What To Avoid When Trying To Grow Your Instagram?

Growing your Instagram in 2025 isn’t really about recycling what used to work. The app has changed, and so have the people on it. Quick hacks and shortcuts – things like using engagement pods, following a bunch of people just to get a follow back, or posting the same kinds of “proven” content over and over – don’t get much traction now. If anything, clinging to those habits can hold you back, or even get your posts hidden by the algorithm. Instagram’s gotten better at picking up on what’s real – who actually interacts with your posts, what people linger on, and whether your account has any real presence.

So it’s less about chasing likes or counting followers, and more about figuring out what actually makes people want to come back. Some of the latest takes on Instagram audience growth point out how much the landscape has shifted, especially if your reach drops when you keep doing the old stuff, or your posts don’t seem to go anywhere, and honestly, that’s Instagram telling you to adjust.

If you let go of routines that aren’t helping – like relying on mass hashtags or copying what worked last year – you give your account a better shot at steady growth. It’s more work, and it feels different, but it actually makes a difference if you pay closer attention to how people use the app now and what they’re really looking for.

For a long while, nothing really shifted – then I changed a single sentence. Before that, my captions looked like everyone else’s: lots of hashtags, calls to action, and all those “growth hacks” I’d read about in Instagram advice threads. Here’s what stood out to me after a while: if the way you’re trying to grow your account feels off, people usually notice. The 2025 algorithm seems more tuned in to this, too. It pays less attention to quick likes or generic comments, and more to real conversations, saves, and the times someone actually shares your post with a friend because it meant something to them.

Search and discovery aren’t really about gaming the system anymore – they’re about whether people actually trust what you’re sharing. I remember even coming across advice to buy real followers for Instagram, but that always felt like the sort of shortcut that might boost numbers while slowly draining any real sense of connection. I’ve seen brands get stuck or even start losing ground because their posts ended up sounding like they were written for a checklist instead of actual followers. What seems to help now is showing up in a way that actually sounds like yourself – a person with a point of view, not a formula.

Both people and the algorithm are paying attention to that. If the plan is still built around shortcuts, it’s sort of easy to miss what’s really working now. Building trust is about the only thing that still moves the needle. Before I post, I try to step back and ask if what I wrote sounds like something I’d actually say, or if I’m just following what everyone else says works. That’s probably the only way to tell if you’re heading in the right direction, though I still find myself going back and forth on it.

It’s easy to get pulled into whatever’s trending on Instagram – making reels with the latest audio, trying to catch a wave for a quick bump in views. But if there isn’t a plan underneath all that, the attention disappears pretty fast, and people can usually tell when your posts feel kind of all over the place. What really makes a difference is knowing why you’re sharing things, and what you actually want to say – something that feels specific to you, not borrowed from someone else. It helps to pause and ask yourself what people might actually need from you, especially since Instagram keeps shifting how things work.

Algorithms and trends seem to change every few months, so shortcuts and quick fixes – like when people buy likes for Instagram – only go so far. It’s worth thinking about whether your posts invite real conversations or make people want to come back, instead of just scrolling past. The folks who tend to grow in a real, steady way are usually more focused on what they’re building over time – wondering what their community is looking for right now, and how they can stay useful as things keep changing. There’s something in that slow, steady approach that ends up mattering more than whatever’s trending this week.

Nobody really mentions this part. After I changed how I use Instagram – posting things that actually matter to me instead of rushing after every new trend – I honestly thought I’d see steady progress. But then, everything seemed to stall.

It felt like none of the effort was making a difference. What you don’t hear in all the usual advice is that even if you’re following the best strategies, there’ll be stretches where things barely budge. Those are the times when it’s easy to start doubting what you’re doing or wonder if you should drop your new approach and go back to shortcuts, even if you know they don’t last. I remember reading somewhere about how real views for Instagram videos aren’t just about numbers, but about consistency and genuine interest – another reminder that it’s not always instant.

But I’ve realized that’s exactly when it’s important to keep going. The accounts that actually grow aren’t necessarily the loudest or the ones chasing every trend – they’re the ones that show up week after week, with a clear sense of who they are and what they want to say. It’s not about getting a viral moment, but about being reliable. If your posts start to feel familiar and people know you’ll actually be there, it builds something more solid. Anyone can get lucky with a trend, but showing up even when it’s quiet makes a bigger difference than it seems. Growth looks a lot slower up close than it does from the outside.

If you’re still reading, it probably means this is something you care about. It’s pretty common for people to go silent on Instagram when things slow down. No new posts, nothing in stories, maybe not even liking or replying to comments. I get why – when it seems like no one’s really paying attention, it’s easy to wonder why you should bother.

But taking a break like that tends to make things even harder when you want to come back. The app doesn’t remember your reasons for stepping away; it just notices you’re not around, and your posts reach fewer people. The people who followed you can start to drift off too, especially if they stop seeing you pop up in their feed. Growth isn’t usually about big moments – it’s more about showing up, even when things are slow. During those stretches, whatever you choose to share, even if it’s less frequent or looks a little different, it still counts.

It’s a way of reminding both Instagram and your followers you haven’t given up. Sometimes it helps to try a new type of post, or ask people what they want to see – there are even little things, like reading about share boost for content creators, that can spark ideas – but going completely quiet usually makes it harder in the long run. In my experience, the folks who stick with it, even when things are a bit stuck, are the ones who end up finding their stride again. So if your account feels stalled right now, it’s worth showing up, even if it’s just with something small.

It’s easy to feel like you have to chase shortcuts when you see so many people promising fast results on Instagram. There’s a lot of hype around things like following a bunch of accounts, joining groups just to trade likes, or checking your numbers after every post. But in reality, those things don’t really add up to much, and you can end up worn out without seeing any real improvement.

What seems to work better is finding a pace you can keep up with, both in terms of creativity and your own energy. If Instagram is leaving you tired all the time, it’s probably not something you’ll want to stick with for long, and that’s when people tend to stop posting altogether. It helps to set some basic routines: maybe set aside a bit of time each week to make a few posts in advance, or put limits on how long you spend scrolling. If you need a break, take one – there isn’t much sense in pushing through if you’re not up for it. Over time, this kind of steady effort feels more manageable, and it usually leads to better results. Your posts end up feeling more like you, which seems to be what actually works now, since the algorithm cares more about real interactions – like real-looking comments on your content – than anything else. In the end, the kind of growth you can actually keep going is a lot more useful than trying to force a quick spike that leaves you drained.