If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me how to get more Instagram engagement, I’d be living in the penthouse at the Ritz, ordering room service diet cokes like it’s my job. We’re all craving those likes, comments, and followers, but let’s be real—it’s getting tougher to build that audience and keep them hooked. The good news? Tough doesn’t mean impossible.
A few years ago, I teamed up with Refine for Wedding Planners—a women-owned biz that helps planners streamline their offers and workload. In just eight months, they gained over 600 ideal followers, saw traffic to their website spike, and have a whopping 24.8% engagement rate on Instagram. For comparison? The national average engagement rate at the time was around 1.6% (It’s even lower now!). Yeah, we crushed it.
And before you ask, “How many ads did you run?”—none. Zero. Zilch. We grew this organically, no engagement pods or paid followers here.
So, if you’re wondering how to boost your Instagram engagement or grow your account organically, here’s exactly how we made it happen.
HOW TO GROW YOUR INSTAGRAM ORGANICALLY
Let’s break it down and talk about what really works when it comes to organic growth on the ‘gram.
1. KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY’S NEEDS
When Refine first came to me, they weren’t lost or confused. They knew what their audience needed, but they just weren’t sure how to package it in a way that felt aligned and sustainable.
Here’s the key: Understanding your audience is everything. You need to know what they’re into, what keeps them up at night, and how your brand can be the solution they didn’t even know they were searching for. If your posts aren’t getting the interaction you’re hoping for, it’s time to ask yourself, “Is this what they want to see?”
Spoiler alert: Googling “how to get more Instagram engagement” won’t help unless you truly get your audience.
2. CREATE BINGE-WORTHY CONTENT
You know that moment when you land on someone’s profile and, before you know it, you’re 20 posts deep? That’s what we call bingeable content.
For Refine, we set three clear goals: be consistent, build trust, and create content people can’t get enough of.
- Consistency means showing up regularly.
- Trustworthy content fosters relationships, making your audience feel like they can rely on you.
- And bingeable? That’s when people can’t stop scrolling and clicking through your feed.
Not sure if your content is binge-worthy? Take a peek at your stats. If engagement is low, it might be time to tweak your strategy—whether it’s switching up posting times or honing in on what your audience actually cares about.
3. UNDERSTAND THE BUYER’S JOURNEY
Knowing the path your audience takes from follower to customer is a game-changer. It’s not just about posting pretty pictures—it’s about solving real problems.
For Refine, we created content that spoke directly to the pain points of wedding planners—overbearing clients, long hours, and lack of systems. Instead of constantly pushing paid offers, we mixed in valuable, relatable content that made the audience feel seen and understood.
Pro tip: Don’t be discouraged if posts about your paid offers get less engagement. That’s normal. Your offer is just one part of a bigger strategy.
4. TRUST YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERTS
Look, whether you’re hiring a social media manager or just soaking up knowledge from this blog, you’ve got to trust the process. Micromanaging or second-guessing every move defeats the purpose of hiring help in the first place.
Amber, owner of Refine for Wedding Planners, put it best: “I think our relationship works because we trust each other’s expertise. We validate each other’s ideas, ask questions, and never take things personally.”
At the end of the day, if you’re working with a social media pro, you’ve got to be open to their advice and trust their judgment. Yes, bring your ideas to the table, but also know when to let go and let the experts do their thing.
READY TO TAKE YOUR INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
If you’re ready to make your Instagram pop and boost engagement, I’ve got two packages just for you.
With The Cher, you provide the content, and we handle everything else. We’re talking engagement skyrocketing in no time. With The Samantha, we take over it all—content creation, management, engagement—so you can focus on the big picture.
Let’s make your Instagram work for you.
