

But on Quora, you don’t have any shortcuts.

You create buzz by providing helpful answers and exceeding expectations.

I know that “offer insanely helpful answers” is a little vague, so let me give you an example.

Here’s an actual question on Quora:

And here are a couple of answers to this question:

These are both pretty solid.

They definitely answer the question and provide some insight.

But I wouldn’t say either answer is in-depth.

Now, here’s my answer:

And that’s only part of it.

There’s quite a bit more information if you continue to scroll down.

Notice that it’s significantly more in-depth and structured more like a blog post than a basic answer.

I included relevant images, headers, and plenty of white space to make it both digestible and scannable.

This approach is a lot like the skyscraper technique: find great content and make it even better.

As I mentioned in another article, the way to do this is to:

Is it time-consuming and labor-intensive?

Yes.

But does it raise my credibility and authority?

You betcha.

I’m not saying you necessarily need to go to this degree of length with your answers.

Some might say it’s a little excessive.

But you want to ensure you’re answering a question in its entirety and leaving no stone unturned.

A person should walk away feeling satisfied with a new insight on the topic.

If you’re going to provide only half-hearted answers with generic information people can find anywhere, you’re wasting your time on Quora.

That’s just how it goes.

The only way to become a high-rated user is to be super helpful.

Finding questions to answer

Now that you know the level of depth to shoot for, let’s discuss how to find good questions to answer.

Since you’ll be putting a considerable amount of time and energy into it, you want to answer questions that will give you maximum visibility.

One way to find questions is to click on “Answer” from your dashboard.

Quora will provide you with the top questions curated for you, based on your knowledge and specific areas of expertise.

Many times, you’ll be able to find several questions right in your wheelhouse.

Another way to go about it is to search for a particular topic directly.

For example, I might search for “content marketing.”

Type it in the search box, and choose the particular topic that best matches what you’re looking for.

Quora will then provide you with a list of questions to choose from.

It’s all pretty straightforward.

Keep in mind the questions toward the top tend to have the most visibility, which is what you want.

Key metrics

You may be wondering which specific metrics translate into authority/credibility.

It’s simple.

There are three main metrics:

1. Views
2. Upvotes
3. Comments

You’ll see these at the end of your comments, and they look like this:

Views and comments are pretty self-explanatory, but you may be wondering what exactly an upvote is.

It’s a way for others to approve your comment and say it offers genuine value and contributes to the discussion.

Here’s an actual Quora user explaining what an upvote is:

The more views and upvotes you get, the better.

As for downvotes, these basically have the opposite effect.

Here’s a great explanation:

These obviously aren’t good and hurt your credibility.

As for comments, these can go either way.

Positive comments help you, and negative comments hurt you.

But from my experience, negative comments are pretty uncommon.

As long as you’re offering real value, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about negative comments.

Finally, there’s your following.

Once again, the bigger, the better.

At the moment, I’ve got 7.3k followers, which isn’t too shabby.

But there are people with much bigger followings:

As you begin to build a bigger presence on Quora, be sure to pay attention to these key metrics because they’ll give you a pretty good idea of how you’re rated and how people are responding to you.

And there’s one last thing I need to mention.

As you answer more and more questions, people will be able to get a sense of the topics you’re most knowledgeable about.

Quora will automatically list what you know most about by the number of answers you’ve given on a particular topic.

Here’s what I’m talking about:

If there’s a certain topic you want to be closely associated with, make it a point to focus your attention and answer questions on that topic.

An overview of the process

Now, let’s recap the steps:

1. Get signed up.
2. Thoroughly fill out your profile, and choose a list of topics you’re most knowledgeable about (I recommend choosing at least five).
3. Beef up your profile so that it lists your credentials, highlights, bio, and so on.
4. Find questions to answer by using either the “Answers” section of your dashboard or by directly searching for questions in the search box.
5. Provide comprehensive, in-depth answers for every question you select. Take full advantage of images, headers, etc. Also link to other helpful content whenever it makes sense.
6. Monitor key metrics to see how you’re rated and what your overall performance is.

Also keep in mind that being successful on Quora is often a numbers game.

In other words, you can’t expect to become a top user if you answer only a handful of questions.

You really want to shoot for a high volume and get in the habit of frequently answering questions.

This is crucial for eventually gaining a strong reputation and getting users to take you seriously.

Conclusion

Quora is a potential goldmine.

It’s one of the best sites for building trust and authority and ultimately being viewed as an expert in your industry.

What I really love about it is the overall demographic of Quora users.

From my experience, the majority of people are intelligent and have a genuine desire to learn and help others.

When compared to many other places, it’s a relatively troll-free zone—people aren’t trying to mindlessly sabotage one another.

But I will admit it does require a fair amount of effort to gain momentum.

And there’s a considerable time commitment involved.

But it’s well worth it when you consider the long-term brand equity boost you can get.

By following the process I mentioned, you can really strengthen your brand and drive a significant volume of referral traffic to your site.

How often do you use Quora for finding answers to questions?

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