5 Ways to Grow Your Teacher Instagram

Are you wondering what it takes to make your teacher Instagram grow? I have 5 tips to help you grow your teacher Instagram!

 

So, you’ve taken the tips from my last blog, and you know the five MUST DOS for starting on teachergram.

 

But how do you make your teacher Instagram grow?

 

The honest truth is…there is no one way to grow on Instagram. The algorithm can be tricky to understand and it’s alwaysss changing. Literally.

 

BUT, over the past few years, I have done lots of research on Instagram and I want to share five tips! These tips have not only helped me grow over 10,000 followers in less than a year but have also helped many other Instagrammers as well!

 

Tip #1: Post CONSISTENTLY

 

Post often.

 

I know. I know. There are already so many things that you have to worry about throughout your day. Lesson plans, Covid teaching, grading, parents, not to mention attempting the whole self-care thing.

 

But a major key to growing your page is posting consistently. I attempt to post on a daily basis. You may not need to post that often but make a goal for at least every other day. Posting consistently ensures that people are seeing your content and are able to engage with what you post.

 

Remember, quality over quantity! Although, you may want to post consistently, remember to post things that are authentic to you and relate to your audience.

 

If you are struggling with keeping up or knowing what to post, content planning can help a ton! If you would like some pointers on how I content plan for Instagram and more, check out my content planning video on YouTube!

 

 

In the video, I shared a resource from Abby Mullens that helped me SO much when I was beginning on Instagram! She created a 12-month content calendar for teacher Instagrammers that gives you daily ideas for posting on Instagram. It is so helpful when you are feeling stuck!

 

Tip #2: Post GOOD Content

 

Okay, good is subjective but there is a clear definition of content that is not good.

 

Instagram is a visual platform. If you decide you would like to grow on Instagram, understanding the need for your content to be visually appealing is non-negotiable.

 

Note that I said good, not perfect. At no point in time should you feel like you can not post something because it is not perfect. We are human and it’s important for your followers to see that part of you.

 

Lighting is the most important factor that can make or break your picture! With all of the zooming we’ve had to do over the past year, I think we all have learned that lighting can really affect how well you are able to see something.

 

Natural lighting is my absolute favorite. Taking your pictures facing towards the natural light ensures that the picture is bright and you won’t have to worry about harsh lighting. Prop yourself in front of that classroom window and get snapping!

 

 

If you are like me this school year and have no windows in your classroom, there are some workarounds for good lighting. I have LED lights in my classroom that help to set the scene. I also use small ring lights to give my pictures a bump of brightness. My favorites for the classroom are a selfie ring light* or a smaller 10 in. ring light on a tripod*.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t forget to show your face when you can! Posts that show your face almost always get more engagement than posts that don’t!

 

Tip #3: Follow Loop/Giveaway RESPONSIBLY

 

Have I done follow loops and giveaways? Abso-freaking-lutely.

 

Have they helped to grow my following? Eh.

 

As the old saying goes, “easy come, easy go”. Follow loops and giveways can be such an easy way to get followers and can help for the short term, but they are nothing that you want to rely on.

 

Doing too many follow loops and giveaways can come across as spammy and push followers away that may have chosen to follow you for your content. Getting new followers in that way also has the potential to lead to others following you in the moment because it benefits them, not because they would like to see your content. Those followers won’t hang around long and you could end up back where you started.

 

There are some follow loops and giveaways that I have had some success but others have been a complete waste of time. As the end of the day, do you and remember your “why” for teachergram. Allow that to guide you along the way.

Tip #4: Use Hashtags the RIGHT way

 

Oh, hashtags! We indeed have a love/hate relationship.

 

Hashtags can be very tricky and even if you follow all the tips, they can still not work on posts which can be discouraging. But hashtags can pack a major punch and be the thing that makes your post go much farther than your followers and attract new followers to your profile.

 

Here is the skinny on hashtags – everyone is using them to try to accomplish the same thing you are. That said, you have to be smart. Hashtags with higher number counts, those that are hundreds of thousands or more, are SUPER competitive. Unless you have a large following on Instagram, those hashtags can be hard to rank for resulting in little to no people seeing your post.

 

Alternatively, small hashtags are small for a reason. They will be a lot easier to rank for but there is less search volume. It may result in people still not seeing your post because people may not know to search that hashtag to see your content.

 

A tip for finding the best hashtags for your account would be to check out the website Flick. This website provides you with analytics that let you know which hashtags are performing best for you and suggest other hashtags that you could use when you post!

 

Good practice suggests utilizing 17-25 hashtags when posting. Be sure to rotate your hashtags so that you are not getting flagged by IG as spamming a hashtag. I would suggest rotating between five sets of hashtags.

 

Tip #5: Use Your INSIGHTS

 

Your insights are your most powerful way to grow your teacher Instagram! Your insights tell you how your profile is performing, similar to a report card.

 

Insights are so much more than keeping track of your follower count. Constantly watching your follower count can actually become pretty toxic and take a toll on your mental health. I no longer look at this number because I know the value of my page is not based on the number of people that follow me.

 

What is more meaningful for me is knowing how the tips and resources I share on Instagram are reaching further than those that follow me. I also like to keep track of which posts are getting the most reach. That lets me know what kind of content my audience enjoys seeing and helps me know what to post more of.

 

Your insights can also help you know when is the best time to post. You are more likely to get more engagement when most of your audience is online. Check “Your Audience” in your insights to see what days and times are the best times for you to post.

 

 

In this snippet of my insights, on Sundays, the best time for me to post would be between the hours of 6pm and 9pm.

Your insights can also give you other information such as where most of your followers are from, their age ranges, which stories are getting the most traction, the number of profile visits you’re getting each week and so much more!

 

These five tips have helped me so much on my Instagram journey and are strategies I still use today. 

 

The Instagram algorithm is constantly changing so good practice is to check in on youtube every few months to see what new information is out there.

 

At the end of the day, the most important thing for growing on Instagram is being authentically you! I know it’s said over and over but that is because it is TRUE! Natural growth is the best growth!

 

I hope these tips help you while on your teachergram journey. Drop a comment below letting me know which tip was most helpful for you and I’ll chat with ya next time!

 

*contains affiliate links