How to Increase Instagram Followers: Optimize Your Profile (2025)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Nowadays people upload their content on Instagram so that their content can go viral, but can your content go viral just by doing this? No, first of all if you want to create a brand on Instagram then your Instagram account should be well optimized, so if a user comes to see your content, then he goes to your profile to see what kind of content you make and in this situation it is necessary for your profile to be properly optimized, for example username, brand name, bio and your deep highlights too, so in this blog, we are telling you how you can increase your followers by optimizing Instagram, so become a part of this blog.

Also Read this : Instagram Algorithm 2025 Explained: How to Increase Your Reach Organically

Why Profile Optimization Matters on Instagram

Just think, if your profile is not optimized properly then why will people follow you, what identity will be different because people who come to your profile see what kind of content you are creating, as long as your username, bio, dp and highlights are clear, then they can follow you.

After 2020, the competition on Instagram has increased a lot and everyone wants to increase their followers, their content to go viral, get leads, reach more, so how is all this possible, when you do not make your profile strong like a brand, then how will your Instagram account grow?

Profile optimized means that your username should be neat and short memorable so that people can remember and read it easily, you should treat your Instagram as a portfolio. Your identity, your vibe – everything should be reflected in the first look. This is your “digital handshake”. And when the profile is optimized, people not only stop, but also follow and engage.

So if you want people to stop and not just scroll, then the profile game needs to be strong. This is the only part that makes an impression in one go. If you make it well, then the door to growth opens.

Choose the Right Username and Display Name

See why username and display name are important to optimize a proper profile because people follow you just by looking at your username but if your username is duplicated then they might follow someone else by getting influenced by your content so keep it as short as possible.

Username should be simple, short and memorable. If your name is Aakash Kumar and you are creating technical content, then the username can be something like this:

@akashtech, @akashzone , @akash.codes – meaning your name should be visible and your work should also be indicated. Avoid unnecessary symbols, periods, underscores if not necessary. Because the cleaner it is, the easier it will be to remember.

If We talk about what display name you can keep then you can keep your name as display name otherwise tweak it according to your niche.

Aakash Kumar Aakash Kumar | Tech Zone

Akash – AI & Gadgets

It also helps with searchability. When people search for “tech” or “AI,” Instagram’s algorithm may suggest you if your display name is relevant.

Also, if you are on other platforms, try to have similar usernames across all platforms as this will build your credibility.

So keep it simple, relevant and memorable. Recognition is in the name – and recognition on Instagram means followers, engagement and trust.

Use a Clear and Recognizable Profile Picture

Your profile picture tells a lot about who you are. This small image brings a lot of impact. When someone goes to comment on your profile, even then your profile pictures are visible there. It also gives a good impression about who you are. As soon as someone clicks on your profile with his username, he sees your DP first and then clicks on your profile account because sometimes they get mixed up, that means there is a difference of dots or underscores in each other’s accounts.

Make sure that your DP is not blurred, it should not be overedited, it should be natural and should not be irrelevant, otherwise it gets ignored.

If you are building a personal brand, then use a clean headshot – in which your face is clearly visible, the background should be simple and the expression should be appropriate. A photo clicked in bright natural light or soft studio light is the best. If you are running a business or page like a product or creator page or service then you can use your logo and make sure that your logo is in high resolution, center aligned and fits well in the circle crop. Instagram profile picture is cropped in a circle shape, so make sure that the important elements are not in the corners. One more thing – use the same profile picture on every platform, like YouTube, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), etc. This will make your identity consistent and people will easily recognize you everywhere. A recognizable profile picture means trust, and trust means follows, likes and DMs. So, never take this small thing lightly.

Write a Killer Bio That Hooks

Instagram bio is the only place where you can write about your work, personality and value of content in 150 characters and this is the only place where you can grab or lose maximum attention of people.

Before writing bio, see what to write like who are you, what do you do and what solution do you provide for it

For example:

Helping creators turn ideas into visuals 🎨 | Free tools 🔧 | DM for collab 💬
Digital Marketer 🚀 | 10K+ Happy Clients | Tips for Growth 💡
📷 Photographer | Capturing Stories Through Lenses | Let’s Work Together!

