# How to Get Followers on Instagram: A Complete Guide

URL: https://socialboostexpert.com/blog/how-to-get-followers-on-instagram-2
Updated: 2026-11-01

> How to Get Followers on Instagram: Profile, Original Reels, Search, Explore, Statistics and Rules Against Inauthentic Activity. Verified in the Instagram and Meta Help Centre.

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## How to Get Followers on Instagram: A Complete Guide to the Current Rules
A Practical Guide to Growing on Instagram: how to set up your profile, create original content, use Reels, search and statistics, and what to avoid under Meta's rules.
The Social Boost editorial team · Published November 1, 2026 · Last reviewed November 1, 2026 · 8 min read
### In short
- New followers come mainly from recommendations in Reels and Explore, where content is shown that the system predicts will be watched, saved or shared.
- Accounts that mostly publish other people's unedited content may not be shown in recommendations to new people, according to Instagram.
- Instagram search matches the search terms against the username and profile name, so choosing a name is important.
- Meta's rules prohibit buying, selling or exchanging likes, followers and views, as well as running contests for money in exchange for engagement.
- Instagram does not officially specify a fixed number of hashtags or an ideal posting time; your own statistics are the most reliable guide.
You gain followers on Instagram mainly by getting your content in front of people who do not yet follow you, through recommendations in Reels, Explore, search and suggested accounts. The foundation is a clear profile, regular original content that people stay for, save or share, and regular review of your statistics. Meta's rules prohibit artificially boosting engagement.
This guide replaces an older version from 2024–2025. We verified the procedures against Instagram's and Meta's official materials (status as of November 2026). App features change often, so always check specific settings directly in the app or in the Help Centre.
### How does Instagram decide who sees your content?
Instagram does not have a single algorithm but several systems, separately for Feed, Stories, Explore, Reels and search. For gaining new followers, the parts that show content to people who do not yet follow you are the most important.
According to Instagram's explanation of content ranking
The Feed and Stories are driven mainly by the relationship between you and your viewer, while Explore and Reels are designed for discovering new accounts. For Reels, Instagram lists among the main signals the viewer's activity with reels, their previous interactions with the creator, information about the video itself (sound, visuals, popularity) and the popularity of the creator.
For Explore, Meta in its description of the Explore system
(June 2026 update) states that the system predicts, among other things, the likelihood that a viewer will start following the creator, how long they will watch, whether they will watch the video to the end, save it, like it or share it. In practice, this means that content people watch through to the end and send on has a better chance of reaching new viewers. A more detailed analysis is given in the article how the Instagram algorithm works
.
### How do you set up your profile so that a visitor becomes a follower?
Your profile must tell people within a few seconds who you are, what the account is about and why they should follow you. When someone arrives from a recommended reel, they decide based on your name, photo, description and first posts.
- Username and profile name. Instagram search, according to its description of the search system
compares the words in a search query with the words in your username and profile name. If you want people to find you by your field ("hair salon Brno", "fitness trainer"), include the key word in your profile name.
- Profile photo. For a person, a clearly recognisable face; for a business, a logo that is still recognisable in a small circle.
- Profile description (bio). One sentence about what you offer and for whom, and one about what to expect from the account. The length of the description is limited by the app; you will see the current limit when editing your profile.
- Link. Add a link to your website, online shop or booking page so that visitors have a clear next step.
- Professional account. Switching to a business or creator account gives you access to statistics (Insights), without which you cannot tell what works. You will find the procedure in the app settings.
- Pinned posts and Story highlights. Pin the posts that best represent the account, and save answers to frequently asked questions in highlights.
### What content brings in new followers?
New followers are attracted by content that is original, understandable even to someone who does not know you, and gives a reason to save or share it. Copying other people's videos, on the other hand, may limit reach to new people.
#### Originality is not just good manners, but a condition for recommendation
Instagram in its original content guidelines
states that original content is content you have created entirely yourself, or content that reflects your own perspective. Editing someone else's content may be considered original only if your added value substantially enhances it; borders, a watermark or a change of speed are not enough. According to Instagram, accounts that mainly publish unoriginal content may not be shown in recommendations to new people, even though their existing followers continue to see them.
#### Formats and their roles
Format Main role for growth What to focus on
Reels (short vertical videos) Reaching people who don't follow you Strong opening, one clear message, captions for viewing without sound
Carousels (series of photos or slides) Saves and shares, how-to guides Practical content that people come back to
Stories Maintaining relationships with existing followers Polls, questions, behind-the-scenes content, links
Live broadcasts and channels Deepening the community Consistency, answering questions
On the Instagram creator page dedicated to Reels
Instagram advises speaking to your audience, showing your own perspective, engaging with current topics, and surprising viewers, for example with a punchline or a twist. It also mentions trial reels, which show a new video first to people who do not follow you, and only after seeing the response do you decide whether to share it with your followers too (as of November 2026).
#### How often should you post?
In the materials we reviewed, Instagram does not specify a binding frequency or an ideal time. A sensible approach is to choose a pace you can sustain long term without a drop in quality, keep it for at least several weeks, and then compare your statistics.
### How do people find you through search and suggested accounts?
In addition to recommended videos, people can find you through search and suggested accounts. You can influence both through your profile name, a clear topic, and connections with people and accounts in your field.
- Search: the system evaluates how well the words in a query match the username, display name and hashtags, as well as what people click on for that query (updated June 2026).
