Beat the Algorithm: Tips for online Success

If you’ve ever poured your heart into a beautiful social media post — only to watch it drift quietly into the abyss — you’re not alone! The Instagram algorithm can feel like a mystery. But, there’s good news: you can grow a meaningful, engaged audience without dancing, selling out, or posting every hour on the hour.

I posed the question, 'how do I successfully post on Instagram to promote my small business?', to 'those that know', and here are the answers I got back for sustainable strategies that should see you spend less time stressing on your phone and more time doing what really matters.

BEST TIMES TO POST (Generally Speaking):

Tuesday – Thursday, late morning to early afternoon.

Try:

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (after lunch/quiet time)

Sunday evenings — people scroll while prepping for the week.

WEEKLY POSTING 'example' SCHEDULE FOR MAX REACH

(3–5 posts/week is ideal for engagement + growth — if that feels doable.)

Monday – “Warm Up”

Content: Reel or carousel — preview the week

Goal: Boost early-week engagement (helps the rest of your posts)

Wednesday – Connection or Education

Content: Static post or short reel with a tip, quote, or reflection.

Goal: Build trust + relatability

Thursday – Action Post

Content: Clear CTA (call-to-action) — “Grab this month’s pack!” or “Download your freebie”

Goal: Sales, email signups, clicks

Saturday/Sunday – Casual + Personal

Content: Related/Family activity, behind-the-scenes.

Goal: Authenticity, story shares, connection

REELS + STORIES (Crucial for Growth)

Reels: Post 1–2 per week.

Add captions and trending audio.

Stories: Try to post daily, even simple things like:

“Here’s what we’re doing outside today”

Polls

Countdown sticker to something relevant.

Share feedback/reviews

THE ALGORITHM LOVES…

Consistency over frequency — better to post 3x per week regularly than 7x for one week and disappear

Early engagement — respond to comments quickly after posting

Dwell time — carousels keep people swiping, reels keep them watching

Saves, shares & likes — educational posts, quotes, and freebies do well here

DMs and interactions — start convos in stories or ask questions in captions

BONUS TIPS:

Use SEO-friendly captions (Instagram search is better now!):

Hashtags: Use 5–10 niche-specific hashtags, e.g.:

Pin 3 top posts to your grid** (best seller, welcome/introduction, freebie)

Taking all this into consideration, try to build yourself a basic posting template and schedule your posts around that. You can sit down once per week and schedule 5 posts/week to your templates changing up the topics/information as the month unfolds. This way, you have the consistency locked in and your basic skeleton posting is set. If you have other ideas around that, post as you go, share stories as you go but, if you have other commitments, at least you have the bare bones done and your business is rolling along without the need to daily stresses.