After a period of slowdown that extended through much of 2023 and early 2024, the growth curve for Instagram followers resumed, but with a different profile. According to an analysis by Reportei, a marketing and sales reporting and dashboard platform, this growth was mainly concentrated in accounts that operate with continuous paid traffic strategies. Agencies, freelancers, and companies performed worse compared to this group.
The survey analyzed data from over 44,000 accounts on the platform and indicates that profiles managed by media specialists, such as traffic managers, experienced the most growth in 2024. In practice, this means that profiles that hire professionals or use paid media strategies are able to expand their follower base more consistently, in contrast to exclusively organic strategies, such as the recurring publication of content without boosting.
The research also evaluated the performance of content formats. Among more than 10,000 publications analyzed, reels remain the format that generates the most engagement, followed by carousels and feed posts.
For Renan Caixeiro, co-founder and CMO of Reportei, the scenario reflects a structural change in the dynamics of the platforms. “Advertising on social media is a fairly recent practice. We have been operating in this market since 2015 and, until recently, investing in media was a possibility, but not necessarily a determining factor. What we see now is that, for many companies and creators, this investment has become crucial to ensure growth, reach, and competitiveness within the platform,” he explains.
This movement also puts pressure on the media budget of small businesses, agencies, and creators. As organic growth loses momentum, investment becomes a more relevant fixed line in marketing strategies. "In practice, those who reduce or stop buying traffic experience a sharper slowdown in the expansion of their follower base, while those who maintain consistent investment are able to sustain and even accelerate their growth rate," explains the executive.
