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What is the most sustainable way to grow on Instagram?
Posted by on February 14, 2026 at 12:21 pmI have been exploring different Instagram growth strategies for the last six months. I am trying to figure out the most cost effective way to scale a page from scratch.
Meta ads are undoubtedly the king for direct sales and conversion but I am finding them increasingly expensive for pure follower acquisition. The cost per follower on cold traffic ads is hitting a point where ROI just does not make sense for new creators or small brands.
So recently I have been trying path social and the results have been interesting. Instead of the typical forced ad experience, their influencer based network seems to trigger the explore page algorithm much more naturally. It feels much more like organic discovery rather than a forced interaction since the growth comes through a network of real accounts rather than a sponsored tag, the followers actually stick and engage.
Are you guys still using reels and Meta Ads for organic growth or have you shifted your budget toward organic growth tools?
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1 Reply
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sustainable growth comes from tracking what sticks: use IG insights to see which posts convert views to follows.. if reels underperform tweak formats to match audience.
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Looks like once you start with ads for growth, Meta will get used to that and somehow will lower your post engagements for any organic posts
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I’m using trial reels and a few one-off sponsorships a year. I don’t know about social media.
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Content and consistency matter more than tools. Reels still drive the most sustainable organic growth, and ads work best for scaling once engagement is already strong.
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I’m using reels, but also realize that Instagram is about community. Comment on stuff within your niche. This will help you grow. If you want sustainable growth, it WILL be slow. There are no shortcuts.
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Are you prioritizing reach over retention?
Totally fair, sustainable growth needs clarity
I’m the founder of Mydrop AI, the Social Management tool
We’ve handled 8,548 posts across 2,243 profiles, so Content Scheduling & Brand Voice Personalization show what lasts
Keep one consistent visual rhythm, same posting cadence, one clear value per post
Warm your existing followers first with replies, stories, saved posts before chasing new reach -
Are there places from where I can source (micro or nano)influencers for my brands?
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