There's one thing I've heard one thing loud and freaking clear, over and over. There's something that you HATE on Instagram: the Follow Unfollow strategy. Have you heard of it? It's the sleaziest, ickiest, grossest feeling growth strategy out there, but people use it. Let's be honest, though, whatever the platform is, there's always going to be people doing things a little bit then everybody agrees with. To tell you the truth, it's not just happening right now. It's been happening for years. Here's what you can do about it.

One great way to get people to watch (and rewatch) your Instagram stories is to use create intrigue. If a viewer taps your story and sees a feature they’ve never seen before, a little lightbulb goes off in their head telling them to keep coming back for more. It also designates you as a savvy Instagram user who stays ahead of trends and makes you stand out amongst the sea of stories so people come back again and again. I remember the first time I saw animated text on a video in an Instagram story – I watched it several times then spent probably an hour scouring my app, trying to find this cool feature. Today, I’m going to break down, step-by-step, how to add animated text to your photos and videos on Instagram.

Ever found yourself in phone-out zone-out mode? Mindlessly scrolling through your camera roll looking for something great post on Instagram? Or, even worse, scrolling through Instagram to try to find some inspiration for what post on Instagram? It feels like a dog chasing its own tail, once you start there’s really no end in sight. Luckily, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there – content creation overwhelm is no joke. It can start to feel like a monkey on your back, it’ll wear you down and exhaust you pretty quickly. Here are some no-fail ideas that will pick you back up when you’re feeling uninspired.