Summary
Highlights
Rosie introduces herself as Budlea, an artist who grew her Instagram account from 750 to 26,000 followers in a year, with 20,000 gained in six months. She clarifies that she is an artist, not a guru selling courses, and aims to share free, actionable advice. She recounts her 10-year journey on Instagram, where her account remained stagnant until she lost her job and decided to dedicate herself to art.
Rosie honestly admits that her art wasn't very good initially and lacked a strong identity. She emphasizes the importance of consistent practice and allowing art to be 'bad' sometimes to improve. She explains her process of studying artists she admired to identify common themes and feelings, leading her to discover her unique style centered around nostalgia and melancholy during childhood.
Initially fearful of posting again due to past low engagement, Rosie decided to build a significant backlog of artwork. She advises other artists to take time off from posting to create a portfolio they are proud of, fostering creativity without the pressure of immediate algorithmic performance.
Rosie highlights 'trial reels' as a crucial tool for her growth, allowing her content to be shown to non-followers. She explains how to create low-effort, high-payoff reels by emulating viral trends, especially those with quick reveals, to hook viewers and increase visibility. She warns against sharing trial reels with followers, as it can negatively impact engagement.
Rosie shares specific strategies that genuinely boost algorithm performance: adding music to posts (especially photo posts), using multiple slides to create carousels (which can appear in the Reels tab), and asking questions in captions to encourage engagement. She also stresses the importance of a cohesive page aesthetic that clearly showcases an artist's style and maintaining good photo quality.
Comics proved to be highly engaging for Rosie, often going viral. However, she notes they attract a different audience interested in free content, not necessarily buyers. She also discusses her 30-day sketchbook challenge, which, while not generating many followers initially, helped build community and investment in her journey, especially with the addition of voice-overs.
Rosie attributes significant growth to her DTIYS challenge, launched after reaching 1.5k followers. She recommends setting clear deadlines and offering a prize, as it galvanized her newly invested community and helped her reach 10k followers.
Rosie debunks several myths: old accounts can't grow (her 10-year-old account disproves this), the necessity of 'mutual for mutual' culture (she finds it invasive and unsustainable), and the importance of posting at specific times (the day matters more than the hour). She strongly advises against Instagram ads, finding them ineffective for global reach.
Rosie concludes by cautioning that follower count doesn't always equal financial success. She emphasizes the difference between wanting followers and wanting customers, regretting not focusing more on her shop earlier. She highlights the immense time and energy required for engagement and content creation, warning others to carefully consider their goals and strategies for sustainable growth and a healthy work-life balance.