Alexis Kestler
Hey there! With Instagram now over a decade old, you may be wondering if it‘s too late to start an account there in 2022.
The short answer is: no, it‘s absolutely not too late! But Instagram today is a much different landscape than when it first launched. Building a successful presence takes more strategy and effort than ever before.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll share my insider knowledge as a technology geek and social media expert on exactly how to grow a new Instagram account in 2022.
Here‘s what we‘ll cover:
- How Instagram has evolved over the years
- The challenges of being a new user on today‘s Instagram
- Key strategies to overcome those obstacles and find success
- The many benefits of starting an Instagram account, even in 2022
- Frequently asked questions about launching on IG now
Let‘s get started!
The Evolution of Instagram Over the Past Decade
To understand the landscape for new users today, it helps to understand how Instagram has changed over time since it first launched.
Instagram started in October 2010 as a simple photo-sharing app focused on filters. It quickly gained popularity, reaching 1 million users by December 2010.
In April 2012, Instagram was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion dollars. This kicked growth into overdrive.
Some key milestones in Instagram‘s growth over the years:
- April 2012 – Acquired by Facebook for $1 billion
- February 2013 – Hit 100 million active users
- June 2013 – Launched video capabilities
- September 2015 – Expanded to 10 languages and rolled out advertising capabilities
- June 2018 – Announced 1 billion monthly active users
- January 2020 – Hit 1 billion users per month
- June 2022 – Announced 2 billion monthly active users
So in about a decade, Instagram went from a tiny startup to one of the most influential social networks on the planet, with 2 billion monthly active users worldwide.
And over that journey, the app has changed drastically…
Key Ways Instagram Has Evolved:
Here are some of the biggest shifts in Instagram over the years that affect the landscape new users face today:
More Visual Focus
While Instagram has always been visual-first, the importance of high-quality, beautiful images and video has increased even more over time.
Early on, just having pics or footage was novel. But now, crafting stunning visual content that looks polished and professional is expected from both influencers and everyday users.
Shift to Algorithmic Feeds
In 2016, Instagram moved from a chronological feed to an algorithmic feed. Rather than seeing posts in time order, you now see a filtered, personalized selection of content IG‘s algorithm thinks you‘ll engage with.
This makes it much harder for new accounts to get discovery in feeds. You have to cater content specifically to the algorithm instead of just timely posting.
Expanding Feature Set
Instagram has released many new content formats and interactive features over the years:
- Instagram Stories (2016)
- IGTV long-form video (2018)
- Shoppable posts (2019)
- Reels short video clips (2020)
- Live Rooms (2021)
Mastering these new formats, especially Stories and Reels, is now critical to reach all of Instagram‘s discovery surfaces.
Increased Automation Restrictions
In Instagram‘s early days, you could automate actions like following, commenting, and liking at very high volumes to quickly grow a following.
But in recent years, Instagram has implemented action blocks and restrictions to limit automation and spam-like behavior. This includes:
- Limits on accounts you can follow per day
- Temporary bans on liking and commenting if done too frequently
- Restrictions on third-party growth services accessing Instagram via API
These changes make growth tactics like follow/unfollow far less effective.
More Ads Competing For Attention
As Instagram has grown exponentially, so have ads on the platform. Instagram now has over 6 million active advertisers competing for user attention.
That makes growing organically much tougher. Paid advertising is becoming more crucial, even for smaller accounts.
Increased Influencer Marketing
Instagram has become the #1 platform for influencer marketing. All types of brands now partner with content creators to promote products and services.
Having influencer connections and influencer marketing knowledge yourself has become vital to success on the platform.
Challenges Facing New Instagram Users Today
Given Instagram‘s massive evolution over the past decade, the landscape today poses some unique obstacles for any users just starting out now.
Here are the biggest challenges new Instagram accounts face:
Way More Competition
When Instagram first started in 2010, it had mere thousands of users. Now, there are over 2 billion monthly active users competing for attention.
Your content as a new user is up against established accounts, businesses, and influencers with followers well into the millions. Breaking through is extremely difficult.
One data point – the top 1% of Instagram accounts now generate over 90% of the engagement:
| Top 1% of Accounts | 90% of Engagement |
| Remaining 99% | 10% of Engagement |
Reaching even a tiny fraction of that top 1% level of success as a new user is a grind.
Strict Limits on Follows, Likes, and Comments
In the early days of Instagram, you could easily follow and unfollow thousands of accounts per day, like hundreds of posts per hour, and comment endlessly.
But Instagram has since implemented action blocks and other limits to curb these types of spammy activities:
- Follow Limit: After following about 7,500 accounts within a certain window, you have to unfollow to follow more.
- Like Limit: Liking too many posts in an hour will trigger a temporary ban on liking.
- Comment Limit: Commenting too frequently will also lead to a temporary ban.
These restrictions make tactics like follow/unfollow and automation much less viable to grow an account from scratch.
Algorithm Makes Gaining Followers Harder
Instagram‘s algorithmic feed ranks posts based on predicted engagement and timeliness. As a new user, your content likely won‘t make the cut.
Without lots of followers already, the algorithm will bury your posts. Getting on the explore page or hashtags is extremely hard too now.
The algorithm has increased the importance of followers being in your niche. Broad follow-for-follow growth tactics don‘t work anymore.
Need to Build Brand and Niche Early
Because of algorithmic feeds and increased competition, new accounts can‘t just grow broadly at first. You need to establish your brand and niche quickly.
