Boosting Instagram Growth: My 3-Month Experiment with Ads & Engagement Strategies

Join me as I share my experiment with growing my Instagram following from 700,000 to over 1 million through targeted ads, influencer partnerships, and content strategy tweaks.

1. Silicon Valley Girl discusses Instagram growth and engagement in this video.
2. She emphasizes the importance of diversifying social media presence to ensure continued interaction with followers, even if a platform fails.
3. The speaker has an Instagram profile with over 700,000 followers and two TikTok profiles with over a million followers combined.
4. Good engagement on Instagram ranges from 5-10%, as measured by likes, reach, or story views.
5. Non-engaging content can lead to the Instagram algorithm limiting post visibility due to perceived lack of interest.
6. Buying followers is not recommended because the Instagram algorithm may view such followers as inactive, negatively impacting post promotion.
7. Engagement can vary based on audience demographics; younger audiences are more likely to like posts, while older audiences may save or comment more.
8. Personal life events, such as having a baby or being pregnant, can significantly boost engagement on Instagram.
9. The speaker decided to invest in Instagram ads and target her followers with company products to grow her Instagram following and increase revenue.
10. She suggests focusing on content quality first before investing in ads or other growth strategies.
11. To improve content, consider the following tips:
a. Engage with your audience by responding to comments.
b. Make your Instagram bilingual or cater to a specific audience.
c. Post at least once a week and utilize stories to connect with followers.
d. Share engaging stories after taking breaks from posting.
e. Use hashtags strategically to reach a wider audience.
12. Organic growth on Instagram is challenging, and maintaining followers requires investing in ads or utilizing other platforms like YouTube.
13. The speaker spends around $17,000 on Instagram ads from August to October, gaining approximately 50,000 new followers.
14. Ad costs varied between 20-50 cents per follower, making a significant difference in overall ad spend.
15. The speaker also worked with other influencers on Instagram to promote her profile and target people learning English.
16. Collaborating with influencers allowed for testing of different creative approaches and reaching new audiences.
17. Despite the growth in followers, the speaker did not see a significant increase in engagement.
18. She acknowledges that her content may be less engaging due to her current location in Russia, which differs from her usual US-centric themes.
19. The speaker is considering pausing her ad campaign to reassess her engagement and content strategy.
20. She encourages viewers to ask questions about Instagram in the comments, as she has extensive experience with the platform.
21. Investing in ads can be a cost-effective way to gain new followers, but maintaining engagement remains crucial for continued success on Instagram.
22. The speaker recommends analyzing demographics and testing different creative approaches to maximize ad effectiveness.
23. Authenticity and personal connection are essential for building a strong Instagram presence.
24. Regularly assessing content strategy, engagement, and follower behavior can help optimize growth and maintain a relevant and interesting profile for followers.

Source: Silicon Valley Girl via YouTube

❓ What do you think? What does success on Instagram mean to you, and how do you measure it beyond just the numbers of followers or engagement metrics? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!