How I Learned to Stop Chasing Followers and Start a Conversation on Instagram

I used to think Instagram was a place where my time and money went to die. I did everything the "experts" told me. I posted on a strict schedule, stuffed my captions with 30 hashtags, and even sat through a webinar by some guy who promised a "7-figure blueprint."

The result? Crickets. A handful of likes from my friends and the occasional spam comment about becoming a brand ambassador. My follower count was basically a flat line.

Then I realized something: we were all playing the wrong game.

The Problem with "Instagram Marketing"

Most advice about Instagram marketing sounds like a get-rich-quick scheme. "Growth hacks," "secret funnels," "algorithm cheats." It's no wonder our posts end up feeling desperate, littered with rockets and fire emojis like we're begging for attention.

The real issue isn't that Instagram is too crowded—it's that Instagram can smell a sales pitch from a mile away. And when your "authentic" post is just a rehash of a template you downloaded, people keep scrolling.

I saw one founder go from a few hundred followers to over 50,000. But the vanity metric isn't the point. The point is that 70% of his company's revenue now comes from Instagram. He didn't do it with blueprints or secret funnels. He just started treating the platform like a real place with real people.

What Actually Works: A Few Ideas That Don't Suck

Forget the 30-item checklists. Here’s what started to make a difference for me.

1. Stop Trying to "Beat" the Algorithm

The algorithm isn't your enemy. It has one simple job: keep people on Instagram. If your post helps it do that, it'll show it to more people. If your post tries to send people away, it'll bury it.

The first few minutes after you post are everything. The platform shows your post to a small group of your followers to see if it’s any good. If they like it, comment on it, or share it, the platform shows it to more people. And so on.

Your only job is to post something that people actually want to engage with in those first few minutes. That’s it. No "hacks" required.

2. Play by the Unwritten Rules

There are a few simple things that signal to the platform that you're there to contribute, not just take.

Stop putting links in your captions. Seriously. Every time you do that, you're telling Instagram, "Hey, I'd like you to help me get people to leave your app." They don't like that. If you have a link, put it in the first comment after you post.
Move your hashtags to the comments, too. A clean caption is easier to read. A block of 30 hashtags looks spammy. Post them in the first comment right after you publish. It does the same job without cluttering your message.
Post when people are actually online. This seems obvious, but we forget. Check your analytics (Professional Dashboard > Total Followers > Most Active Times). Post when your audience is there to see it. It's not rocket science.

3. Write Like a Human

This was the hardest part for me. I had to unlearn all the "business-speak" I thought I was supposed to use. People on Instagram are scrolling to be entertained or to learn something interesting, not to read a press release.

What works:

Write like you talk. Read your caption out loud. Does it sound like something you'd actually say to a friend? If not, rewrite it.
Use simple words. Don't utilize, just use. Don't initiate, just start.
Embrace white space. Nobody wants to read a wall of text on a tiny screen.

Break up your thoughts.

One idea per line.

It makes everything easier to skim.

The One Thing That Changed Everything

Here's the most powerful thing I learned. It's a simple method that turned my dead account into a real source of leads and customers.

I call it the "comment-gate."

First, I created something genuinely useful—a simple checklist that solved a problem I knew my potential customers had. It wasn't fancy. Just a one-page PDF.

Then, I made a simple post about it. I shared a few tips from the checklist and ended with a simple call to action:

"I put the whole checklist together in a PDF. If you want it, just comment 'CHECKLIST' below and I'll send it over."

The first time I did this, two things happened. First, the post got more comments than my last 20 posts combined. This told the algorithm that people liked it, so it showed it to even more people.

Second, I suddenly had a list of people who had literally raised their hands and said, "I have the exact problem you solve."

I sent a DM to every single person who commented: "Hey, saw you wanted the checklist! What's the best email to send it to?" Almost all of them replied with their email.

I didn't just get engagement. I got a list of warm leads.

Getting Started (Without the Hype)

Pick one small, specific problem you know how to solve for your customers.
Create a simple one-page guide or checklist that solves it. Don't overthink it.
Make one post sharing a few tips from your guide.
End the post with: "If you want the full guide, comment 'GUIDE' below and I'll send it to you."
Be helpful. When people comment, follow through.

That's it. No "funnels." No "mastery." Just offering help and starting a conversation.

The Bottom Line

Instagram marketing works when it doesn't feel like marketing. When you're genuinely trying to help people solve a problem, they want to know what you're working on. When you're just there to drop a link and run, they can tell.

The best Instagram marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all. It feels like you're getting to know someone who is good at what they do and happens to be building something interesting.

And that's not a strategy you can find in a blueprint—it's just being human.