The lies you’ve been told about Instagram growth

[@IvonneC_Health-N-Fitness]

Only 2 reels a week and a carousel + stories. Love this. Feels so much more doable.

[@imsotango]

OMG that posting schedule is unreal! I have been struggling so hard to get myself up to posting a reel every single day and to think that I actually don’t have to?! Thank you for giving me back my sanity

[@SkySocialAssistant]

creating content calendar is very helpful.

[@emm6724]

I think it just depends how quickly you want to grow and the quality of the reels you can get out. My one friend has grown 25k followers in two months and is pumping out three reels a day plus static photos

[@boldblondfro]

Why does it feel like you’re an undercover spy collecting corporate secrets! 😆 I love it!!

[@yosoylily.]

😂😂😂

[@rosecolorsparks]

Hashtags are really useful for artists, actually. The dtiys hashtags are really useful and artists do scroll them. So, if someone does a contest, these hastags are really used (their specific hashtags). Instagram has a huge artist following so I wouldn't take them out

[@sketchesofshay]

This video was soooo helpful Katie! I want to start posting reels again to get more reach and work with brands on short form. However, I was dreading the reels editor because it was always so glitchy and hard to edit with, and I didn't think my content would perform well if I edited it in Premier Pro. Thank you for dispelling that myth! Feeling much more confident in my Reels plans 💪

[@DrexelGregory]

Your explanations are the most credible I’ve seen

[@veronika_languagediaries]

Hey Katie! Thank you so much for the amazing video! I absolutely love your content and watch all your videos the moment you post them 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@katie]

thank you so much for the support! i really appreciate it ❤

[@Moon_Dyes]

Thanks for sharing that with us Katie!

[@pucksandpaperbacks]

katie you are reading my mind bc i was just watching videos yesterday about if hashtags are worth it anymore. thank you!!! lol

[@thrift-rat]

Hi Katie, this was helpful, thanks! (: The only thing I will say is editing outside of ig always lowers the quality of my video no matter the settings. I find that I get the best/crisp quality when I film in app which suckkssss. I hate editing in app lol.

[@katie]

do you for sure have the "upload at highest quality" setting turned on? that might help - and making sure your export settings in whatever app you're using are correct as well :)

[@stagesofcj]

Thank you for clarifying what the point of hashtags is today! I still wonder, if they are essentially used as metadata now, why bother using the hashtag symbol? Why not just put them in your caption message, or in list form below the caption? I think IG should just add a "tags" subsection of captions. My other question is: Any insight on text placement on reels? If you add text in an outside editor, you run the risk of it being covered by your caption or those auto-subtitles on TikTok, for example. Thoughts?

[@SkySocialAssistant]

Thank you for sharing this, Katie! Especially the hashtags, which give us clarification on how we should use them.

[@itssuhgud]

This video is absolute gold. Implementing all of these things right away. Thanks Katie!!!!! 🎉🎉

[@SkySocialAssistant]

that's true! 👍

[@aoife_outdoors]

Awesome and insightful video, as always! Also I love the sign-off. It might sound silly but it always gives me a little boost. Like, yeahhh I AM gonna follow my dreams. 😂

[@katie]

yeahh you are!! haha it might be cheesy but I really do mean it 💖

[@aboutkimmy]

Your content is really helping me with my job

[@albaslak]

Your videos are always very useful! ❤ Thanks to share all this information!

[@AshleyClaunch]

Thank you Katie for clarifying, many things I have wondered about.

[@Sassystrawberry001]

Amazing video like always! 💖 Thank you for being our “in” with the Meta team! And THANK YOU for confirming that I don’t have to edit within the app! 😫 Every time I try to the text is super glitchy.

[@katie]

of course!! so glad I could get the insider insights to share hehe

[@lelugrey1509]

This is really really useful! Thank you so much for sharing Katie! Can't wait for the next HONEST & REAL Advice! ❤

[@Digitaltia]

Thank you Katie for looking out for us still trying to build social media presence. It was enlightening and concise

[@7WordsWorth]

Thanks for this insightful video. Side note: where did you get those bib overalls?? I’ve been searching for so long.

