Personal branding isn't just about being seen; it's about being found when potential clients are looking. The speaker presents a clear progression: a strong brand creates visibility, which in turn leads to findability online. In today's market, if you are not findable, you are forfeiting opportunities.

Instead of posting a video directly to the feed, place it on the second slide of an Instagram carousel. Use the first slide as a compelling, static text hook. This piques curiosity, encourages a swipe, and can lead to higher engagement and watch time for the video.

When a potential follower lands on your profile, they make a split-second decision. 'Thin content'—like memes, one-line insights, or simple tips—acts as a low-friction entry point. It's easily consumed, quickly communicates your brand's personality, and reduces the barrier to hitting 'follow'.

Contrary to some growth-hacking advice, stuffing captions with keywords or hiding them in videos is considered spammy behavior by Instagram's algorithm. This practice will result in your content being actively penalized and shown to fewer people.

Users can now manually add or remove interest categories to customize their feed algorithm. This allows creators with a well-defined niche to be directly recommended to users who have explicitly expressed interest in that topic, leveling the playing field for smaller accounts to get discovered.

Your Instagram 'name line'—not your @handle—is fully searchable on Instagram and external search engines like Google. Using descriptive keywords here (e.g., 'San Francisco Videographer') is far more effective for discovery than a simple branded name.

As feeds become saturated, relying on shares for discovery is insufficient. Your ideal followers are actively searching for solutions. Optimizing profiles and posts with keywords to answer their questions is a more reliable and underrated path to being discovered.

To grow on platforms like Instagram, design content with a broad, intriguing hook on the first slide or in the first few seconds. This captures a wider audience beyond your niche. Then, use the subsequent content to deliver your specialized value, converting interested viewers into followers.

Instagram content is increasingly discoverable on external platforms like Google and in chatbots. Marketers must shift their mindset and craft captions with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Use relevant keywords to ensure your posts can be found by users searching for your topic outside of Instagram itself.