How to Grow Your Instagram Account Without Paying for Ads

Sophia Marvin

November 19, 2021

If you’re a business owner or an aspiring / established content creator, you’ve probably wondered how to grow your Instagram account without paying for ads. This is called “organic growth,” regardless of the social media platform. Let’s go over what you should be focusing on first in order to meet and exceed your account goals. Plus, specific examples for a women’s clothing boutique!


Write Engaging Captions

Think about it, when a creator or brand’s Instagram captions are engaging, you spend more time on that post or Reel. The overarching goal of every social media platform is to increase the time that you spend on the app. So, write captions that are descriptive, informative and are keyword rich. Then, you’ll be able to capture the users attention while pleasing the platform at the same time. A good caption writing formula is: Hook + Body + Call to Action.


Keyword Rich Content to Grow Your Instagram Account

We’ve seen that all apps are shifting their focus to keywords to improve their user experience. Most notably the introduction of the Keyword Search Feature on Instagram. As well as the increased importance of keywords in TikTok videos/captions. Read about the Google deal to index TikTok and Instagram video content.

The easiest and most underrated way to grow an account without paying for ads on Instagram is through the Instagram Explore page. This requires having a caption that accurately describes the visual.


Provide Value to Your Target Audience

Your specific audience is always looking for valuable content. Valuable content is what “stops the scroll.”

This can come in a variety of forms such as:

  • Educational Content
  • Motivational Content
  • Promotional Content
  • Creative / Engaging / Entertaining Content
  • Personal Content


However, it’s important to remember that all of these forms exist under your brand’s specific “content pillars.”

A women’s clothing boutique may have content pillars such as:

  • Accessories
  • Clothing
  • About the Owner
  • About the Boutique


Under each of these content pillars, make lists of the 5 forms of content. This will help you continuously create valuable content for your audience. (Plus it serves as a “content idea bank” that you can rotate though!)


Instagram Bio Blueprint to Convert Visitors into Followers

Check out this article to learn the basic steps to set up an Instagram Bio that converts. Increase traffic to your profile with an optimized bio and name field. This is one of the simplest ways to grow your brand or creator account.


For more info on how to grow your Instagram Account without paying for ads:

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