How to Grow on Instagram: 4 Lessons From a Reel That Reached Millions
What if growing on Instagram has less to do with creating perfectly polished content and more to do with understanding your audience, sharing your expertise, and being willing to show up as yourself?
If you're a small business owner trying to grow your Instagram following, you've probably wondered what actually works.
Should you be posting more Reels? Following trends? Creating better graphics? Spending more time editing your videos? And how do you make sure all that effort leads to something meaningful for your business, rather than simply collecting more views?
These are questions so many entrepreneurs are asking as they try to figure out how to grow on Instagram without spending their entire day creating content.
In this episode of Modern Marketing Made Simple, I sat down with Amanda Otterman, founder of Meno Health Nurse, whose Instagram following grew from approximately 7,000 to more than 70,000 after a simple Reel reached millions of people.
But what makes Amanda's story so interesting isn't just the number of followers she gained.
It's everything that happened before and after that viral moment, and the lessons other entrepreneurs can take from her experience.
1. Finding Your Niche Makes Your Content More Relevant
One of the most important parts of Amanda's business journey happened long before her Instagram Reel went viral.
Amanda spent 25 years working as a registered nurse before moving into personal training. She had also experienced a significant personal weight-loss journey, which helped shape her interest in health and fitness.
As she began working with women, she noticed something.
Many of her clients were in their 40s and experiencing changes they didn't fully understand. They were struggling with symptoms related to perimenopause and menopause, and they were looking for answers.
Amanda recognized that her nursing background, fitness experience, and interest in women's health could come together to serve a very specific audience. She pursued additional menopause education and began building her business around helping women understand what was happening in their bodies.
This is such an important lesson for entrepreneurs trying to figure out how to find their niche.
Your niche doesn't always have to come from a perfectly developed business plan. Sometimes it comes from paying attention to the questions people are already asking you.
Amanda didn't choose her niche simply because it was a popular topic. She recognized a genuine need among the women she was already serving. That gave her something incredibly valuable for her Instagram content strategy: a clear understanding of who she was speaking to and what they wanted to know.
And when you know exactly who you're creating content for, it's much easier to create posts that feel relevant.
Try this in your business
Think about the questions your customers or clients ask you most often.
- What do they consistently struggle with?
- What do they misunderstand about your industry?
- What advice do you find yourself repeating?
- What problems can your experience help them solve?
Those questions can become some of your strongest content ideas. Instead of trying to create content for everyone, start by becoming incredibly helpful to the people you most want to reach.
2. You Don't Need Perfect Content to Grow on Instagram
Let's talk about the Instagram Reel that changed things for Amanda.
At the time, she had approximately 7,000 Instagram followers. One day, during her lunch break, she decided to record a quick video about unusual menopause symptoms that women might not realize were connected to hormonal changes.
She wasn't dressed up. She wasn't wearing makeup. She didn't spend hours planning, filming, or editing. The entire process took about 20 minutes.
And that Reel went on to reach approximately five million views in five days.
Her Instagram following initially grew to around 40,000, and after her content was shared by well-known menopause physician Dr. Mary Claire Haver, her audience eventually reached approximately 70,000 followers.
It's an incredible example of how powerful a single piece of content can be. But there's an important distinction here.
The lesson isn't that you should expect every simple Reel to go viral. It's that valuable content doesn't have to be complicated to connect with people.
Amanda was sharing information she understood deeply, about a subject her audience genuinely cared about.
She wasn't trying to create a perfect production.
She was educating people.
And that information resonated far beyond her existing audience.
For entrepreneurs wondering how to create viral Instagram Reels, there's no guaranteed formula. But Amanda's experience highlights something worth paying attention to.
Content that addresses a specific question, shares useful information, or makes people feel understood has a reason to be watched and shared. And that can help introduce your business to new audiences.
Try this in your business
The next time you're creating an Instagram Reel, simplify the process. Choose one question your ideal customer has and answer it directly.
You might create a Reel around:
- Three things your audience doesn't know about your industry
- A common misconception you hear from clients
- Something you wish more people understood before buying your product or service
- A problem your ideal customer experiences regularly
- One helpful tip you share with almost every client
Focus on making the information useful and easy to understand. You can always improve your video production skills over time, but don't let the pursuit of perfect content stop you from sharing something valuable today.
3. Building an Authentic Personal Brand Helps You Stand Out
One of my favourite parts of Amanda's story is how much her business evolved as she became more comfortable showing up as herself.
Earlier in her entrepreneurial journey, Amanda struggled with imposter syndrome. She questioned whether she belonged in certain rooms, whether she was qualified enough, and whether she should be more careful about how she presented herself.
During a women's networking event, she had a powerful realization. "I belong in the room."
That shift mattered.
Amanda began embracing her experience, her expertise, and her personality rather than trying to fit into someone else's idea of what a professional business owner should look like. She also rebranded her business around Meno Health Nurse, bringing together the different parts of her background into a recognizable personal brand.
Her nursing experience gave her credibility.
