If you’re reading this, chances are that there’s a part of you that wants to turn content creation into a profitable side hustle or full-time career. But for multiple reasons, you can’t help but feel discouraged with the platform. You might even think, “It’s impossible to grow organically on Instagram in 2025!” Or that organic growth is irrelevant, it’s all “pay to play.” That could not be farther from the truth! If you’re eager to grow organically on Instagram, you’re in the right place. Here’s a guide built for you, whether you’re starting from scratch or have been grinding for years without any success.

What is an Instagram Growth Strategy?

An Instagram growth strategy is a personalized and research-based blueprint designed to attract the right audience. When done correctly, it’ll spark engagement, attract and convert targeted followers, and build long-term momentum–without paying for ads or boosting your post (which I don’t recommend at all).

Think of it as a creative map that combines smart content ideas, engaging storytelling, and consistent habits so that you can grow organically on Instagram with intention and authenticity.

What is Organic Growth?

It is worth defining what “organic growth” is when it comes to social media. Organic growth means gaining followers, engagement, and visibility without paying for ads or “boosting” your post. Organic growth is so important because it doesn’t inflate numbers inauthentically. Instead, it is a way to consistently bring content to your target audience, encouraging connection rather than paying to play. It means deeply focusing on the right growth strategies for your niche, account, and personality that prioritize your unique authenticity, community, and content.

Is It Still Possible to Grow Organically on Instagram in 2025?

Despite what you might think, yes! Absolutely. In fact, we’re currently in a golden era of growth as Instagram continues to heavily push Reels and has even introduced a new repost feature. 

I also want to reframe your perception of organic growth on Instagram in 2025 to show you why there’s still room for you. According to this study done by Sprout Social, Instagram users seek connection and entertainment. Both of which come from a strong organic growth strategy.

As a user on Instagram, are you more likely to hit follow on someone because you saw their ad, or are you more interested in a new, small creator who speaks directly to your interests?

The latter, right? It is also worth noting that boosting your post or paying for an ad doesn’t necessarily mean that your content will perform. It all depends on how the content was created. Is it high quality? Does it speak directly to the people you’re trying to reach? These are just two elements of an organic growth strategy that actually works.

6 Strategies to Grow Organically on Instagram in 2025

Now that you know the foundations of organic growth, let’s dive into the 6 strategies I swear by when it comes to growing on Instagram. These are the strategies I apply, not just to my students’ growth and success, but to my own as well.

1. Create with Shareability in Mind

Shares have become an important metric on Instagram. Due to user behavior (which the algorithm seeks to serve), Instagram realizes that when posts get shared, more people engage with the content and therefore stay on their app longer. 

Make Reels or posts that are relatable to your target audience. This could be anything from an entertaining Reel that shares a relatable experience that your target audience will find funny, or an educational post that is packed with value that your audience can’t help but share.

When creating your organic content strategy, ask yourself the following questions:

• What value do I hope to bring to my audience with this piece of content?
• Who is my target audience, and will they resonate with this post?
• Does it solve a problem that my audience is actively facing?

2. Write Valuable Captions (SEO and Keywords)

In 2025, your Instagram profile isn’t just discoverable through the explore page, Reels tab, or any page of the platform itself. Google has started crawling your posts, pulling them up as responses to search queries.

This means that your captions are now search entry points to attract and convert new followers. A strong Instagram growth strategy includes a thoughtfully and intentionally written caption that includes keywords, concise value, and clarity. All of which will add to the discoverability of your post.

3. A/B Test with Trial Reels

Despite what you might believe, Instagram wants you to succeed. Because if your post performs well, Instagram benefits from it as well. The rollout of Trial Reels is proof that Instagram wants you to post high-performing content. Trial Reels is a feature that allows you to test the performance of your Reel. By posting a trial, it shows your Reel exclusively to non-followers, and it won’t show up on your feed.

This lets you test elements like retention rate, your hooks, shareability, saveability, and more.

Based on the performance of your Trial Reel, you can make the necessary adjustments and improvements to the Reel that you would then post to your audience.

4. Take a Strategic Approach to Reels 

“Post Reels” feels like overplayed advice you’ve heard over and over again. And while it is worth repeating, I want to frame it a little differently for you. If you post Reels without any strategy with what you’re trying to accomplish in mind, it wouldn’t matter to your growth. Because it’s not just about creating Reels, it’s about creating Reels that perform well with your target audience.

Reels are the king of organic visibility, and they work best when you are able to:

• Capture attention quickly
• Hold it throughout
• Encourage action (saves, shares, or reposts)

I break down how you can structure your Reels based on this outline in my free workshop.

5. Consistency is Key

Consistency is the foundation of growing organically on Instagram. According to Buffer, posting 3 to 5 times per week significantly boosts follower growth by 0.26%, while posting 6 to 9 times per week earns 0.44% growth. 

However, I need to preface this by saying that consistency doesn’t mean volume. It is better to pick a posting consistency that you can maintain, rather than one that you can keep up with for a short time before you burn out and ghost your account.

Adam Mosseri (CEO of Instagram) has even said that ghosting your account for a month or more makes it harder for you to get in the algorithm’s flow. That is simply because Instagram has less data on you.

6. Quality Over Quantity

This brings me to my final strategy: never sacrifice quality for quantity. Those growth metrics I shared above wouldn’t apply to you if you are consistently improving the quality of your content. I’m not just talking about the actual video and image quality, but the effectiveness of your hooks, content retention, and inspired action.

So pick a posting cadence that works for you and your lifestyle, without the need to sacrifice on quality, then stick to it!

What You Need to Know About Organic Growth on Instagram

Before we wrap up this blog post, I wanted to share a few things to be aware of as you continue on your own growth journey. This will help you stay positive and determined, instead of giving up before things get good.

Set Realistic Expectations

Organic growth isn’t linear. There are peaks and valleys in everyone’s journey. You might hit a viral Reel one week and feel invisible the next. That’s completely normal, and it is all part of the journey.

Every step you take, regardless of whether you consider it a success or failure, is a step closer to your goal. 

Don’t Give Up Before It Gets Good

Many creators quit when growth isn’t taking off. This is a huge reason why new creators don’t succeed. Your first growth spurt comes with a single Reel or post. Your next one will come with another. Just keep consistent with it, learn from your low-performing posts, and tweak them for your next one. When you do this, your growth is inevitable.

Wrapping Up

Growing on Instagram isn’t rocket science, but it takes a determined creator who is willing to show up, keep improving and testing, and continue the journey. Remember, organic growth is so much more than chasing viral luck–it’s about creating a repeatable, value-driven process that connects you with your audience.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re in the process of resuscitating your dormant account, these strategies are designed to help you stand out, build a loyal community, and bring lasting results. All that’s left to do is your commitment and persistence to the plan.