A step by step guide to going stupid viral on IG Reels / growing your IG

I've been running accounts across different niches for a while now. Most recently I took a super small account in a niche I had never created content for and hit 6.1 million views on Instagram in 45 days.

I'm not claiming to be the ultimate expert but I wanted to share the exact framework I follow because I see a ton of creators doing everything "right" and still stuck at a few hundred views per reel.

the foundation: study before you create

This might sound obvious but almost nobody actually does it properly. Before I posted a single video on this account, I spent serious time researching what was already working in the niche.

Most people skip this entirely. They brainstorm what sounds interesting, hit record, and hope for the best. That's not a strategy. That's a coin flip.

step 1: research what's already working

I went and searched every relevant keyword in the niche across Instagram and TikTok. Saved roughly 70 to 80 of the top performing videos I could find. Highest views, most engagement, most comments. All saved.

Then I watched every single one and wrote down the patterns. What hooks were they using? What formats? What topics kept showing up?

By the end I figured out the content fell into 4 main content types, each with a few formats that were consistently performing well.

specific tactics:

Pick 5 to 10 keywords related to your niche and search them on Instagram and TikTok. Sort by top performing. Save 50 to 80 videos minimum. Don't rush this. The more videos you save, the clearer the patterns become.

step 2: plan your content in batches

I took those content buckets and planned out about 16 videos to start, roughly 4 per week. I paid really close attention to the specific elements of the top performing videos from my research and used those as a guide for coming up with ideas.

If I saw multiple videos blow up around a certain topic, I made a version of that. If a specific hook or format was clearly resonating, I worked it into my plan.

specific tactics:

Map out your first 2 weeks of content before you start posting. For each video, write down what content type it falls into, what format you're using, and what hook you're leading with.

Having this planned out in advance keeps you from scrambling for ideas mid-week.

step 3: write your scripts with AI

The common belief right now is that AI can't write scripts that perform. If you're using ChatGPT for this, that's mostly true. It's still not great at short form scripts.

But there are tools that have genuinely figured it out. They produce really solid first drafts that take maybe 10 minutes of polishing per script. I use AI for 100% of the scripts I write for my clients.

Every single video that got us to 6.1 million views was AI scripted.

specific tactics:

Don't just throw a basic prompt into ChatGPT and expect a usable script. If you're going to use AI for scripting, find tools that are specifically built for short form content. The difference in output quality is massive.

step 4: keep it raw

On Instagram, produced content does tend to perform better than on TikTok, but that doesn't mean you need a professional setup.

Decent lighting, a decent camera, and clean captions will get you most of the way there.

Where people overthink it is in the editing. Basic captions, a strong text hook, and background music is really all you need.

Don't add a bunch of fancy transitions and effects thinking it'll help. It usually doesn't. Keep it clean and let the content do the work.

specific tactics:

Tools like CapCut are more than enough for editing. Bold, legible captions. A clear text hook in the first frame. Background music that fits the vibe. That's it.

step 5: pay close attention to your retention

Once your videos have been up for a day or two, go look at your retention data. Not just views and likes. Your actual second by second retention graph. Where are people dropping off? Where is the sharpest decline?

We had a video hit around 10,000 views which was decent for the account at the time. I looked at the retention graph and saw a big drop off at the end where we had a slow CTA.

On Instagram you can't edit after posting, so I trimmed that section off and reposted it as a trial reel. That video went on to hit 670,000 views. Same exact video. The only change was removing those last few seconds.

Every second matters. A bad 2 to 3 seconds can tank an otherwise great video.

specific tactics:

Check retention on every single video you post. Write down where the biggest drop offs are happening. When you make your next batch of videos, address those drop off points. This is a muscle you build over time.

step 6: double down on what works

When a format or topic performs well, make more of it.

Part two, part three, keep going. We've done hundreds of thousands of views off of essentially the same format with fresh content each time.

Most creators get bored of their own content way before their audience does. Ignore that instinct. Completely disregard the content you personally prefer and listen to the analytics.

If your audience is telling you they love a certain type of video, give them more of it.

specific tactics:

Keep a running list of your top 5 performing videos. For each one, ask yourself if you can make a part two or a variation on the same concept. If you can, add it to your content plan immediately.

step 7: post consistently and keep going

This goes without saying but consistency matters. You should be posting at least 4 to 5 times a week minimum.

I also cross post to TikTok and YouTube Shorts because the extra distribution is basically free and depending on your niche you can get traction on those platforms too.

At the end of the day, there's no silver bullet. Growing on Instagram takes a ton of consistent work, and not every video is going to perform.

But if you follow this framework, research before you create, script efficiently, pay attention to your retention, and double down on what works, you're going to be in a much better position than 95% of creators who are just winging it.

Happy to answer questions or go deeper on any of this. Good luck out there.

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