Growth notes, no hype.
Practical writing on Instagram growth mechanics, creator money, and getting paid what your audience is worth.
20 posts
Do trial reels actually work? Why they get fewer views than your normal reels
A trial reel skips your followers, so it gets fewer views by design. How to judge one the way Instagram's head says to, and what Meta measured.
October 29, 2026Should I send a brand my media kit as a PDF or a link?
Send a link if you pitch often, a PDF when a brand asks for a file. A PDF is right the day you export it. A live link is right the day it's opened.
October 27, 2026Why did my reel flop? What to check before you post the next one
Instagram's own words on what to look at when a reel flops, the checks to run before your next one, and what Junibloom's reel check reads.
October 27, 2026Your trial reel did well. What "Share to everyone" does next
What Instagram's help page says happens when you share a trial reel to everyone: where it shows up, the automatic setting, and whether to post it again.
October 19, 2026Should you switch to a personal Instagram account before Meta's new terms?
Meta's new terms start 20 November (US English copy) or 30 October (UK copy). What they cover, what they never mention, and why switching is reversible.
October 18, 2026Trial reels getting 0 views: what Instagram's own help page says
Instagram's help page names three reasons a trial reel stalls: an account it won't recommend, recycled content, and a slow start. How to check each one.
September 25, 2026What is a good Instagram growth rate? 22% a year at 1-5K
22% a year at 1-5K, 17.2% at 10-50K, 13.62% at 50-100K. Where those figures come from, why they nearly halved in a year, and how to work out yours.
September 10, 2026Is there a repost limit on Instagram, and does reposting hurt reach?
No limit is stated for the repost button. Re-uploads have one only in the UK copy of Instagram's April 2024 post: 10 in 30 days. What each means.
August 27, 2026Half of brand deals now pay for results, not for posting
Performance pay is now the most used creator compensation model at 53%. How to price when payment depends on outcomes, and the three terms to refuse.
August 20, 2026Instagram only shows your analytics for 90 days. Here's how to keep them.
Meta's docs say Instagram user metrics are available for up to 90 days. What stops showing, what lasts longer, and the five-minute habit that keeps your history.
August 20, 2026Instagram will label your post AI before you do. Here is what actually triggers it.
Instagram has three AI labels and only one is yours to choose. What triggers each, what Meta actually says about reach, and what changed on August 2.
August 14, 2026Your Instagram posts are in Google. Now you can see the search terms.
Google Search Console now tracks Instagram posts. What the query data really tells a creator, what it is not, and what to do with it.
August 6, 2026The Instagram media kit, 2026 edition (what to put on it, and where each number comes from)
Templates are the easy part. Which numbers belong on a 2026 Instagram media kit, where to pull each one, and why the PDF is stale the day you export it.
July 30, 2026Instagram's Replace Audio keeps your likes. It will not bring your reach back.
Replace Audio preserves a post's likes, comments, shares and reach. Instagram says it gives no ranking advantage. What it is actually good for.
July 30, 2026Instagram will dub your Reels. Your view count and your sellable reach just split.
Instagram's AI translations now cover more languages, so your views can land in countries a brand isn't paying for. What to check and how to price it.
July 30, 2026The best time to post on Instagram is not on anyone's chart
Best-time charts average everyone into a slot that fits no one. Your audience's active hours are already in your dashboard: a 5-minute lookup, a two-week test.
July 27, 2026Why did my Instagram reach drop? Split the number before you blame the algorithm
Reach is two audiences in one number, followers and discovery, and they fall for different reasons. What to split, what to rule out, the test that settles it.
July 27, 2026Instagram media kit: what brands actually check (and what creators keep putting in instead)
What a brand can already see about you on Instagram, what only your media kit can show, and the six things your kit has to prove.
July 26, 2026What's a good Instagram engagement rate in 2026? (Why every benchmark you found disagrees)
Benchmarks say 0.5%. Your insights say 4%. Both are right. They use different denominators. Here's how to read your real engagement rate.
July 23, 2026What to charge for an Instagram Reel in 2026 (a formula, not a guess)
Follower count is the wrong number. How growing creators price a Reel from reach and engagement: a worked example and the mistakes that cost you money.
July 17, 2026