Using a few emojis is smart – but overdoing it will make the bio look childish. There should be a flow:

Bold start ➝ What you do ➝ Value ➝ CTA (call-to-action)

Like “DM for work”, “Check out the link below”, “Follow for more”.

And yes – if you have any external link (like website, blog, youtube), make sure it is in the “link section” of the specific bio. Instagram allows just one clickable link – so use wisely.

A killer bio means:

🧠 Samajhne mein easy

🔥Make me feel strong

📈Ready for action

So Anand, when writing a bio, think – is this line interesting enough to make an unknown person follow you?

Add Actionable Links with Link-in-Bio Tools

Now let’s talk about the links that you put only in bio, think if you have multiple links then how will you put them like you have a blog website, youtube channel link and your tool website. There is a big limitation in Instagram but there is a solution for this also, you can create a landing page then you can get multiple links in it.

How does it help?

All your resources are at one place — followers don’t get confused.
You can add a CTA like “Check my latest blog” or “Try my new AI tool”.
You can track how many clicks are coming on which link.
It is visually attractive — creates a professional look of your profile.

Tips for Using It Right:

Always keep important links on top (latest offer, blog or video).
Use clear labels (like “Free Image Converter” instead of just “Website”).
Keep a link that matches your profile username:
Example: linktr.ee/anandtech or beacons.ai/anand

One more thing — if you can create a custom “link-in-bio” page for yourself (on your card or your own website), it will look even more branded and personal.

Optimize Your Highlights and Story Covers

Stories that are added in 24 hours are visible only for 24 hours but if you want an important story to be visible all the time like an event of yours or a product that you had lunch on a special day or new content or special service, you can highlight these types of stories. It works like navigating a website in Instagram.

This feature is just below your bio, but this feature is very amazing, along with this it is also very important to optimize it.

Why Highlights Matter:

They reflect your branding.
New visitors get a quick tour of your content.
The Story format lets you instantly showcase value — without scrolling.

How to Optimize Like a Pro:

Choose Relevant Categories: Create highlights like “AI Tools,” “Free Resources,” “Client Reviews,” “Tips & Tricks” or “About Me”. These highlight your niche and content pillars.
Keep Stories Curated: Only add stories that are clear, short and valuable. Don’t add random or low-quality stories or it will become clutter.
Use Branded Story Covers: Now let’s talk about the most visual element — covers. You can create your own custom aesthetic covers using Canva, Adobe Express or Sora. Use the same color palette, add minimalist icons — like camera icon for “Photos”, bulb for “Tips”.
Consistency is Key: All covers should be of the same size (1080×1920), same design style, and with brand colors. This gives your profile a professional and polished look.

Make Your Feed Visually Consistent

When someone visits your account profile, they’re immediately looking at your post grid layout, and that’s their digital first impression. And if the feed is scattered, random or inconsistent, people will scroll past without even bothering to read it. But if your feed tells a cohesive visual story, the chances of connecting with the audience – and hitting that follow button – are much higher.

What Does “Visually Consistent” Mean?

Use the same color palette
Similar editing style (filters, brightness, tone)
Aligned fonts and design elements (if you create quotes or carousels)
And a clear theme or vibe (minimal, moody, colorful, etc.)

Tips to Maintain Feed Consistency:

Pick 2-3 Brand Colors:

Choose a color palette from Canva or Coolors. This will make your posts and highlights look coordinated. For example, if your brand is blue, white, and black — make sure to include some of these in every post.

Use Same Filter or Editing Style:

Create a preset in Lightroom or VSCO, and use it on every image. This will make your feed look aligned, even if the content is different.

Plan with Preview Apps:

Use apps like Preview, Planoly, or Later where you can view your posts arranged in a feed in advance. This helps you see if the next post will improve or worsen the overall vibe.

Stick to Content Types:

If you are mixing reels, carousels, quotes and screenshots, then there should be a pattern for it too — like 1 quote followed by 1 carousel, then 1 reel. Set a rhythm.

Use Templates for Repetition:

If you share an “AI Tool of the Week” every week, then create a fixed template for it. This will make your feed look even more professional.

