Are you ready to grow your Instagram followers in 2024? It might be easier than you think! Last year, we helped clients gain 3.4 million followers using a straightforward strategy. Here’s how you can do it too.
Understanding Instagram’s Creator Tiers
Instagram seems to rank accounts in different “Creator Tiers,” which impacts your reach. The higher your tier, the more Instagram trusts you, and the more reach you get. Your tier can change based on various factors, and reaching the first tier is the hardest.
When you start, your trust score is low. The first significant milestone is gaining 1,000 followers. Consistency plays a crucial role here. You need to show Instagram that you’re serious about creating valuable content.
Getting Your First 1,000 Followers
The first 1,000 followers are the toughest to get. It takes time to build Instagram’s trust. During this phase, even if your content is amazing, it might not blow up immediately. Stay consistent and focus on providing value to your audience.
The Breakout Video
Once you reach that first milestone, aim for a breakout video. This is a video that goes viral and pushes you into a higher Creator Tier, leading to exponential growth. The algorithm focuses on two main factors for breakout videos: retention rate and engagement.
Improving Your Retention Rate
Retention rate is crucial. It’s all about how long people watch your video. Here’s how to improve it:
- Analyze Retention Curves: Check where viewers drop off. If there’s a big drop at the start, your hook might be weak. If the drop is later, your content might get boring or off-topic.
- Optimize Your Hook: Make your hook engaging and to the point.
- Fix Your Ending: If viewers drop off at the end, avoid hinting that the video is about to end too early.
Even if you don’t have detailed retention curves, you can use average watch time to gauge performance. Aim for close to 100% retention on shorter videos.
Boosting Engagement
Engagement, especially comments, can make your video go viral. Here’s how to boost it:
- Be Controversial: Address controversial topics in your niche to spark discussions.
- Elicit Emotions: Create content that gets people to comment, even if they disagree.
Action Steps
- Track Your Stats: Monitor your retention and watch time. Identify patterns and improve continuously.
- Engage Your Audience: Be controversial and get people to comment.
Growing on Instagram takes time and effort, but by focusing on retention and engagement, you can beat the algorithm and grow your following. Keep creating valuable content, stay consistent, and aim for that breakout video. Good luck!
