When your Instagram reach dies, it's almost always one of these:
❌ Account health — your account is flagged, restricted, or sitting on a strike, and Instagram is quietly throttling your distribution.
✅ Audience relevance — the algorithm can't find a common ground with the people who engage with you because your content strategy is all over the place.
That's it. Two buckets, everything else is a symptom of these.
Now, if your account health is compromised - more often than not it's saveable by just creating more of the right content (unless you were a really really bad kid and said some things you were not supposed say).
But it essentially all comes down to the same fix. Creating better content and getting more of the right people to stay and binge your stuff.
The good thing is: as of the last 2 years it's almost ALWAYS possible to get back on top with the right strategies. Most people just quit too early.
Because they actually do something not a lot of people talk about. Rank you in Search.
Now, in complete honesty I think Instagram SEO is massively overrated in the grand scheme of things, BUT it can really help you reach a super targeted audience that is looking for a solution.
Which is exactly the data-points the algorithm needs to find your audience.
This for example was a post I made, and it got me around 600 emails and it made $36,000 in clients enrolling in my mentorship.
2 of them directly told me they found me in search through this video.
The only reason it ranked so well? Hashtags. There you have it.
So here's the gist to rank on search:
Identify a topic that people actively search for RIGHT NOW. Create content and include these keywords multiple times:
* in the caption * in your text hook * in your script
and then use this keyword as a hashtag. So for example: "productivity tips 2026" becomes #productivitytips2026
It doesn't matter whether this hashtag has a lot of posts or not, but the algorithm for some reason takes this as a strong signal to rank you.
Gotta make a video about this (I've done a lot of investigating about hashtags etc here on this channel over the years).
You could have the best hook on Instagram and still get buried. Here's why. 👇
Most creators obsess over details in their strategy: hooks, scripts, CTAs — while their Reels are technically broken before anyone even sees them.
The algorithm actually reads signals BEFORE it reads your genius. Get the hygiene wrong and the smartest content on earth gets throttled:
❌ Low-effort content that everybody has seen 100x ❌ AI generated scripts that feel lifeless ❌ TikTok watermark still on the clip (Instagram actively suppresses recycled content) ❌ Bad lighting, grainy footage or compressed, low-res export ❌ Hooks and content is too complex and speaks to too many people at once
✅ Export clean and native — no watermarks, ever ✅ Unique takes and value ✅ Hook targets ONE viewer with ONE problem
We recently had multiple clients massively increase their views by NOT using Claude / ChatGPT to come up ideas, hooks and scripts. The algorithm can tell.
Another one went from 0-30k targeted follower because he increased his video quality / scene.
Detailed strategy is the second step. Technical hygiene is the entry ticket nowadays.
Deleting your "flop" Reels is the dumbest thing you can do on Instagram. 👇
"That one only got 400 views, let's delete it." Congrats, you just fired an employee who hadn't started their shift yet.
Because here's the thing nobody tells you: reach on Reels is DELAYED, especially in the past 6 months.
• The algorithm keeps testing old Reels for weeks • A "dead" Reel routinely spikes days or even months later • Delete it and you kill a distribution asset that was still cooking • Your back catalog compounds - 40 average Reels can quietly out-earn one viral one
Plus - a bunch of "low performing" getting a few of the right view daily can turn into a snowball after a few months.
A client from one of our last cohorts had a Reel blow up almost 2 months after she posted it. It sat there for a while without doing anything and suddenly BAM.
So stop judging Reels on the first 48 hours. Don't even judge them on the first week to be honest. Judge them over 4-6 weeks.
Don't optimize for Views + Likes if you want the Instagram algorithm to get your content in front of the right people.
Many Instagram creators optimize for the wrong thing and wonder why the algorithm doesn't show their content to the right audience.
They look at views and likes, cause it feels good.
Meanwhile the algorithm doesn't care about this at all. It only cares about signals that say "this was worth someone's time."
A like takes half a second and means nothing. A view even less (especially if it's from the wrong person).
However, a save means "I need this later." And a share means "someone else in my life needs to see this." That's the stuff that compounds reach and builds trust with the algorithm.
I recently had a client take an existing Reel and reframed it from the boring "5 tips" into telling a story - showing his daily process that 3x his customer retention.
And suddenly his saves and shares shot through the roof.
That single post out-reached his last month combined and put his Instagram account back on the radar again in his real target audience.
He actually went from $7k a month to $36k in the next one because the algorithm got the right signals from his buyer audience.
So, go through your old content and see if you can reframe it so somebody would SAVE or SHARE it.
One carousel made me $18,000 in two months and got 88,000 views, and it was a Reel I had already made.
I didn't come up with a new idea. I didn't write a new script. I just restructured content I already had into slides and built each of the first three slides to work as its own hook. (I show you how to do this on my carousel video here)
A client did the same thing with an old thread that had decent engagement, turned it into a carousel with a bit more depth, and picked up a thousand new followers from it within 24h.
