'Instagram is dead for photographers' is what I've been hearing for the past 4 years. Is it true?

How I reached 380k+ followers

I started photography 5 years ago, but I have been using Instagram for around 10 years.

When I started posting, good photos used to get a lot of reach, and photographers gained thousands of followers overnight from just their photos.

Up to 20,000 followers, I had to work hard to consistently post, engage with others, and gradually increase my quality. After that, my account blew up at different stages - right after reels were introduced!

• I went from 35k to 100k in 2 months due to 3 reels.
• From 100k - 200k in 5 months due to several reels.
• From 200k to 380k in 3 months due to 1 reel (43M views).

Do you need to rely on luck for this? Absolutely not.

I have spent 3 years posting several reels here and there and have seen a lot of ups and downs, and I'm delighted to share a few tips with anyone trying to increase their reach. However, let's discuss something.

Why followers are important (or not)

NOTE: The number of followers is not the most important thing, and it should be considered of important to aspiring professional creators and existing professionals only.

For me, I was doing it for fun, and in that way - I found meaning in inspiring others. My art is worthless if I don't share it. Therefore, I decided to try to make it full-time and that is why having an audience matters for me.

However, If you are a hobbyist who simply loves photography just for themselves and does not plan to make any money out of it, then you should not care that much about followers. Instead, focus on engaging with other photographers and involve yourself in a community that inspires you.

If you are a creator/business looking to scale, this is why your audience size matters:

• Acts as social proof: You would seem more trustworthy and credible simply due to the fact that many people follow you.
• Reach potential: The larger the audience, the higher the chance of becoming 'viral'.
• Accessibility: With a large audience, you can easily reach out to big creators and brands and they'll be more likely to respond to you.
• More clients: Whatever you market, it reaches a larger potential market.

Downside of 'chasing followers'

Despite the importance, it can quickly become something harmful to your mental health. Here's why:

• Subconscious comparison: Social media is infamous for destroying our creatives' confidence due to the comparisons that we make. 'He has 1M followers and I have 200, I can never reach his level'.
• Expectation vs Reality: Most of the time, you will expect high results only to get incredibly disappointed. This affects our creativity A LOT.
• Reliance on online validation: When someone chases followers just for the sake of, they develop a habit of rating their work based on external validation; that is - likes, views, comments, followers, etc. This can be so harmful to their mental health, and it accumulates into mild depression and writer's block (inability to create).

The RIGHT mindset to have when looking for followers:

The importance of follower numbers ultimately depends on the objectives of the individual. While a large number can bring several benefits, it also has some severe downsides if it's not done the right way.

Therefore, I'd always recommend that you remain confident in yourself, and detach yourself from external validation. Always practice mental awareness, this will enable you to create the best art you possibly can!

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Personal lessons and important tips for you to grow your audience with Reels.

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Quality of work: This is the MOST important tip! If I had sh*t work, I wouldn't blow up several times. You need to give your audience a legitimate reason to follow you and your work. Focus on: your quality, creating unique work, editing styles, composition, etc.

Public/Creator account: If you are a photographer, please show us your work - don't keep your account private!

Post Reels: Reels are looked down upon by most photographers, and I understand why. However, it is much easier for someone beginning photography to scale their audience than it was 4 years ago.

The scalability of reels is insane because reels are designed to reach new audiences rather than existing followers. (I don't post reels for my followers, but rather to reach newer audiences).

Try look for trendy reel styles and audios if you have nowhere to start from!

Consistency: Post consistently, experiment a lot and then capitalize on what works for you.

Repost Reels: Since most reels are targeted outwards, you can always recycle them (especially the ones that perform well) and post again!

Hook: I have several reels that have reached the 1M mark, and all of them have a good hook (the first 3 seconds of your video that makes the reader stay/not stat). Remember, the higher the retention, the higher the views.

Know your audience: This is something that I have just started to learn: Viral reels do not necessarily get you the followers you want. Sometimes, you have to decide whether you want to reach the mass audience or your niche's audience.

For my reel which got 43M views, it attracted a lot of photographers and wildlife enthusiasts, but I'm sure most of them were just mindlessly scrolling and happened to see my reel.

It is not possible to attract a large audience of your niche's followers whilst reaching the mass within a single reel, but I've figured that I can alternate both to balance it.

Other than that, I hope this peek into my Instagram strategy sparks some ideas for your own social media journey!

If you’ve found this helpful, I’d love to hear from you via Instagram or email. Feel free to share this with anyone who might find it useful.

And if you're interested in shopping some prints or joining me on a photography tour, just slide into my DMs!

Till next time,

Dhir