How We Doubled Our Instagram Followers in One Year

Rony Canales

Houston Endowment
@ronyedin

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We actually started pretty late in the social media world. Our Instagram account was created in March 2024, and at first we only posted a few photos, quotes, and history facts about our organization. By September we had 449 followers. It wasn’t until October 2024 that we decided to go all in. We studied strategies online, watched YouTube videos from people who seemed to know what they were doing, and paid close attention to advice shared by the Adam Mosseri (CEO of Instagram).

Since then, our account at Houston Endowment has grown to nearly 1,300 followers, which is more than a 100% increase in a year. We’re a place-based foundation focused on Houston, so our numbers aren’t comparable to a large national organization. Still, for us this growth has been meaningful.

Instagram Algorithm in 2025

Constant Adjustments

• The algorithm updates daily with small tweaks.

• Each surface (Feed, Reels, Explore, Stories, etc.) has its own algorithm, optimized for engagement beyond just who you follow.

Rationale: Performance naturally fluctuates. A single post doesn’t show the full picture; patterns across formats and topics are more reliable indicators.

What Doesn’t Work

• Hashtags, follow trains, and clickbait don’t significantly boost reach.

• Use hashtags if helpful, but don’t rely on them.

Rationale: Instagram’s AI can already interpret captions, transcripts, and visuals, which reduces the need for hashtags as signals.

What Drives Reach

• Shares are the strongest growth signal, followed by watch time and likes.

• Short videos perform best; main flows cap around 3 minutes.

• Captions carry the most weight for discovery, though Instagram also scans audio transcripts, frames, and (soon) comments.

Rationale: Shares indicate direct human endorsement. Instagram prioritizes them because they connect people socially and bring users back onto the platform. Likes are passive engagement. They don’t spread content like shares or hold attention like retention.

Best Practices

• Post consistently. Daily if possible, to build momentum. Long posting breaks (1-2 posts a month) reduce reach. The algorithm doesn’t favor inactivity and will penalize you, so rebuild with steady posting.

• Use a mix of formats:

  • Reels → reach new audiences/non-followers (trending audio can help).

  • Posts → Build posts around early engagement and sustained pacing. The better you hold attention, the more likely the algorithm is to recommend your post beyond your followers.

  • Carousels → deepen engagement. Carousels and photo galleries perform well because people swipe through which translate to watch time.

  • Stories → maintain interaction with polls, quizzes, and Q&As. Behind-the-scenes posts also keep your audience connected and engaged.

• Add music to your posts to increase reach (multi-photo posts only, mobile upload). Instagram has been experimenting with displaying photo carousel posts that include music in the Reels feed. They don’t convert into Reels, but they appear in the feed where Reels usually show up. Music keeps people engaged, so the algorithm favors it.

• Tag locations (e.g., Houston, TX) to strengthen relevance with your core audience. A location tag doesn’t just say where something happened—it helps Instagram serve your content to the right people. Without it, posts may be distributed too broadly, which can reduce engagement if the content feels less relevant.

• Use Collab posts to reach new audiences. Collaborate or tag relevant organizations, grantees, or partners. Collabs distribute content across two networks, multiplying exposure.

• Judge success by patterns, not single posts. Double down on what works.

At the heart of growth on Instagram is connection. Replying thoughtfully to comments, even with something as simple as a ❤️, shows your audience you are paying attention. Remember, each reply sends a notification back to the commenter, bringing them into the conversation again and giving your post a small boost in the algorithm. Over time, this back-and-forth builds trust. People are more likely to engage with your next post because they know you will engage with them in return. This is how you grow a community, not just a follower count. A loyal community will always matter more than a passive audience.