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Trying to get your content seen on Instagram can feel like an uphill battle sometimes.

And while there *is* a bit of magic behind going viral, it’s not all luck — there’s actually a great deal of strategy too.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the insider secrets that can help your posts explode on Instagram. 

The best part? These strategies are easy to implement, and they DON’T require a big following to work.

In this episode we chat about:

• The 3 must-have qualities every post needs to explode on Instagram (1:40)
• How to work with Instagram’s algorithm to boost your reach (3:36)
• Why engagement is the ultimate key to skyrocketing your posts (5:55)
• The surprising role of consistency (and simple strategies for easier content creation) (7:30)
• The importance of tracking what works (and what doesn’t) to fuel growth (8:25)

Episode resources:

• SheLaunch (join here)
• Mastering Your Mean Girl by Melissa Ambrosini (book)
• Open Wide by Melissa Ambrosini (book)
• Comparisonitis by Melissa Ambrosini (book)
• Time Magic by Melissa Ambrosini and Nick Broadhurst (book)

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The following transcript has been automatically generated and not checked for accuracy.

[00:00:00] In episode 638, I’m going to be sharing with you the secrets to going viral on Instagram. Grab your pen and paper and let’s dive in. Welcome to the Melissa Ambrosini Show. I’m your host, Melissa, best selling author of Mastering Your Mean Girl, Open Wide, Comparisonitis, And time magic. And I’m here to remind you that love is sexy, healthy is liberating, and wealthy isn’t a dirty word.

Each week I’ll be getting up close and personal with thought leaders from around the globe, as well as your weekly dose of motivation so that you can create epic change in your own life and become the best version of yourself possible. Are you ready? Beautiful. Beautiful.

Hey, beautiful and welcome back to the show. Today I’m going to be sharing with you the secret to going viral on Instagram and everything I did to crack the [00:01:00] Instagram algorithm. Now, I know that trying to get your content seen on Instagram can feel like an uphill battle sometimes. And while there is a bit of magic behind going viral, it’s not all luck.

There’s actually a great deal of strategy as well. So in this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the insider secrets. That can help your posts explode on Instagram. And the best part, these strategies are easy to implement and they don’t require a big following to work. So. Grab your pen and paper and let’s dive in.

So the secret to going viral on Instagram. Now, posts that explode on Instagram have three specific qualities. Number one, they make people feel something. Write that down. Type it in your phone. Make a note. Now, whether it is awe, inspiration, laughter and joy, or even a bit of controversy, these posts, they make people feel something.

So please remember that. The second [00:02:00] one is they have high quality images or video. Don’t worry. This doesn’t mean that you need to go out and do a professional photo shoot. Although you absolutely can if you want to. It just means that having clear, bright, attention grabbing visuals that stand out in a crowded market are essential.

You can’t have like dark images or I don’t know if you’ve ever seen those posts where you can barely see someone’s face. You know, they don’t have any natural light on their face. So make sure you have high quality images and videos. Most iPhones are incredible. Now, always clean the lens first and go and stand in front of.

A window and get that natural light on your face. It is so important. And then number three, they all have a powerful hook. Social media, as you know, is fast paced. People are always itching to scroll on to the next post. Now this means that. You’ve only got a split second to capture someone’s attention. So your first line, whether it’s in the [00:03:00] caption or the video, needs to hook them in instantly.

I teach this inside She Launch. It is so important. We have a whole hooks library and I teach you how to hook people in really, really quickly. So that is number three. Remember, you have to have a powerful hook. Now, if your posts feature these three things, let’s recap, I’ll go over them again. Number one, they make people feel something.

Number two, you have high quality images or videos and number three, they hook people. Then you have got a shot at going viral. Now that’s when you can start pulling on some other levers. Okay. Which I’m going to share with you. Here’s how you leverage the Instagram algorithm. So yes, the Instagram algorithm can seem so mysterious, but there are strategies that you can use to tilt it in your favor.

Okay. So the first one is timing is everything. Posting when your audience is most active drastically increases the likelihood that your content will get seen, liked, and [00:04:00] shared, okay? And a little hot tip for you, take some time to figure out when your ideal audience is online. And you can use the Instagram insights to find out your followers peak activity times and days.

And don’t be afraid to experiment. Try posting at different times to see what gets the best response, but think about your ideal avatar and then look at and find out when they are on a line. Okay. So timing is everything. Number two, tap into what’s trending. So Instagram loves trends. So spend some time each week sifting through the explore page.

