I know when creatives hear the words, “Instagram strategy,” not many positive feelings crop up because, at first glance, Instagram can be a tough place to be. With so many people trying to grow their following and it can feel a bit disheartening to stay competitive. I totally get it because I was there before.

However, something I teach all my clients and my CEO Mastermind Group is that as service-based entrepreneurs, it’s not our goal to grow and become the biggest account in our space. It’s simply our goal to turn more followers into leads — and that doesn’t require a mass audience. With over 700 million monthly active users, Instagram remains one of the top platforms to share your services and solutions with the world.

And some even better news? You don’t have to go at growing your Instagram alone. There are so many creative entrepreneurs, myself included, right there with you, giving it all they got to grow their business and reach more of their ideal clients.

But as you know, it’s not enough to just post some pretty pictures and call it a day. So what’s a person to do? After years of experimenting and researching, I’ve discovered the best way to grow your Instagram without feeling overwhelmed. This strategy is also going to give your ideal clients a reason to stay engaged with your account. Let’s dive right in!

The Instagram growth strategy: think of your content as a funnel

Just as a refresh and to hammer the thought in, as business owners, we don’t need to worry about our follower count. All that matters is that we turn followers into leads and then into paying clients. This is why my top Instagram growth strategy is to think about your content as a funnel.

A funnel starts wide and narrows down. So just like that tool, you’ll want to capture leads by using various types of content to eventually narrow their journey until they arrive at the book button.

At the top of the funnel, we have Reels, which are great for getting your content in front of new eyes. Then, we have in-feed posts and stories, which we use to create rapport and provide value. Let’s take a closer look at each!

The top of the funnel: Instagram Reels

Believe it or not, the algorithm that powers Instagram Reels is different than the algorithm that powers other features on Instagram. What this means for you is that Reels is a great way to get your content in front of new people and potential new followers.

If your Reels provide value and follow the three E’s (education, emotion, entertainment — more about that in this blog post), you’ll likely find success at drawing new people to your account to hit that follow button.

Middle of the funnel: in-feed Instagram posts and Instagram stories

Instagram in-feed posts and stories are where you’re going to show your new followers that you are the expert in your market and you have the solution to their problem. For example, if they need florals for their wedding, this is your chance to answer their questions, show off your work, and continue to educate them to show your expertise!

Instagram stories are a great way to build on the know-like-trust (KLT) factor of your business and brand because you can use it to show your behind-the-scenes process, share more of your day-to-day, and overall, be more personable and talk directly with your clients.

Bottom of the funnel: Get them to your website

The bottom of the funnel is to get your followers to your website, which you can do by linking and using calls to action (CTAs) that will lead your ideal clients down the right path to eventually becoming paying clients. That means linking to your blog, linking to your services page, linking to your team bios, contact us page, everything! Remember, the ultimate goal with everything you post is to get people to your website so they can schedule a call, book a service, or purchase products from you!

This is important because that’s where you can provide everything they need to know about working with you. Once they’re on your website, they are essentially at your front door! It’s a place where you can invite them in, make them feel welcome, and ask them to be a part of the family.

You’re ready to grow your Instagram

We’ve looked at what you need to do to grow your Instagram, and I just want to remind you once again that success on Instagram looks completely different for business owners!

Yes, you could measure your success by how many followers, likes, and comments you receive. But remember: for us, the ultimate goal is to gain leads who turn into paying clients. Also, you don’t have to have a mass following to have a community of people who are engaged and excited about your content, who feel as though they know you, who want to see more of what you share, and who become leads or paying clients!

So… What’s the next step? Creating your content! 

I know it can be tricky, especially when you have a lot on your to-do list. It’s why I created the Reel Traffic Toolkit — a self-paced video course that covers everything you need to know about creating engaging Instagram Reels.   It also includes 150+ Reels prompts for wedding professionals and creative entrepreneurs, as well as access to an audio catalog. And I just added a new bonus: how to film a month of Reels in just one hour! Click here to start!