How to Grow Your Engagement & Following in 24 Hours ⏰

Ashleigh Warren
August 23, 2023

There’s so much more to growing on Instagram than posting valuable content consistently.

How and when you engage on the platform is just as important as what you choose to post.

Believe it or not, you actually don’t have to spend hours and hours a day on the platform to be successful; just an hour a day when you post.

Instagram wants YOU to be successful in reaching your ideal audience because it makes their platform more valuable.

So here’s the truth:

➡️ You should never just randomly post to your feed. There needs to be an ongoing strategy.

➡️ You have to think about your engagement strategy in three phases.

Determine your optimal post time through analysis of your analytics and ongoing testing, then schedule your post 15 minutes earlier than that time.
Tease your upcoming post on Stories a few hours prior by posing a related question to your post.
Ensure your thumbnail design aligns with your brand and that the first slide is optimized for your feed (1080 x 1080). Meaning all important info can be seen in your feed preview of that post.
Engage with at least three big creators by leaving valuable comments, that make you stand out. The point is that their followers will notice and engage with you.
React to Stories from at least three large niche accounts.
Explore and engage with five posts in your niche on the discovery page.

Feature your recent post on Stories, adding an interactive poll or sticker to boost engagement.
Like comments from your last post to re-engage followers and funnel them to your newest content.
Actively respond to new post comments, initiating conversations to increase engagement.
Pin two insightful comments promptly to guide the direction of subsequent discussions.
Engage on the latest posts from those you follow by leaving ten valuable comments.
Nurture ongoing interactions from your last post to cultivate relationships and enhance genuine engagement.
Connect with potential followers who've recently commented on similar accounts within the past hour.

Activate post alerts for 15-20 large accounts and be among the first to comment, raising your chances of getting pinned. Write your comments throughout the day as you get notifications, not in a specific time block. It will feel less overwhelming and also be more effective to connect in the moment.
Engage with the top comments on influential niche profiles.
Network with 5–10 new or non-following accounts via hashtags, discovery, or key niche profiles.
Respond thoughtfully to DMs and engage with Stories. Don’t just respond with emojis.
Create folders to save specific content ideas that resonate with you for future posts. Create folders that are specific so you can remember why you saved them (ex. carousel inspo, reel inspo, design inspo, hook inspo)
Participate actively in a Live session hosted by a big account in your niche. Leave comments and ask questions, get people to notice.

Test this strategy this week! And then commit to doing this consistently, and watch your following and engagement soar!