Look for reoccurring themes, popular hashtags or challenges that are gaining momentum. If something aligns with your brand, jump on it quick, have fun, play with it and go for it. Number three, put your own spin on things. Please put your own spin on things. Going viral doesn’t mean copying what everyone else is doing.

The most successful trend based posts add a unique twist. Maybe it’s humor, a [00:05:00] surprising perspective, or a connection to a personal story. The key is to stay authentic while participating in the trend. And another little hot tip for you, if there’s a dance challenge taking off, think about how you can tie it into your niche.

If you are a fitness coach, you could show how the dance can double as a workout. Or if you’re a mama blogger, you could do the dance in the kitchen while preparing your kids snacks. Something like that, okay? And then number four, always use trending music unless you are using an original audio. So trending audios are still important for virality, wherever possible.

I like to use trending audios that have been used in less than 10, 000 reels. And that’s what I love. So let me just recap those four things for you. Remember timing is everything. Tap into what is trending. Put your own spin on things, my friend. And always use trending audios. And just remember that engagement is king.

So here’s the [00:06:00] truth. Instagram doesn’t care that much about how many followers you have. What really matters is how engaged your audience is. So this means that the smaller accounts with high engagement go viral just as easily as the larger accounts. And I’ve seen this time and time again. Some of my clients inside SheLaunch don’t have huge followings and they are going viral, absolutely viral because they’re following what I’ve just shared with you.

So this is how you boost your engagement. Number one, you respond to comments. Now, the more active the comment section is, the more likely your posts will be shown to new people. Okay. And then number two, encourage people to save and share. Likes are great, but saves and shares are where the magic happens.

These actions tell Instagram that your content is valuable, which can lead to being pushed out to more people. Okay. And another little hot tip for you to encourage saves, create content that is worth revisiting. [00:07:00] So think tips, tutorials, checklists, things like that, and think about what do you save? Yeah.

Think about what you save and then think about your ideal avatar and what do they save. Okay. So to encourage shares, create content that is relatable or inspirational. And above all, don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes a simple save this post for later or share this with a friend who needs this can make all the difference.

Do not be afraid to ask. Okay. And then just remember that consistency is queen. Viral posts can bring a flood of new followers, but if you are not regularly posting quality content, they won’t stick around, my friend. So if consistency is something that you struggle with, I want you to try batching your content.

You can set aside a day to create and schedule your posts for the week ahead. Now this way you can stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed. And then you can get creative with repurposing. [00:08:00] Look back at your old content, newsletters. videos, podcasts, blog posts, social posts, and look for things that you can repurpose or that you can turn into a slightly different post with a little tweak or a different image.

Okay. And then lower your posting frequency until you find your sweet spot. It is better to post three epic reels each week than seven mediocre ones, okay? And finally, I want you to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work. Instagram insights can tell you which posts are performing best, what time your audience is most active, What type of content they are engaging with the most and so much more.

So check your analytics regularly and use this data to refine your strategy over time. And the bottom line here is going viral on Instagram isn’t just about luck or having millions of followers. It’s about being strategic with your content, posting consistently, and doing what you can to tip the [00:09:00] algorithm in your favor.

Okay, so take action, follow everything that I’ve shared, and tag me in your posts when you become a viral sensation because I want to cheer you on and I want to see what you have created. So I hope you got a lot out of this. Go back and re listen to it. You can save it and download it so you can come back to this whenever you need.

But I really hope you got a lot out of this. And if you did, please subscribe and follow the show. And if you haven’t already, please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. And as a little thank you gift, I would love to send you my wildly wealthy meditation. So just send a screenshot to hello at melissaambrosini.

com and I will send you my wildly wealthy meditation. And before I go, I just want to say thank you so much for being here, for wanting to be the best, the healthiest, and the happiest version of yourself. And for showing up today for you, you rock. Now, if there’s someone in your life that you can think of that would really benefit from this episode, please share it with them [00:10:00] right now.

You can take a screenshot, share it on your social media, email it to them, text it to them, do whatever you’ve got to do to get this in their ears. And until you go viral, don’t forget that love is sexy, healthy is liberating and wealthy isn’t a dirty word.

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be SO grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple podcasts, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

P.S. If you’re looking for a high-impact marketing opportunity for your business and are interested in becoming a sponsor for The Melissa Ambrosini Show podcast, please email pr@melissaambrosini.com for more information.

P.P.S. Please seek advice from a qualified holistic practitioner before starting any new health practice.