Instagram called me!! They told me how to *actually* grow in 2024

Welcome back to the Social Media 2024 Series where I share all the latest tips to grow as a content creator! Today we're focusing on Instagram growth strategies because I had a call with Instagram a couple of weeks ago! They spilled a lot of tea so let's get into it!
We'll go over:
+ How often should you post on Instagram --- reels, carousels & broadcasts
+ Are Instagram stories irrelevant now?
+ How to use threads to grow on Instagram
+ Best practices for going live on Instagram
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[@MichaelWinokur1]

Valuable video Erin! What worked for me is posting high-quality content and using a bit of quicky social to grow my Instagram organically and engage with users.

[@ManipuraCentreCo]

Whew! That's a heck of a lot of content posting!! So when is the business owner supposed to actually take time to run her business? Instagram is just doing too much. I will stick to my podcast, SEO on my website to increase traffic, and building my email list. Social media will have you jumping through hoops that will leave you frustrated and totally burnt out.

[@SwayzLandRecords]

You can cut your content into clips and repost. For example 1 podcast can have about 25 clips in it

[@marlenejennifer3514]

Instagram isn’t concerned about people being able to run their business because they are concerned with everyone else making their business grow. It’s very one sided

[@truthtalkswithninastewart]

I agree. I little stopped posting on my business instagram page because it became sooo overwhelming. I found myself creating content more than I was doing the business. And the followers just eat up all the free content and waste your time. I put more of my time in KZbin now.

[@2cuteclassroom]

Yes🙌🏽. Instagram is a business, and you will become an unpaid employee who helps their business grow with all that posting. Your own business is bound to suffer.🤷🏽‍♀️

[@travelwiththeharmony]

The “Stories” part of this conversation is extremely interesting because I have an account that only performs well when I post stories. The engagement is through the roof and most of the followers love communicating with me only through DM. They'll never comment on public posts 😂 so weird!

[@ErinOnDemand]

Yes! That's why I said that part is v subjective based on the way your community consumes your content. End of the day, IG is going to try to lead people to the place that benefits them the most -- which is why they'd say prioritize Threads (bc that's their priority) lol

[@BridgettHBeauty]

I gave instagram two good years and grew by 1k followers 😩… I’m giving KZbin that energy this year and repurposing every where else… This was informative.. I just don’t have the mental for instagram!!

[@yourtravelbestie]

Feeling the same. No growth.

[@BridgettHBeauty]

@@yourtravelbestieSmh, and we are not the only ones 😞…

[@HopefullyErin]

I've been feeling like this about Instagram too. I haven't been consistent on KZbin because I was so focused on Instagram. That has changed now. ​@yourtravelbestie

[@Ms.zoeyletsplay]

Ig almost made me quit my business all together . Post 1-3x a day for 2years 1000 followers in the first 90days now at 1500 in 2 years 😓

[@ReReFromTexas]

Me too sis!

[@user-gs2lm4xb7j]

Content creation has become, it is, the new full time job. Let's start admitting it. It is.

[@ErinOnDemand]

I don't think anyone is denying that! lol xx

[@BridgettHBeauty]

It definitely is!

[@2cuteclassroom]

🙌🏽Amen. And, most people work for free💰😔

[@SageenaRalph]

This is nothing on you Erin but Instagram’s goal is do any and everything to benefit THEIR platform, not the creators who use their platform. When creators and those alike start reaping some benefits and affiliations for their work, then it would make sense to jump through all of instagram’s hoops (posting on stories, posting on feeds, posting on threads, etc).

[@yournurselawyer]

AMEN! I have to do all of these things to not get paid. LOL

[@ErinOnDemand]

Totally agree! This is why it's important for creators to start their own brands, collect email addresses and really take ownership of what is built on these social platforms. At the end of the day, it's their business.

