How to Grow Your Brand On Instagram (2024 Guide)

As we enter 2024 it’s important to take stock of your social media pages, and the ever-changing landscape of Instagram. 2023 saw the app jumping to 2 billion monthly active users and this growth won't slow down with the new year. We said hello to IG reels templates and the paid blue tick verification subscription (copycat of Twitter, pardon X). In 2024 we can expect an abundance of fresh activity, and a need to keep up with the busy, fast flowing lifestyle that began this year off. New trends and in-app features are constantly springing up, and there are always changes you can make to grow your Instagram page. Now that we've looked at potential reasons why you're not growing on IG. Here we’ve collated the most effective ways to grow on Instagram this new year.

Gen Z Are Setting The Trends (That You Can't Ignore)

Instagram trends will be established by the vibrant reflection of Gen Z's influence, marked by a mix of sustainability, individuality, and connectivity. The year 2023 on social media has been unforgettable, marked by standout trends like Barbie-core and the rise of the 'girl dinner.' These viral moments have significantly influenced Gen Z's cultural trends and choices. Looking ahead to 2024, expect to see these influences extend across various aspects of Instagram, from fashion and beauty to social media trends, dating dynamics, friendships, and more, reflecting the evolving interests and behaviours of Gen Z users.

• Social Media: Gen Z prioritises meaningful connections on social media, using platforms like Instagram to stay connected with friends and family and keep up with current trends. Their interaction style includes engaging with stories, sharing content in DMs, and interacting with posts.

• Lifestyle: The year is marked as a period of self-improvement and development. Their focus areas include personal growth, feeling lucky, and embracing their true selves. Entrepreneurship is valued, with many seeing self-employment as a path to wealth.
  ‍
• Fashion and Beauty: Sustainable fashion is a significant trend, with practices like buying less, outfit repeating, and local shopping. Fashion trends lean towards modest dressing, thrifting, and DIY, emphasizing individuality and comfort.
  ‍
• Food: There's a growing interest in vegan and plant-based foods, with many Gen Z members eager to try these trends.

Treat Captions Like SEO

Long gone are the days of writing one line captions. The platform's new algorithm uses keywords from captions, bios, and usernames to curate personalised content on the Explore page. Writing descriptive captions with relevant keywords will significantly improves your chances of appearing on people's Explore pages.

Need a reason? More than 55% of Generation Z prefer to start their product and service search through Instagram and TikTok compared to Google search, now, that's a lot of people.

Get Your Face

Regular posting keeps your page at the top of people’s newsfeeds. Stories are the most clicked on elements on Instagram, so find a daily post you can make that will keep your pink circle active on people’s Instagrams – and consider offering an exclusive insight by adding people to the close friends feed in exchange for subscribing to your newsletter, or reposting your most recent post. When you’re looking to post more permanent content, consider a reel as an engaging format - videos are really popular at the moment!. It’s important to also consider the time of day you’re posting. With people working from home more now you can expect a lot more mid-morning weekday activity. What are some ways you can visually promote your product/business, that could reel (pun intended!) people in?

Stay Up To Date On Trends

As much as they are fleeting, getting onto trends is an important part of growing any Instagram page. A lot of the time it’s a new song or sound (often an audio byte from a funny or famous video), paired with a visual. You can also often find people chatting directly to the camera, mouthing along to a scene, with captions for context. While you don’t have to jump onto every trend out there, it may be a smart idea to commit to posting a video/reel with a well known song in the background. This way, it will align with the algorithm and show up in audience feeds alongside other videos with the same sound.

Invest In Marketing

The world of paid promotions is still alive and well – However, the way of promotion is changing as businesses are beginning to understand the most eye-catching ways to sell their product. You can very often find businesses using a trend to get attention and plugging a product at the end. Your company could benefit from offering a paid sponsorship to a well-known influencer, and they can boost your views with a simple video. There are also paid Instagram ads, which are still an affordable and effective way to promote your page or product.

It is a smart idea to cross-promote your instagram page on your website, other social media pages and when networking via word-of-mouth. This job is made even simpler when you make your username catchy, and memorable (avoid full stops and underscores!).

If you need a bit more of a hands-on approach for growing your Instagram in 2023, have a chat with us and we can find the best solutions to your business needs.