How To Get More Followers On Instagram Organically

Is your Instagram not getting many new friends? Do you want to know how to attract a large number of genuine fans in 2025, without spending money or pretending to be an expert?

Getting new friends on Instagram is similar to making friends in real life – it requires a good plan and being nice!

This guide will show you easy ways to build a fun page that lots of people will like.

Chapter 1: The Big Start – Learning About Instagram Friends in 2025

Instagram is like a big playground where people share pictures and videos. Let’s learn how it works!

The Instagram Helper: What You Need to Know for 2025

Instagram has a special helper (an algorithm) that decides what posts people see. For 2025, this helper likes:

• Being Yourself: The helper loves it when you share your new things, not just copied stuff.
• Good Chats: When people save your posts, share them, or write nice comments, the helper thinks that’s super! Better than just ‘likes’.
• Fun Videos (Reels): The helper loves showing short, fun videos called Reels to new people.
• Smart Helper: The helper understands what your pictures and videos are about.
• Watching Longer: If people watch your videos for a long time, the helper knows they’re interesting.
• Being Friends: The helper shows more posts from people you talk to a lot. So, share cool, new things that make people want to watch and talk!

Why Making Real Friends is Best

Don’t buy friends (followers) or use tricks! Real friends are better because:

• They Like Your Stuff: They’ll like and comment because they truly enjoy it.
• People Will Trust You: Real, chatty friends make your page look honest.
• No Trouble: Buying friends is against the rules and can cause problems.
• Real Friends Might Become Customers: If you sell things, real friends might buy them.

Making Clear Plans (SMART Goals)

Think about what you want for your Instagram. A clear plan is better than just wishing for “more friends”! Make plans that are:

• Specific: Like, “I want 50 new friends who like drawing this month.”
• Measurable: How will you know if you did it? (e.g., “I’ll count new friends.”)
• Achievable: Can you do it?
• Relevant: Does it help your bigger goals?
• Time-bound: By when? (e.g., “In 3 months.”) Clear plans help you know what to do and see how you’re doing.

Chapter 2: Your Friendly Hello – Making Your Instagram Page Look Great

Your Instagram page is like your front door. If it looks nice and tells people about you, they’ll want to be your friend!

• Your Names:
  • Username (@YourName): Your special Instagram name. Keep it simple and easy to remember.
  • Name (Under Your Picture): Put words here that tell people what you do. Example: “Lily | Artist” or “Tom | Cat Videos.”
• Your Bio (About You Section):
  • You have 150 letters to say who you are and why people should be your friend. What cool things will they see?
  • Use a word people might search for, and tell them what to do, like “Tap the link to see my art!”
• Your Special Link:
  • Instagram usually lets you have one clickable link. Use it for your most important place, like your website. Tools like Linktree can share many links from one spot.
• Your Picture & What You Do:
  • Profile Picture: Use a clear, nice picture of you or your logo.
  • Category: Pick what kind of page you have (like “Artist”).
• Pinned Posts & Story Highlights (Your Best Stuff!):
  • Pinned Posts: Pin up to three of your best posts at the top of your page.
  • Story Highlights: Save your best old Stories into folders on your page (like “My Art”). Give them cute covers!

Chapter 3: Awesome Posts – What to Share in 2025

Your posts are the fun things you share! In 2025, Instagram’s helper wants new, exciting things from you. Share things people love and want to save or show friends.

Super Reels: Your Best Way to Make New Friends

Reels are short, fun videos. Instagram’s helper loves showing them to new people!

• First 3 Seconds are Key (The Hook!): Make the start super exciting! Use big words on screen or show something cool.
• Share Something Good: Your Reel should teach, be funny, be pretty, or share a secret.
• Be Yourself & Use Fun Music: Use popular songs if they fit, but be you!
• Good Length: Make Reels about 30 to 90 seconds long.
• No Watermarks: Don’t use videos with logos from other apps (like TikTok).
• Words on Screen & Captions: Add words on your video and write captions so people understand with sound off.
• Ask People to Chat: At the end, say “Save this!” or “What do you think?”