[@BridgettHBeauty]

Exactly

[@penelopesparrow]

This is right on the money! Instagram's goal is to train an AI, my goal is to get seen by people who want my kind of content. IG wants me to go live twice a week, cut back hashtags, drop stories, pick up threads, blah blah... they need us to dance but they want us dancing a specific routine. I just wanna bop awkwardly in the corner 😆

[@maggiekupps]

Camping here! As a growing creator I really appreciate these videos thank you. Instagram literally gives me sleepless nights at times

[@KaBoikago]

I am terrified of Instagram. I don't even want to try

[@ErinOnDemand]

Omg don't give it that much power! So happy to help! xx

[@thefearlessmommy]

Yeah IG is definitely making me take my talents elsewhere. They do too much 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@KishaWynter]

These comments reflect that a lot of people are ready to the done with Instagram. I feel that frustration 😑

[@JMG4747_]

I just wish Instagram would do what the people actually ask for . Ready to be done with the app all together .

[@1QueenMovie]

You're so true about IG. It's so frustrating. I'm still trying to build my author and entrepreneur communities. It's so hard. This algorithm stuff is crazy. I get more engagement on tiktok but of course they're going through their situation now which isn't helpful. Ugh. I simply hate social media at this point. It's too much fluff and no one pays you any mind even after you've been consistent.

[@princenhlengethwa]

I love that you even sense that Instagram is just stuffy. I found it funny seeing their updated icons. As if new icons would make it fun being there. It’s just such a maze. We love the platform but it’s like playing a never ending game with the hardest stages. You go through soo many hoops for just followers and not even monetisation.

[@ErinOnDemand]

Literally!! I hate those icons so much. I can never find what I'm looking for! Yeah, it's honestly so unfortunate bc it really seems like they stopped prioritizing their users. But... it's their business so we must comply if we'll be on the platform lol

[@bintatherese]

I’d love to see a video on what other social media platforms you think are worth joining and trying to grow on, especially if there are any new ones. Sometimes I wish someone would create a new “Instagram” where we could just start over, haha. Thanks for the insider tips! ❤

[@FenyAngeI]

I hate facebook because they bought instagram and implemented the sames rules there, its so frustrating

[@thealabasterbox459]

IG just needs to let us post links in the post - PERIODT. There, I said it.

[@kemzi22]

Agreed.

[@ADoseofKryssy]

This updated is what I needed! I’ve been so focused on showing up in my stories I need to show up on threads. Of course 🙃. I’ll be watching later because I’m at work and I need to take notes!

[@WOMENOFTROY]

This video was top notch. Very informative and right to the point. Thank you!

[@bmarie___]

This video was sooooo helpful ❤❤❤❤ I’m so glad you made this video❤

[@SiennaRawlings]

Thank you so much Erin. You are the first person I have come across that has actually shared this legit information. So many people are posting nothing but fluff. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this video.

[@jessicascreenwritingservices]

Thanks for the growth tips, Erin. I was surprised by the stories tip. My audience tends to flock to my stories, especially when new people follow me.

[@Colordripd2217]

Thank You, Thank you for this video!!! This is gold.🎉❤

[@Tephiffany]

Oh my! I need a social media manager LOL thanks Erin for the updates!

[@lesajames3465]

You are so glowing!

[@ErinOnDemand]

Aww thank you!! xx

[@glambyshey]

Hi Erin, great recap and how awesome you got on that call! I actually see more engagement on my stories than posts and it looks like the are prioritizing that and DM with the new added stickers. I agree Instagram has had us on a chokehold for so long but there are other options out their for business owners it all depends what your goals are.

[@SumayaUnveiled]

This is so helpful! Thank you!

[@lillianchukwueze]

Great video Erin! I advise my clients to post on Instagram specifically for the ads capabilities lol so they don’t have to post nearly as much as people who are solely focused on an organic growth strategy.

[@ithecreative]

Those were very helpful tips. We are a t-shirt brand for artists and building awareness on Instagram is pretty much nil. Follower growth is stagnant. We’ll apply your pointers for sure. Thanks.

[@tiffanyodean]

Instagram is always doing the most. I could never get traction. I guess it’s no longer a place for business owners and like you said more for influencers. I’ve decided to focus more on LinkedIn and my KZbin channel.

[@loriep3809]

Yes true overload, good info

[@ChillWithUche]

Erin listening to you has helped me alot on my channel.,I love and appreciate your video

[@ErinOnDemand]

So happy to hear that!! You're so welcome! xx

[@Kickrocksproductions]

always helpful!

