How to Reach Non-Followers on Instagram

Your Instagram content is great, but it feels like you're shouting into a void where only your existing followers can hear you. Cracking the code to reach non-followers is the key to real growth, turning your profile from a small gathering into a thriving community. This guide lays out a complete playbook of actionable strategies - from Reels and hashtags to collaborations and community engagement - that will get your content in front of the thousands of people who don't know they need you yet.

Lean Heavily into Instagram Reels

If there’s one single format to prioritize for reaching new audiences, it’s Reels. Instagram's algorithm is heavily biased towards showing Reels to people who don't follow you through the Reels tab and Explore Page. It's built for discovery. Unlike a post or a Story that primarily serves your current followers, a successful Reel can single-handedly skyrocket your visibility.

Create Reels People Actually Want to Watch

You don't need fancy production equipment or viral dance skills. Your goal is to create content that provides value, which falls into three main categories: education, entertainment, or inspiration.

• Educational Reels: These teach your audience something useful. Think quick tutorials, tips, hacks, how-to's, or myth-busting. A personal trainer could show "3 Common Squat Mistakes," while a chef could create a Reel on "How to Perfectly Dice an Onion."
• Entertaining Reels: These make people laugh or feel something. This could be relatable niche humor, a funny skit about an industry problem, or a beautifully shot B-roll sequence.
• Inspirational Reels: These often showcase a transformation, a success story, or a motivating message. A before-and-after of a design project or a personal growth journey can be incredibly effective here.

Anatomy of a Reel That Reaches Non-Followers

Good content alone isn't always enough. You have to package it in a way that hooks viewers and satisfies the algorithm. Here’s how:

1. The First Three Seconds are Everything

You have to give someone a reason to stop scrolling. Your opening, or "hook," is the most important part of your Reel. Be direct and intriguing.

Examples of strong hooks:

• "Stop making this costly mistake with your website."
• "Here’s a graphic design secret I wish I knew sooner."
• "You’re using your air fryer wrong."
• "One simple habit that changed my daily productivity."

2. Use Trending Audio (Wisely)

Basing your Reel around trending audio can give it an initial boost. You can find trending songs and sounds by looking for the small upward-facing arrow next to the audio's name. But don't force it. If the audio doesn't fit your content, it feels cringe-worthy. The best approach is to find a trend that can be adapted to your niche in a clever and valuable way.

3. Write Captions for A.I. and Humans

The Instagram algorithm in 2024 doesn’t just look at hashtags, it now "reads" your captions and on-screen text to understand your video's context. Write a caption that describes what your Reel is about, using keywords your ideal follower would search for. This helps Instagram categorize your content and show it to the right people.

Master the Modern Hashtag Strategy

Forget the old advice of copy-pasting 30 maximum-sized hashtags and hoping for the best. Today, the goal is to use a smaller, highly relevant set of hashtags to tell the algorithm exactly who to show your content to. Using generic tags like #love or #business is useless, your content gets buried in millions of posts instantly. Instead, think niche.

The Tiered Hashtag Approach

A good modern strategy uses a blend of different-sized hashtags. For each post, aim for around 8-15 total hashtags broken into three categories:

• Niche-Specific Tags (3-5): These are super-targeted hashtags with maybe 10k-100k posts. They describe precisely what's in your post. Examples: #homebakingsourdough, #logodesigntips, #indoorplantcare. These are the hashtags you have the best chance of ranking high in.
• Community Tags (3-5): These are tags that your ideal audience uses to identify themselves. They have a bit more volume, usually in the 100k-500k range. Examples: #bakersofig, #solopreneurlife, #plantparents.
• Broader (but Relevant) Tags (2-3): These are higher-volume terms that still accurately describe your post, but offer a chance at wider reach if your content really takes off. Examples: #contentstrategy, #breadmaking, #houseplants.

How to Find the Right Hashtags

The best place to find hashtags is right inside the Instagram app. Go to the search bar, type in a core keyword for your content, and tap "Tags." Instagram will show you a list of related hashtags and their post volume. Look for relevant tags used by creators of a similar size to you who are getting great engagement - they’ve already done some of the research for you.

Collaborate to Cross-Pollinate Audiences

Collaborating with other creators is like a direct introduction to a whole new, pre-qualified audience. You're leveraging the trust they've already built with their followers.

Use the "Collab" Post Feature

This is the most powerful method for collaboration. When you create a post or Reel, you can invite another account as a "collaborator." If they accept, the post appears on both of your profiles, shared to both of your follower bases. It’s an instant reach multiplier. Find creators in your niche (but not direct competitors) whose audience would appreciate your content and pitch them a "Collab" post idea that benefits you both.

Go Live Together

Instagram Live sessions are a fantastic, unpolished way to connect with a different audience. When you go Live with someone, Instagram notifies both of your follower bases. During the Live, you can conversationally introduce your work and expertise to new people, and they can see your personality shine through in a way that’s harder to convey in a pre-recorded Reel.

Engage Strategically Beyond Your Own Feed

Organic growth is a two-way street. You can't just post content and wait for people to find you. You need to become an active, visible member of your community across Instagram.

The goal is to leave comments that make other people stop and think, "That's a great point, who is this?" and then click on your profile. Here's how:

1. Identify 10-15 larger accounts, hashtags, or creators whose audience matches your ideal follower.
2. Each day, spend 15 minutes scrolling through their new posts.
3. Leave genuine, thoughtful comments that add to the conversation. Don't just post "Nice shot!" or a fire emoji. Ask a clarifying question, offer a unique perspective, or share a relevant personal experience.

This strategy makes you visible to hundreds of engaged people in your target audience without ever feeling like spam.

Create Content That People Feel Compelled to Share and Save

Shares and saves are what Instagram calls "super signals." When someone shares your post to their Story or saves it for later, it tells the algorithm this piece of content is incredibly high-quality. Instagram then shows it to more people. To get these signals, create content with built-in utility or relatability.

• Saveable Content: Think checklists, step-by-step guides, lists of resources, or informative carousels. Anything that someone might want to refer back to later is perfect for driving saves. For example, a "5-Step Recipe for Perfect Cold Brew" or "My Top 10 Favorite Marketing Tools."
• Shareable Content: Content that is highly relatable, funny, or inspirational drives shares. This includes niche memes, powerful quotes, or surprising statistics. If the content makes someone think, "This is SO me" or "My friend needs to see this," they are likely to hit the share button.

Final Thoughts

Reaching non-followers on Instagram isn’t about a single magic bullet but a consistent, multi-faceted approach. By creating value-packed Reels, using smart and specific hashtags, collaborating with other creators, and making highly shareable content, you create multiple pathways for new people to discover your profile and join your community.

Putting all these strategies into practice consistently requires serious organization. We know that planning your content visually, scheduling Reels reliably, customizing content for each platform, and trying to see what’s actually working can get chaotic very quickly while jumping between apps and spreadsheets. We built Postbase to streamline exactly that. It’s a clean, modern social media tool centered around a visual calendar, rock-solid short-form video scheduling, and simple analytics, so you can focus on executing your growth strategy instead of getting tangled up in logistics.