HOW TO GROW YOUR COSPLAY PAGE ON INSTAGRAM

This is how a cosplayer can grow his/her page on Instagram and find and audience. This tips will help you find an audience truly interested in your work.

LEARN THE INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM

Read more articles about Instagram, watch videos and webinars to learn about the Instagram algorithm.

Keep in mind that Instagram and it's algorithm change very fast and that growth strategies that worked even a year ago can possibly be useless or even harmful to your profile.

POST REGULARLY AND FREQUENTLY

Ideally, post almost every single day. If you post too rare the algorithm will punish you and hide your content from your followers.

The Instagram explore page and hashtags are basically a lottery and you need to use them to high up your chances of ranking well in search by posting more frequently.

In this way, your followers will know you are posting daily and probably will checkout your page without seeing you in their feed.

You can post not only final photos from photoshoots but also selfies, try-ons, make up tests, videos and backstage, side-by-sides, casual photos, photos from cons or details of your costumes.

POST SIDE-BY-SIDES AND OTHER COLLAGES MORE OFTEN

Side-by-side is when you post your cosplay along with the reference picture in a collage. Side-by-sides always receive more likes because it is viral content, like popular Instagram format "before an after". You instantly want to stop and look at this picture, like in a game "find the differences". Side-by-sides are also great because not everyone knows a character or a particular costume you are cosplaying and can't fully appreciate your efforts.

But with reference, even people who know nothing about your character can see your creativity and hard work.

In short, side-by-sides always receive a lot more likes, shows on explore page and hashtags and can attract lots of new followers.

HASHTAGS

Always use hashtags. You can use up to 30 hashtags in one post, but there are different opinions on how many hashtags you should use in order to be favorited by the algorithm.

Use about 25 hashtags on a post. Some should be dedicated to your character, fandom, movie/tv show/book/video game the cosplay is from and the rest should be about cosplay in general for example #cosplaygirl

Keep in mind that sometimes Instagram blocks seemingly normal hashtags or explicit hashtags and punishes profiles that use them. Some communities violate Instagram guidelines like posting inappropriate content.

In short, a good list of hashtags is very important, lots of fandom fans can find your work while searching for their favorite character through a particular hashtag, and also hashtags help you to rank on the explore page.

TAG BIG PROFILES WHICH REPOST COSPLAY

You can gain lots of new followers after just one repost, sometimes hundreds or even thousands.

Check profiles that repost cosplay and check how they prefer cosplayers to apply for the feature. Some want you to drop photos vis DM, some want you to tag them and some ask you to send a full photoshoot via email.

FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPREAKERS, USE ENGLISH IN YOUR POSTS

Instagram is an international social media. The majority of your followers will always be English speaking fans of a character or fandom you are cosplaying. If you speak a foreign language, you need to use English in your posts so that English-speaking fans can connect with you emotionally.

Ideally, you should post both in your native language and in English because you can possibly have followers from your home country who do not know English and may unfollow you if they cannot understand your posts.

If you have difficulties using English I recommend to write at least one short sentence in English in every post. Also, you can use a website that will help you in translation.

These are basic Instagram tips that they can make a big difference in your cosplay Instagram profile.