[@sparklywinona]

This was really helpful!

[@Simone69214]

Lets get Erin to 500k followers ASAP 😊.

[@briananellis]

i love my stories , i make them actually stories and ppl love them

[@ErinOnDemand]

Love that! Keep it up! That one is def very subjective, which is why it's important to know your community! xx

[@kemzi22]

I like the ideas of using 8 hashtags, using topics, letting stories expire, posting 5+ times a week, and being consistent with LIVEs (also giving notice to my followers beforehand). I’ll keep these in mind because they are a better way to do what I’m already doing. I LOVE content creation, so Instagram feels like a fun challenge for me. At the same time, I agree that they’ve lost sight of what they are as a platform and that the platform owners care more about themselves than the creators, so my mindset with Instagram is primarily to enjoy sharing my message while hoping to get results for my business, but not necessarily “IG success.” I’m also putting more effort into KZbin, and even more, my email newsletter.

[@jannerymichelle604]

Thank you for this video! This was so helpful, as I'm relaunching my content creator career. Did he mention anything about subscriptions? I just received notification on offering exclusive content with paid subscription.

[@Latoija]

Having that blue check definitely matters. ❤ I was able to get an issue fixed that I had been dealing with for 3 years. Couldn’t get it resolved until I got that blue check. Even if you have to pay monthly to have it. DO IT. ❤

[@EbethFielder]

get into it Erin

[@MountainofInspiration]

Thank you so much for this. I am taking notes. Hashtags still matter but they don't belong in the comments. No more than 8. And pick the best ones based on size. Awesome.

[@MomentsWithMarii1]

Erin is OVER instagram 😂😂😂 this video was super useful as I have been back and forth about my new IG page for my personal brand.

[@sunnynorton7628]

Definitely creating a scheduled amount of time per day or per week will help your company. hopefully helps you not get burned out.

[@TheGlamEmpress]

IG is so hard to grow but I’ve always placed my hashtags in the comments and now I’m going to have to switch that up. Thank you so much Erin for the tips 💞

[@ErinOnDemand]

Same!! I always hated how it looked in the caption and for the longest, I was still benefitting from having them in my caption. Now... if i were you, I'd monitor if you see a difference in your data when you put it in your caption vs comment! xx

[@TheGlamEmpress]

@@ErinOnDemand will do! 🫶🏽✨💞

[@brittani.inthecity]

The stories views hacks is very true! So I do it periodically when I want to share important things

[@QuitaLashawn]

I see this notification all the time ans never took the chance😩

[@AshBartolo]

This is so helpful! Although could you clarify the stories - i didnt understand when you said its good to allow 12-24 hours before posting another story, but the optimal amount of stories to post is 6-8 a day?

[@rejoyce314]

Thanks for sharing

[@ShaddeyNNM]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share these tips. I guess I feel like a lot of the people in these comments. But in my case it's not specifically an Instagram thing... I tried tiktok and it was even worse (but that's partly because I hate TikTok, and just went on there because I was desperate). I use KZbin and Instagram in my free time, I love watching documentaries and then for IG I just prefer the way people create their content on there, maybe because the algorithms on YT and IG know me better, TikTok just spits out anything and I hate what I am seeing. I am just so confused because people make it seem like things are easier on TikTok but I get 0 engagement on there, sure move views, but those views don't turn into followers, nor engagement, so in my experience it's worse. LOL just me hating on TikTok again, I think I should do a video on that. When I decided that I was going to use social media to try to market my business I knew I had to get on KZbin, however I believe that I might be a few years too late when it comes to my niche, the thing is I don't want to be content creator. I want to be able to share practical tips and make educational videos about my niche which is wigs, many people still use wigs, but not as many. So at this point I am fine with it just being a hobby, I will of course try to repurpose the videos for IG, but I just don't have the capacity to do all of that to maybe get a few followers.

[@cdubb6983]

I definitely make sure to let my stories expire a couple of times a week because nobody is hanging around through all those stories to see the new ones. At least I know I don't lol. A good rule of thumb for realizing stuff like this is paying attention to how YOU use social media cuz that's more than likely how others do.