Carousels: Posts People Love to Save

Carousels are posts with many pictures you swipe through. People like and save these a lot! (Average 0.55% likes/comments in 2025).

• Great First Page: Make the first picture like a mini-poster with a catchy title.
• Good Stuff on Every Page: Share tips or stories on each of the 5-10 slides.
• Ask to Save & Share: Tell people to save it or show friends.

Stories: Chatting Every Day

Stories are for quick, daily updates. They help you stay friends with followers.

• Fun Stickers: Use Polls, Quizzes, Q&A, and “Add Yours” stickers. They’re like little games!
• Save Your Best Stories (Highlights): Put your best old Stories into Highlight folders.

Writing Good Captions (Words Under Your Posts)

• Help People Find You: Use words people might search for.
• Tell Stories & Be Friendly: Share little stories or ask questions.
• Easy to Read: Use short sentences and fun emojis.
• Tell Them What to Do: Like “Save this post!”

Make Your Page Look Nice & Easy for Everyone

• Your Style: Pick colors and a style you like and use them a lot.
• Alt Text (Picture Words): Write a few words to say what your picture is about. This helps people who can’t see well and helps the helper understand.
• Words for Videos (Subtitles): Add words to your videos so everyone can enjoy them.

Table 1: Easy Guide to Instagram Posts (2025)

Chapter 4: Making Friends and Talking – How to Get Lots of Chats

Having many friends isn’t enough if they don’t talk to you. Instagram’s helper likes real chats!

More Than Just Likes: Real Chats are Gold!

Instagram’s helper cares more about:

• Nice Comments: Real thoughts.
• Direct Messages (DMs): Private chats.
• Shares: Sending your post to others.
• Saves: Keeping your post for later. People save cool stuff and share it in DMs – that’s where the fun is!

Quick Chat Power-Up: Your 10-Minute Plan After Posting

A secret tip: Right after you post, spend 10-15 minutes chatting with anyone who comments. If the helper sees people chatting right away, it thinks, “Wow, this is cool!” and might show it to more people.

How to Be a Great Chatter (Comments & DMs)

• Answer Fast & Be Nice: Answer comments/DMs quickly and thoughtfully.
• Ask More Questions: Turn comments into chats by asking questions back.
• Listen to Ideas: If friends give ideas, say thank you!

Fun with UGC: When Friends Post About You!

UGC (User-Generated Content) is when friends make posts about you or your stuff! It’s cool because:

• People Trust Friends: More than ads.
• More Chats: UGC posts often get more comments.
• More People See You: Their friends see your brand.
• It’s Free! Like free advertising.

How to Get UGC:

• Have Contests & Giveaways: Ask people to post a picture with your product using a special hashtag (like #MyCoolBrandContest). Give a prize! Contests about good things (like Aerie’s #AerieREAL for body positivity) get lots of people excited.
• Make a Special Hashtag: Like #MyBrandRocks.
• Share Their Posts: Ask if you can share their cool post on your page (and thank them!).

Teaming Up: Working with Other Cool Pages

Work with other creators or brands to meet their friends, too!

• Find Good Partners: Pick partners who like the same things.
• Small Pages are Great Too: Smaller pages (1 K- 50 K friends) often have super-friendly fans.
• Use “Collab” Posts: Your post shows up on your page AND your partner’s page!
• Guest Stars (Takeovers): Let a partner take over your Stories for a day.

Listening In: What Are People Talking About?

Social listening is hearing what people say about your brand or interests, even if they don’t tag you. Tools like Brand24 can help. Learn what your friends like and join chats to share ideas.

Chapter 5: Helping People Find You – Instagram Search Secrets

Instagram is like a mini-Google! Help Instagram’s helper (and people!) find your stuff. Using the right words is important.