Her fitness background helped her understand the challenges her clients were experiencing.
And her personality helped people connect with the person behind the information.
This is something I think every entrepreneur should consider when building a personal brand.
Your brand isn't just your colours, logo, or Instagram aesthetic. It's what people come to know you for, the perspective you bring, and the experience they have when they interact with your content.
There are plenty of people sharing health information online. Just as there are plenty of social media managers, coaches, photographers, and small business owners. But nobody else has your exact combination of experiences, knowledge, personality, and perspective.
Those are the things that can make your content recognizable. And that's why authentic content creation matters. It helps people understand not only what you know, but why they might want to learn from or work with you.
Try this in your business:
Think about what you want people to associate with your name or business.
Ask yourself:
- What topics do I want to become known for?
- What experience or perspective makes my approach different?
- Am I sharing my own opinions and expertise, or mostly repeating what everyone else is posting?
- Does my content sound like me?
You don't need to share every detail of your personal life to build an authentic personal brand. But you do need to give people a reason to remember you.
4. Instagram Growth Should Create Opportunities Beyond Followers
Growing from 7,000 to 70,000 Instagram followers is impressive.
But what I found even more interesting was what happened to Amanda's business as a result.
Her growing Instagram audience introduced her to people who were genuinely interested in her expertise. She began attracting more clients for her coaching services, masterclasses, workshops, and educational programs.
Her content also created opportunities beyond direct sales.
She gained industry recognition, expanded her professional connections, and received speaking opportunities.
And one of the biggest surprises? A publishing editor who had been following her content approached her about writing a new edition of Menopause For Dummies.
Think about that for a moment.
Amanda started by sharing helpful information with women who needed it.
That content helped grow her audience.
Her audience helped increase her visibility.
And that visibility introduced her to opportunities she might never have pursued on her own.
This is why I think it's so important for small business owners to look beyond follower counts when measuring social media success.
Instagram growth is valuable when it helps you reach the right people, build trust, and create opportunities for your business.
A viral Reel might introduce thousands of people to your brand, but you still need a reason for those people to stick around. That's where your broader Instagram content strategy becomes important. Your profile should help new visitors quickly understand who you serve, what you help them with, and why they should follow you.
Your ongoing content should reinforce your expertise and build connection.
And when someone is ready to take the next step, it should be easy for them to understand how they can work with you or purchase from your business.
This is how Instagram can become more than a place to post content. It can become a meaningful part of your business growth strategy.
Try this in your business:
Take a look at your Instagram profile from the perspective of someone discovering you for the first time.
Ask yourself:
- Can they immediately understand who I help?
- Is it clear what topics I share content about?
- Do my recent posts demonstrate my expertise?
- Am I giving people reasons to follow beyond one interesting Reel?
- Is there a clear next step if someone wants to work with me?
Growing your Instagram following is only one part of the process. Creating a connection between that growth and your business goals is what makes it sustainable.
Key Takeaways: Instagram Growth Strategies for Small Business Owners
Amanda's journey offers several lessons for anyone trying to grow a business through Instagram.
- Get clear on your niche. Understanding your audience's questions and challenges makes it easier to create content that resonates.
- Don't overcomplicate your Instagram Reels. Useful, relevant information can be more valuable than elaborate production.
- Build your personal brand around your expertise. Your experience, personality, and perspective are important parts of what makes your business different.
- Focus on organic Instagram growth through connection. Create content that gives people a reason to watch, share, follow, and continue learning from you.
- Think beyond follower counts. The goal isn't simply to reach more people. It's to attract the right audience and create meaningful business opportunities.
- Be willing to evolve. Amanda's business changed as she recognized new opportunities, invested in her education, and became more confident in what she wanted to be known for.
The biggest takeaway from my conversation with Amanda is that growing on Instagram doesn't necessarily require doing more. Sometimes, it starts with getting clearer about who you're helping, trusting what you know, and creating content that speaks directly to the people who need it.
And while going viral is never guaranteed, building a recognizable personal brand and consistently sharing valuable content are strategies you can work on every day.
Want to Go Deeper? Listen to the Full Conversation
Connect with Amanda:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menohealthnurse
Website: https://www.menohealthnurse.com
Want another example of how understanding your audience can lead to organic Instagram growth?
In my conversation with Natalie, founder of Rinkside Mom, we talk about how she built a growing brand by creating relatable content for one very specific audience.
You'll learn more about niche marketing, community building, collaborations, and why creating content that people want to share can be such a powerful audience growth strategy.
HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY ON INSTAGRAM, USING NICHE CONTENT
Both conversations are reminders that effective social media marketing starts with understanding the people you're trying to reach.
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Let's Connect!
I'm Lori Ervin, founder of Level Up Marketing Co., where I help women building online businesses simplify their social media, create content that connects, and turn their marketing into meaningful business growth.
Through done-for-you social media management, content creation, and the Modern Marketing Hub, I help make marketing feel a whole lot more manageable.
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Website: https://www.loriervin.com
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