How to Get More Viewers on Instagram

Getting your content in front of more eyes on Instagram can feel like a constant challenge. If your view count isn't growing or you're struggling to reach new people, you're in the right place. This guide gives you actionable strategies to boost your views on Reels, Stories, and across your entire profile, helping turn casual viewers into dedicated followers.

Master Your Instagram Reels Strategy for Maximum Reach

Reels are no doubt your most powerful tool for reaching people who don't follow you yet. The algorithm is designed to push engaging Reels to a wide audience through the Reels feed, the Explore page, and hashtag pages. If you want more viewers, this is where you need to focus your energy.

Hook Them in the First 3 Seconds

You have a tiny window to stop someone from scrolling. Your Reel's opening is the single most important factor in its success. If you can't grab attention immediately, the rest of your video doesn't matter. Aim for a powerful visual or verbal hook that creates curiosity or presents a relatable problem.

• Text Hooks: Use bold, on-screen text like "One thing you're doing wrong..." or "The fastest way to achieve X..."
• Visual Hooks: Start with a dynamic movement, a surprising reveal, or a visually stunning shot. A baker could start with a shot of icing being piped perfectly, or a travel creator could open with a breathtaking drone shot.
• Question Hooks: Open by asking a question your target audience cares about. "Have you ever wondered why...?" or "Are you tired of...?"

Leverage Trending Audio (The Smart Way)

Using trending audio can give your Reels a significant algorithmic boost, but it's not a magic bullet. Don't just slap a popular song onto a random video. The most successful Reels use an audio trend in a way that's relevant to their niche. Look for sounds with the little upward-trending arrow next to them. Before using one, browse other videos that use the same audio to see how people are adapting it. Can you create a version that speaks directly to your ideal follower? A business coach, for example, could adapt a humorous trending clip about procrastination to share a productivity tip.

Create Original, High-Value Content

Trends come and go, but value is what will make people follow you and come back for more. Value isn't just about sharing dense educational information, it can be entertaining, inspiring, or relatable. Define what "value" means for your audience.

• Educational Value: Teach your audience something. A DIY account could show a 30-second tutorial on how to fix a wobbly chair. A marketer could break down a complex concept into three simple steps.
• Entertaining Value: Make them laugh or feel something. This could be a relatable skit, a behind-the-scenes look at your work, or a satisfying process video (like pottery making or latte art).
• Inspirational Value: Share a success story, reveal a personal transformation, or showcase beautiful results that motivate your audience to take action.

Write Captions That Drive Engagement

A great caption does more than just describe the video, it encourages action. The more comments, saves, and shares your Reel gets, the more the algorithm will push it to new viewers. Your caption is your chance to start a conversation or provide extra context.

• Tell a story: Expand on the story behind the Reel. Share the challenge, the breakthrough, or the funny anecdote.
• Ask a question: Prompt a response by asking a direct question related to your video. If you share a recipe, ask, "What ingredient would you add to this?"
• Provide a call-to-action (CTA): Encourage viewers to save the Reel for later, share it with a friend who'd find it useful, or check out the link in your bio for more info.

Boost Your Instagram Story Views and Keep Your Audience Hooked

While Reels are for reaching new people, Stories are for nurturing your current followers. Consistently high Story engagement can improve your overall account health and keep your audience invested in what you do. The key is to make your Stories a two-way conversation, not a broadcast.

Use Interactive Stickers Obsessively

Instagram gives you tools to drive engagement, and you should use them on every Story. Polls, quiz boxes, sliders, and question stickers are direct ways to get your audience to tap on their screen. Each interaction is a positive signal to the algorithm, telling it that people are interested in your content. Even simple interactions matter.

• Polls: "This or that?" polls are incredibly effective and low-effort for viewers. A fashion creator could ask, "Black shoes or tan shoes with this outfit?"
• Question Boxes: Ask for opinions, feedback, or suggestions. Use an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) or ask something more specific like, "What's the biggest challenge you're facing with X?"
• Quiz Stickers: Test your audience's knowledge on a topic related to your niche. This is a fun way to share information and see who your most dedicated followers are.

Mix Up Your Content Formats

No one wants to watch 10 talking-head videos in a row. Keep your Stories visually interesting by mixing up a variety of content styles. Vary the pace and stop people from tapping through mindlessly. Try including:

• Short video clips of your day or process.
• Simple text-on-background slides to share a thought or announcement.
• Behind-the-scenes photos.
• Boomerangs or other creative effects.
• Resharing posts from your feed and adding new context or a question about them.

Optimize Your Entire Profile for Discovery and Growth

Getting views on a single Reel is great, but the ultimate goal is to convert those viewers into followers who watch all your content. Your profile is your digital storefront. It needs to clearly and quickly communicate who you are and what a visitor will get by following you.

Write a Clear and Compelling Bio

Your bio has one job: convince new viewers to tap the "Follow" button. It should be scanner-friendly and packed with value. Ditch the generic jargon and be specific.

A good bio answers three questions:

1. Who are you? (e.g., "Certified nutritionist," "Vintage furniture restorer")
2. What do you offer? (e.g., "Simple recipes for busy families," "Tips for thrifting timeless pieces")
3. Who do you help? (This can be implied, but specificity helps.)

Also, make sure to use keywords people might search for. If you're a real estate agent in Austin, include "Austin Realtor" right in your name field or bio for search purposes.

Create Strategic Story Highlights

Think of your Story Highlights as navigable categories on your website. They're a perfect way for new profile visitors to binge your best content. Use them to answer frequently asked questions, showcase testimonials, group tutorials together, or share your "about me" story. Give them clean, on-brand cover photos and clear titles like "Tutorials," "FAQs," or "Results" so visitors know exactly what to click.

Collaborate and Cross-Promote to Tap Into New Audiences

You don't have to build your audience in a silo. Leveraging other platforms and creators is one of the fastest ways to get a fresh wave of viewers on your content.

Use the Instagram "Collabs" Feature

One of the most powerful and underutilized features for growth is the "Invite Collaborator" option for feed posts and Reels. When you collaborate with another creator, the post appears on both of your profiles, shared to both of your audiences. It pools the likes and comments and gives you direct exposure to an audience that's likely aligned with your own. Reach out to other creators in your niche who have a similar audience size and propose a collaboration idea where you both contribute value.

Promote Your Instagram on Other Channels

Remind people everywhere that you exist on Instagram. Place a link to your Instagram profile in your email signature, on your website's footer, and in the bio of your other social profiles like TikTok, X, or YouTube. If you create longer-form content elsewhere, actively tell that audience to follow you on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content, Q&As, and more direct interaction.

Final Thoughts

Growing your Instagram viewership is a marathon, not a sprint. It boils down to creating valuable Reels that are designed to be discovered, using Stories to build a loyal community, optimizing your profile to convert visitors, and getting your content in front of new audiences through strategic promotion. By focusing on giving more than you take, you'll attract people who genuinely want to follow along.

Putting all these strategies into action consistently requires a plan. At Postbase, we built our platform to make managing modern social media feel less chaotic. Because social media today is all about short-form video, our tools are designed to streamline that process. The visual calendar lets you plan content weeks ahead, our unified inbox helps you manage all your comments in one place, and you can reliably schedule your Reels and videos without worrying if they'll actually publish. We handle the frustrating parts so you can focus on creating.