When they join Instagram, most users want to grow their Instagram accounts to thousands of followers quickly. When this doesn't happen, they end up feeling discouraged. That is why it is important to understand the average follower growth rate to determine whether you are doing well. In this article, we will guide you on what a healthy follower count is. We will also provide some actionable tips to increase your follower count.

What Is an Instagram Average Follower Count?

When we talk about the average Instagram follower growth rate, we refer to the number by which your follower count increases over a given period. This metric shows your campaigns' effectiveness and whether you can improve them for better results.

For instance, the growth you experienced in the last month is your average Instagram follower growth rate. If you have a higher growth rate, your marketing campaigns are on track and your content engages followers. When you see a dip in this number, it's an indication that you need to tweak your campaigns.

Importance of Instagram Followers Count

This might not reflect the true picture if you are tracking a general increase in your follower count. On the other hand, a follower growth rate can be a good indicator of the performance of your campaign, as it shows you the speed at which you are gaining new followers.

By tracking this number, you can learn the performance of your campaigns against those of your competitors. For instance, if you have a new account, you might have a lower follower count. But you could be gaining traction faster than them.

How to Calculate Your Instagram Average Growth Rate

To calculate the average follower growth rate, divide the number of followers gained by your original number of followers and multiply the number by 100. For instance, let's assume that at the beginning of March, you had 1000 followers. During that month, you gained 200 followers. This means you have added 20% to your follower count.

On the other hand, let's assume that your competitor started with 2,000 followers at the beginning of March but gained 100 followers. That means they had a follower growth rate of  5%. While you and your competitor gained the same number of followers during the month, you are doing better than your competitor.

When considering the follower growth rate, look at your overall numbers and the net growth in the number of followers. The net followers are the number of followers you have gained versus what you have lost. A good benchmark for Instagram's average followers growth rate is 2.5% and 5%.

Importance of a Higher Average Followers Count

Here are several reasons why you should have a high average follower count. These are:

• Bigger reach and influence. If you have a large following, this could be a sign of your greater influence. Whether your goal is to reach a bigger audience, grow your audience, or promote your content, you can easily achieve these goals with a bigger follower count.
• Engagement. Even though many followers matter a lot, you should also pay attention to the engagement level. A small but highly engaged audience is better than a bigger but uninterested one. 
• Increased trust and credibility. A high number of followers can give credibility to your Instagram account. Most people consider a high follower count a sign of expertise and authority. This can help you gain the trust of your potential customers, followers, and collaborators.
• Content visibility. The Instagram algorithm also pays attention to the engagement rate and relevance when deciding whether to suggest your content to your audience. A high engagement rate from followers can also help improve the ranking of your posts.

Metrics Associated With the Average Followers Growth Rate

On top of the average followers count, you should track other numbers such as:

• Total followers count. This is the total number of people following your account. A high follower count means greater reach and a bigger influence on the platform.
• Reach. This metric shows the total number of viewers who have viewed your post or story. It differs from impressions in that it measures the number of times your posts have been seen. When the same person sees your post thrice, that will be three impressions but one reach, as each user will be counted differently. That makes the metric a better one to help you determine the reach of your post.
• Reach rate. This metric is closely related to the reach, with the only difference being that it is calculated as a percentage. To get your reach rate, divide the total reach of a post by your total number of followers and multiply the results by 100.
• Engagement rate. This metric measures the number of unique users who have reacted to your story or post. It is measured using metrics such as likes, shares, and comments. If your posts receive a high engagement level, they resonate well with your followers.

By understanding the above metrics, you can determine whether your content is performing well.

How to Increase Your Average Followers Growth Rate

You should use these tips to grow your Instagram account.

Create High-quality Content 

Ensure that you are creating highly appealing content that is also engaging. By doing that, not only will you be adding followers, but they will also share your content. Therefore, if you want to bump up your follower numbers, you need to produce high-quality content that is valuable and relevant to your content. The content you create should help to:

• Reflect the voice of your brand.
• Encourage user interaction.
• Be aesthetically pleasing.

When posting on Instagram, you should include high-quality captions and visuals. Add trending music to your Instagram stories and reels. Use different types of content such as images, videos, carousels, and live videos. You can learn more about going live on Instagram. High-quality content will help boost engagement, resulting in many followers.

Use Relevant Hashtags

Use relevant hashtags in your niche to enable your audience to discover your content. This will increase the reach of your content, which will translate to a high number of followers. To understand this better, we recommend you read our guide on Instagram hashtags for business owners.

Collaborate With Other Instagrammers  

One way to reach a new audience is by collaborating with peers in your niche. By doing that, you can tap into their followers and the reach of your posts. This will increase your brand visibility and add credibility and authenticity to your brand. You can collaborate in creating joint content, providing giveaways, and sharing one another’s content.

Follower Engagement

Instagram is a two-way street. You should actively engage with your audience by starting conversations, posting questions, and responding to their comments. When you create a good relationship with your followers, they will feel part of a community. In return, they will engage more with your content. 

Be Consistent  

Growing an Instagram account isn't a one-day, week, or month affair. The more consistent you become in Instagram posting, the more your community will come to know about you.  This can help build their trust and improve engagement with your posts. Therefore, keep on posting and engaging with your followers. Have a consistent posting schedule that aligns with when your followers are online.

Run Contests and Giveaways

Contests and giveaways are a good way of creating buzz about your products. It can resonate well with your audience. When users participate in a contest, they become active participants with your account, increasing the engagement level of your account. 

This can signal to the Instagram algorithm that your posts resonate with your audience, and your content might appear prominently on the homepage. Therefore, organize brand contests to encourage people to follow your brand. You can also collaborate with other brands for joint contests.

Keep Monitoring Your Analytics

No matter how good your strategy is, it’s always hard to get it right when growing your Instagram following. One way you can cover gaps in your strategy is by checking your analytics. That can provide insights into your audience, the type of content they want, and what you can do to improve the performance of your content. After going through your analytics, you should improve your content strategy according to the insights.

Final Thoughts

Whether using Instagram to market products, grow your brand, or simply connect with family and friends, you want to see your followers numbers growing. However, instead of looking at the absolute follower count, you should pay attention to the average follower growth rate.

This can provide better insights into whether you are experiencing positive growth in your Instagram account. By following our guide, you can easily calculate your average follower growth rate. If you plan to continue growing your follower count, we suggest you check out our guide on growing your Instagram account by buying followers.