[@chefalisha]

I am drinking the TEA YOU SPILLED! Thanks for the insights 😊

[@LBJedi]

The hashtag thing was SUPER useful!

[@luciatinajero437]

I love the van videoooooos! Just a glimpse of your dream life, love it

[@iamsarahlippi]

Honestly, I wish KZbin had a feature where we could give 10 stars to this video. Thanks for the wonderful content! ❤

[@vetr17384]

Loved the video Katie, very informative! 💙 I have one question tho. I'm really curious about is the "Add topics" feature on Reels. Do you personally use it and do you think it affects the reach if you don't? 😁

[@sherkinnahelena]

Great tips! I know things have changed over the years but it is good to hear all this information!

[@natniszakov_]

Thank you Katie! awesome information!

[@KirstenNielsenYoga]

I LOVE your videos so much! I bought your creator bundle and I listen to all your podcasts! Thank you for all your hard work you are amazing xx

[@DrewSteinbrecher]

Long time viewer, new commenter... Thanks for all your videos. I've really learned a lot about Instagram to help grow my online class business. In the next few months I will be diving in to KZbin in earnest and will definitely use your videos as a resource. Thanks, Katie!

[@katie]

so glad to hear that, thank you!

[@weekendwithernie]

So excited to hear that you don't have to edit within the app! 🙅🏻‍♀🥳 One question...does post time matter? Posting in the afternoon vs evening, weekend vs week day, etc.?

[@kaylieannwhite]

LOVE all your videos! I'd love to hear your take on "posting times". Do they matter? Is there a right or wrong time to post to get your content viewed by more people?

[@Vivikocht]

Thank you for sharing Katie. Only 2 reels a week and a carousel + stories. Love this. Feels so much more doable and I love your transitions. how do you make them?

[@arianaola92]

Thanks Katie, this is gold ! 💗

[@efficircus]

Your videos are always always always so helpful and informative. Thabk you so much!!!

[@themicrodosementor]

You dropped some more gold for us! Thank you ❤

[@Dennisbhansen]

Awesome and finally one that provide backed knowledge❤

[@sophiemariecurly]

Super helpful thank you Katie ❤

[@veganlunchmom]

Wow this is some awesome info! Thanks Katie! You have one of the best most helpful channels. 🥰

[@FitnessWithMellyMel]

Drinking me a lil Celsius, but Matcha sounds so much better right now! Thank you for this!

[@JeffWiswell]

great video! what font are you using?

[@TheJazmineRose]

Thank you so much! For makin this video 📸

[@jeriheggie]

Really great information Katie thank you! I’ve been avoiding IG because it’s a lot on top of a YT channel but this gives me hope 🤗 Sorry for taking over the comment section here 😂 apparently I’ve been listening to a lot of your podcasts lately 😅

[@JarmainPatrick]

Hey Katie, recently I saw a post from Modern Millie claiming that instagram supresses youtube content. She said everytime she posted anything youtube related, the views and engagement dropped dramatically. As a result she left instagram and doesn't post on there anymore. Have you ever experienced this? Like instagram supressing youtube content? Thanks in advance!

[@Digitaltia]

Hello, I think she mentioned that she didn't like that she couldn't put on what she is talking about painly on Instagram e.g, the watermark. And this amongst others made her to post more on KZbin as she is a teacher

[@katie]

hey! I watched her video about this as well, and honestly I've never experienced that! before, however I never really use logos on screen when I'm talking about other apps, I'll just use the word? (and it is a known thing that instagram doesn't want logos on reels, but I think what they really mean is watermarks from tiktoks lol) but i think it probably depends most on just what your audience on a certain platform wants to see - if talking about youtube in my reels keep my instagram audience engaged longer (and therefore on the app longer) then Instagram has no motivation to suppress that content really

[@JarmainPatrick]

@@katieThanks for the reply Katie. Yeah, I guess the logo thing makes sense, especially where tik tok is concerned lol Personally I do find people on instagram engage less with content about youtube, but maybe that's just because my content isn't good enough, or my audience isn't interested. Anyway great content as always, thanks again!

