If you’re an Instagram user, you’ve probably seen that your number of followers fluctuates over time. There may be a rapid influx of new followers one day, then a precipitous drop in subscribers the next. This article will go into the psychology of Instagram followers, discussing the motivations behind people’s following and unfollowing behaviours and the implications this has for your online profile.
Making an emotional appeal
Emotional appeals are a great approach to connect with your Instagram followers. Content that makes people feel something is more likely to resonate with them. Emotions like happiness, sadness, anticipation, and longing are all examples. Use words and pictures that your readers will recognise in order to evoke strong feelings in them. In order to build trust with your audience, it’s important to share experiences from your own life. You may assist improve the spirits of your followers by sharing humorous or motivational quotations.
Take the hypothetical case of an Instagram bakery. For example, you could publish photos of your baked goods right after they come out of the oven, or you might tell the story of how you came up with the ideas for your recipes. If your grandmother’s apple pie recipe was the impetus for you to open a bakery, you could write a blog post about it. This kind of individualization might help you strike a chord with your audience and win their trust.
Make people regret missing out
Using FOMO, or the fear of missing out, to your advantage on Instagram is a potent incentive. Put out information that makes people feel that they’re missing out or that they have to act quickly. Exclusive material for your followers may take the form of time-sensitive discounts, previews of forthcoming goods, or glimpses behind the scenes. Share these limited-time events with your followers via Instagram stories or live broadcasts and urge them to act fast to prevent losing out.
Let’s say you’re a fashion retailer on Instagram. Launching a time-sensitive promotion, like a flash sale, and advertising it via Instagram stories is one way to generate fear of missing out (FOMO). A sense of exclusivity may also be achieved by giving your fans first dibs on new collections or goods. If you want to make your followers excited about the upcoming launch of a new collection, you might, for instance, give them a preview of the collection and urge them to sign up for your newsletter.
Believe the Hype
People are more inclined to engage in an action if they observe others engaging in the same behaviour. Social proof may be used on Instagram by posting user-generated material or customer reviews that demonstrate the quality and reliability of your company. This may strengthen your brand’s reputation, which in turn can increase your audience’s propensity to interact with your content or buy your wares. Social proof from influential people may be used to boost your business awareness through influencer marketing.
Let’s say you’re trying to sell skincare goods on Instagram as an example. Along with client testimonials, you may provide before and after photos of people who have used your products. You may also republish material created by your consumers who have used your goods and provided feedback. Sharing this kind of information with your audience might earn their trust and sway them to test your items.
Stay True to Yourself
Being genuine on Instagram is essential if you want to gain your followers’ trust. Keep your brand’s authenticity by relating personal tales, experiences, and problems. This can make your material more relatable to your audience and increase the likelihood that they will interact with it. Try to avoid photographs that look too staged or processed, and try to use more genuine language in your descriptions.
Imagine you’re the manager of an Instagram workout studio. Stories about your own fitness experience, including the challenges you faced and how you overcame them, are a great way to keep things real. You may also share the inspiring backstories of your personal trainers with photos of them in action. Doing so may help you connect with your audience on a more personal level, which in turn can boost both content engagement and brand trust.
Inspire Participation
It’s crucial to encourage your followers to interact with your posts since Instagram’s algorithm prioritises material that does so. You may do this by posing questions, conducting polls, or distributing other forms of interactive information to your followers. Create a two-way interaction with your fans by responding quickly to their comments and direct messages.
That’s why it’s crucial to keep lines of dialogue open with your target demographic. Instagram’s “Swipe Up” function in stories and “Link in Bio” feature are just two examples of how you may direct viewers to your website or other social media profiles.
Take the hypothetical case of an Instagram pet store. Post images of your pet and urge your followers to upload pictures of their own pets to increase interaction. You may also ask for tags of pet-loving pals or hold polls asking followers to choose their favourite pet-related goods. Doing so will help you build an engaged audience of pet-lovers on Instagram who will hopefully share your posts with their own fans.
Finally, appealing to followers’ emotions and providing social evidence can be effective in gaining and keeping their support. Content that emphasises positive feelings, such as happiness, inspiration, and excitement, is more likely to be shared and liked by its audience. Increasing your reputation and attracting additional followers is social proof, which you can demonstrate by pointing out your current number of followers or sharing nice comments from other users.