6 Hot Tips To Grow Your Social Media : How to Break Through a Plateau
Summary
Experiment with Instagram Trial Reels That Reach New Audiences
Stay Consistent (and Intentional)
Post Fresh, Inspiring Content That Sparks Engagement
Engage Like You Mean It
Track, Tweak, and Grow Smarter
6 Hot Tips To Grow Your Social Media: How to Break Through a Plateau
When you’ve been showing up consistently on social media but your growth feels… stuck, you’re not alone. Hitting a plateau is a natural part of the process, but it’s also your cue to refresh, refocus, and experiment with what’s next. Here are five practical ways to reignite your growth and get your social media thriving again.
1. Experiment with Instagram’s new feature: Trial Reels
Reels remain one of the most powerful ways to expand your reach, but if you’ve been sticking to the same type of content, you’re missing out on a big opportunity.
Trial Reels are a new feature Instagram has introduced, designed specifically to help you experiment safely. These short, experimental videos are shown only to non-followers, making them the perfect tool to test new ideas, styles, or trends without impacting your existing audience or feed performance while also attracting more of your audience to your handle.
They’re ideal for those “I’m not sure how this will go” moments, content that’s still relevant to your niche, but maybe a little different from your usual posts. If a trial reel performs well and earns solid engagement, you can then choose to share it with your full audience, turning a test into a proven winner.
Trial Reels give you space to explore, refine, and connect with new people, all while keeping your core content strategy intact.
Posts to Trial:
Sharing a behind-the-scenes look at your process
Jumping on a trending sound that fits your message
Turning FAQs into quick, visual explainers
These bite-sized, relatable pieces help you connect with new audiences who don’t follow you yet.
2. Stay Consistent (But Keep It Relevant)
You’ve heard it before, but consistency is still the cornerstone of growth. Posting regularly helps your content get seen, builds trust with your audience, and tells the algorithm you’re active. That said, consistency only works if it’s relevant. Posting for the sake of posting won’t move the needle. Every piece of content should reflect your niche, speak to your audience’s pain points, and reinforce your brand story.
Create a posting schedule that’s sustainable and strategic. Whether it’s three times a week or daily, stick to it and focus on delivering value to your niche every single time.
3. Post New & Inspiring Content
If your feed feels repetitive, chances are your audience feels it too. Fresh, inspiring content isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about finding new angles on what you already do best.
Look for inspiration in your community or like minded businesses in the same niche as you. What are people asking? What challenges are trending in your niche? What stories can you tell that others haven’t? Ask your audience, what content are they enjoying - utilise your social media’s features and get the answers directly from who you are posting to.
Try mixing up your content with:
New formats, Reels, trending sounds, or collaborative posts
Timely topics that align with your audience’s current goals or struggles
Real results and stories that show your value in action
Use strong click bait hooks that make your viewer stop and want to know more
The goal? Keep your content fresh enough to stop the scroll, but consistent enough that your followers know it’s you.
4. Engage Like You Mean It
Engagement is a two-way street. If you want to build a loyal audience, don’t just post and vanish, show up in the comments, reply to DMs, and take time to genuinely connect.
Start small:
Reply thoughtfully to comments (not just emojis!)
React or respond to your followers stories
Ask questions and encourage conversation in your captions
The more you interact, the more your followers feel seen, and that sense of connection turns casual scrollers into loyal advocates.
5. Keep an Eye on What’s Working (and What’s Not)
Social media isn’t set-and-forget. To grow, you need to track, test, and tweak.
Look at your analytics regularly to spot patterns:
Which posts get the most reach or saves?
When is your audience most active?
What types of content lead to follows or clicks?
Use those insights to guide your strategy, not guesswork. The best creators treat social media like a living experiment: test, learn, adjust, repeat.
6. Boost With Intention: Use Ads Manager to Amplify What’s Working
When you’ve put time and energy into creating great content, don’t leave its performance up to chance. Boosting posts strategically can take your reach and results to an entirely new level.
While the “Boost” button is quick and easy, Ads Manager gives you far more control and allows you to optimize for results that matter to your business, whether that's clicks, profile visits, website traffic, or conversions.
Use ads to:
Amplify posts that already perform well organically
Reach new audiences who look just like your best followers
Retarget people who watched your Reels, visited your website, or have shown interest in others pages in your industry category
Test different visuals, copy, or call-to-actions
A small budget goes a long way when it’s intentional. Instead of hoping the right people find your content, ads make sure they do.
Ready to Break Through?
Growth isn’t about doing everything, it’s about doing the right things, consistently and with intention. Try a few new reel ideas, get back to meaningful engagement, and watch what happens when your content feels fresh, focused, and fun again. Because when your audience feels your energy, your authenticity, and your creativity, they can’t help but hit ‘follow’.
If you need some support in getting your social media in check, contact O’sullivans today, and we can work our expert magic and get you out of your plateau and into growth.