[@s.c.g.]

I’ve experienced this as well! I don’t put logos but I will say I have a new KZbin video in my bio (same on TT) but I also don’t know if it’s just because my content maybe isn’t the best or if IG/TT reduce the possible views 🤔

[@jeriheggie]

@@JarmainPatrickI’ve found that I have less engagement too. In one of Katie’s podcasts she mentioned that it’s actually ok if they don’t because people are on IG for that type of content and then they go to KZbin for that longer type of content. So my takeaway is that I am going to start sharing actual IG content like posts or carrousels with little bits of info from my YT videos and then invite them to check it out if they want more info. For people in IG lots of the time they want little bits of information as they’re scrolling. Give the people what they want 😂

[@paganartisan]

As I grew a video in four days to 3.2M views and over 130 000 likes I can say that they don't. It's to do with how long the account has been up, amount of followers. Say 1000 followers is the first milestone, then the algorithm gets to know you. I average 1000 followers a day now and thousands of likes. My best video was millions.

[@simple_naildesigns]

Appreciate this! Especially the hashtag information.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Great video, Katie!! I just find that no matter what I do, the results aren't consistent. I recently posted a video totally unedited and it got me 5.5k followers. I've never seen that growth but it was so unaesthetic! And then I'll take so much time to plan and film and edit an aesthetic video and it doesn't do nearly as good or even poorly. I don't get it!

[@fagerdam]

Aesthetic videos are not trendy right now, people want more grit and realness.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

even on IG? cause my normal "ugly" videos don't perform well either this one just popped off for some reason. Perhaps cause it was unedited? @@fagerdam

[@jeriheggie]

My thought is that I think people are head-shy about AI. So the more real you are the more people can relate to your content and it feels human and not robotic. I’m not saying you use AI just using that as an example. Also I’m super jealous with the number of people who followed you from one post 🎉

[@timeonourhandsblog]

Awesome video! Thank you for all of this great information!

[@KaleNichols]

You’re amazing! Thanks for sharing ❤

[@awirralaway]

This is really helpful! I’m in the queue for a call with Meta so I’m looking forward to learning even more about this 🤓

[@MarisGardenandKitchen]

This was a very helpful video! Thank you!!

[@BooksLucyKing]

This is great info, thank you Katie :)

[@fedeandreoli]

thank you so so much! This is really helpful! Love your channel! Send you love from Argentina 🇦🇷✨

[@katie]

muchas gracias!! 🇦🇷💖

[@genregurl]

Katie, what are your thoughts on the whispering that influencing marketing is dying? It gives me anxiety as a small creator who has worked hard to build my platform.

[@Corbys_Creations]

Good evening, my morning drink will be iced coffee with milk and truvia❤

[@EbonySHairston]

Can epidemic sounds be used in the phone?

[@meganeastolfi2766]

love this video thank you so much do you recommend the same thing for therapist ? on instagram?

[@surreal_traveller]

anyone know if boosting reels will make you have to boost all reels for growth?

[@joni82harju]

Thanks again for your great video! I had a black coffee with me when I watched your video! Greetings from Finland!😊

[@TeamDivaRealEstateSeattle]

I came to the Katie party because your KZbin goodness is so good and now I'm staying for the Instagram dessert!

[@jaydaotuo-mensah4477]

To become serious with instagram and KZbin , is it better to use the same account or create a new one?

[@Jenniferadcock]

I loved this! Thanks for the super clear info on instagram! Now I can stop overthinking that stuff 😂

[@NikkitaChante]

Thanks Katie. Awesome advice 🙌🏽

[@bridgetgates6799]

I feel like I’m the only one that still searches hashtags and looks for new content and accounts.

[@FayeCate11]

got me my coca cola lol

[@heygabimara]

With hashtags, where does it have to go? Comments or the caption?

