Four Things Authors Can Do to Grow On Instagram Every Week

A big misconception that many authors have is that they have to spend multiple hours a day on Instagram in order to grow their audience. It’s actually not true. Just a few minutes a day can make a big difference. 

Something I teach my coaching clients is how to create a week’s worth of posts in about an hour and then spend no more than 10 minutes a day growing your audience. That’s it. 10 minutes a day. 

The beauty of this approach is that you’re focused, intentional, and productive in growing your audience in an organic and authentic way. Because it’s not just about the number of followers that you have - it’s about the quality of your connection with them. 

When we see tips or advice on growing an audience we often think that we have to do everything all at once. But the trick is to spread them throughout the week to not be overwhelmed, to take less time, and to be consistent. 

So I wanted to share four tasks that you can do throughout the week to grow your audience on Instagram. And the key is to have it take no more than 10 minutes. So set your timer, and let’s get to work. 

Hop Into Comments 

A big mistake that many authors make is that they wait to respond only to people who leave comments on their own posts. It’s actually a missed opportunity and many times we are left waiting with no engagement. It’s our job to be the first to reach out and start new conversations. 

So try this: make a list of four or five authors who are in the same genre as you who have a larger audience. Go into their comments and see who is responding to their posts and start interacting with them. The key is to not promote your book or drive attention your way - it’s about creating genuine engagement and conversations. You will be surprised at how a simple response to a comment will help grow your audience. 

And because you know you share a similar ideal reader as the author, you will be connecting with the right people. 

Send a DM 

Direct messages are a fantastic way to deepen connections, create great conversations, and actually get ideas for posts.  You can take the new connections that you’ve made in the first task and check out their profile. Maybe like or comment on a few of their posts and then leave them a quick direct message (DM). Again, it’s not about driving attention to you or your book - it’s about letting them feel seen. 

A quick way that you can do this is by recording a voice message. It’s a simple, personalized way to engage with them and it literally takes a few seconds. 

Welcome New Followers 

You might look at this task and think, “How does this help me grow my account if they are already following?” It’s not just about growing - it’s about retaining those followers. You can quickly turn a new follower into a core fan by sending a personalized message - whether that’s via DM, in a Story, or in a comment.

And fans talk! When they see that you are actually engaging and active on your account they will tell their friends and share your content. That’s how relationships blossom and grow. Take great care of your connections and they will help you grow! 

Tap Into Hashtags 

A strong hashtag strategy is key to growth on Instagram and can be used in multiple ways to connect with new readers. Take a hashtag that you know your ideal reader would use - #amreading for example - and put that into the search. You will have two ways to view posts that are using that hashtag: the top posts and recent posts. Click on recent posts and comment on posts that catch your eye. This is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to new readers and start a conversation. And more often than not, they end up following you. 

The key here is to be genuine - it’s not about being self-promotional or driving attention your way. It’s about letting readers feel seen and to be the initiator in creating authentic connections. We can’t just wait for readers to come to us. We need to reach out and connect with them. 

And the beauty is that it doesn’t take long - at all. What I like to do is to assign one of these tasks per day. Set a timer for 10 minutes and go. You will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you will grow a genuine and engaged audience. 

If you want to go a step further and get all of the tools, resources, and help that you need to market your book, grow on social media, and sell more books - join The Author Circle membership!