Ranking EVERY Instagram Growth Strategy

Overview

The video is a commentary-style “tier list” ranking Instagram growth strategies, using a “shooting range” analogy: tactics are grouped from best (S) to worst (F).

The creator argues that most traditional “hacks” are either ineffective or harmful, and that growth is driven more by:

• Core content quality
• Engagement
• Repeatable systems

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Highest-impact strategies (A to S)

S Tier

• High posting frequency (S) Posting more (with at least baseline quality) helps creators learn what works faster—“quantity breeds quality.”

• Upcycling content (S) Reposting the same content on a schedule (the creator claims 90 days later, then again 90 days after that) gives each post multiple chances to reach new viewers, potentially increasing results without extra investment.

• Hook optimization (S) The first seconds are framed as the most important factor—if the hook isn’t compelling, retention and reach fail.

• Direct message automation (S) Uses DM automation (e.g., “comment a keyword to receive a DM”) to drive sales and engagement, which then boosts views/followers.

• Retention optimization (S) Improving watch time so people finish more of the video increases reach and follower conversion.

Top A / near S

• Recurring series / episodic content (top A, near S) Building daily/recurring challenges and content formats to grow subscribers over time (including a personal example of a “daily challenge”).

• Formats (top A) Creative, distinctive Reels formats are emphasized as a force multiplier—turning even “boring” topics into engaging content.

• Carousels (top A / just below test videos) Effective once mastered, with strong customer-conversion potential. The creator claims most people use them poorly.

• Green screen educational/reactive videos (top A) Easy to produce and good for leveraging trends/news via reaction-style content.

• Collaborations / collaborative posts (middle A) Claimed (via a referenced “recent study”) to be among the most effective post types, with an emphasis on strategic niche-aligned collaborations.

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Strong but not top-tier

• Heated opinions / “rage bait” style (top A) Can grow quickly because audiences instantly identify whether they love or hate the creator—but it requires restraint and audience self-awareness.

• Educational talking-head videos (C) Effective but increasingly oversaturated. More polished execution can raise quality, while basic speaking-to-camera ranks lower.

• Yapping reels (B) Potentially effective if charismatic, organic, and vulnerable; most people aren’t yet skilled enough to scale reliably.

• Responses to comments within the first hour (B) Follow-up questions and engagement can boost performance.

• SEO keywords in captions (B) and in the name string (B-ish) Helps discoverability in search/AI/Google results, but isn’t expected to “go viral.”

• B-roll supplements (B) The creator criticizes low-value “read the caption” / GPT-caption clickbait patterns, but says useful on-screen add-ons can work.

• Broadcast channels (bottom C) Underrated for engagement and sales, but not a primary growth engine.

• Educational/green-screen vs other “reach-limited” formats Stories and Live are repeatedly downranked because they largely reach existing followers, not new audiences.

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Lower-tier or discouraged strategies (D to F)

F Tier

• Hashtags (F) Cites a “recent study” and claims Adam Mosseri said hashtags don’t reliably increase reach. More hashtags allegedly correlate with fewer views.

• Engagement groups and “like/comment swaps” (F) Instagram detects the behavior; diminishing returns over time.

• Mass liking (F) Called absurd and ineffective in modern Instagram.

• Alt-text keyword stuffing (“keyword dusting”) (F) Claimed to be penalized; alt text should be used for accessibility only.

• Subscribing/unsubscribing (F) Strongly discouraged.

• Cold outreach / DMing strangers (top F) Often leads to account risk (blocking/suspensions) and low success.

• Buying followers/engagement/views/comments (F) Framed as inorganic, spammy, and grounds for account deletion.

• Paid greetings / shoutout-for-payment scams (F) Described as likely fraudulent—buying fake engagement and reselling it as “congratulations.”

D / leaning C

• Trending audio (D, leaning C) Helpful only if used well and early; otherwise it’s superficial (“lipstick on a pig”).

• Repurposing long-form content by simply cutting clips (D) Useful only in exceptions; otherwise it targets YouTube/podcast audiences rather than Instagram.

Other lower-tier items

• Posting-and-ghosting (low D) Dismisses rumors that engagement is affected by leaving the app. The algorithm supposedly depends on audience interactions, not creator presence.

• Memes (bottom A) Easy and potentially viral, but weaker view-to-follow conversion and risk of attracting low-intent meme audiences.

• Niche topic pages / meme accounts (C) Still valuable, but not expected to grow as fast as in earlier years.

• Account hijacking / story “takeovers” (low B) Can work but is less common now; depends heavily on execution.

• Influencer/celebrity comments (D) May drive profile visits but unreliable conversion into follows.

• Sweepstakes/draws (C) Can work, but may produce low-quality followers unless designed with hurdles; moderation is advised.

• Reposts to aggregator accounts (D) Warns contracts can be predatory and restrict rights/exclusivity. Suggests avoiding signing and protecting content usage.

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Overall recommendations (implied)

The creator repeatedly claims Instagram growth is best driven by:

1. Strong creative content and compelling hooks
2. Retention and engagement (not “algorithm rumors”)
3. Repeating what already works (upcycling/doubling down)
4. Selective tactics that expand reach, such as:
   • Series/episodic content
   • Distinctive formats
   • Collaborations
   • Green-screen reactions
   • DM automation

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Presenters / contributors

• Presenter/creator: Not explicitly named in the subtitles (the speaker is the host).
• Referenced external contributor: Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram), quoted/mentioned.
• Referenced Instagram creator: Sky (@dailyrepsky) credited as an example/inspiration.
• Referenced creators/brands (examples): Diary of a CEO, Subway Takes, Barstool, ESPN, Momentous, Upwork.