Hey friend, In last week's blog, I briefly mentioned something about a new account I created as an experiment. What I didn't know was that my reels would start going viral so quickly and making my account grow so fast. Within just one month, my new account witnessed an astounding growth of 1,000 followers. By week six, I've reached 5,300 followers, gaining 100 to 500 daily. Today, I'll be sharing my strategy on how to go viral with reels in 2024.
The Science Behind Instagram Virility
What Makes a Post Go Viral on Instagram?
Some people will tell you that virility is pure luck, but more than luck, I think it is about mastering the art of timing—knowing when your content can make the maximum impact and connect with trends that resonate with your audience.
When you tap into trending topics in pop culture or new technologies, you harness the power of immediate relevance. This connection not only attracts viewers' attention but also encourages them to engage with content that feels current and urgent
However, understanding how Instagram decides what goes viral can really help to know what types of reels the algorithm will push to non-followers.
Based on experiments I've been doing with my two accounts, I have found that the algorithm favors Reels that excel in three key areas:
Retention (Watch Rate): Keeping your audience watching your Reel until the end to increase the average watch rate is crucial. This encourages the algorithm to promote your Reel more broadly. Examples: Creating short, looping Reels that invite repeated viewing, storytelling Reels that gradually unfold a narrative, or "Face-time Effect" D2C Reels that mimic a personal conversation can dramatically increase retention.
Shareability: Highly relatable content or content that induces feelings of awe and wonder is more likely to be shared. High shareability translates to more eyes on your content, which can lead to greater reach and more followers. Examples: POV (Point of View) videos, memes that capture trending cultural moments, Reels that share breaking news or secrets, and universally appealing content like animals, pets, babies, or stunning travel destinations.
Save-worthiness: Content that viewers deem valuable enough to revisit or reference later typically has high save-worthiness. This type of content often includes quick, actionable tips or educational information that provides immediate value or utility to the viewer. Examples: Step-by-step tutorials, "how-to" guides, quick hacks, inspirational quotes, or infographics that summarize useful information in a visually appealing way to encourage viewers to save the Reel for future use.
How I Am Creating Viral Instagram Reels With A New Account
I wanted this account to be as low-effort as possible, so I knew I needed to create a simple system that would allow me to post consistently, multiple times per day without working out.
As a new account, my goal was QUANTITY. I was aiming for 3x Reels per day and for the first 30 days, a total of 90 reels' I stuck with that. Even on the weekends, family events, and while traveling.
Here's the step-by-step process I am following:
I use ChatGPT to produce viral-worthy ideas and to create new versions of the ones that are going viral
80% of my content is B-roll so I have a library of B-roll content.
Only 20% are D2C so I film 2DC on the same day once a week (higher effort)
I have a power caption template I copy/paste into all my reels and simply adapt it when necessary.
Before posting I scroll down the Reels tab and find the first or second trending audio with a small number of uses and I use it right away.
I put everything together: video + texts on screen + audio + caption and post on the go.
Practical Tips for Consistent Viral Success
Is Posting 2 Reels a Day Too Much?
I've always been able to stay consistent with once per day 5x a week and that's how I manage to grow IG Creator Academy on Instagram. I tried posting twice for a while but it felt totally unsustainable and I wasn't seeing any difference if much worse reach.
However for this account, in the way that I've simplified it, posting up to three times a day has been effective, especially, now that I'm using AI tools like ChatGPT.
Can you still grow with just 1 post per day? Absolutely. I know plenty of people who post 3x - 5x per week and grow massively.
How to Get on the Instagram Explore Page
All my Reels have been getting over 50% of non-followers and I think it's because of these main reasons:
Instagram seems to "reward" newer accounts, especially those that give them more data.
Since I'm posting 3x day, more posts = more data for them = more data = better categorization = showing your content to people who are more likely to engage
I have three content pillars and I stick meticulously to these. More niched down = better categorization too
I'm making all my posts save-worthy and actionable
The style and structure of the reels I'm using are helping me increase my watch rate and time spent on my profile. Also, more posts = more time spent on my profile.
I'm re-posting posts that have taken off but with a different B-roll video.
How to Write Viral Instagram Captions
As I mentioned, I am using a caption template to optimize the whole process. This viral caption formula uses a structure that is made up of specific elements to keep the viewer reading, which is why it's so effective.
The structure is more or less like this:
Hook - Short line that screams "Tap me"
Second hook - A question or curiosity-inducing statement that will keep the reader
CTA 1 - Ask the reader to comment a keyword for a free something
Value - Step-by-step, list, strategies, templates, story, etc
The Quintuple CTA Punch - Like, save, share, once again comment, and follow
With this structure, I can easily adapt it and add anything that is specific to the theme of that reel.
Wrapping Up: Your Next Steps to Going Viral on Instagram
Navigating the complex landscape of Instagram's viral content scene requires a solid understanding of several moving parts— including what makes the algorithm push your reel to new people, what type of content is being consumed more by people, and being timely.
If you've been tirelessly trying to decode how to go viral and grow on Instagram, stay tuned. I'm gearing up to launch an exciting initiative that will streamline your path to virality with the help of AI. Join the waitlist here to be the first to know!
