Why do some people seem to gain Instagram followers effortlessly, while others struggle to get any traction? Find the answer by enrolling in the School of Instagram. It's completely free to join, and the lessons you learn will take your Instagram account to the next level.

Here's a quick overview of what you can learn from the School of Instagram. (Hint: it's just a fraction of what's on the site itself, so you might want to dive right in and get started with your first free lesson right away!)

1. How to Stand Out on Instagram

Instagram has over a billion active users, with over 100 million photos and videos uploaded every day. How can you possibly stand out in such a crowded field?

Start by binge-reading the ten dedicated lessons in the School of Instagram's first subject area: How to Stand Out on Instagram.

You'll learn, among many other things, how to:

• grow your Instagram following
• make the most of your bio
• write a killer Instagram caption

Successful Instagrammers seem to do all these things naturally, but the truth is that they've spent years honing their techniques and learning what works and what doesn't. The School of Instagram helps you take a massive shortcut and begin using these tried-and-tested tactics right away.

2. How to Plan Your Instagram Content

What do you mean, you don't plan your Instagram content?

If you're just using Instagram to connect with friends and family, it's fine to post off-the-cuff photos of whatever's happening in your life from moment to moment. But if you want to use Instagram to reach a wider audience, you need to be more strategic. Learn how to do that in Part 2 of the School of Instagram's curriculum: How to Plan Your Instagram Content.

You'll discover time-saving apps you can use to plan your content, create better Instagram Stories, and more. Plus you'll discover exactly how paid partnerships work and learn how you can grab a slice of the $6.5 billion influencer marketing budget, even if you don't have a gazillion followers just yet.

Oh, and have you always wondered how to get one of those beautiful blue "Verified" checkmarks next to your name? See the verification process demystified right here.

3. Stuff They Don't Teach You About Instagram

If you're an Instagram old-timer, you probably think you know all there is to know about using it.

Think again.

Instagram may be a fairly simple app, but with a billion users, and with humans being the creative beings they are, Instagrammers have come up with a ton of useful hacks to do things Mark Zuckerberg never thought of. Learn all about them in Part 3: Stuff They Don't Teach You About Instagram.

For example, do you know how to respond more quickly to comments by using the text replacement feature on your phone? How to add animated GIFs to your stories with a few taps? How to offer more poll options with the emoji slider? These are just a few of the Instagram hacks you'll discover.

Plus Instagram is always adding new features. Learn how to get the most out of the brand-new Instagram Create Mode, launched just last month.

There's so much more there too, from killer video trends to turning your Instagram content into a career. To see all of it, just head over to the site and start taking your free lessons.

4. Learn From the Insta-Experts

Let's face it: there's a ton of Instagram advice out there. But have you ever noticed that a lot of it is written by people whose own Instagram profiles are... kind of underwhelming?

If you want to succeed on Instagram, you probably want to learn from people who have tens or hundreds of thousands of followers. You want to know what they've done to achieve that success. What have they learned along the way? What can you do to reach the same level?

That's where the "Asking for a Friend" interview series comes in. Watch some successful Instagram entrepreneurs talking about their biggest lessons, their best Instagram tips, how they deal with setbacks, and much more.

You can find these fun and inspiring interviews on the School of Instagram homepage. Here's one of them, with stylist and digital influencer Kristy Wu.

Create an Insta-Site With Milkshake

If you follow the lessons from the School of Instagram, you'll soon be building a healthy and fast-growing Instagram following. But how do you translate that into sales or traffic for your other projects? After all, Instagram only lets you put one link in your profile.

The best solution is to build an "Insta website": an eye-catching, mobile-friendly site that quickly states who you are and what you do. Forget complex web design and hosting fees: you can set up a site quickly and easily using the free Milkshake app.

With Milkshake, you can build a bespoke Insta-site on your phone in minutes, and use it to connect your followers to everything you offer.

The site is specially designed for Instagram’s mobile web browser, so your followers can swipe through your site just like Instagram Stories. Seamless!

You can update the site as often as you like. It's free to create, and the best part is that no software or design skills are needed! What's not to like? Download the Milkshake iOS app to get started.

And don't forget to enrol for the School of Instagram to ensure you're getting the most out of the platform. They're adding more lessons and interviews all the time, so sign up to make sure you're the first to find out about the latest Instagram tips and tricks!