Instagram remains a dominant force in social media, with over 2.3 billion monthly active users. But breaking through all the noise and going viral is no easy feat on such a crowded platform. Luckily in 2024, new opportunities emerge for raising your Instagram reach dramatically and potentially reaching viral fame. Whether you’re an individual looking to gain more exposure, or a business looking to promote your products or services, the ability to become viral on Instagram is an incredibly valuable asset. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the steps you need to take in order to become viral on Instagram in the year 2024.
Let’s explore how to ramp up discovery and leverage emerging trends to become an Instagram influencer in your own right.
Optimize Your Profile to Be Discovered
Gaining new followers starts with being discoverable by the crowds already active on Instagram. To increase findability, brands must optimize profiles to rank higher in searches and user recommendations.
Complete Your Bio & Use Smart Keywords
Fill out every bio field possible: website, contact info, location. Also, include targeted keywords like industry buzzwords and common IG handle names. This helps signal to IG’s algorithm what your brand is about.
Refresh Your Username
Claim a catchy but clear username with your brand name if available. Short, memorable handles get more searches.
Nail Visual Branding
Ensure branded profile and highlight covers along with a recognizable, consistent avatar style across posts. This helps curious visitors quickly grasp what you’re about.
Engage Followers in Your Niche
Commenting and liking content from potential fans helps increase discovery. Be an active community member in relevant hashtags and locations.
Capitalize on Viral Instagram Trends Early
Latching onto the next viral Instagram sensation early is key for explosive reach expansion. That means identifying rising trends ahead of the herd and quickly acting on content innovation opportunities.
Constantly Test What Resonates
Stay on pulse with shifting user behavior using IG Insights and Creator Studio data. Identify what content formats and topics perform best to inform future viral experiments.
Reverse Engineer Viral Case Studies
Analyze both direct competitors and those achieving virality in related spaces. Figure out exactly why their content connects on an emotional level for replication or inspiration.
Innovate Fearlessly
IG trends often reward brands who take risks and dare to stand out. Getting creative both narratively and visually can unlock never-seen-before content that breaks through. Don’t be afraid to test wacky, unproven video formats or filters if they feel fresh.
Localize Globally Trending Stories
Huge IG trends often sprout internationally before hitting smaller regions. Keep tabs on what content goes viral abroad first, then put your own localized spin when it hits your geography.
Unlock Instagram Reels’ Virality Formula
Without question, instagram Reels will remain the top viral launchpad on Instagram through 2024. Cracking the code on this TikTok-esque video format is mandatory to level up reach.
Study What Works in Your Niche
extensively analyze top Reels in your category to decode the blueprint. Note duration, hooks, sound choices, text overlay styles, editing tricks etc. Then build upon what viewers already love.
Double Down on Trending Songs
Nothing fuels Reel virality more than timely audio. Keep playlists of the latest viral tunes on standby to infuse your content with recognizable sounds.
Front Load Your Best Shot
You only have seconds to capture attention on a Reel. Lead with your most eye-catching visuals to instantly hook scrolling users.
Prompt Action in First 3 Seconds
Ask a question, tease value, or cliffhang your opening text overlay to spike engagement quickly.
Incorporate Interactive Elements
Duets, effects, stickers, polls and AR filters all boost responses.
Relentlessly Cross-Promote
Seed your best Reels across IG Stories and feed posts too. Insert dynamic previews encouraging viewers to swipe up and watch the full videos.
Become an Instagram Live Tour de Force
Instagram Live exploded in popularity throughout 2022. But in 2023, it remains shockingly underutilized by most brands. Next year, that changes in a BIG way.
Forward-thinking companies will finally tap into Live streams’ immense potential for community building in 2024. And those using the format most creatively will rapidly expand their reach and resonance.
Become an early Live leader in your industry via:
Consistent Schedules
The consistency of a reliable “show time” every week builds anticipation and drive tune-ins over time. Slowly scale frequency as engagement grows.
Segmented Shows for All Interests
Develop a diverse content menu spanning industry Q&As, product launches, tutorials, inside looks and more. This leaves valuable evergreen recordings to repurpose too.
Engagement Boosting Features
Comments, live polling, AR effects, cross-platform promotion and channel guest stars all take Live streams into hyperdrive. Explore what innovative elements perform best.
Cross-Pollinate Audiences
One huge Live advantage? Sharing engaged followers from strategic partners. Plan influencer takeovers, company exec cameos and expert co-hosts to merge audiences.
Consistency Pays Off
Keep streaming no matter the view count early on. Slow, steady organic reach expansion comes from sticking to reliable schedules over time. Soon enough you’ll have can’t miss appointment viewing.
Level Up Your Influence Collaborations
Aligning with the right influencers provides brands borrowed audiences on tap to expand reach. But in 2024, winning influencer marketing evolves to more authentic alignments with creators over old school mercenary sponsored posts.
Forward-thinking businesses should connect via:
Long Term Partnership Cultivation
Don’t just pay influencers for one-off placements. Instead nurture yearlong relationships for trust and creative liberty. Provide ample assets for natural integration across ALL their content.
Creative Brainstorming Sessions
Involve creators early in the ideation process. Blend their instincts for own-audience resonance with your brand goals for winning activations.
Revenue Share Opportunities
Offer influencers a cut of any sales or conversions driven from content efforts. Incentivize them has business partners beyond flat fame.
Nano & Micro-Influencer Discovery
Identify rising niche-specific creators with small but hyper-engaged followings. Their audiences trust recommendations as authentic peer validation making them powerful allies.
Samantha Mitling a Viral Martial Arts Sensation(Opens in a new browser tab)
Interactive Co-Creation
Explore collaborative content like Live streams, IGTV series or Reels with interactive elements fans love.
The savviest brands realize viral Instagram marketing today is driven by culture not hard-sell campaigns. Adopt these human-centric strategies in 2024 to become the voice audiences wish to amplify.
Soon you’ll have reach expansion and impact no paid media budget alone can match.