Recent content by dessalynsmith

Thanks guys, seriously. Updating my caption keywords and fixing my Reel hooks starting today!

That gives me some perspective. I guess three months isn't really that long in the grand scheme of things.

Man, hearing all this makes me realize how much time I've wasted doing things the hard way. So what’s the baseline strategy if you’re starting from zero today?

What about paid ads though? Is it worth dropping like $20 to boost a well-performing post just to get the ball rolling?

12% is wild! How are you building that kind of connection? I feel like I'm screaming into a void.

So if I’m an illustrator, I should literally write "digital illustration tips for beginners" directly in my caption and on-screen text?

That’s a fair point, I usually don't put text on the video itself, just in the caption. But what about hashtags? I keep hearing mixed things. Some creators say use 3 to 5 targeted ones, others say use all 30, and some say they’re completely useless now.

I’ve been posting Reels though! I spend hours editing short clips of my process, put trending audio over them, and they cap out at like 200 views. Half of those views are probably just me rewatching it.

I’ve been trying to launch a new visual art page over the last three months, and honestly, checking my insights is depressing. It feels like the algorithm actively hides new accounts unless you pay for boosts. Has Instagram just gotten too bloated for new creators to break through?