Why My First 30 Posts Flopped (And Yours Don’t Have To)
Let’s get real: When I started my travel Instagram in 2022, I posted 30 cringey photos of my cat (sorry, Mr. Whiskers) before realizing no one cared.
But after growing my own account to 50k followers and coaching 200+ newbies, I’ve cracked the code to creating posts people actually want to see. Below, I’m sharing 101 ideas that work today—not generic advice from 2019.
1. Start Here: 5 Posts Every Beginner Should Make
(Spoiler: No. 3 is what tripled my followers)
A. The “I’m Not a Robot” Intro Post
- What I Did: Posted a carousel titled “3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Instagram”:
- Slide 1: Me holding a phone with a cracked screen (caption: “My first post got 2 likes. Yours will do better 😅”).
- Slide 2: Screenshot of my worst-performing reel (spoiler: 12 views).
- Slide 3: “Follow along as I figure this out!” + a blooper video of me tripping over a tripod.
- Why It Works: Imperfection = relatable.
B. The “Low-Effort, High-Reward” Hack
- Example: “Post your favorite quote over a coffee cup photo. Seriously, my ‘Monday Motivation’ quote post got 200+ saves.”
- Template Caption:
“Tag someone who needs this ☕️ [Insert quote].
P.S. I’m sipping pumpkin spice – fight me.”
2. Content Types That Actually Work in 2024
(No fancy equipment needed – I use my iPhone 11!)
A. Behind-the-Scenes Stuff Your Audience Will Love
- My Blunder Turned Win:
I once filmed a Reel of me burning cookies I meant to promote. Caption: “NGL, my baking skills are a 2/10. But my camera skills? Let’s vote 👇”.
Result: 500 comments roasting my cookies (and 200 new followers).
B. User-Generated Content (UGC) Without a Budget
- Cheat Code: DM 10 followers and ask: “Can I repost your photo? I’ll tag you!”
- 4 said yes → I reposted with “Shoutout to [@user] for this 🔥 photo!”
- Their friends followed me → 80 new followers in a week.
3. Reels Ideas for Camera-Shy Beginners
(I hate being on camera – here’s how I avoided it)
A. The “No Face, No Problem” Reel
- My Most Viral Reel (583k views):
- Screen recording of me editing a photo in Lightroom.
- Text overlay: “POV: You spend 2 hrs editing a photo for 7 likes”.
- Audio: “This is the story of my life” (trending sound).
- The “Stolen From Reddit” Hack
- What I Do: Scroll r/InstagramMarketing for viral post ideas, then recreate them.
- Example: A user posted “Rate my grid 1-10” → I did the same + got 189 comments.
- Protip: Credit the OP in your caption!
4. FAQ: Answering Your Real Questions
Q1: “I posted 10 times and got zero followers. Should I quit?”
A: My first 20 posts flopped too. At post #27, a Reel about “Why Your Hashtags Suck” hit 1k views. Keep going.
Q2: “How do I make friends with bigger accounts?”
A: Comment on their posts with value, not “Check my page!” Example:
“Love this tip! I tried #3 and saw a 20% bump in saves. 💡”
Q3: “What’s the cringiest mistake you made?”
A: Using 30 hashtags like #love #instagood #photooftheday. Now I use 5-8 niche tags like #BeginnerTravelCreator.
Conclusion: Your Action Plan
- Pick 3 ideas from this list.
- Post them this week.
- DM me @SocialTrends – I’ll personally critique your post!
P.S. If I can go from 2 likes to 50k, you’ve got this. Now go make Mr. Dooby famous.
