Instagram Growth Blueprint: How Local Newsletters Can Dominate Social

If you're running a local newsletter and treating Instagram as an afterthought, you're leaving serious money and growth opportunities on the table.

When Jas Singh started the Winnipeg Digest just over a year ago, he didn't just focus on email subscribers - he went all-in on Instagram too. Today, with nearly 25,000 email subscribers and another 50,000 Instagram followers, he's cracked the code on making social media work for local media.

"I look at Instagram as a funnel in," Jas explains. While not every Instagram follower will subscribe to your newsletter, the platform delivers multiple benefits that directly impact your bottom line:

First, it expands what you can offer to sponsors. If a business has a $40,000 marketing budget but your newsletter packages max out at $20,000, Instagram content gives you a way to capture that additional budget. Jas leverages this by offering video packages as add-ons to newsletter sponsorships.

Second, consistent Instagram content builds brand trust that improves ad conversion rates. "When people see your ads, they actually are a lot more likely to convert," says Jas. This happens because they've already received value from your content, making the decision to subscribe almost automatic.

Finally, being among the most-followed accounts in your city grants you tremendous local influence. "I can realistically reach out to any account or any business locally at this point and get a reply," Jas notes.

The key insight here is that your Instagram strategy should evolve as you grow. What worked to get your first 10,000 followers isn't what you'll do at 50,000.

In the beginning phase, focus exclusively on Reels. "Don't go to our Instagram and start copying what we're doing today, but go and scroll back to the first post and see what we did back then," Jas advises.

Why Reels? Because they reach people who don't follow you yet. Instagram's algorithm pushes local Reels to local users, making them perfect for building an audience from scratch.

Early Reels don't all need to be restaurant walk-throughs or coffee shop visits. Jas recommends mixing in green-screen videos where you talk about upcoming events or breaking local news. This variety keeps content production manageable while still leveraging the Reels algorithm.

Once you've built a substantial following (15,000+), you can gradually shift to including more carousel posts about community initiatives, road closures, and local updates. These take just 30 minutes to create versus the 2+ hours for a quality Reel.

Let's be honest about what you're signing up for. Jas estimates he spends about 10 hours weekly on Instagram content. In the beginning, it was even more intensive - about 2 hours daily on scripting, recording, editing, and research.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. Beyond the direct benefits mentioned earlier, Jas points out that Instagram adds significant value if you ever decide to sell your media company: "A large portion of that offer will be because of the Instagram as well."

What's fascinating is how these channels reinforce each other. Your newsletter promotes your Instagram, while your Instagram drives newsletter subscriptions. Each piece strengthens your overall brand presence.

TJ Larkin frames this perfectly: "Thinking more local media company and less local newsletter." That mindset shift from "just a newsletter" to a full-fledged media brand is what separates the players from the pros.

If creating daily content seems daunting, start smaller. "You can post once or twice a week and you'll be fine as well," Jas suggests.

For those short on time or video skills, consider creative partnerships. Jas recommends trading newsletter promotion for content creation: "If they already have a photography business and they're good with video, you could be like, 'Hey, I'll promote your photography page in the newsletter in exchange for making videos.'"

Once you hit 5,000-10,000 followers, things get easier. You'll start receiving inbound requests from people who want to create content for you just to be associated with your brand.

The window of opportunity for building local media brands is wide open, but it won't stay that way forever. Those who establish themselves now on multiple channels will have an insurmountable advantage as the landscape evolves.

The question isn't whether you can afford to invest in Instagram – it's whether you can afford not to.

Before we dive into this week's insights, I want to make sure you know about all the resources available to support your local newsletter journey:

🎙️ The Podcast - Deep-dive conversations with successful newsletter operators sharing their playbooks and lessons learned | Link

📧 This Weekly Newsletter - Quick, actionable tips delivered straight to your inbox every week | Link

🧠 1:1 Consulting - Personalized guidance tailored to your specific newsletter challenges Link

🚀 Launch Accelerator - A structured program to help you go from idea to profitable newsletter in record time | Link

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