You're probably sitting on content right now that could do the same thing.
Old reels, old threads, old posts that performed okay but never really took off. All of it can become a Carousel today.
Most Instagram creators write one hook and think the job's done. That's why people leave at second 8.
A Reel isn't just one hook. It's a whole hook chain.
• The opening hook gets the swipe to stop • A second hook 3–4 seconds in pulls them back • Another one resets attention before they drift • The payoff lands on the last frame, not the middle
Once you understand how to translate this into your content, it's play timeeee.
I have some videos about this here on my channel. Hidden, so only special and gifted people can find it 👀
The real reason your Reels get views but no buyers isn't your niche, your posting schedule, or even your content quality.
It's that the algorithm just has no idea who to send you to.
Every time you post something vague, you're feeding it confusing signals and it just guesses. Sometimes it guesses right. Most of the time it doesn't, and you end up with views from people who will never buy anything from you.
The fix is teaching it exactly who your buyer is, and there's a specific way to do that most people completely skip.
I broke the whole system down in my latest video. Worth a watch if your views aren't turning into leads or sales.
Most Instagram creators kill their own retention on purpose. They just don't know it.
Here's the most common mistake: you reveal the payoff in the middle.
The second the curiosity loop closes, people got what they came for, and they swipe so they can see a monkey.
Here's how to not let that happen:
• Set the open loop in the hook • Build tension through the middle • Withhold the reveal, almost to the point it feels too much • Close it on the final 2-3s max
I just had a mentorship session where I went through a recipe Reel losing half its viewers midway - exactly when the finished dish came in.
So next time you create a real, try mapping out on a timeline when you open the loop and when it's closed.
heyDominik
When your Instagram reach dies, it's almost always one of these:
❌ Account health — your account is flagged, restricted, or sitting on a strike, and Instagram is quietly throttling your distribution.
✅ Audience relevance — the algorithm can't find a common ground with the people who engage with you because your content strategy is all over the place.
That's it. Two buckets, everything else is a symptom of these.
Now, if your account health is compromised - more often than not it's saveable by just creating more of the right content (unless you were a really really bad kid and said some things you were not supposed say).
But it essentially all comes down to the same fix. Creating better content and getting more of the right people to stay and binge your stuff.
The good thing is: as of the last 2 years it's almost ALWAYS possible to get back on top with the right strategies. Most people just quit too early.
19 hours ago | [YT] | 21
View 1 reply
heyDominik
Hashtags are dead. But I still use them.
Because they actually do something not a lot of people talk about. Rank you in Search.
Now, in complete honesty I think Instagram SEO is massively overrated in the grand scheme of things, BUT it can really help you reach a super targeted audience that is looking for a solution.
Which is exactly the data-points the algorithm needs to find your audience.
This for example was a post I made, and it got me around 600 emails and it made $36,000 in clients enrolling in my mentorship.
2 of them directly told me they found me in search through this video.
The only reason it ranked so well? Hashtags. There you have it.
So here's the gist to rank on search:
Identify a topic that people actively search for RIGHT NOW. Create content and
include these keywords multiple times:
* in the caption
* in your text hook
* in your script
and then use this keyword as a hashtag. So for example: "productivity tips 2026" becomes #productivitytips2026
It doesn't matter whether this hashtag has a lot of posts or not, but the algorithm for some reason takes this as a strong signal to rank you.
Gotta make a video about this (I've done a lot of investigating about hashtags etc here on this channel over the years).
3 days ago | [YT] | 36
View 2 replies
heyDominik
You could have the best hook on Instagram and still get buried. Here's why. 👇
Most creators obsess over details in their strategy: hooks, scripts, CTAs — while their Reels are technically broken before anyone even sees them.
The algorithm actually reads signals BEFORE it reads your genius. Get the hygiene wrong and the smartest content on earth gets throttled:
❌ Low-effort content that everybody has seen 100x
❌ AI generated scripts that feel lifeless
❌ TikTok watermark still on the clip (Instagram actively suppresses recycled content)
❌ Bad lighting, grainy footage or compressed, low-res export
❌ Hooks and content is too complex and speaks to too many people at once
✅ Export clean and native — no watermarks, ever
✅ Unique takes and value
✅ Hook targets ONE viewer with ONE problem
We recently had multiple clients massively increase their views by NOT using Claude / ChatGPT to come up ideas, hooks and scripts. The algorithm can tell.
Another one went from 0-30k targeted follower because he increased his video quality / scene.
Detailed strategy is the second step. Technical hygiene is the entry ticket nowadays.
5 days ago | [YT] | 30
View 2 replies
heyDominik
Deleting your "flop" Reels is the dumbest thing you can do on Instagram. 👇
"That one only got 400 views, let's delete it." Congrats, you just fired an employee who hadn't started their shift yet.
