Instagram Growth Strategies with Natalie Ellis: Insights from the Creator Science Podcast

Instagram has long been one of the top platforms for creators and businesses to build an audience.

However, with constant updates—from Stories to Reels—the platform has evolved significantly. For new creators, the question is: Is there still room to grow on Instagram?

Natalie Ellis, co-founder and CEO of BossBabe, believes the answer is yes, but the strategy to stand out has shifted.

In a recent interview on the “Creator Science Podcast” with Jay Clouse, she shares insights into what’s working today on Instagram, how to organically grow instagram followers, how to turn followers into email subscribers, and the entrepreneurial mindset that drives her success.

How BossBabe Grew to 3.5 Million Followers on Instagram

Natalie reflects on BossBabe’s meteoric rise on Instagram, describing the experience as both fast and challenging. The key to their rapid success was the strong brand equity she and her community had already built before launching BossBabe.

“We didn’t start from scratch. We’d been building this community, and I’d been building my own brand. So when it took off, it was almost like a perfect storm.”

Key Factors Behind BossBabe’s Growth:

Building Brand Equity: Natalie already had a personal brand and following before launching BossBabe, which gave her a head start.
Community Building: BossBabe had been nurturing a like-minded community through niche content focused on entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment.
Content That Resonates: Initially, BossBabe’s Instagram focused on sassy, tongue-in-cheek quotes that resonated with ambitious women. This relatable content drove high engagement and shares, building a loyal audience.

From Personal Brand to a Business Entity

Natalie didn’t originally set out to create a business entity separate from her personal brand. The opportunity to purchase the BossBabe account came organically as she grew more passionate about the community.

“I didn’t go in with the intention of building a brand that didn’t have my face on it. But as it grew, I saw the potential.”

For creators considering whether to separate their personal brand from a business entity, Natalie’s advice is to focus on audience and community first. By cultivating a loyal audience, you’ll have the flexibility to expand into other ventures.

How to Organically Grow Instagram Followers in a Changing Content Landscape

In the early days, Instagram was all about perfectly polished, staged photos. Today, however, raw and unfiltered content is what captures attention. This shift in user preferences has changed what goes viral on the platform.

“We’ve gone from perfect and poised to being more raw and unfiltered. Now, content that goes viral is often the least edited.”

What Works Today:

Viral Quotes: Posts that say what people are thinking, but don’t want to say themselves, still perform well. These quotes are often relatable and empowering.
Relatability Over Perfection: Audiences now gravitate toward content that feels genuine rather than overly polished.
Short, Punchy Reels: With Instagram’s focus on short-form video, the importance of quick hooks and value-packed content has skyrocketed.

Going Viral Without Being Negative

Natalie emphasizes the importance of balancing relatability with positivity. While it might be tempting to lean into cynicism for virality, it’s not sustainable or aligned with BossBabe’s brand values.

“What’s the fine line between being empowering and confident versus being cocky? We’ve tweaked accordingly as we moved on.”

Tips for Viral Content Without Negativity:

Focus on empowerment rather than cynicism.
Share positive, relatable messages that uplift and resonate with your audience.
Avoid negativity, as it can bring unhealthy attention and attract the wrong kind of engagement.

Writing is at the Core of Creativity

Despite the shift toward visual content, Natalie strongly believes that writing remains at the heart of all creative work. Whether it’s crafting a viral quote or scripting a Reel, the written word is the foundation.

“Even in a visual medium, writing is so core to all aspects of creativity.”

Why Writing Matters on Instagram:

Hooks and Captions: Great writing draws people in and keeps them engaged. Whether it’s a caption or a Reel’s hook, writing helps condense long stories into bite-sized content.
Scripts Behind Videos: The success of video content is often due to the quality of its underlying script.
Calls to Action (CTAs): Effective writing helps direct followers to take the next step, whether it’s visiting a link in the bio or signing up for an email list.

Why Instagram Remains BossBabe’s Focus

With the rise of platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn, many creators are tempted to spread themselves thin. However, Natalie and her team have maintained a laser focus on Instagram.

“I don’t have the bandwidth to do everything well. So, I decided that if I could do Instagram really well, then I could push people to email, which felt solid to me.”

While Instagram is a “rented platform”—meaning creators don’t own their followers there—Natalie balances this risk by moving her followers to an email list, an “owned platform.”

Why Focus on Instagram:

Strong Community Engagement: Instagram has consistently been a high-performing platform for BossBabe in terms of engagement.
Email List Growth: Instagram serves as the top social platform to convert followers into email subscribers.
Bandwidth Management: Rather than stretching across multiple platforms, Natalie focuses on what she can do best.

How to Move Instagram Followers to an Email List

Turning followers into email subscribers is essential for building a stable, monetizable audience. Natalie shares her top strategy for doing this:
Reels with a strong call to action.

“One Reel can generate 10,000+ email subscribers if it’s tied to a specific lead magnet.”

Best Practices for Driving Email Signups:

Create a Specific Lead Magnet: A freebie like a guide, challenge, or video that provides value in exchange for an email.
Use Reels to Promote It: Reels that address a specific problem and lead viewers to the link in your bio perform best.
Include a Strong Call to Action (CTA): Direct viewers to “read the caption” or “click the link in bio” in the last second of the Reel to maintain engagement.

Natalie’s Reels promoting her “30 Days of Content” freebie, which provides 30 days’ worth of social content ideas, is a perfect example of this strategy in action.

Crafting a Viral Instagram Reel That Converts

So, what does a viral, lead-converting Reel look like? For Natalie, it’s about quick, relatable content with a clear CTA.
Here’s her step-by-step process for creating a Reel:

Find Trending Audio: Use trending audio clips that fit your niche. You can do this by scrolling through Reels until you find something that resonates.
Create a Lip-Sync Video: Lip-sync to the audio, keeping the content short and punchy (around six seconds).
Add Text: Layer the video with text that speaks to the viewer’s pain points or desires.
Insert a CTA: In the last 1-1.5 seconds of the video, add text directing viewers to “read the caption” or “click the link in bio.”
Save Drafts for Efficiency: Record multiple Reels in one sitting, save them as drafts, and edit later when you have time.

“Content creation is the smallest part of my job now, so I batch-create Reels by setting aside 15 minutes, finding trending audios, and recording multiple lip-sync videos at once.”

Takeaway: Focus, Strategy, and Community

Natalie Ellis’ journey with BossBabe is a testament to the power of focus, strategy, and community-building on Instagram.

By consistently delivering value to her audience, she’s built a loyal following and turned them into subscribers, customers, and advocates for her brand.

If you’re a creator or entrepreneur looking to grow on Instagram, consider these takeaways from Natalie:

Build your audience first: Nurture a community before thinking about monetization.
Leverage Instagram Reels: Focus on short, engaging content that resonates with your target audience.
Move followers to an email list: Use lead magnets and strong CTAs to convert your Instagram followers into email subscribers.
Write well: Whether it’s captions, hooks, or scripts, good writing is the foundation of successful content.
Stick to what works: Don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to dominate multiple platforms. Focus on one, do it well, and expand strategically.

As Instagram continues to evolve, staying flexible and keeping your audience’s needs at the forefront will help you succeed on the platform.

(Source: The Creator Science Podcast with Jay Clouse featuring Natalie Ellis)