[@JillWrightNailTechEvent]

You’re so right about people losing interest in IG as they make their platform more & more confusing. I’m not giving it up, but then I’m not putting days worth of research into figuring it out either. TikTok has more reach if you make an interesting video.

[@weatherandsky]

If you are a one person business, how can you put effort into running it properly while having to keep up with Instagrams (constant changing) growth requirements? I think platforms like KZbin might be more worth the effort because it has longevity. I stopped caring about keeping up with Instagram from last year. I just post when i feel like it just for my true followers (followers who actually care about my work). I don't care any more about growth because it's exhausting and in the end i feel i get nothing much out of it.

[@irinacoal]

Love it! But what happens if I post reels daily? I noticed the biggest growth since posting more and consistently 7 per week. However, lately are starting to flap down. Is it good to post more of or is it worst?💛

[@johnnibaz6883]

I never tried to get noticed on instagram but I just can't imagine how nightmarish it must be for brand new people on the platform? Back in the days, you could explore hashtags, find stuff that had been published seconds ago, I loved it. I used to go there to find art-related stuff... now the explore page is just a static wall of always the same things and always the same creators -- mainstream boring creators that I couldn't care less about. How do you get to grow a community if you can't even let the world know you're here? Instagram is just plain boredom to me rn.

[@goodieswithgrace1004]

This is so true…😕

[@natarshahall1598]

Thank you for this Erin, how do we get a broadcast channel because I do not see the tab for it

[@stephenday8833]

You have to have a creator account. Not available to personal or business accounts.

[@natarshahall1598]

@@stephenday8833 right, I do have one, but have never seen the broadcast channel. I've even googled how to find it and it's not there. Idk. I may have to reach out to IG, thanks for the response.

[@UnapologeticallyRyketia]

Can you do a 2024 YT version? 👀

[@stephenday8833]

So, 3x per week for reels. Is it bad if we do more? Did they say how many will hurt your growth?

[@kliggco]

I can’t wait until everyone has access to broadcast channels. Some of my clients still don’t have access to that feature

[@Human-Failure]

Instagram says "JUMP"... and we all say "How high". Its already so ridiculous

[@CopperHueCollectionsChippewa]

I get way more engagement on my stories that post & threads. I’ll stick with stories until I leave that platform all together.

[@KieraAntoinette]

I get more engagement on my stories, so I started sharing my posts/reels on my story- but I’ve noticed that when I do this, my views tank significantly vs. if I post raw content straight from my camera roll. Does this happen to anyone else?

[@aishapatelstyle]

Same here!

[@Neecy_York]

Yes I wonder why that is?

[@karentaylorsmells]

I thought it was because the advice has been not to double up your post onto your story too?

[@SuzChadwick]

I love stories! that's a shame that they don't prioritise it!

[@BloomEssenceMarketing]

I definitely migrated to KZbin .. we just repurposed to ig!

[@kylehale9660]

Them wanting threads to happen is like the mean girls wanting "fetch" to happen. Product 101, you never force the user into a feature. Also is so pathetic to ask people to use threads under the guise of the algo will pay you back for doing so. Their product team is getting so far from market in my opinion, there has not been one release from instagram in the last two years that has had a meaningful impact for my brand Ambitious Kids. They have very much abandon the small business owner in favor or pure "creators" making mini skits, which sure are funny and can be enjoyable, but they need to bring balance to what is being presented to the user. Overall, ig is the past, tik tok is the future without a doubt. -- Erin I enjoyed your cadence and take on this, I love that you didn't just eat whatever they gave you and viewed it through a logical lens. well done.

[@karentaylorsmells]

Yes 💯!

[@iamliloubloom9062]

I dont like the broadcast channel, its onesided and to be honest, i feel "harassed." You can't have a two-way conversation, but they will ask for a topic and have polls, i think it's making the creator lazy this way. If im going to be in a groupsetting it better be interactive. That would hold more value in my opinion

[@KristenNichole]

I stopped trying to grow on my personal Instagram years ago and invested in growing my business and side hustle instead to help other businesses post frequently and create more content. I still have no desire to pump out content for myself but I’m thinking about at least being a little more present. I just have no personal interest in keeping up with the frequency and metrics if not for my clients.

[@yourtravelbestie]

What does it mean when your engagement is super high but no one follows?

