How I gained over 1000 Instagram followers in a month - using this strategy!

In December of 2021, I gained just about 200 followers on Instagram, but in January of 2022, I gained over 1200 new followers. Did your jaw just drop? I know mine did when I saw my Instagram scale using this one effective strategy. If you want to learn more about how I was able to increase my growth rate on Instagram by 500% in one month ...then keep on listening my friend.

Are you ready for my secret? The secret is...

It isn’t a secret. Instagram Reels (in my opinion) is one of the main contributors in helping me increase my growth rate in January of this year.

Instagram reels are a part of any solid growth strategy on Instagram these days, but it's not just about posting as many Reels as you can, it's about having the right strategy and plan behind those Reels and I also feel like it's about balancing out the different types of Reels so that you make sure that you are reaching the right kind of audience and also serving your existing audience in a variety of ways.

Why use Instagram Reels to grow your audience?

If you are still not convinced that you should have Instagram Reels in your strategy, here are a few reasons WHY you should start using Instagram Reels.

Increase Reach: Reels appear in the explore feed and Reels tab, allowing people not following you to see your content. Reaching new audiences with each new post will help you increase your reach.

More Engaging: Reels are not only quick and easy to absorb, but when done right, they are catchy, funny, and genuinely enjoyable to watch - which can make them more engaging for the viewer.

Dive Deeper: Reels are such a great way to show the real you. Video, in general, can open the door for your audience to dive deeper with you and get a true taste of your personality.

How to use Reels to grow your audience?

Now you know why you should be using Reels, but how do you use them and what strategies can you use to help grow your following on Insta?

Follow the Trends: I know this can get time-consuming and might not be practical for everyone, but you can take a few moments each day and scroll through the Reels tab to see if any new trends emerge. You can discover trends by paying attention to the Reel audios that keep repeating while scrolling and by the audio, you will see an up arrow if it’s currently trending as well!

Creating Original Content: If you truly want to show up on the Instagram reels tab, it’s time to start standing out from the crowd by creating your own, unique content. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to completely start from scratch but instead, add your own unique twist to it. For example, if you see a trending Reel audio, instead of following suit and doing the same thing this person did in the Reel - add your own personality, niche, and ideas to the Reel. This will make it stand out from the rest.

Always Include Captions: On Instagram, captions can make or break someone watching your video. The same goes for all video post types on Instagram, including stories. I am guilty of tapping through a story or swiping through a Reel because I was watching these videos with my sound off - and someone didn’t have captions. Take the extra step to add text to your Reels.

Avoid Outside Logos: We all know that resharing TikToks and other content is a well-used strategy on Instagram - but did you know that Instagram says its algorithm won’t promote Reels that have a TikTok watermark. If you decide to post your TikToks to Instagram or even reshare other creators’ content, make sure to remove the watermark. You can use a website called SnapTik to do this.

Use Call to Actions: You need to use every opportunity to tell your viewer what to do next. Make sure to add a call to action in your Reels. This might be as simple as leading them to read the caption for more detail or leading them to your “link in bio” to access something mentioned in the Reel.

Share to Feed: Make sure all of your Reels are being shared to your Feed - you don’t want someone to miss the opportunity of seeing your Reels when visiting your profile because they’re hidden on the Reels tab.

Post Consistently: It’s not all about posting Reels, it is also about being consistent with your content. Posting consistently and frequently are really helpful. now I don't want to stress you out or make you feel like you need to post every single day or multiple times a day to grow because that's not true. But I think that if you can shoot for consistency and a slightly higher frequency than what you're currently doing, then you might see the results you’re looking for.

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If you want us to take a look at your Instagram and give you our expert opinion on your current strategy, we do have a super valuable (and affordable) Instagram Audit service, you can check this out on our website.

The most important thing is that no matter what your growth on Instagram looked like this past month that you feel proud of yourself for putting yourself out there online and creating content that you feel proud of! And hey, just so you know, I am proud of all of you!