Because here's the thing nobody tells you: reach on Reels is DELAYED, especially in the past 6 months.
• The algorithm keeps testing old Reels for weeks
• A "dead" Reel routinely spikes days or even months later
• Delete it and you kill a distribution asset that was still cooking
• Your back catalog compounds - 40 average Reels can quietly out-earn one viral one
Plus - a bunch of "low performing" getting a few of the right view daily can turn into a snowball after a few months.
A client from one of our last cohorts had a Reel blow up almost 2 months after she posted it. It sat there for a while without doing anything and suddenly BAM.
So stop judging Reels on the first 48 hours. Don't even judge them on the first week to be honest. Judge them over 4-6 weeks.
- Dom
1 week ago | [YT] | 40
View 6 replies
heyDominik
Don't optimize for Views + Likes if you want the Instagram algorithm to get your content in front of the right people.
Many Instagram creators optimize for the wrong thing and wonder why the algorithm doesn't show their content to the right audience.
They look at views and likes, cause it feels good.
Meanwhile the algorithm doesn't care about this at all. It only cares about signals that say "this was worth someone's time."
A like takes half a second and means nothing. A view even less (especially if it's from the wrong person).
However, a save means "I need this later." And a share means "someone else in my life needs to see this." That's the stuff that compounds reach and builds trust with the algorithm.
I recently had a client take an existing Reel and reframed it from the boring "5 tips" into telling a story - showing his daily process that 3x his customer retention.
And suddenly his saves and shares shot through the roof.
That single post out-reached his last month combined and put his Instagram account back on the radar again in his real target audience.
He actually went from $7k a month to $36k in the next one because the algorithm got the right signals from his buyer audience.
So, go through your old content and see if you can reframe it so somebody would SAVE or SHARE it.
1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 38
View 0 replies
heyDominik
One carousel made me $18,000 in two months and got 88,000 views, and it was a Reel I had already made.
I didn't come up with a new idea. I didn't write a new script. I just restructured content I already had into slides and built each of the first three slides to work as its own hook. (I show you how to do this on my carousel video here)
A client did the same thing with an old thread that had decent engagement, turned it into a carousel with a bit more depth, and picked up a thousand new followers from it within 24h.
You're probably sitting on content right now that could do the same thing.
Old reels, old threads, old posts that performed okay but never really took off. All of it can become a Carousel today.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 12
View 0 replies
heyDominik
I'm hosting a FREE Live Workshop on July 1:
The Instagram Growth + Revenue System for Experts, Coaches, Business Owners.
In this session I'll:
🔴 Show you WHAT WORKS NOW according to my data-powerhouse working with hundreds of creators and analyzing hundreds of thousands of posts.
⚪️ Exactly to turn your Instagram into a revenue generating machine
🔵 How to create content that grows followers who want to buy your stuff
Warning: this is ONLY for creators and business owners who want to grow their Instagram to get leads, sales and serious followers.
You'll see that the rules for those have gotten completely different (and following them will make you grow & scale way faster),
Can't wait to show it to you. Especially because most of the common advice out there just talks about the old, viral way.
heydominik.com/workshop?w=cp3006
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 13
View 2 replies
heyDominik
Most Instagram creators write one hook and think the job's done. That's why people leave at second 8.
A Reel isn't just one hook. It's a whole hook chain.
• The opening hook gets the swipe to stop
• A second hook 3–4 seconds in pulls them back
• Another one resets attention before they drift
• The payoff lands on the last frame, not the middle
Once you understand how to translate this into your content, it's play timeeee.
I have some videos about this here on my channel. Hidden, so only special and gifted people can find it 👀
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 14
View 2 replies
heyDominik
The real reason your Reels get views but no buyers isn't your niche, your posting schedule, or even your content quality.
It's that the algorithm just has no idea who to send you to.
Every time you post something vague, you're feeding it confusing signals and it just guesses. Sometimes it guesses right. Most of the time it doesn't, and you end up with views from people who will never buy anything from you.
The fix is teaching it exactly who your buyer is, and there's a specific way to do that most people completely skip.
I broke the whole system down in my latest video. Worth a watch if your views aren't turning into leads or sales.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 11
View 0 replies
heyDominik
Most Instagram creators kill their own retention on purpose. They just don't know it.
Here's the most common mistake: you reveal the payoff in the middle.
The second the curiosity loop closes, people got what they came for, and they swipe so they can see a monkey.
Here's how to not let that happen:
• Set the open loop in the hook
• Build tension through the middle
• Withhold the reveal, almost to the point it feels too much
• Close it on the final 2-3s max
I just had a mentorship session where I went through a recipe Reel losing half its viewers midway - exactly when the finished dish came in.
So next time you create a real, try mapping out on a timeline when you open the loop and when it's closed.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 13
View 0 replies
Load more