[@marlenejennifer3514]

Adam was the one who said hashtags don’t matter like one time that’s why everyone was saying it because he did. I believe Modern Millie had the clip on one of her videos.

[@mikaelaclark541]

Dude same with the story views, they been very low latelt. I was wondering what was up with that.

[@Tips4SocialMedia]

4:32 what are we referring to when it comes to 100k and 10 million? Just checking.

[@format4success]

I think what they mean is when you put in a hashtag you will see a number beside the name. Not sure if that is search number or viewers or what but if a hashtag has a number of say 347 it means there is not enough people viewing that hashtag to make it worth your effort. I've heard different theories on this with some saying do a few with large numbers and the rest with smaller numbers. The idea I think is if you do the large numbers like 10 million your post just gets lost in the mix. Not sure but if Instagram is pushing it to people based on what they have searched for before the large number makes sense.

[@Tem_thecreative]

I would love to finally grow on IG but im so over the platform 😢

[@format4success]

So I'm curious about the optimum content numbers. Is this a minimum amount as in a minimum of 3 reels per week or is it an actual number of its best to ONLY do 3 reels per week, and same with the other things like carousel posts, lives etc. Anybody know?

[@ErinOnDemand]

Optimal would be considered the most ideal number! However, I’d encourage you to experiment with your own content, as these are averages based on a wide pool of data.

[@format4success]

@@ErinOnDemand Thank you so much for your reply. I will indeed play around with the numbers.

[@HarryLoveTV]

My number one question is what is the best alternative to Instagram? I keep getting flagged by ai for invalid reasons and “support” wont even respond (let alone call). After spending nearly 15 years building 8k followers I now can’t reach AND being shadowbanned over things that plenty other accounts with huge followings don’t get erroneously punished- conclusion : It’s time to migrate elsewhere

[@brittanytavares]

This is what’s frustrating about IG. Their recommendations are so contradicting. You’re saying he said stories aren’t important but the owner of IG said the number one place IG users are now is not in the feed but stories and DMs. So wouldn’t stories actually be important?

[@iamlashawnda]

Sure did! That's the first thing I thought about when they mentioned to de-prioritize stories! lol Like they literally said the opposite. No wonder creators are so overwhelmed and over it

[@enorde1]

Stories and reels are different. I heard reels are important, stories aren't

[@theonly6220]

@@enorde1 if the owner is saying the majority of users are in stories and dms , don't you think stories would be important as well though?

[@keracreates7976]

ya no they are Micro managing!!!!

[@bridneywinfrey]

I g hates me. I’m coming for KZbin💪🏾 as a Fashion Affiliate Marketer giving tips on my Ai Virtual Styles and more.

[@naomiartisan]

I find instagram is become too demanding. Instead of focusing on original creator ideas it’s become like do this so that in a week. I am posting lesser and lesser there too. I am planning to move back to KZbin. I love creation but I need life too

[@guacanememoya2045]

6 to 8 stories per day? That's just the best recipe for burn out 😵

[@Milly_in_denmark]

So there was nothing new at all 😅. And it’s not you it’s not you. You just a messenger 😊, but they need to better. They tried to fix something that wasn’t broken and they ended up breaking it. Now Instagram looks almost like TikTok

[@mixxedclipz]

Have you ever heard of Fanbase? If so, do you think people will move over there?

[@user-gs2lm4xb7j]

What is Fanbase? I've never heard of it.

[@mixxedclipz]

@user-gs2lm4xb7j it's like Black Instagram. Made by Isaac Hayes' son

[@BeingBroook]

Me either 👀 let me go look into it

[@Onalenna_Thobega]

3 reels per week 😭😭😭. I post a reel once a week 😭😭

[@hasher22]

3 reels, 2 posts and the other is way too much. I can't even be bothered doing 1 reel per month.

[@RoseGoldFragrance]

There aren't enough categories 😩

[@angelamhaigler]

I dont want to use threads like you describe and they suggest. If they want it like Twitter was, it was for our discussions. Not like this.

[@theejernine]

IG wants so much for so little in return. So much fluff and no substance.

[@motifdarl4091]

Instagram so far sucks and boreing