- Hashtags: are used to categorize content by topic. Instagram does not set an “optimal” number in its verified sources, so use a few precisely descriptive hashtags rather than long lists. More in the article how many hashtags to use and how to choose them
.
- Suggested accounts: according to how the suggested accounts system works
Instagram selects candidates from, among other sources, accounts the user already follows, popular accounts in their region, and accounts on topics that interest them; when ranking, it also takes mutual contacts into account.
- Collaborations: collaborative posts with creators or companies with a similar audience will show you to people who are already close to the topic.
- Location tags: for local businesses, add a location so that the content makes sense to people in the area.
### What should you avoid so your account does not lose reach?
The fastest way to ruin your growth is through practices that Meta's rules expressly prohibit. These include buying, selling and exchanging interactions, contests offering money for likes, and making content conditional on following.
Meta Spam Policies
(as of November 2026) prohibit, among other things:
- the sale, purchase or exchange of interactions, such as likes, shares, views, follows and clicks,
- offering anything of monetary value in exchange for interactions,
- competitions offering cash or its equivalents in exchange for interactions,
- making access to exclusive content conditional on liking, sharing or following,
- content intended to deceive or overwhelm viewers in order to artificially increase reach.
The same category also includes apps offering “free followers”, groups for mutual liking, and automatic following and unfollowing. If you feel that your reach has declined, check the Account Status tool in the settings; in its explanation of content ranking, Instagram states that this is where you can learn about any restrictions that may apply.
### How can you tell from statistics what works?
The most reliable guide to growth is your own statistics, not general “rules of thumb”. For each post, track how many people it reached outside your followers and how many of them started following you after viewing it.
- Once every two to four weeks, sort your posts by the number of new followers they brought in.
- For your first five posts in this order, look for common features: topic, the first seconds of the video, length, format and caption.
- For the weakest posts, find out where people leave (the share of viewers who watch to the end, average watch time).
- In the next period, deliberately repeat one successful element and test one new element, for example by using test Reels.
- In the audience overview, check when your followers are online and try posting at those times.
Engagement rate is the ratio of interactions (likes, comments, saves, shares) to the number of followers or people reached, and it helps you compare posts with one another. The article Instagram statistics: how to read them
.
### When paid promotion makes sense and when it does not?
Official paid advertising and post promotion through Meta's tools is a different matter; please check the terms and targeting options in the Meta Help Centre. Buying followers or likes is another matter entirely: Meta's rules expressly prohibit buying interactions, so restrictions on reach or your account cannot be ruled out. Our own terms of service (Art. 3.3)
.
A package of followers may make sense as an initial social proof for a new profile that already has good original content, or as a supplement to a specific campaign alongside your work on content. It does not make sense if content is lacking, if you want to meet monetisation or verification requirements, if the account already has warnings or restrictions, or if you expect sales and genuine audience engagement – purchased followers do not replace content, do not guarantee interest or reach, and may worsen your ratio of interactions to followers. If you decide on this option, you will find the details on the page followers on Instagram
and current prices in package price list
.
### Frequently asked questions
#### How many followers can you gain on Instagram in a month?
There is no general figure, and Instagram does not publish one. Growth depends on the topic, the quality and originality of the content, how often your posts reach recommendations in Reels and Explore, and how many people open your profile after watching. Check your statistics to see which posts brought new followers, and repeat what works.
#### Does sharing other people's videos help your account grow?
Rather not. Instagram states that accounts which mostly post non-original Reels, photos or carousels that they did not create or substantially edit may not be shown in recommendations to new people. Borders, watermarks or speed changes are not considered substantial edits. Share other people's content to Stories or using the repost feature with the author credited.
#### May I run a contest for followers on Instagram?
Be careful. Meta's spam rules prohibit offering cash prizes or their equivalents in exchange for engagement, and offering anything of monetary value for likes or follows. It is also prohibited to make access to exclusive content conditional on a like or a follow. Before launching a contest, read Meta's current rules and the promotion terms for Instagram.
#### What are trial reels?
Trial reels are a feature that, according to Instagram's website, allows creators to show a new video first to people who do not follow them, and only then decide, based on their response, whether to share it with their followers as well. They are useful for testing a new format or topic. Availability of the feature may vary; check it when creating a reel in the app.
#### How can I tell whether Instagram is limiting my reach?
Instagram recommends checking the Account Status tool in your profile settings, which shows any violations of the rules and whether your content is eligible for recommendations. If there is no restriction there, the cause of lower reach is more likely the content itself. Compare the reach among non-followers for individual posts in your statistics and look for what distinguishes the more successful ones.
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### Sources
- Spam – Zásady komunity, Centrum transparentnosti Meta
(checked November 1, 2026)
- Instagram Ranking Explained – Instagram
(checked November 1, 2026)
- Create Original Content – Instagram for Creators
(checked November 1, 2026)
- Instagram Explore AI system – Centrum transparentnosti Meta
(checked November 1, 2026)
- Instagram Search AI system – Centrum transparentnosti Meta
(checked November 1, 2026)
- Instagram Suggested Accounts AI system – Centrum transparentnosti Meta
(checked November 1, 2026)
- Reels – Instagram for Creators
(checked November 1, 2026)
Prepared by our editorial team with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Platform rules change: always check the current wording at the source. This article was translated with AI assistance. The sources are in their original language.
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