"Blame it on the algorithm." I've heard this phrase way too many times. I am sorry to bring it to you, but the algorithm is not responsible for your lack of growth. Your posts lack engagement, and you are losing followers not because the algorithm doesn't like you or has something against you. Your post engagement or followers don't skyrocket because you create the wrong content and target the wrong audience.

Growing on Instagram can help increase brand awareness, build credibility, and bring potential clients to your business. In this blog post, I will share seven free approaches on how to grow your following on Instagram.

#1 Optimize your bio

Many content creators use the Instagram bio to show their personal achievements or random facts about themselves. While you might connect with a few followers because you love coffee, it does not tell anyone what you are doing or offering.

Bio space is a valuable space that should tell your followers what you are offering and how you can solve their problems. You have 150 characters to explain who you are and how you can help. Use them wisely.

Here are a few examples of Instagram bios that are straight to the point:

Roverdotcom, is an excellent example of what this service is. Their Instagram bio reads, "Connecting dog and cat parents with loving pet sitters and dog walkers in their neighborhood.

Friskies, Buying your cat’s love just got cheaper. Save on Friskies Cat Food by visiting Purina.com/Friskies.

Trader Joes,

• Your Neighborhood Grocery Store
• Fearless-ly featuring products, recipes & more...

Warby Parker, Glasses starting at US $95 including Rx, sunglasses, contacts, and eye exams, too. For every pair sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

So whether you want to be creative, cute, funny, short, businessy, or clever, take a moment and review your current bio.

#2 Use a business profile

A business profile will give you access to analytics which you can use to assess your content strategy. You will see your follower count, what content performs well, and whether you are gaining or losing followers.

#3 Optimize your link

Number one prime real estate is the link in your bio. That being said, do you really want to use a link that points to your website? No, you don't. Use a tool like Linktree to share multiple links to valuable destinations such as popular content, promo codes, landing pages, or blog posts.

Linktree offers free and premium accounts. You can sign up for an account at linktr.ee. The free version provides unlimited links, links to social icons, QR codes to share your linktee in physical locations, and more.

#4 Use all features available

Instagram has so much to offer that it can get quite confusing what features to use and which one to prioritize, so here is the breakdown.

You can see Instagram as a funnel, and if you think about a funnel shape, it starts broader and gets more narrow at the bottom. You can break down the funnel into three different stages. Stage number one would be brand awareness. You want to get your content seen by as many people as possible to convert them into followers. Creating reels would be at the top of the funnel since reels are the best approach to get eyeballs on your content and grow your account.

Stage two would be the relationship. Once you convert a viewer into a follower, you want to nurture your followers with valuable content to strengthen your relationship and build credibility. In this stage, you focus on posting in-feed posts such as carousel posts and IG videos that are longer than 60 seconds to provide information.

The last step in the funnel is conversion. At this stage, you want to convert your followers into customers. In this stage, you would focus on posting Instagram stories to show behind-the-scenes content and your product or service. At this stage your followers are aware of you and your offer, so it's time to pitch your product or service. The goal is to direct your followers to a landing page or freebie.

My Pro tip: I recommend using newly released features by Instagram. These features will get more exposure which means you have a better chance of growing your account.

If you want to know what specific content to create for each funnel step, check out my online course, which explains each step in detail across all social platforms.

#5 Not socializing

It is not called Social media for nothing. You have to be social on your channels, including engaging with content from other creators. I created an easy infographic that you can use as a guideline on how much time to allocate towards socializing with other accounts.

As a benchmark:

Spend 15 minutes daily on commenting on larger accounts.
Spend 15 minutes daily engaging with video content such as reels.
Spend 15 minutes daily commenting on hashtags within your niche.
Spend 15 minutes daily replying to any comments or dm you received.

That's one hour daily that you would be engaging with other accounts helping you grow your own account.

My pro tip: You don't have to do all the commenting within an hour. You can break it down into 15-minute chunks throughout your day. For instance, you can comment on posts while standing in line to check out at the grocery store.

#6 Not knowing your audience

You've probably heard it repeatedly, but knowing your audience is crucial. The days are over when you would categorize your audience simply by demographic factors such as age, gender, and interests. Nowadays, it is more important to understand your audience's pain points and how your product or service can solve that pain.

In my online course, I dedicated an entire section to defining the perfect audience. You can read more about the curriculum here.

#7 Posting irrelevant content

I get it everyone wants to share as much as possible online. We as humans want to show off our lives, and that's okay if you have a personal Instagram account that is separate from your business page.

The problem starts when you start mixing business content with your personal content. Don't get me wrong, you want to be personal even on your business account, but your kid's dinosaur party does not fit on your business page when you're trying to sell a fitness course. You have to make a fair assessment of whether your post provides value or not. Value can take on different forms. For example, value could be a motivational post, a testimonial, a tip, or a personal story about yourself that relates to your business venture.

I've created this simple graph that will help you to determine whether you should post the video or not.

Implement these seven tips into your daily Instagram routine to see results. If you want to learn more about content marketing or take your career to the next level, check out my online course, "The 6 Step Content Framework Course," and level the power of content creation to change your game!