Ok, sis! The science behind “how to get more followers on Instagram” seems to be a secret formula they have hidden the same place they keep the Krabby Patty recipe (Spongebob reference). One day the algorithm works in your favor, the next day you’re shadow banned; one day you’re gaining new followers and engagement and the next you’re wondering if the posts were even published.
But anyone who’s been doing social media long enough would tell you, “don’t worry about all that, implement a solid strategy and you’ll reap the rewards.”
And that’s exactly what Denell did! The wife, mom of two and school counselor is also a content creator and photographer and recently crossed the (very coveted) 10,000 follower mark when she admittedly got more serious about growing her platform and put in the work.
“With social media I’m loving the fact that the possibilities are endless. Anything is possible no matter where you’re located. Whether you’re an island girl like myself or from the big city New York! Nothing is out of reach. Although there are some limitations, I will say social media proves day in and day out that we can achieve so much more beyond our little island.”
Denell says she saw the possibilities first hand as she was co-owner of another Instagram page that had amassed thousands of followers and
“I was affiliated with another very big Instagram page that featured and promoted persons with locs, and I’d see these loc influencers getting brand deals, getting freebies, all the perks you can imagine. I sat there one day and said I definitely think I can do that too! Like why not me? Life before kids, I was always that girl on social media who would have a mini photoshoot with myself, posting my outfit of the day; the exact same things we see trending now, and this was over 15 years ago. That part of me never died and I guess seeing what these loc influencers were doing and achieving I figured I’d try my hand at it too.”
And according to the stats, Denell went in with a full deck. By the last quarter of 2021 Denell says she had just over 4,000 followers but once she picked up a few tips and implemented a solid strategy, her numbers quickly grew.
“I started to take Instagram serious at the end of November. November 25th, 2021 I had 4,444 followers this was maybe a week into being intentional about my page. Fast forward to now, I currently have 16.7K followers. This is within about four months.”
Just keep pushing, keep producing, you never know who’s watching.
But contrary to popular belief, Denell says growth like this doesn’t just happen. It takes work.
“There are several factors that contributed to this growth my top three would be:
- The loc community is a very welcoming, one. They embrace new and old loc’d
persons with open arms and are very encouraging and supportive of everyone’s journey. The community itself is like one big cheer leader. I love it. - I pride my self in producing very crisp, vibrant and eye catching content. I feel as though the content itself plays a key role in whether or not people will stick around when they stumble upon your page. That along with consistently producing said content.
- Learning how Instagram works. I went to Youtube University, lol, watched tons of videos showing the different ways Instagram’s algorithm works. That helped a lot as well.
This strategy helped so much, that Denell did what many content creators with years more experience and 10 times more followers dream of: land a major brand partnership.
“Shein was definitely highlight of this journey so far. I reached out, they liked what they saw and here we are. Working with a big brand like Shein has been pretty easy for me, they advise what they want from you, you execute within the given time frame, submit and the wheel keeps turning from there.”
If you’re a content creator looking to grow your platform or land some sweet brand deals like this, grab a pen, Denell has some pointers for you.
“Being a creator some things really do fall in your lap but somethings you also have to get up and go get it! Anything is possible, you just have to try. You never know the answer unless you try. The most anyone can say is , “NO.” Just keep pushing, keep producing, you never know who’s watching. Stay true to yourself. Creating content shouldn’t feel like a chore. Hone in on what you love doing and go after that. Find your tribe on social media and get acquainted.. learn and observe from others in your desired niche.”
Follow Denell on Instagram!
