When a new follower joins, send an automated welcome message that simply says thanks. Avoid pushing freebies or sales. The primary goal is to "break the ice" and accustom them to receiving messages from you, paving the way for future, more direct communication.
Using a tool like ManyChat, set up a "DM to Follow" automation. When a user requests a resource via a keyword, the system checks if they follow you. If not, it prompts them to follow before delivering the freebie, directly converting interest from non-followers into audience growth.
Contrary to popular belief, Instagram's algorithm does not reward accounts for direct engagement activities like replying to comments or DMs. While these actions foster community goodwill, they are not a factor in content reach. For time-strapped creators, posting new content provides a far greater growth ROI.
Dedicate daily posting efforts to five distinct "Trial Reel" formats, which Instagram shows exclusively to non-followers. This includes meta "this is a trial reel" posts, remakes of past hits, low-effort trends, DM automation prompts, and experimental content. This structured approach maximizes new audience acquisition.
The "more you post, the more you grow" principle favors frequency over perfection. Creators are often poor judges of what will go viral. Instead of spending 30 minutes on one "perfect" post, spend 10 minutes each day on three separate "good enough" posts to increase statistical chances of success and improve faster through repetition.
Instead of only "upcycling" your best-performing posts, repost any content older than 90 days, regardless of its initial performance. A post's first run is not a reliable indicator of its potential. Give every piece of content three separate chances to perform before retiring it, as timing and luck play a huge role in reach.