And yes, we won’t talk about buying bots. It’s like trying to build a house out of sand — it looks cool until the algorithm wave comes. Imagine bringing one of these “houses” to a beach party, only to have it washed away in a second. Awkward, right?

The Instagram algorithm in 2025 is like a picky chef: if you don’t please its tastes, your dish won’t even make it to the table. Did you know that it loves three things? Watch time, likes, and — wait for it — reposts.

Comments used to be king, but now they’ve been replaced by shares. Why? Well, Instagram is tired of formalities. It wants you to not just put a smiley face, but to run to your friends shouting, “Look, this is genius!” The more often your Reels are shared, the higher your chances of getting recommended.

A secret for beginners: Create content that people want to save or send. For example, imagine you found a life hack: “How to fold a blanket hotel style in 20 seconds.” Who can resist sharing it with a friend who always gets tangled in the folds?

Your profile is a business card at a party. And yes, you need to “sell” it

When talking about Instagram strategies, you need to start with the basics. Imagine: a person goes to your account and sees a gray wall with the inscription “Something will happen here.” The chance that they will subscribe? Zero. It's like showing up on a date in pajamas - not serious. Profile optimization is a basic thing that many people ignore, and in vain.

Bio is your elevator pitch (a short story about the concept of a product, project, or service). You have 150 characters for promotion to explain who you are. Example: “Vegan chef 🥑 | I teach you to cook without tears and meat | Recipes that will conquer even your grandmother.” Add emoji, but don't turn your bio into a Christmas garland.

A link in your bio is not a place for modesty. Use Linktree to lead your audience to a store, blog, or Telegram channel. It's like handing out business cards at an event — give people a choice of where to go next.

Highlights are your business card. Group stories into sections: "My recipes," "Behind the scenes," "Reviews." And yes, the covers should be in the same style — no chaos! Imagine these are shelves in your favorite store: everything is neat, and you want to look at every detail.

Life hack: Add keywords to your account name. If you are a photographer, try @katya_foodphotography instead of @katya_photo. It's like naming a cafe "U Babushkini Blini" instead of "Food" — it's immediately clear what to expect.

Reels or nothing: how to make the algorithm work for you

"But I don't know how to shoot videos!" — you might say. Who said you have to be Spielberg? In 2025, Reels is the ultimate growth tool. It's like TikTok, but with a latte and a "mysterious sunset" filter.

How to make Reels viral:

Follow the trends. Open the "Audio" tab in Reels - top tracks are already waiting for you. The sound of "Morning Routine 2.0" has collected 2 million videos. Join us, even if your morning starts with looking for socks under the bed!

The first 3 seconds are your everything. Start with a provocation: "You definitely did this makeup wrong" or "I found a way to save 10,000 in a month." It's like shouting in a crowd: "I have free donuts!" - everyone will turn around.

Add subtitles. 85% of users watch videos without sound. Yes, they are sitting on the subway, at a meeting, or hiding from relatives in the bathroom.

Example: Cosmetics brand GlowUp launched Reels with the “Show me your morning ritual” challenge. Participants tagged friends, and the most creative videos were included in Highlights. The result? +5000 subscribers in a week. And all this without advertising budgets — only laughter and creativity.

“You to me, I’ll to you”: collaborations and challenges

Working alone in 2025 is like trying to clap with one hand. Collaborations with microbloggers (10-50k subscribers) provide explosive growth. Why? Their audience is loyal and engaged. It’s like making a friend who will introduce you to everyone in a new area.

How to find the perfect partner:

Use exchanges like Collabstr or InfluencerMatch.

Offer a barter: you advertise their course, they advertise your product. It’s like exchanging chocolates at school: everyone enjoys it, and no one is offended.

Challenges are another way to hook your audience. For example, a florist can launch #FlowerArt: participants create compositions from improvised means and tag the account. The best works are posted in the feed — motivation + reach. And it's also fun! Who wouldn't want to make a bouquet of carrots and toothbrushes for the sake of fame?

Analytics: don't read tea leaves

"Why did this post get 1000 likes, and that one — 10?" — the answers are hidden in Instagram Insights. It's like a detective who reveals the secrets of your audience. Track:

Engagement (likes, comments, reposts).

Audience activity time. Post when subscribers are online — usually morning (7-9) and evening (18-21). It's like calling a friend not at 3 am, but when they are drinking coffee.

Demographics. If 70% of your audience is women aged 18-24, don't post content about investing in oil. Seriously, they'd rather appreciate makeup life hacks.

Tip: Do an "account audit" once a month. Delete posts with low reach, update your Highlights and check if the links in your bio are working. It's like spring cleaning — sometimes you need to throw out your old sneakers to make room for new ones.

What NOT to do: 3 fatal mistakes

Buy bots. The algorithm will quickly figure out fake activity, and your content will lose reach. It's like hiring extras for your birthday — loud, but empty.

Ignore Stories. Yes, Reels are trending, but Stories keep the audience "warm". Add polls ("Cat or dog?") and questions ("What should I talk about in my next post?"). It's like chatting with a friend in a cafe, not giving them a lecture.

Post haphazardly. A content plan is your best friend. Use Later or Planoly to maintain consistency. After all, even your favorite TV series won't be filmed without a script, right?

Conclusion: your account is a story. Tell it cool

Increasing Instagram followers in 2025 is not magic, but a mix of understanding the algorithm, creativity and analytics. Start small: optimize your profile, launch a couple of Reels with trendy sounds and find “your” microblogger for a collab. And remember: even top bloggers’ first posts got 10 likes. It’s like learning to ride a bike — shaky at first, then up the hill!

P.S. Have you tried adding a question to your caption? For example: “What piece of advice changed your life? Write in the comments — I’ll publish the best one in Stories!” Sometimes it’s enough to just ask — and the audience will answer. 😉 In the end, we all love it when people listen to us.