2x Instagram Followers in 30 Days

In 30 days I doubled the Instagram follower count for a vacation rental company.

Why does this matter?

I'm a big believer that if people follow you on social, then they are interested in booking - at some point.

This gives you a competitive advantage over listing tools because:

• When you post.

• A guest see's it.

• They become inspired to book a trip.

• And move closer and closer to hitting that "book now!" button.

As I was doing this, I made sure to take notes so I could share with you what worked.

After sorting through my chicken scratches and doodles I found the three secrets that drove results.

Shhhhh don't share these secrets with anyone 🤫 

JK. Send this to all your friends.

Secret #1: Test Different Headlines

My team and I tested two different headline formats every week.

Format #1: Callout Headlines

I like these because they make the ideal guests go "that's me!" Here are some examples:

• Luxury Cabin Near Denver

• Cabin for Couples

• Large Getaway for Families

• Family Stay on a Lake

• The Perfect Stay For Your Anniversary

I have to shoutout Ben Wolff here. I listened to a podcast where he said calling out couples worked well. Right now couples callouts are my best headline. Thanks Ben.

P.S. These headlines are great for ads. My next format works well for organic views.

Format #2: Storytelling Headlines

These spark curiosity and get your guest to think about what life would be like visiting your stay. Here are some examples:

• Dreaming of a cozy cabin escape

• Have you heard of this cabin two hours from Denver?

• POV: You wake up to a sunrise in the woods

• Rustic cabin vibes one hour from the city

• You, me and a fall getaway in the mountains

Videos with storytelling headlines usually get more views. However, they don't drive bookings as well as callout headlines.

Want more examples?

Get my "Top 25 Instagram Reel Headlines" cheat sheet at the bottom of this article.

Secret #2: Use High Quality Video

I think everyone says this so let me try a reframe.

If you were to see your post out in the wild internet, would you watch it?

If the answer is no, chances are neither will anyone else. More times than not, the quality is a root cause.

Before working with this client, all their content was shot on an iPhone. This got them to a couple hundred followers. Which is great.

Shifting to professional video made an instant impact.

We have to remember that the people on social media are people. People like quality video.

Bonus: Better quality content increases the perceived value of your stay.

Secret #3: Engagement Pods

I didn't think this was going to work but it did.

An engagement pod is a group of people who agree to engage with another pod members post once it goes live.

So, every time we posted, each team member would go into their personal Instagram account to:

• Like

• Comment

• Share

We call this "stimulating the algorithm". Regardless what it's called, we would get 2x or even 3x the views after doing this.

More views = more people that might want to follow us.

Then later book.

The #1 Secret

I'll be honest. Most of our success came from testing headlines. Testing is so key in marketing.

If you want my "Top 25 Instagram Reel Headlines" cheat sheet. Enter your email to get it. 100% free.

CLICK HERE if you can’t see the form.

When you use them, tag me on Instagram. I'd love to see what videos you make.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

Before you go

I’m currently building an all-in-one marketing agency focused on:

👉️ Direct bookings

👉️ Ads

👉️ Social media

and creating an endless pipeline of guests.

Want to join the waitlist? CLICK HERE. I plan to launch November 2024.

Links you might like:

1. Learn SEO with this masterclass

2. Which is better? Google Ads vs. Meta Ads

3. My most viewed article of all time 💯 

4. How I create a marketing plan