Finding Magic Words (Keywords) for Instagram

Think about words your friends would type to find pages like yours.

• What Problems Do They Have? What words would they use?
• How to Find Keywords: Use the Instagram Search Bar (see suggestions), Google Trends, or your Website Analytics.
• Use “Action” Keywords: Longer, specific phrases. Instead of “food,” try “easy healthy snacks for kids.”

Where to Put Your Magic Words

• Your Page Name & Bio: Your main sign. Put important keywords here.
• Captions: Use 2-3 keywords naturally. Don’t just list words.
• Words on Reels/Videos: The helper reads words on your videos.
• Words You Say in Videos: The helper listens to what you say!

Using Hashtags (#) Smartly in 2025

Hashtags are labels to help people find posts. They still help, but the helper is smart too.

• How Many? 3-5 really good ones are best. Use ones that fit your post.
• What Kind? Mix your brand hashtag, specific ones for your post, and medium popular ones.
• Where to Put Them? Usually best in your caption.
• Hashtag Helper Tools: Semrush or Flick can help find good hashtags.

Secret Power: Alt Text for Pictures and Videos

Alt text is a note saying what’s in your picture/video. It helps people who can’t see well, AND helps the helper understand your post. Write a simple description (under 100 letters) with keywords if they fit. Add it yourself in “Advanced Settings” before sharing.

Using Location Tags (Saying Where You Are)

If your page is about a place, use location tags! This helps people searching for that place find you.

Getting on the Explore Page (The Page of Cool New Stuff!)

The Explore page shows new posts that Instagram thinks people will like.

• Lots of Chats Help: If your friends like and talk about your post (shares, saves), it might get on Explore.
• Be Interesting & Specific: Great Reels about popular topics or special interests help.
• Keywords Help Too: Good keywords help Instagram know your post is cool for Explore.

Chapter 6: The Quiet Helpers: Being Regular, Good Timing, and Trying New Things

Great posts and search words are super. But don’t forget being regular, good timing, and trying new Instagram toys! These turn small efforts into big growth. Sometimes you might feel you need to post a LOT, so being smart with time is key.

The Big Rule: Post Regularly (Find a Time That Works for You)

Posting regularly builds trust, keeps friends interested, and tells the helper your page is active.

• How Often? No magic number. Some say 3-5 times a week. Some say 2-3 for 2025. Daily for Reels if you’re serious.
• Most Important: What YOU Can Do: Pick a schedule you can stick to without making sloppy posts. Good posts are better than many rushed ones.
• Use Helper Tools: Later or Buffer helps plan posts.

Finding the Best Time to Post: When Are Your Friends Online?

Post when your friends are looking at Instagram!

• Check Instagram Insights: Shows when your followers are online most (Profile > Menu > Insights > Total Followers).
• Your Data is Best: Check what’s best for YOUR friends.

Be a Super Star: Use Instagram’s Newest Toys for Growth!

Instagram is always adding new things. Using new toys quickly can get you seen by more people!

• How to Get New Features: Keep your app updated. Some features come out in different places at different times.
• Cool New Things (as of May 2025) & How to Use Them:
  • Instagram “Edits” App: A Special app for cool videos. Use it to: Make amazing Reels!
  • MetaAI for Story Backgrounds & Captions: AI helpers for pretty Stories and good words. Use it to: Make Stories look great.
  • “Views Over Time” Chart: Shows how new Reels are doing. Use it to: See if people like new Reels.
  • “Trial Reels”: Test Reels with new people first. Use it to: See if new friends will like your video.
  • “Storyline” Feature: You and your friends add to one big Story. Use it to: Make fun group Stories.

Stay curious about new Instagram toys and try ones that fit your page!

Share the Fun: Tell People on Other Apps About Your Instagram

Tell people about your Instagram on other apps or websites.

