Reply To: Tried automating my social media with AI and got results, but no real traction

[Key-Boat-7519]

Manual engagement plus native, face-forward short video beats AI rewrites and cheap follower promos every time.

On fresh accounts, I ditch quotes and post 20-45s Reels/TikToks with a 1-second hook, on-screen keywords, and a clear CTA to comment or save. Aim for 4-5 Reels a week on IG and 1 TikTok a day; edit inside the app; pin your top 3 Reels. Right after you post, leave 20-30 genuine comments on niche posts and reply fast to all comments; DM every new follower one specific question to start a convo. Run one micro-collab a week using IG’s Collab feature or TikTok duets/stitches. Go search-first on IG: put the keyword in the first 3 words of your caption and on-screen text; use 3-5 tight niche hashtags. If you pay, skip follower campaigns; use $5/day engagement or video view ads to seed and retarget viewers.

I use Later for batching and Flick for IG SEO; Path Social has been a light discovery nudge when I’m stalled, but content and conversations did the heavy lifting.

Keep it human and platform-native, with consistent manual engagement and small collabs.