The Instagram playbook keeps changing, but a few fundamentals from the Mention and HubSpot Instagram engagement studies have held up across the algorithm shifts. Video outperforms static. Excessive hashtags cap engagement. Smaller engaged communities outperform larger inactive ones. The brands actually growing on Instagram are operating against those fundamentals — not against follower count.
What the data says
Video outperforms static posts. Video posts receive more than twice the comments of other content types. The non-chronological algorithmic feed that Instagram has run since 2016 amplifies that effect — engaging content earns reach, weak content gets buried.
Hashtag restraint wins. More than a handful of hashtags correlates with lower engagement. A small number of tightly targeted hashtags outperforms a long list.
Tag restraint wins. Tagging more than five users in a post does not lift engagement. It often does the opposite.
Engaged community beats follower count. A 5,000-follower account with 8% engagement reaches more real buyers than a 500,000-follower account with 0.2% engagement. The platform rewards engagement signals; the buyer responds to trust.
The format mix that works
Instagram is no longer a single-format platform. The accounts that grow in 2019 are running a mix:
Feed posts for product detail, brand voice, and the permanent grid aesthetic.
Carousels for narrative content — multi-image posts get longer dwell time and higher save rates.
Stories for daily presence, behind-the-scenes, customer interaction, polls, and questions. Stories drive the day-to-day relationship; the feed builds the brand.
IGTV for longer-form video where the audience justifies it. Useful for product education, founder interviews, and category authority.
What changed in the algorithm
Instagram deprecated the chronological feed in 2016 and has been refining the algorithmic feed since. Recency still matters, but engagement, relationship strength, and content type now weigh heavier than the time of posting. Two implications:
Posting time matters less than it used to. The "best time to post" advice from 2014 is less relevant than the engagement the post earns in the first hour.
Engagement compounds. A post that gets early comments, saves, and shares signals quality to the algorithm and gets shown to more people. A post that gets only likes plateaus.
The creator and influencer layer
Instagram is the working anchor of influencer marketing. The discipline has matured out of one-off Instagram posts toward multi-year creator partnerships, FTC-compliant disclosure, and brands building portfolios across creator tiers. The 2017 round of FTC warning letters changed the disclosure conversation. Brand-creator partnerships now look more like sponsorships than ad placements — and the brands operating that discipline well are pulling ahead. See Influencer Marketing Strategy: How Brands Build Real Audiences.
The operating stack
A consistent posting cadence across feed and Stories.
A content mix weighted to video, supported by carousels and well-shot stills.
Five or fewer well-targeted hashtags per post, not a long list.
Comments and saves over likes. Build for the comment, not the like.
Creator partnerships in the relevant category, not generic celebrity buys.
Clear FTC disclosure on every sponsored placement.
Yes, but with restraint. Five or fewer well-targeted hashtags consistently outperform long lists. The algorithm has reduced hashtag weight for discovery while increasing the importance of engagement signals.
Should brands focus on video or photo posts?
Both. Video earns more comments and shares; carousels earn more saves; well-shot stills carry the brand aesthetic. The accounts that grow run a mix and let the format match the content.
How important is follower count?
Less than people assume. Engagement rate matters more for both organic reach and real brand value. A 50,000-follower account with high engagement is worth more to most brands than a 500,000-follower account with low engagement.
What is the best way to grow Instagram followers?
Consistent posting, a video-weighted content mix, hashtag and tag restraint, engagement-driving content (comments and saves over likes), and creator partnerships in the relevant category. Buying followers does the opposite of growing — the algorithm reads low engagement and suppresses reach.
Yes, but with restraint. Five or fewer well-targeted hashtags consistently outperform long lists. The algorithm has reduced hashtag weight for discovery while increasing the importance of engagement signals.
Should brands focus on video or photo posts?
Both. Video earns more comments and shares; carousels earn more saves; well-shot stills carry the brand aesthetic. The accounts that grow run a mix and let the format match the content.
How important is follower count?
Less than people assume. Engagement rate matters more for both organic reach and real brand value. A 50,000-follower account with high engagement is worth more to most brands than a 500,000-follower account with low engagement.
What is the best way to grow Instagram followers?
Consistent posting, a video-weighted content mix, hashtag and tag restraint, engagement-driving content (comments and saves over likes), and creator partnerships in the relevant category. Buying followers does the opposite of growing — the algorithm reads low engagement and suppresses reach. Related: Lessons from Twitter · Brand Building and Content Marketing · Influencer Marketing Strategy.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