[@wanderlustybanana]

thank the lord that one about editing IN Instagram is fake because it always glitches and it's terrible to edit in there!! suddenly the song doesn't match up or the text is off or disappears completely! ugh for phone edits I use the free capcut, its so good

[@unfinished.spectrum]

How about writing text directly in Instagram stories rather than uploading a photo with text on it? Because I think only this way the auto-translation can work and it's also more accessible. Is that right?

[@NicoleGaines16]

Thanks for your Insight!

[@adamr8628]

We'll never use instagram again ever since they force people to hold up a stupid sign

[@babeofmoss]

Do you know if the days/times you post matter?

[@meganschall]

This is really helpful info, thank you! (And I'm drinking a homemade peppermint mocha😊)

[@littledevil23]

Thank you so much for making this video! I have been trying to grow my IG and KZbin for a little over a year now and have hit a wall. I hope some of your tips help! I feel like my IG never gets pushed anymore 😕 Sometimes I get no likes.

[@DPT2Go]

AWESOME content. Thank you so much 🎉

[@JavaWalkerWorld]

Hey Katie. 👋 Excellent video. Thank you.

[@pronetowander.together]

Thanks Katie!

[@katie]

thanks for watching!

[@author.gabrielavrivera]

Thank you for this!

[@Bmoney902]

I already suspected that about hashtags, that's it's for the algorithm. The thing is instagram only pushes already popular content in my niche, so I get no reach. It genuinely feels impossible to grow. My reels don't get more than maybe 200 or so views.

[@mattkay-xk4xr]

where u from . i know that accent .minn. ? dont say mexico lol . its poss but im thinking wess mid west . idk

[@Itsbigcyn]

Gold. Thank you.

[@dara_rada]

I saw that some creators are putting hashtag in the comment replies (they comment their reels and the put in the comment thread or just into the first comment). does it work at all?

[@simple_naildesigns]

Yes, I’ve noticed that too. Would like to know her opinion.

[@jeriheggie]

In one of her podcast episodes Katie said that it doesn’t matter. But using the comment space makes your post caption cleaner. Especially if you’re using a lot of hashtags

[@simple_naildesigns]

@@jeriheggie good to know, thank you!

[@yelleison]

I'm binge watching your content lately haha 🤣

[@katie]

haha than you!!

[@Antbomb]

Wooow thank you for this video! Almost feels illegal to know 😂

[@iam_yamilka]

Great tips no more hashtags

[@carolynknisely2383]

Very informative.

[@olebogengmoalusi2850]

Drinking coffee ☕ 😊

[@gdmhsa]

thanks for this

[@No0aa]

earl grey mate

[@frejamller2416]

I´m quite shocked cause I actually browse hashtags quite often. Does that mean I´m old? 😂😂😂 I especially use them a lot when travelling. I used to live in Korea for several years and Koreans are hella good at finding places and using hashtags, so even when I´m travelling in Europe, I use Korean hashtags to find all the good spots lol

[@SnowflakeRibbon]

does posting stories count as "posting"? :D lol, I am always posting stories. Is there a beneficial limit to this? I will be very thankful for anyone answering 💞🙏🏻

[@LeafyConversations]

I wonder if KZbin is really this way even though they say they are not?

[@Cynthiaozumba_Virtualassistant]

Katie❤❤❤❤

[@ampersand-studios]

Drinking Bodhizafa IPA ;-)

[@lavinder11]

Looks like they changed the reels hashtag to 5

[@DionTheCreative]

So I have a serious question and it may be a stupid one, but what exactly counts as a "specific" hashtag? I really struggle with this topic a lot

[@jeriheggie]

You want a keyword that has to do with the topic you’re posting about. So instead of “fries” you would use “homemadefries”. Combining two words that people would search for. Fries is too generic. Be more descriptive if you can. Obviously you can still use fries but adding more specific hashtags makes it less competitive and more likely you’ll turn up if someone is searching for “homemadefries”. 😅