Why It Works:

Visual consistency builds trust. When people will see your content regularly and its look will be familiar, they will recognize you more — and the algorithm will also work in your favor.

Use Keywords and Hashtags in Your Bio (Smartly!)

Today Instagram is not only a platform for photos and videos but it has also become a search engine because people also search here like photographer, videographer, SEO expert etc.

If keywords are already added in your bio then there are more chances that your profile will appear on the top and this increases the reach of your profile as well as CTR (Click Through Rate).

Your bio works like a powerhouse whenever you write any words in your bio, the algorithm decides which type of audience you will come in front of.

How to Add Keywords Smartly:

Job Title in Display Name: Put keywords in your display name itself. Like:

“Anand | AI Tools & Tech Blogger”
“Sneha | Digital Marketing Coach”
“Ravi | Travel Photographer”

Whenever someone searches for “AI tools” or “digital marketing”, they will see your name.

Switch to a Professional or Creator Account

If you are still using a personal account then forget about it, you are going to be lost because on your personal account your content is visible only to those people who have followed you. When you switch from personal to professional account or creator account, then your account becomes public and is visible to both those who have followed you or not. With this you also get all those features which you do not get in a personal account, so switch it to professional account right now itself.

Why Switching Matters:

Get real insights:

Who is watching your content?
Where are your followers coming from?
What time of the day is engagement higher?

This data gives you the correct direction without any guessing.

Add Contact Buttons:

The option for Email, Call or Directions appears directly on your profile.
This makes you look professional and makes it easy for people to contact you.

Run Ads and Promotions:

With a Creator account, you can boost any post to reach more people.
Perfect for building an audience or pushing a campaign.

Access Instagram Creator Tools:

Brand collaboration tags, DM filters, saved replies — you get everything.

How to Switch (Takes Just 1 Minute):

Go to your profile

Tap ☰ (Menu) > Settings and Privacy
Select Account > Switch Account Type
Choose Creator or Business

That’s it! Your account is now professional.

You can put a title like “Creator | AI Tools Expert” in your bio for added visibility.

And when a brand looks for collaboration, it gives preference only to verified or professional accounts.

Keep Monitoring and Updating Your Profile

Imagine you are running a shop and you are selling only old products in it but your goods are not getting sold because the customers demand something else and you are still keeping old and worn out things, will your shop not run? Well, Instagram also works in the same way, when you use Instagram you have to stay active, stay updated with the latest trends, keep yourself aligned and fresh.

Profile Insights Check Karte Raho:

Tumne creator account pe switch kiya hai toh uska fayda uthao. Regularly check karo:

Kaunse posts sabse zyada engagement le rahe hain?
Kya tumhare followers badh rahe hain ya kam ho rahe hain?
Story views aur profile visits ka trend kaisa hai?

This data tells you what people want to see on your profile.

Update Your Bio When Needed:

Has your focus changed? What new services or tools are you using?

Keep tweaking your bio from time to time – so that new visitors get updated information.

Like this:

“Helping creators with AI tools | DM for collab”

If yours changes below, reflect on it.

Refresh Profile Picture and Highlights:

The profile pictures you have uploaded will become outdated or else keep refreshing your highlights from time to time.
Add a new profile pic – fresh, clear, on-brand.
Change the highlight covers to match your theme or add new content pillars.

Final Thoughts – Make That First Impression Count!

Now in the end I would like to say 2-3 things that the first impression on Instagram is the last impression. When someone visits your account then as soon as they open it they should feel that yes, this is a band or a brand which is interesting I would like to follow it. If it is providing some valuable addition, it is providing knowledge that is why I would like to follow it. If your account says this in the last 2-5 seconds then there are chances that they will follow you. Otherwise if your content is good then obviously they will follow you, that’s why keep your profile professional and updated.

Your username, profile photo, killer bio, link-in-bio setup, highlights, and overall feed — all together tell a story.

So never think of your Instagram profile as “done”. It’s an evolving identity. Look at it with fresh eyes once a month. Does the bio still reflect your current work? Are the highlights outdated? Is the CTA relevant? These little things together make a big difference.

So let’s treat your Instagram profile like a digital business card — one that works for you, attracts people, and brings in new followers every day. Because on social media the first impression is the last impression!