How to Get Instagram Posts Seen by Non-Followers

You're creating great content, but it feels like you’re screaming into the void - or at least into the same echo chamber of followers you already have. Cracking the code to get your posts seen by people who aren't following you is the key to real growth on Instagram. This guide will walk you through actionable, no-fluff strategies to help you break out of your bubble and land your content in front of a brand new audience.

The Underrated Foundation: Create Content Built to Travel

Before any hashtag strategy or algorithm trick, your content must be good enough to warrant being shared. Getting seen by non-followers isn't just about discovery, it's about creating posts that people instinctively want to share with their friends. When someone sends your Reel to their group chat or adds your post to their Story, they’re doing the marketing work for you. Content that "travels" usually falls into a few categories.

Three Types of Highly-Shareable Content

• Relatable Humor: Memes, funny Reels, and comics that capture a shared experience work wonders. If you can make someone think, "This is so me," they are far more likely to share it. For a brand, this means understanding your audience's specific pain points or inside jokes. A coffee shop could post a Reel about the feeling of the first sip of caffeine on a Monday morning, it's specific yet widely understood.
• Genuine Utility: How-to guides, quick tips, carousels that break down a complex topic, or checklists are incredibly valuable. People save these for later and share them because they are genuinely helpful. Think about what your audience struggles with and create a simple, visual guide to solve that problem. A personal trainer could create a carousel post with "5 Stretches to Undo a Day of Sitting."
• Inspiration and Aspiration: This includes stunning photography, incredible before-and-after transformations, or motivational quotes. This type of content makes people feel good or gives them something to aspire to. It’s less about a direct solution and more about an emotional connection. An interior designer showcasing a beautifully redesigned living room is a classic example.

The common thread? Your content needs to provide value. That value can be a laugh, a solution, or a feeling. If you nail this, every other strategy that follows becomes exponentially more effective.

Play the Hashtag Game the Smart Way

Hashtags are the most direct tool Instagram gives you to categorize your content and make it discoverable. Using them correctly is about more than just tacking on #marketing or #instagood. A smart hashtag strategy helps your content show up in searches and on the hashtag's dedicated feeds, putting you directly in front of interested non-followers.

The "Hashtag Mix" Strategy

You shouldn't just be using the biggest, most popular hashtags. Your post will get buried in seconds. Instead, use a diversified mix to maximize your reach. For each post, aim for a blend of these three types:

• Broad Hashtags (100k - 1M+ posts): These are popular, high-traffic tags that describe your industry or content generally. Examples: #SocialMediaMarketing, #GraphicDesign, #FitnessMotivation. You might get a quick burst of visibility here, but the competition is fierce. Use only 2-3 of these.
• Niche/Community Hashtags (10k - 100k posts): This is your sweet spot. These tags are specific enough to attract a highly relevant audience but not so popular that you'll be instantly drowned out. Think about phrases your ideal follower would actually search for. Instead of #fitness, maybe it's #WorkoutAtHomeForMoms or #BeginnerYogaFlow. Use 5-10 of these.
• Hyper-Specific or Branded Hashtags (<,10k posts): These can be tags unique to your business (#YourBrandHere) or ultra-niche ones like #ChicagoFoodieFinds. These help you build a community and dominate a smaller conversation. Use 2-3 of these.

How to Find the Right Hashtags

Don't just guess. Your best source of hashtag ideas is Instagram itself. Start by searching for a broad term related to your post. Instagram will show you related hashtags along with their post volume. Look at what successful accounts in your niche are using. What common tags pop up in their most-liked posts? Tap on a few of those tags and see what kind of content appears. If it looks like a community you want to be a part of, that’s a good sign.

Dominate Reels to Win the Explore Page

If you want to reach a massive non-follower audience in 2024 and beyond, your focus needs to be on Reels. The algorithm is heavily biased towards promoting short-form video to users it thinks will be interested, regardless of whether they follow you. Your goal is to get your Reel featured on the Reels tab and the Explore Page, and here's how.

Hook Them in the First Three Seconds

User attention is fleeting. Your Reel needs to grab someone immediately. Start with a bold text hook on screen, a visually surprising shot, or a question that piques curiosity. Don't waste time with a long logo intro. State the value of the video right away, for example: "Here are 3 mistakes you're making with your houseplants."

Leverage Trends with Your Unique Spin

Using trending audio or a popular format is like attaching a rocket booster to your Reel. Instagram's algorithm often prioritizes content using sounds that are on the rise. To find them, pay attention to the little upward-pointing arrow next to audio names when you're scrolling the Reels feed.

But don't just blindly copy a trend. The key is to adapt it to your niche. If there’s a popular lip-sync audio about a workplace annoyance, how can you apply that to a frustration your audience experiences? This makes the content feel original to you while still benefiting from the trend's momentum.

Signal Value with Watch Time and Engagement

The algorithm is looking for signals that people enjoy your content. The two most important signals are:

• Watch Time: Are people watching your Reel all the way through, or better yet, a few times? Keep your Reels short, punchy, and valuable to encourage replays.
• Engagement: Comments, shares, and saves matter more than likes. Actively encourage this behavior in your captions and on-screen text. A simple call to action like, "Save this for your next project!" or "Which tip was your favorite? Let me know in the comments" can have a huge impact.

Use All the Tools in the Instagram Toolbox

Growing your reach isn't just about feed posts and Reels. Instagram offers several other features specifically designed for collaboration and discoverability. Using them strategically gets you in front of other people's audiences.

Collaborate on Posts

The "Invite Collaborator" feature is one of the most powerful tools for reach. It allows a single post to appear on two separate profiles, showing it to both sets of followers. This is perfect for partnerships with other creators, brands, or even your customers (with their permission).

To use it, create your post or Reel as usual. Before sharing, tap "Tag People," and then you'll see the option to "Invite Collaborator." When they accept, the post will appear on their profile grid and be distributed to their audience as if it were their own.

Tagging: Give Credit and Gain Visibility

A smart tagging strategy goes beyond just tagging your friends.

• Location Tags: Absolutely use them, especially if you're a local business. Adding a location to your post or Story makes it appear on that location’s feed. Someone browsing for content in your city could stumble upon your business.
• Account Tags: If you are featuring another brand's product, are at a specific business, or mentioning another creator, tag them! Not only is it good etiquette, but they might be notified and re-share your post to their audience in their Stories. That simple share can bring dozens or even hundreds of new eyes to your profile.

Become an Active Community Member

Social media is a two-way street. Don't just post content and log off. Spend 15-20 minutes each day engaging with other accounts in your niche - specifically those you don't follow yet.

Leave thoughtful, genuine comments on their posts. Don't just say "Great post!" Add to the conversation. Ask a question. Share a related thought. This does two things: it puts your profile name and picture in front of that creator's engaged audience, and it signals to the algorithm what communities you want to be associated with, which can influence how your own content is categorized and shown to others.

Final Thoughts

Reaching new audiences on Instagram isn’t about finding a single viral hack, but about consistency. It's the combination of creating genuinely shareable content, using smart discovery tools like hashtags and location tags, and actively leveraging features like collaborations and Reels that makes the difference. Each strategy builds on the others to signal to both users and the algorithm that your content is worth showing to a wider audience.

Implementing these strategies consistently is the most important part, and we know that can be tough when you’re busy. To help creators and marketers stay on track without the chaos, we built Postbase. Our visual calendar makes it simple to plan your content mix - including all those vital Reels and Stories - weeks in advance. Plus, with reliable scheduling you can actually trust, you just set your content and know it's going live, allowing you to focus more on creating and engaging, not just publishing.