“Instagram is Not Working — Try TikTok?”

Why It Feels True (and What Actually Works in 2025

Every week, we hear it:

“Instagram is not working again.”
“Nothing moves without money.”
“TikTok is where it’s happening now.”

And you know what?
That frustration is valid.

At Slvr Wlf, we spent over ₦200,000 to grow our restarted Instagram page from zero. So yes — we’ve tested the algorithm with our own money.

But here’s the thing:
Instagram isn’t broken.
Most businesses just haven’t built a system that works.

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😤 Why It Feels Like Instagram Has Stopped Working

Let’s be honest — the numbers don’t lie:

• You boost a post, and nothing happens.
• You post daily, but no one DMs.
• You spend ₦10K and barely get clicks.
• Your followers grow, but your sales don’t.

So yes — it feels like Instagram is done.

But the problem isn’t the platform.
The problem is what most businesses are doing with the platform.

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🚀 But Can You Grow Fast on Instagram in 2025?

Let’s address the big question:

“What if I want to grow from zero to 10K followers in 30 days?”

It’s possible — but not typical. Unless you’re getting a celebrity shoutout or some kind of public virality, most real businesses grow through strategy, not spikes.

Here’s what the data and expert consensus show:

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✅ Real Paths to Rapid Growth

If you’re serious and consistent, growth can happen quickly — but only with a layered approach:

1. Micro-Influencer Collaborations

Get featured by multiple small creators in your niche.
This gives you real, local reach without relying on a celebrity endorsement.

2. High-Impact Content + Reels

Instagram is prioritising Reels with:

• Clear hooks
• Cultural relevance
• Educational or satirical value

Posting daily Reels for 30 days, layered with smart captions and hashtags, can significantly boost discovery.

Read: 3 Must-Use Strategies for Creating Content

3. Boost What’s Working — Strategically

Not every post should be boosted. But when something works:

• Boost it to warm, location-based audiences
• Use Ads Manager, not the Boost button, for better control
• Let it run and optimise — don’t rush

4. Cross-Promotion

Promote your Instagram from:

• WhatsApp stories
• Email newsletters
• Your TikTok bio
• Offline: QR codes, business cards, physical spaces

Your page doesn’t grow in isolation. Visibility travels across platforms.

READ: Business Visibility: Why Great Businesses Still Get Ignored — and What to Do About It

5. Giveaways + Tag Campaigns

Done right, giveaways with tagging incentives can bring in hundreds — even thousands — of relevant new followers.

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🚫 What Doesn’t Work (Long-Term)

• Buying followers
• Follow-for-follow circles
• Boosting every post without a system
• Assuming a viral Reel equals sustainable growth

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🧩 Visibility Without a System = Frustration

Instagram in 2025 is no longer “just post and pray.”
It now requires a full visibility engine:

1. Organic Content to Kickstart Visibility
   → Not aesthetic fluff, but value-based content that gets saved and shared.
2. Trust-Building to Convert Attention
   → Highlights, testimonials, storytelling, consistency.
   People buy when they trust. Trust builds with content.
3. Boosts to Expand the Right Messages
   → Boost only content that has proven potential (don’t boost blindly).
   It helps Instagram understand your warmest audience.
4. Meta Ads Manager for Strategic Growth
   → You can’t scale using “Boost Post” forever.
   Use proper targeting, A/B testing, and full-funnel objectives.

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🤔 So… Why Are People Jumping to TikTok?

Because it’s giving them attention — for now.
But here’s the catch:

• TikTok is great for discovery… but less great for local conversion
• Most leads on TikTok are still browsing, not buying
• And if your Instagram can’t convert… neither will your TikTok

What works on TikTok is not a substitute for what’s broken on Instagram.

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🔁 What’s Actually Working on Instagram in Nigeria (2025)

Here’s what we’ve seen consistently drive results:

✅ Clean, structured profiles with highlights, contact options, and story content
✅ Reels with clear hooks, problem awareness, and soft CTAs
✅ Skits or satirical sketches that connect emotionally with the market
✅ Strategic boosts — not from emotion, but from metrics
✅ Switching to Ads Manager once a post shows traction
✅ Layering this system weekly to bring consistent conversations

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📌 Two Final Truths Business Owners Need to Hear

1. This Post Is for People Who Use Instagram as Their Primary Business Channel

If Instagram is your storefront, your sales desk, and your customer service portal — you can’t afford to guess your way through visibility.
You’re not just here for awareness.
You’re here for conversations that lead to revenue.

That means your content has to work harder — not louder.

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2. Virality Is Overrated Without Strategy

Let’s be honest.

Yes, we all want that 1M views moment.
But here’s the truth:

Virality without a system is just noise.

You can go viral and gain nothing.
We’ve seen posts do 200K views — with zero leads.
Meanwhile, a Reel that reaches 2,000 people can bring in 5 solid DMs and 3 sales if the system behind it is sound.

At Slvr Wlf don’t create content just for “viral potential.”
(And yes, that includes using AI prompts that say: “Make content that has potential for virality” 👀)

What we do is build content that supports one of three funnel stages:

• Attract
• Educate
• Convert

If virality comes, it will fuel that engine.
But without a system? It’s just vanity metrics.

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🔎 Bonus Insight: The Retargeting Advantage

Most business owners think their ad didn’t work because no one bought immediately.
But here’s what they forget: retargeting is where the real ROI lives.

When someone engages with your post — even just for 3 seconds — they’ve entered your funnel.
You now have the ability to show them more content, introduce your offer again, and nurture trust.

That’s how we we went from zero to 200+ followers and 40 DMs from real businesses requesting a service within a month simply by reaching cold audiences and retargeting those who interacted with our Reel.

Visibility without follow-up is like running a store and locking the door at 5PM.
Retargeting is how you keep it open 24/7 — even when they scroll past the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

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💥 Final Truth

Instagram hasn’t stopped working.
But it has stopped responding to shortcuts.

If you want visibility that leads to actual conversations — not just views — you need a system.

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✅ Want to Learn the Full System?

Join our free webinar:
From Crickets to Conversations: How to Build a Visibility System That Brings You 30 Conversations a Month

📅 27 June 2025
🕒 60 minutes of no-nonsense visibility strategy
📩 Contact us or click here to sign up