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Create Instagram reels.

Instagram Reels are the number one way to grow your account in 2022. However, there are several key things to remember:

• Instagram prioritizes faces and action. Putting yourself in the video can help it get pushed out to more people. Try to have some action and movement in your video. It can be simple, but it needs to be there. For instance, in my niche of books, flipping pages can add enough action.
• Add text with keywords. This helps Instagram to know what your video is about and push it out to the appropriate audience.
• Use trending sounds. These videos show up on the Explore pages of people who have watched other videos that used that sound, increasing your potential audience.
• Make sure your reels are high quality. The Instagram algorithm prioritizes bright, well-lit reels where the camera movement is smooth instead of shaky.
• Never use videos with watermarks. Instagram limits the reach of videos with watermarks from other apps, such as TikTok. Instead, they prefer reels that are created and edited within the Instagram app.

Hot tip: If you have a creator or a business account, you may be invited to the Instagram Reels bonus.

I’ve been invited for several months now. Instagram front-loads the bonuses, meaning they make it easy to reach the $100, and then your rewards significantly slow. It’s fun to get paid to create content, though, and it helps your account as well!

Engage with other people’s stories.

This can also work as a way to “reset” your account. When I’ve liked too many posts too quickly, Instagram limits my actions for a while. Then the algorithm tends to limit your posts’ reach as well, as they have deemed your account spammy. The best way I’ve found to fix my reach is to spend some time watching and engaging with other people’s stories. Liking is good, responding to interactive elements (questions, polls) is better, and sending a comment via direct message is best. This helps get your own reach and engagement up.

Set alerts for the top Instagram accounts in your niche.

This allows you to engage on their posts right away. If you leave a thoughtful comment that furthers the conversation, not only might you get the account creator to check out your page, it also encourages their followers to engage with you. It may even lead to you gaining additional followers. This only works if your comment seems authentic, though. Spammy comments such as “Great post!” or “Thanks for sharing” won’t interest anyone in your content.

Also, this should go without saying, but don’t ever directly ask for follows. Instead, engage in conversation, which will naturally lead others to want to interact with your content too.

Post consistently.

I suggest creating a content calendar at least a month ahead. In the early days of my account, I used a planner for an overview look at the month, then Google docs so I could preplan hashtags a month at a time.

Lately, I’ve been using Tailwind, a post scheduler with an always free plan, and it has been a lifesaver! While I do use the paid plan now to manage multiple accounts, I started on the free plan and loved it! I love knowing that my posts will automatically show up at the times I need them to, and it allows me to build out photos, content and hashtags months in advance if I want to. I often post a book review on a book’s publication day, and this allows me to set up the post as soon as I finish reading it. No more forgetting key dates! I love knowing that my posts are scheduled and taken care of with Tailwind.

Whatever method you choose, having a plan will ensure that your account will post consistently, which is important to be prioritized by the Instagram algorithm.