After a slowdown period that extended through much of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the growth curve of followers on Instagram has resumed, but with a different profile. According to an analysis conducted by Reportei, a platform for marketing and sales reports and dashboards, this progress was mainly concentrated on accounts that operate with continuous paid traffic strategies. Agencies, freelancers, and companies showed inferior performance when 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, saw the most growth in 2024. In practice, this means that profiles that hire professionals or use paid media strategies can expand their follower base more consistently, as opposed to exclusively organic strategies, such as regularly posting content without boosting.
The research also evaluated the performance of content formats. Among more than 10,000 analyzed posts, reels continue to be the format that generates the most engagement, followed by carousels and posts in the feed.
According to Renan Caixeiro, co-founder and CMO of Reportei, the scenario reflects a structural change in the dynamics of platforms. “Advertising on social media is a fairly recent practice. We have been operating in this market since 2015, and until recently, media investment was a possibility, but not necessarily decisive. What we see now is that, for many companies and creators, this investment has become essential 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 weakens, investment becomes a more relevant fixed line in marketing strategies. ‘In practice, those who reduce or stop traffic buying experience a more pronounced slowdown in follower base expansion, while those who maintain consistent investment manage to sustain and even accelerate their growth pace,’ contextualizes the executive.