• Website & Email: Add an Instagram button.
• Other Social Media: Share Instagram posts (especially Reels!) on TikTok, Facebook, etc.
• QR Codes: Put a code on things like cards that link to your Instagram.
• Just Ask! Remind people on other apps to follow you on Instagram.

Chapter 7: Checking Your Score: Fun Ways to See How You’re Growing!

Like a game, check your score on Instagram to get better! It’s not just friend count, but how much fun they have with your posts.

More Than Just Friend Count: What Numbers Matter in 2025

Important things to look at:

• Fun Chats (Engagement):
  • Engagement Rate: Score for how much people like, comment, share, and save. Avg. ~0.50%-1.16%; Carousels 0.55%, Reels 0.50%, Images 0.45%.
  • Watch Time (Videos): How long people watch. Longer is better!
  • Saves & Shares: Shows posts are super useful or awesome!
• Who’s Seeing Your Stuff:
  • Reach: How many different people saw your post?
  • Profile Visits/Views: How many came to your main page?
  • Friend Growth Rate: How fast you’re making new friends. Small pages (<5k friends) can grow up to 38% a year!
• Metric Name Changes (April 2025): “Post views” is a key new name for how many times posts are seen.

Using Instagram Insights (Your Built-In Scoreboard!)

Instagram’s “Insights” tool shows cool data. (Profile > Menu > Insights).

• Look at: Who your friends are (age, place, active times), best posts, friend growth, and page visits.

Other Helper Tools

Other tools can help with scores, planning, making cool pictures, and finding hashtags.

• All-in-One Helpers: Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, Later.
• Picture & Video Makers: Canva, CapCut, Instagram “Edits” App.
• Hashtag Finders: Semrush, Flick.
• Link Helpers: Linktree.

Table 2: Instagram Scores & What They Mean (2025)

The Fun Cycle: Try, See, Learn, Try Again!

Making friends on Instagram is a cycle: try something, see how it went, learn, and try again! Look at your scores, try new things, do more of what works, and learn from oopsies.

Chapter 8: Oops! Mistakes to Skip on Instagram

Growing on Instagram is fun, but watch out for these common mistakes!

The Biggest No-No: Don’t Buy Friends!

Never, ever buy Instagram friends (followers). It’s bad because:

• It’s against the rules.
• Fake friends don’t chat, so your page looks boring to the helper.
• People won’t trust you.
• Your page could get hidden or banned. Make real friends by being awesome!

Other Oopsies That Stop Your Growth

• Messy or Boring Page Info: People might leave.
• Blurry or Copied Stuff: Share clear, fun, your stuff. The helper likes new things.
• Wrong Hashtags: Too many hashtags, or hashtags that don’t fit, can look like spam.
• Posting Too Much or Not Enough: Find a good, regular rhythm.
• Ignoring Your Friends: Answer comments and DMs!
• Private Page: New people can’t see your cool stuff easily. Keep it public!
• Not Looking at Your Scores: You won’t know what your friends like best!
• Only Trying to Sell: Share fun, helpful, or interesting things too!

Skip these oopsies to make lots of real, happy Instagram friends!

The End: Your Super Plan for Instagram Fun in 2025!

Making real Instagram friends in 2025 isn’t about secret tricks. It’s about being a good friend, sharing cool things, and having fun chats.

Remember These Big Ideas:

• Share Your Awesome Stuff: Make cool, new Reels and Carousels.
• Be a Good Friend & Chat: Answer comments, share friends’ posts (UGC), team up.
• Help People Find You: Use good words (keywords), alt text, and smart hashtags.
• Be Regular & Ready to Change: Post at good times, look at your scores, try new Instagram toys.

Making real friends takes time, like a long race, not a short sprint. You have the power to make your Instagram page super fun! It takes work, being creative, and sharing good things.

Stop looking for quick tricks. Build a page people love by sharing great stuff, having real chats, and being smart.

You can do it!

Now, tell me: Which idea will you try first? Or do you have a question? Comment below!