How do I grow a local Instagram account for free?

The simplest free tactic I know: follow 20 to 25 local businesses a day. It grows followers and puts you in front of business owners at the same time. It doubles as soft business development.

What should a local account post?

The news people are already talking about. New stores like a Costco or a Trader Joe's are the most talked-about stories.

Legacy outlets get the press release, but they don't post on Instagram. You can own that channel.

"Owning the information on a specific channel doesn't mean you had to get it originally."

What is the green-screen strategy?

You've probably heard of the Instagram green-screen video. I really believe it's the path to real success on Instagram. A guest on my podcast got nearly 500 new followers within days from one green-screen reel. My local creator makes about one a day.

How do you get businesses to share your posts?

Another guest's tip: tag the business, invite them as an Instagram collaborator, and tag the physical location. That helps neighborhood reach and gets the business to reshare.

Do stunts like cash drops work?

They can. I learned about cash drops (hide cash, post clues) from a company in Austin, and a newsletter owner in Baltimore went nuts with them. When we tried one, it was found within 15 minutes, even though we'd hidden it in a weird place on purpose.

Is Facebook still worth it?

For groups, yes. So many people are on Facebook for groups, and that's the reason I'm on it. But don't start a Facebook group without a real seeding strategy. An empty group feels dead and hurts the brand. One local operator told me her moderated 7,000-member group removes agent spam, unlike a competing 2,700-member group that isn't moderated.

What about logins and access?

Be careful who gets them. Meta Business Suite lets one person post to Facebook and Instagram at once, but it blocks tagging and direct messages, so someone still needs direct Instagram access. One partner of mine lost Meta access for two months after an overseas virtual assistant logged in.

Why does Instagram matter for a newsletter?

Ad sales. The operators I talk to who are doing well on Instagram all say how important it is for selling ads.