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Quick Tips are seamless, 2-minute reads that will arm you with valuable tools to boost your branding, social media engagement, blog traffic, photography + design skills, and more

How I Gained 6,000 New Followers in 

Just One Week

When's the last time you grew on Instagram? Like, actually grew. For me (and I'm sure many of us) true organic growth from reach and reach alone seemed very much like a thing of the past. Heck, most days, I was losing followers or barely evening out. 

 

Then, came Reels. Instagram's version of TikTok was met with a fairly mixed response across the board. For me personally, I saw it as a free pass from Instagram to finally take advantage of the algorithm. Here's why…

 

Anytime Instagram releases a new feature on the platform, their primary goal for users is simple: USE. More use leads to more viewership, which leads to more time on the platform, which results in a higher viewership of ads…Instagram's ultimate goal.

 

The second that Reels dropped, a loophole opened: “Here's a new feature that we want our creators to make use of, and in return, those that utilize Reels will have their content pushed to new viewers.”

 

But it's never that simple, right? Just because you make a Reel, doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be seen. I've done a deep dive into Reels, experimented with what works and what doesn't over the past month, and I'm sharing allll the good stuff with you in today's Quick Tip!

 

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In one week's time, Reels handed me 6,000 new followers solely based on reach. Here are some commonalities based on the videos that have done well.

 

1. Hacks // Everyone wants to make life a little easier, and quick hacks that can be easily replicated have done especially well. I find that recording your hack in action with a voiceover is the best way to deliver content, like in this Homemade Jewelry Cleaner Hack Reel. 

 

2. Content Strategy // I don't use my personal Instagram page, @daniellegervino, to talk a lot of strategy. However interestingly enough, strategy-focused Reels have also been a category that has brought in a lot of views. Use text boxes to deliver quick tips like in this How to Increase Your Instagram Story Views Reel. Think short, sweet and valuable.

 

3. Tutorials // I've only experimented with one tutorial-based Reel, but know that this type of content does well on TikTok. This can also fall into the Hacks/Content Strategy categories. Teaching someone something that they didn't already know and can utilize on their own is invaluable. Instagram Story tutorials like How to Add Custom Fonts to Your Stories Reel seem to be the sweet spot. 

 

4. Clear Cover Pages // When recording your Reel, remember to snap a still photo to use for your cover! Create a title for your cover that's clear, easy to read, and centered so it's viewable as a still image if posting to your feed (titles that sit too high or too low will not be visible on your feed).

 

5. Hashtags // One of my favorite things about Reels is the ability to consistently land at the top of hashtag pages. Instagram has dedicated one slot at the top of every hashtag page to Reels. The best part? Hashtag pages are not yet saturated with Reel content, therefore your hashtagged Reels have a much higher chance of being seen. 

 

For example, one of my Reels had a 2 week run as the top featured reel in the #bloggingtips category, because my Reel was one of the few Reels that contained the #bloggingtips hashtag at the time.

 

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More Tips I've Learned from Reels

1. To cut down your time spent creating, record your Reel and edit it in an outside app. I use InShot to edit all of my Reels, including those with voiceovers.

 

2. Transitions have become widely popular on TikTok. Make use of them in your content, as they will most likely lead to replays from viewers.

 

3. Head to your Explore Page and refresh it a few times to see what Reels are trending and brainstorm how you can recreate your own version.

 

4. Watch a Reel with music you want to use for your own video? Click on the Reel, then click on the scrolling audio, and select “Use Audio”. If you're not creating in the Reels app, you can use your screen recording function to record the sound, import the screen recording into your InShot app, and extract the audio within the “Music” feature.

 

Overall, experimentation is KEY! These strategies have worked for my page, but yours may look a little different. The great news? Reels are short and sweet, which means that you can aim push 1-3 pieces of Reels content out in a given week.

 

happy creating!

 
 
 
 
 

listen now...

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Keep up on Instagram

 
 

xo, Danielle

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