Posting random content early on will just ensure no one sticks around. But focusing your content to a specific audience doesn‘t attract followers quickly.
Increased Emphasis on Quality Content
Early Instagram saw engagement spread more evenly. Now it‘s concentrated on the very top accounts posting high-quality, professional-grade content.
As a new user, your photos and videos need to look polished, visually appealing, and on brand. This raises the content creation standards significantly.
Fewer Organic Discovery Options
Aside from in-feed posts, Instagram Stories and hashtags used to be great organic discovery vectors for new accounts.
But with Stories saturation and declining hashtag reach, gaining that initial visibility is hard without paying to promote posts.
7 Proven Tactics to Grow a New Instagram Account in 2022
While the obstacles facing new Instagram accounts today are definitely greater, success is still very achievable.
Here are 7 proven growth tactics I recommend based on my years of social media marketing experience:
1. Establish Your Niche and Brand Early
Since the algorithm and competition are so intense now, the #1 priority for new accounts on Instagram is defining your niche and brand.
Determine a focused category like fitness, travel, pets, etc. and stick to it. Stay consistent with your content style and messaging as well.
This helps you appeal to a specific audience right off the bat vs trying to attract everyone.
2. Leverage Instagram Reels
Instagram‘s Reels short-form video feature offers higher visibility for new accounts than feed posts.
Posting creative, entertaining Reels consistently gives you a better shot at being featured on Explore and going viral. Use relevant audio, effects, stickers, and hashtags.
3. Be Strategic With Hashtags
Hashtags are still important for discovery. But generic tags like #follow or #likeforlike will get lost in the volumes of existing posts.
Do hashtag research to find ones with high volume but low competition in your niche. Try creating unique hashtags for your brand community too.
4. Collaborate With Micro-Influencers
Collaborating with influencers in the 10k to 100k follower range in your niche can help expose you to their already engaged audience.
Run creative contests or challenges together. Co-create content. Promote each other. This builds crucial connections.
5. Engage With Your Niche Community
Be very active engaging with other accounts in your space. Provide thoughtful likes, comments, re-shares, and advice.
This raises awareness organically. But engage authentically – no spam comments begging for follows.
6. Create High-Quality Photos and Short Videos
Visually appealing, on-brand photos and short video clips are your best content formats as a new user to grab attention quickly.
Invest in your photo and video quality. Show off your product or service creatively. Tell visual stories.
7. Run Paid Ads Strategically
Once you have about 500+ followers and have honed your content, use Instagram advertising sparingly to supplement your organic efforts.
Target lookalike audiences, interests, behaviors, etc. that align with your niche and ideal customer. Promote your best content.
The Benefits of Starting an Instagram Account in 2022
Despite the challenges covered earlier, having a presence on Instagram can still provide tremendous value for businesses, creators, and personal brands in 2022 and beyond.
Here are some of the key benefits you can realize:
Reach a Massive Audience
There are over 2 billion active users on Instagram currently. That‘s a massive audience filled with potential new customers and fans.
Standing out remains difficult, but the sheer scale of the platform makes it still very worthwhile.
Build Brand Awareness
Instagram is unmatched for building visual brand awareness when you consistently post content centered around your brand‘s identity, personality, products, services, values, etc.
Showcase Products Visually
Instagram has become the #1 platform for visually showcasing products in an aspirational, "lifestyle" context.
From fashion to tech gadgets to food, Instagram brings products to life through creative imagery in ways feed-based platforms can‘t.
Foster Emotional Connections
The combination of visual storytelling and fun, engaging features like Stories, Reels, and Live allows brands to form more personal, emotional connections with their audience.
Advertise to Targeted Audiences
Instagram advertising through promoted posts, Stories ads, and the like provides a powerful way to get your product and offers directly in front of highly targeted, relevant audiences within the platform.
Generate Sales
An engaged Instagram audience translates to sales. Add shoppable posts and links in bio to convert followers into customers. Partner with aligned influencers to drive purchase activity.
Analyze Performance
Instagram‘s Creator Studio and Business Suite provide excellent built-in analytics to track performance and fine tune your strategy based on what‘s resonating.
As you can see, growing an audience on Instagram and reaping these benefits is well worth the effort in 2022!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions around starting an Instagram account this year:
Is it too late to start on Instagram in 2022?
No, it‘s absolutely not too late! But growth will be slower and require more strategy than in Instagram‘s early days. The key is staying consistent and persistent. Patience and commitment to your brand will pay off over time.
How long does it take to grow on Instagram in 2022?
Typically it takes 4-6 months of regular posting + engagement to build an audience of 1,000+ followers from scratch. But using the right growth tactics can accelerate this timeline. Consistency is key!
What type of content works best on Instagram today?
Visually appealing photos and short videos under 2 minutes perform best. Leverage Instagram Story and Reels as well for higher reach. Ensure content aligns tightly with your brand.
Is follow/unfollow or automation still viable growth tactics?
Due to Instagram‘s restrictions, follow/unfollow and automation are far less effective nowadays. You may see initial gains but will hurt reach and credibility long-term. Focus on organic community building.
Should new users buy Instagram followers?
Buying followers leads to poor engagement and can get your account banned. It‘s better to grow a small but genuinely interested audience organically using the tactics covered in this guide.
I hope this detailed overview gives you a good understanding of what it takes to succeed as a new Instagrammer in 2022! Let me know if you have any other questions.
