Contrary to old advice, recent data and a statement from Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, confirm that using hashtags can result in fewer views. The more hashtags used, the lower the reach, making them an F-tier growth strategy that should be abandoned.
An S-tier strategy is to upcycle every post by republishing it 90 days after its original post date, and again 90 days after that. This gives every piece of content at least three opportunities to reach audiences and drive growth, effectively tripling your output for free.
Creators overvalue trending audios, which are ranked as a D-tier strategy. Unless you capitalize on a trend in its earliest stages with genuinely good content, slapping a popular sound on a weak video won't make a meaningful difference. It's like 'putting lipstick on a pig.'
Chopping up podcasts or YouTube videos for Reels is a D-tier strategy for Instagram growth. Its primary function is to serve as a promotion to drive traffic back to the original long-form content, not to build a native short-form audience, with rare exceptions like 'Diary of a CEO'.
Using tools like ManyChat for 'comment for link' automations is a top-tier strategy. It is highly effective not only for boosting post engagement—which leads to more views and followers—but also for directly increasing sales, making it a necessity for businesses on Instagram.
Myths about 'posting and ghosting' being penalized or rewarded are false. The algorithm is indifferent to whether you stay on the app after posting. Its sole focus is on how the audience interacts with your content. Your personal activity does not impact reach.
A past marketing trend involved cramming keywords into the alt text field to boost algorithmic discovery. Instagram now actively penalizes this practice, known as 'keyword stuffing,' by showing your post to fewer people. Alt text should only be used for its intended accessibility purpose.
Posting a high volume of content is a top strategy, provided there's a baseline quality. The increased quantity serves as practice, allowing for rapid experimentation and learning about what resonates with the audience. This iterative process ultimately leads to higher quality content and faster growth.
While many content creators dismiss carousels in favor of reels for growth, they are an A-tier tool due to their high conversion rate for building customers. Figuring out how to make an engaging carousel is a powerful strategy for creators focused on monetization, not just follower count.
According to recent studies, posts where multiple accounts collaborate are the highest-performing on average. This makes strategic collaborations with others in your niche a super underrated but highly effective A-tier strategy for tapping into new, relevant audiences and accelerating growth.
An S-tier growth strategy is to stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, identify content topics, stories, or tips that have already performed well and systematically recreate them using different formats, hooks, and styles. Consistently returning to what works is key to sustained growth.