Growth

What You Don’t See Between the Posts and the Perfect Lighting

People often think being an Instagram influencer means constant travel, free products, and perfectly curated mornings. And yes, there are beautiful moments—sunsets, brand shoots, and comments that make you smile. But what rarely shows up on the feed is everything that happens between the posts.

My day doesn’t start with posing; it starts with planning. Before I even open the app, I’m thinking about content ideas, captions, trends, analytics, and whether today’s post fits the bigger picture I’m trying to build. Creativity is fun, but consistency is work. Some days, inspiration flows easily. Other days, I stare at my screen wondering how to turn an ordinary moment into something meaningful for thousands of people.

There’s also the strange balance of being visible and invisible at the same time. People feel like they know you—they comment on your life, your choices, your appearance—but they only know the version you choose to share. Behind the scenes, there are rejected drafts, photos that didn’t work, collaborations that fell through, and days when the algorithm simply decides to ignore you.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is not tying my self-worth to numbers. Likes fluctuate. Reach drops. Engagement changes overnight. If you let metrics define you, burnout arrives fast. I’ve had moments where a post I loved performed badly, and another I barely thought about went viral. That taught me something important: you can’t fully control how people respond, only how honestly you show up.

But there’s a rewarding side too. Messages from people saying a post helped them feel less alone. Followers who’ve been around since the beginning and grew alongside me. The freedom to create, to tell stories visually, to turn my perspective into something others connect with—that part still feels special.

Being an influencer isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about choosing what to share responsibly, staying grounded, and remembering there’s a real person behind every screen—including mine.

The feed may look polished, but the journey behind it is very real.

Strategies that deliver results for growth on Instagram

When I first began developing content for Instagram, I believed that increasing reach was about virality. Similar to how we know when a post goes viral up to 1k views, and you just became that overnight success instant, with collabs pouring in the inbox and DMS spilling over. What I didn’t realise is that you can’t only go viral in the hopes of creating long-term growth on the platform.

Growth happens over time, and you need to have the patience to wait for it to happen.

So if you keep asking yourself, “How can I grow if I’m not trending or going viral?

This is for you.

Here’s what we found to be effective.

Build a movement, not a moment

You know what keeps me lingering on someone’s profile? It matters—not the culture, the art, or the photograph on the wall. It’s the first caption that reads like an actual narrative. It’s not just their images or even their sound. Though it is in the sound, it’s in the experience of how their narrative resonates with us because that’s the most basic level of storytelling.

Remember, nothing drives growth like a person who knows you care, and your audience will be seen, heard, and appreciated.

Stop ghosting folks in your DMS

Use the story as an opportunity to question and return to the present.
Share and celebrate these small wins with your followers and provide an inside peek into the work your organisation is doing.

Storytelling > Marketing

Stories are back, and despite all the algorithms, trends, and most incredible stuff out there, the only thing that will stop someone in their scroll and get them to watch is a story.

Explain what inspired you to take that shot, explain how your product saved the day at the hour of need, elaborate on the day you saw or heard that quote you’re tweeting about. Your personal stories create the emotional gut punch. How do we make that connection? It is a much more potent force than any algorithm.

Create save-worthy posts

We’ve moved beyond the sharing age and into the save for later age. Curate your content posts in a way that inspires people to come back to them time and time again.

Take a crack at writing something that’s

Bright and hopeful
Poetic or aesthetically pleasing

A moment before you hit share, pause and consider: Would you save this post to your favorites or scroll by quicker than your case of the Mondays?

Pay attention before you demand their attention

One thing that enabled me to continue to grow despite having a low organic reach: intentional engagement.

So, spend 10–15 minutes engaging with other people’s posts before you post.
Follow accounts you mesh with and start those conversations by sliding into their DMs with something nice.
Share and save Content from other members, as well.

When you do come, everyone is paying attention and looking to you. They return with them.
Real engagement isn’t about trying to get something; it’s about giving something. Meet them where they are, lead with value, and be authentic.

Sometimes growth doesn’t mean a 10K increase in a week. At other times, like right now, it feels like three new followers who understand what you’re doing. Or a DM from somebody who no longer feels alone after reading what you shared.

How I started creating content on Instagram with zero followers

For most of us, to begin as a total noob can be overwhelming and intimidating. We have no followers; we have little audience, actually, and we post fairly consistently, for quite a while now, and it feels like we are talking into a void. We need to keep in mind that every creator has many followers , starting out with none. This is a part of mutual travel on the path; It all begins now.

But here’s the real deal:

Every person with a million followers created zero videos today. Which means you are not behind in your quest; you are simply beginning.

So, here are a few things I wish someone had told me before I started out as a complete newbie;

I gave up waiting to be “Ready”

Never think that you’re going to be ready one day and you’re just going to wait until everything is going to be perfect before getting started, because it ain’t going to happen; waiting makes you want to stay even more, and it doesn’t get you anywhere. So, just begin wherever you can.

One day, I simply grabbed my phone, made a quick video about something that interested me, and published it. There were no filtration systems, and there was no pressure.

The only way to start is to start. It’s okay if your first video isn’t perfect.

Choose a niche that represents you

Ask yourself what I love to talk about, even if no one is listening?

Your niche is the thought that popped into your head. Whether you love gaming, journaling, music, memes, or even ranting, it’s your best call rather than blindly following the trend.

Don’t put yourself through the stress of chasing views every round

Refreshing your reel views and allowing the algorithm to determine how exciting your content is was a big misstep. Yes, views matter, but when you’re at the initial stages, they can be overwhelming and make you feel worthless.

Some videos receive 100 views, others 1000 views. The important thing, though, is to make sure you continue to create content.

I learned as I posted

Pretty much all I learned was through the process of actually putting it out there on social media.

I think that’s because most people start on an entry-level creative content path, or honestly, maybe just digital marketing in general, and go from there. While learning by doing may not be flashy, it certainly is a better step forward.

I was then able to discover the optimal time of day to post by referring to a chart of when my followers were most active. I learned what hooks the audience latched onto. I pushed the envelope with trends and made them my own.

Sometimes,

A mobile phone, a crazy idea, and an intense chip on your shoulder are all you need to begin.

Sure, you might be at follower level zero in your first week, but you’ll soon be beyond that.