All the algorithms and strategies to gain more followers or more reach are changing constantly, and it’s kinda hard to keep up with. So today I’m gonna tell you what’s been working for me the past couple of weeks – and if there’s big algorithm changes I’ll definitely keep you up to date too!

Instagram is the platform with the absolute worst algorithm for creators, at least that’s what you think if you’re just thinking about gaining followers. The platform is about creating connections though, so just gaining followers fast isn’t really gonna help you at all.

What I’ve been doing is to click through hashtags that you use on your own photos – because those photos should be something similar to your work or something that you enjoy. I then like and comment on photos that I genuinly think are great, and make connections with other creators this way. This will not only bring you connections and follow-backs from people who also enjoy your work, it will also really help your engagement. Because if you’re active and commenting on people’s posts it’s likely they will start doing the same thing on your posts.

Recently TikTok has become a really big platform for all types of creators as well. I started my TikTok page about a month ago and in the first month I was able to gain more than 1000 followers. I achieved this by interacting with people the same way I do on Instagram.

But I also put a lot of thought into the content I post on TikTok. Before creating a video I always ask myself “How can the viewer benefit from this video?” and “Is it going to bring any value to their life?”. I’ve noticed that my retouching videos perform pretty good compared to simple behind the scenes videos. That’s because somebody who’s interested in photography and retouching will see those videos and they will be able to take away something from it. Wether it be how to fix lipstick or seeing that most photographer’s images look not perfect before retouching and it will make them feel better about their work.

If you wanna dive deep into Retouching in Photoshop make sure to check out my Photoshop Masterclasses all about Retouching below!

Another thing you can do it to convert the followers you have on one social media platform to another. This is super simple - just link your Instagram Account in your TikTok profile, and the other way around. When people are genuinly interested in you and your work, they will very likely want to see more of it on other platforms they’re active on too.

So in conclusion, don’t focus on the number of followers, focus on creating connections and providing content with value for the people watching.

Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more photos, tips and behind the scenes!