How I've Grown My Instagram By 1000 Followers a Week Using Reels
I’ve been experimenting with Instagram reels on both my accounts, and have seen some huge growth from it!
I’ve had several of my Reels on my travel & lifestyle account go viral recently, earning 100,000s of views and gaining me over 1000 new followers each week. I can’t believe what a difference it’s made to my Instagram reach and the growth of both of my accounts.
They’ve been taking the Instagram platform by storm over the last several months and I wanted to share my experience and how I am focusing on creating Reels strategically so that they actually give me results in my business too and help me achieve my goals.
How to get started with Instagram reels
Instagram Reels have their own feed within the Instagram app and are a big focus for Instagram at the moment due to them trying to compete with TikTok, which offers a very similar user experience. These ‘Reels’ are short videos that you can cut together and create within the Reels area.
They show up in Instagram usual feeds, plus the new Reels feed, plus on a dedicated section of your profile too, and they’re very easy to get addicted to watching!
The best way to get started in my opinion is to spend some time watching other peoples’ Reels in the Reels feed and start getting a feel for the type of content that people are creating for this, keeping an eye content that is popular (you can see how many likes and comments a Reel has had, and if you go onto the person’s account, you can also see how many views it’s had) and what catches your attention too.
Next, come up with an idea for your first Reel; it doesn’t have to be ground-breaking, you could just do your own version of what someone else has created, using the same song or audio, or the same format. That’s the beauty of Reels - it is expected that we all use each others’ content as inspiration and hop on trends to put our own spin on them.
Then start playing around with the Reels creation area. You can either film straight from within the app, or upload previously captured content from your camera roll and stitch it together. You can then add text and other effects too once you’re happy with how it’s all clipped together.
For more tips, I have a blog post sharing 5 of my best tips for creating and publishing your first Reel!
How to Use Instagram Reels to grow your following
There’s a big difference between creating Reels for fun and getting lots of views vs. creating Reels strategically so that they actually bring you results.
The amount of views you get on a Reel is really just a vanity metric, and doesn’t mean anything if you can’t convert any of those views into followers, and more precisely, followers who are your ideal customers.
Below are a few of my tips for ensuring Reels are actually worth your effort:
Don’t hop on a trend unless you can find a way to make it relevant for your business and ideal customer / target audience. Sure it might be fun and easy to recreate the latest dance video or miming sketch, but without tailoring it to your audience it’s not likely to do you any good.
Make sure every Reel you put out there has a goal or a purpose, and you’re giving people a ‘call to action’ at the end of it to tell them what to do or where to go once they’ve finished watching!
eg. You create a Reel showing a transformation of a client’s website, with the goal to show off your skills and have potential clients book you, or
eg. You create a Reel sharing 3 important branding tips, to educate your audience and show your expertise so potential clients think of you when they need branding.Plan out your Reels in advance in cohesion with your overall content strategy.
I share exactly how to plan and create strategic content (in less time) by utilising AI and repurposing techniques in my program for website designers - In Demand Designer®!
How to use Instagram reels to achieve your business goals
As with when you create any kind of content for your business, it should always have a purpose that leads back to one of your larger business goals. It should serve a higher purpose!
Yes, you could have a goal and a ‘call to action’ on your latest Reel for people to follow you for more tips on X, but is growing your Instagram following actually one of your core business goals this quarter?
Maybe you actually want to grow your email list, in which case your Reel should be focused around a new lead magnet or freebie that you’ll send people in exchange for joining your email list.
How does growing your Instagram following actually help your business? As I said before, followers are really just a vanity metric - they don’t mean anything unless they’re your perfect ideal clients who are buying from you.
It’s a good plan to be clear on your goals and plan before you start working on a content strategy.
Don’t rely on instagram for your marketing
Instagram is great, but you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to marketing and building your audience. You need other ways to reach your customers too!
Website / brand designers - need more inspiration? Grab my marketing plan template with more ideas here>
