How to grow on instagram in 2024
With a bunch of updates already announced this year, it can be overwhelming to know what works on Instagram and how this can increase your reach on the platform. Luckily you’re in the right place as we have broken down some tips on how to grow on Instagram in 2024 keeping the recent updates and algorithm changes in mind.
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Recently, Instagram has undergone numerous algorithm updates, with Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, regularly discussing growth strategies almost every week. Instead of trying to stay updated on all the latest Instagram news yourself, we’ve simplified how to grow on Instagram in 2024, considering Instagram’s latest updates.
Know your target audience
It’s a timeless tip that social media marketers have used for years, but it remains essential. Knowing your audience provides the foundation for crafting content that resonates with their wants and needs, rather than just catering to the algorithm.
But how do you identify your target audience? Directly engage with them. Talk to your audience about their preferences to eliminate guesswork. This can be done through direct conversations (especially useful if you’re in sales or communicate with the sales team) or via online surveys sent through email or website pop-ups.
If you can’t learn about your audience using the above methods, you can also deep dive into your data. These include your key customer demographics. This information can then be used to research customer psychographics and further create customer personas.
Video is king (but not over 90 seconds)
Video content has dominated social media platforms for a long time, but arguably now more than ever it can’t be ignored. Instagram released its Reels feature back in August 2020, and since then it has been an integral part of their feed (and has since got its own feed). The harsh truth is that if you’re not utilising video content on the platform, you’ll struggle to grow with 48% of users taking action after watching a product-related video.
But what type of video content works best? According to a recent update by the Head of Instagram, Mosseri, there are a few guidelines when posting video content. Here are some pointers that can hurt your video distribution:
- Reels over 90 seconds
- Videos with 3rd party watermarks (time to remove that TikTok logo from your Reels)
- Low-quality videos
- Engagement bait (we’ll move onto Instagram’s stance on CTAs a little bit later on)
- Posting content you didn’t make (this is also linked to Instagram’s algorithm update on original content, especially for smaller creators)
However, here are some things to keep in mind when creating Instagram video content which can help with your content distribution:
- Drive authentic engagement
- Consider when your audience is online (but don’t put too much emphasis on this one given Instagram’s non-chronological feed and how your content can continue to reach new people a few weeks after posting)
- Upload higher resolution
- Post your content at the same time as other platforms (of course, Reels doesn’t want to be a recycled TikTok platform)
And to layer on this even more, Instagram shared some tips at the start of July 2024 for sharing Reels:
- Grab attention in the first 3 seconds (consider your video ‘hook’)
- Reels that are 30-60 seconds long see the best performance (remember above where they said 90-seconds was a no-go?)
- Use trending hashtags (although just using hashtags doesn’t guarantee reach)
- Use trends and trending audio
- Try and drive direct engagement (especially post shares, we’ll cover this one further down)
- Reply to comments within 7 days
- Create 10 or more Reels per month (on average)
The verdict? Look at posting more video content (especially 30-60-second Reels) to help drive your Instagram reach. Instagram has also openly stated that they will not be focusing on long-form video content anytime soon. When we talk about ensuring these videos are quality, we recommend considering your audience and creating content that you think they will enjoy. Remember, prioritise your audience over the algorithm.
post shares is a key driver of reach
We touched on this slightly above, but Instagram is currently pushing post ‘shares’ and is rewarding content that has strong share rates. In fact Mosseri stated, “Sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time.” But how can you try and influence post shares?
Creating ‘sharable’ content will be a key way around this; whether that’s inspiring a new bathroom design or a cake for someone’s next birthday. We’re currently in an area where people want to share content with friends, and by tailoring your content around this, you can not only increase awareness of your brand through shares but also help your content reach on the platform. In fact, a 2022 study revealed that people share the social media posts that they think are most relevant to themselves or to their friends and family.
Consider your CTAs
Now this one is a confusing one (and even Instagram confused themselves with this). At the end of May, Instagram announced that certain CTAs (call to action) can hurt your post reach (and then deleted the initial post… and then reposted the initial post). The key message from this was to avoid ‘engagement baiting’ – “If [Instagram] believes your content explicitly asks for engagement through shares, comments, tags, or other actions, [they] won’t recommend it.” Instagram then clarified that an example of this was people commenting with a “specific word, number, or emoji.
On the flipside, they have said that, “Earnestly engaging with your audience in the comments and DMs to connect personally, generate leads, or drive conversions is not considered to be engagement bait.” So how do you know if you’re ‘engagement baiting’ or not? That’s the million-dollar question and the truth is, you probably won’t know unless you test certain CTAs. If you find that a post that uses a certain CTA is continuously getting low engagement, this CTA may be deemed as ‘engagement baiting’. Our advice? Test different CTAs and don’t overthink it too much.
How to grow on instagram in 2024
There are some key ways you can use Instagram’s signals to your advantage. By focusing on short-form video content (30-60 seconds) and posting these numerous times per month (Instagram recommends an average of 10 Reels per month), then you’re more likely to be rewarded with reach.
Other examples include considering how you can drive more post shares (Instagram are also testing out a feed display which shows the number of shares, and lets you hide the number of shares similar to what they do with ‘likes’), and considering the CTAs you use in your content.
Based on the above information, our biggest advice for growing on Instagram in 2024 is to ultimately know your audience and post content that your audience will enjoy – whether that’s video or static. Remember – be audience-first rather than algorithm-first.
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