I grew a page from 83,687 to 209,957 followers on Instagram, and today I’ll be breaking down exactly how that happened.
And no, it’s not just post 10 times a day. It’s more than that
Treat this as your mini Instagram growth guide.
Real quick before we start…
Here’s how to best consume this?
Bring a pen, paper or open your notes app and take notes as we go
As you read through, think about your new or existing content (this is very important)
Let’s go…
1. Defined a clear content strategy
Focused on 3 content pillars.
Created sub-topics for posting consistency.
Balanced value-driven and viral content.
Read more: Before I started working with the page…the content was good but all over the place. So, we sat and fixed 3 content pillars. Not one, but 3 areas of interest. If it was in 2019 or 2020, having one niche was the growth hack. But now, things have changed. Definitely, keep it to about 3 things. And these could be random. For example: Running, fashion, and marketing.
2. Mastered short-form videos
Hooked attention in the first 3 seconds.
Used trending sounds & engaging captions.
Made content relatable and shareable.
Read more: As generic as this advice might sound, trust me- you have to master short-form content and how to grab attention. You can read more about attention-grabbing content in this edition. Long story short, we researched similar pages and studied their highest-performing hooks and used them for our content. Another important thing that you keep missing is optimising the first line of the caption (this is your place to create a lot of interest and curiosity)
3. Optimised posting times
Posted when my audience was most active.
Tested different time slots and adjusted based on insights.
Think: when do you scroll the most?
Read more: Underrated but very important is to be active on the platform when your audience is. Check your dashboard for audience activity on IG and get posting. It’s also better to always try out different timings and different days before you find your best posting time. And be comfortable with the fact that it will always be changing.
4. Maxed out on Carousels
Most shown to your followers, great for promotions
Turned followers into loyal fans.
Repurposed every reel to a high-value carousel
Read more: Honestly, we’ve gained more followers from carousels combined as compared to reels. The algorithm has changed and is pushing more carousels to the followers and if it it’s high value- it will get shared. We’ve A/B tested posting the same content as reels and carousels enough to have a clear winner- carousels. Now is the time to max out on this format. Try to make it pretty, easy to save and read.
5. Hopped on trends, formats to stay relevant with my audience
Followed trending formats and applied them creatively to my niche.
Leveraged styles to keep content fresh.
Stayed on top of emerging trends to ensure content felt timely and engaging.
Read more: We’ve slightly covered this above. Doesn’t matter if your content is educational or informational…for most pages to grow and get exposed to non-followers, you have to hop on trends. These could be adapted in a very creative way. For example: you can be inspired by a particular format used by a different niche and adapt it for your own page. We can dive deeper into this, if you want a whole edition on this topic, reply ‘TREND’ and if there’s real interest, will definitely share a value-packed email around this topic.
6. Showed up on Instagram stories to connect better
Shared authentic, behind-the-scenes regularly.
Created a more personal connection with followers through real-time interaction.
Used stories to promote wins, our offers and about us.
Read more: We brainstormed how to best utilise stories and you’d be shocked to know what performed best?—Gym selfies, grabbing a coffee story. People truly want to see more of you here + occasional promotions about your offers and testimonials to grow your business as well
7. Stayed consistent for 6+ months
Daily posting, even when growth was slow.
Focused on long-term brand building.
Read more: If you post regularly without a miss without knowing much about content or viral content, you will still grow by month 6. So, the only hack is to keep posting - good or bad, let the audience decide.
And that…ladies and gents was your mini guide on Instagram growth.
A glimpse: What I’ve been up to this week?
This week has been all about researching ways to low-key automate my content system
And endless chats with Claude, ofc
As a marketer who’s been using AI well before ChatGPT became public in 2022…
(I’ve been an AI enthusiast...you can tell)
I definitely had to look at ways to use AI in the content production system
And this week changed how I was using AI before and how I will use it now : )
Do you want me to write and share the learnings in next week’s newsletter? Reply YES, and I will make sure to write and share how I’m using AI in my everyday content system.
See you next Sunday,
Ria
Social Media Strategist