Welcome back, friend! 👋 In Part 1 of the series about how to reach more people on Instagram, we dove into understanding what Instagram reach is, if your Instagram reach is truly low, audit your content, optimize your posting schedule, leverage Reels and Carousels, and design posts to drive shares. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out here.

Now, let’s continue with 6 more tips about how to reach more people on Instagram!

5. Engage with Your Community

Meta Best Practice/Insight: “Interact authentically with your followers to build a loyal community.”

What to Do:

• Reply to Comments: Engaging in replying to comments up to a week after you post is a fantastic way to increase reach and engagement. Prioritize replying to comments right after you post them. It shows your audience that you value their input and keep the conversation going, and it shows the algorithm that your content is relevant to your audience (engagement), which drives up your Instagram reach. The more engagement your post gets shortly after publishing, the more Instagram will show it to others. But engagement doesn’t stop after the first day. Continuing to interact with your posts over the next week can keep the momentum going.
• Use Interactive Stories: Polls, quizzes, and question stickers encourage engagement. Stories do not drive up Instagram reach directly because it’s a product feature created by Instagram to help creators drive a deeper connection with their followers. However, by training your audience to engage with your Stories, you will increase your chances that they will also engage with your posts, ultimately helping to increase your Instagram reach.

6. Use Hashtags Strategically

Meta Best Practice/Insight: “Use relevant hashtags to make your content more discoverable.”

What to Do:

• Mix Popular and Niche Hashtags: Combine widely-used hashtags with more specific ones.
• Use Up to 30 Hashtags: Instagram allows up to 30—use them wisely! 
• Do not overuse hashtags. do not use hashtags that are irrelevant to your content – this will actually reduce your reach.
• Do not use Banned Hashtags: Using these can limit your reach. Check your hashtags to ensure they’re safe.
• Overused Hashtags: Highly popular hashtags can make your content get lost in the crowd. Think of hashtags the same way you would think about SEO. It takes strategy to use the hashtags that will more likely increase your reach.

7. Collaborate and Cross-Promote

Meta Best Practice/Insight: “Collaborate with others to reach new audiences.”

What to Do:

• Partner with Other Creators: Co-create content or do shoutouts.
• Guest Appearances: Go live with someone else or post something about a guest you interviewed.

8. Ensure You’re Following Community Guidelines

Meta Best Practice/Insight: “Content that doesn’t follow our guidelines may be less discoverable.”

What to Do:

• Check Your Account Status:
  • Go to your profile.
  • Tap the menu (three lines in the top-right corner).
  • Go to Settings > Account > Account Status.
  • Here, you’ll see if any of your content has been flagged or if there are any restrictions on your account.
  • If you find a flag, you can appeal directly through this section.
  • Consistent violations can severely limit your reach or even get your account suspended. Regularly checking your Account Status helps you stay on top of any issues.
• Review Instagram’s Community Guidelines: Ensure your content complies.
• Avoid Forbidden Content: This includes anything inappropriate, or that may be flagged.

9. Utilize All of Instagram’s Features

Meta Best Practice/Insight: “Use Stories, Live, Reels, and Carousels to engage your audience in different ways.”

What to Do:

• Stories: Share daily updates, behind-the-scenes, or quick polls. Keep in mind that Stories itself won’t increase your reach, but it will deepen your connection with your audience, which may increase the chances of them engaging with your posts, ultimately increasing your reach.
• Instagram Live: Host Q&As, tutorials, or interviews.
• Reels and Carousels: As covered earlier, these formats can significantly boost reach.
• New Features – be an early adopter: Instagram often boosts new features in the algorithm. Early adopters can gain an advantage.

10. Monitor and Adjust Your Instagram Reach Strategy

Track Your Analytics

Regularly check your Instagram Insights to monitor what’s working and what’s not. If you need a refresher on accessing Instagram’s analytics, check the help center here for simple instructions.

Adjust Accordingly

If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to pivot.

• Test Content: Try different types of posts to see what resonates.
• Stay Updated: Instagram’s algorithm and features change often. Keep an eye on updates from Meta.

Mindset Matters to improve Instagram Reach

Did you know that 69% of consumers trust an influencer’s recommendation to buy a product? No wonder brands are investing more in influencer marketing than ever before. That’s the power that YOU hold as a creator. Let nobody tell you otherwise.

I know it can be disheartening when your reach isn’t meeting your expectations, but remember:

• It’s Not Personal: Algorithms change, and sometimes reach fluctuates for reasons beyond your control.
• Stay Patient: Growth takes time, especially organic growth.
• Focus on Your Community: Even if it’s small now, nurturing your current followers can lead to word-of-mouth growth.

Wrapping Up Tips for Increasing your Instagram Reach

Boosting your Instagram reach isn’t an overnight fix, but by implementing these strategies on how to reach more people on instagram and staying consistent, you’ll start to see progress. Remember, even small improvements are steps in the right direction. Make sure to try out all these actionable tips to improve your Instagram Reach!