How to Grow Your Instagram Following as a Small Business in the UK

Instagram has over 34 million users in the United Kingdom, making it one of the most powerful platforms for small businesses to connect with potential customers. Yet many business owners struggle to grow their following beyond friends and family.

If you've been posting consistently but your follower count seems stuck, you're not alone. The good news? Growing your Instagram following isn't about luck or gaming the algorithm—it's about strategy, consistency, and genuine connection.

As marketing expert Gary Vaynerchuk puts it: "Social media requires that business leaders start thinking like small-town shop owners. This means taking the long view and avoiding short-term benchmarks to gauge progress."

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through exactly how to grow your Instagram following as a UK small business—with actionable steps you can implement today.

1. Optimise Your Instagram Profile for First Impressions

Your Instagram profile is your digital shopfront. When potential followers land on your page, they make a snap decision about whether to follow you within seconds. Here's how to make those seconds count:

Profile Picture

Use a clear, recognisable image—typically your logo for businesses. Ensure it's visible even at small sizes on mobile devices. Avoid cluttered images or text that becomes illegible when scaled down.

Username and Name Field

Your username should be your business name or as close to it as possible. The name field (different from your username) is searchable, so include keywords. For example: "The Coffee House | Bristol Café" helps people find you when searching for cafés in Bristol.

Bio

You have 150 characters to explain who you are and why someone should follow you. Include:

• What you do (be specific)
• Who you help
• A call-to-action
• Your location (important for local businesses)

Example bio: "Handmade jewellery crafted in London 💎 | Sustainable materials | Free UK shipping over £50 | Shop our new collection ⬇️"

2. Create Content That Your Audience Actually Wants

The biggest mistake small businesses make on Instagram? Creating content they want to share rather than content their audience wants to see.

Gary Vaynerchuk nails this concept: "Content is king, but context is God." Your content needs to fit what your audience is looking for on Instagram—entertainment, inspiration, education, or solutions to their problems.

Content Pillars for Small Businesses

Develop 3-5 content pillars that you rotate through:

• Educational content: Tips, how-tos, and industry insights
• Behind-the-scenes: Show the human side of your business
• Product/service showcases: What you offer (but don't overdo this)
• User-generated content: Customer photos and testimonials
• Entertainment: Relatable content, trends, and humour

A good rule of thumb: For every promotional post, share four pieces of value-driven content. This keeps your feed engaging rather than feeling like a constant sales pitch.

3. Master Instagram Reels (Non-Negotiable in 2025)

If you're not creating Reels, you're missing out on Instagram's biggest growth opportunity. Reels receive significantly more reach than static posts because Instagram actively promotes short-form video content.

Reels Ideas for Small Businesses

• Day-in-the-life of running your business
• How your product is made
• Quick tips related to your industry
• Before and after transformations
• Packing orders (oddly satisfying content performs well)
• Responding to common customer questions

Pro tip: You don't need fancy equipment. Most successful Reels are filmed on smartphones. Focus on good lighting (natural light works brilliantly) and clear audio.

4. Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags help Instagram categorise your content and show it to users interested in those topics. But there's a science to using them effectively.

The Hashtag Strategy That Works

• Use 5-15 hashtags per post (quality over quantity)
• Mix hashtag sizes: Combine popular hashtags (100K-500K posts), medium hashtags (10K-100K posts), and niche hashtags (under 10K posts)
• Use location-specific hashtags: #LondonBusiness #ManchesterFoodie #BristolShops
• Create a branded hashtag: Encourage customers to use it when posting about your products

Hashtags to avoid: Overly generic tags like #love #happy #instagood. These are so saturated that your content gets buried instantly.

5. Engage Authentically (Don't Post and Ghost)

Instagram rewards accounts that foster genuine community interaction. If you post content and disappear, you're leaving growth on the table.

Daily Engagement Routine (15-20 minutes)

• Respond to every comment on your posts within the first hour
• Reply to DMs promptly and personally
• Engage with similar accounts: Leave thoughtful comments (not just emojis) on posts from complementary businesses and potential customers
• Use Stories to interact: polls, questions, quizzes

As Gary Vaynerchuk says: "Saying hello doesn't have an ROI. It's about building relationships."

6. Post Consistently at Optimal Times

Consistency beats perfection. It's better to post three quality pieces of content per week reliably than to post daily for two weeks and then disappear for a month.

Best Posting Times for UK Audiences

While your specific audience may vary, general research suggests these times work well for UK businesses:

• Weekdays: 7-8am (morning commute), 12-1pm (lunch break), 7-9pm (evening wind-down)
• Weekends: 10am-12pm tends to see good engagement

Important: Check your Instagram Insights to see when YOUR specific audience is most active. This data is gold.

7. Collaborate with Others

Collaboration is one of the fastest ways to get your business in front of new audiences.

Collaboration Ideas

• Partner with complementary businesses: A florist could collaborate with a wedding photographer
• Work with micro-influencers: Accounts with 5,000-50,000 followers often have highly engaged audiences and reasonable rates
• Run joint giveaways: Partner with 2-3 other small businesses for a prize bundle
• Use Instagram's Collab feature: Posts appear on both accounts' grids

8. Leverage User-Generated Content

When customers share photos featuring your products or services, you've struck content gold. User-generated content (UGC) serves as social proof and provides you with authentic content to share.

How to Encourage UGC

• Create a branded hashtag and ask customers to use it
• Repost customer content (always ask permission and credit them)
• Run photo contests
• Include a card with orders encouraging customers to share their purchase

9. Analyse, Learn, and Adapt

Growth requires understanding what's working and what isn't. Instagram's built-in analytics (available on business and creator accounts) provides valuable insights.

Key Metrics to Track

• Reach: How many unique accounts saw your content
• Engagement rate: (Likes + Comments + Saves + Shares) ÷ Reach
• Follower growth: Net new followers per week
• Best-performing content: What topics and formats resonate most

Review your analytics weekly. Double down on what works; adjust or abandon what doesn't.

10. Be Patient and Play the Long Game

Building a genuine Instagram following takes time. Anyone promising thousands of followers overnight is selling you fake engagement that will hurt your account in the long run.

Gary Vaynerchuk's advice rings true: "You're not patient enough. Long-term thinking wins. Stop expecting overnight results."

Focus on attracting the right followers—people genuinely interested in what you offer—rather than inflating numbers with disengaged accounts.

Quick Action Checklist

Ready to start growing? Here's your action plan for this week:

1. Audit and optimise your Instagram bio
2. Create your first Reel (even a simple one)
3. Research and save 30 relevant hashtags in your notes
4. Spend 15 minutes engaging with potential customers and similar accounts
5. Schedule 3-5 posts for the coming week
6. Check your Insights to identify your best-performing content

Need Help Growing Your Instagram?

Growing your Instagram following while running a business is challenging. If you'd rather focus on what you do best while experts handle your social media, we're here to help.

At Scroll Bound, we provide complete Instagram management for UK small businesses—from content creation to engagement to growth strategy. And we guarantee results.