115: How to Create Instagram Content That Gets Seen, Shared & Reposted (Part 2)
Last week we talked about how to grow your account without posting more — strategic commenting, leveraging your warm audience, and repurposing your content. Today we're going deeper into the content itself. If your posts are consistent but not getting shared, reposted, or reaching new people, this episode is going to be a game changer. I'm sharing three strategies including a newer Instagram feature you should absolutely be using and a simple tool that turns the content you're already creating into more followers.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
02:30: Strategy 4: POV-driven content — why having a clear point of view is the #1 thing separating brands that grow from brands that get ignored in 2026
04:26: A real-world example of POV content that got 77,000 views for an independent record store
08:37: How to use Trial Reels as a safe space to test bold opinions before posting to your main grid
09:08: Strategy 5: Creating shareable and repostable content — why reposts are one of the fastest growth tools on Instagram right now
11:00: How to create content for a cold audience (not just the people who already know you)
13:46: Strategy 6: DM automation — how it drives engagement, reach, and growth all at once
15:37: How comments triggered by DM automation increase your content distribution
Key Takeaways:
- POV-driven content is the new competitive advantage. As AI floods the market with generic tips and information, the brands that grow are the ones with a clear, distinctive point of view. Take a stand, challenge a norm, share a hot take.
- Safe content doesn't stop the scroll. If you're just posting tips and education without saying anything new or bold, your content won't spread — no matter how consistent you are.
- Reposts are a growth accelerator. Instagram's repost feature means your content can now travel far beyond your own followers. When someone reposts your content, it shows up in front of their entire audience — and all credit, views, and engagement come back to you.
- Create content for a cold audience. If your hooks assume the viewer already knows who you are, you're leaving growth on the table. Ask yourself: would someone who has never heard of me share this?
- DM automation is a visibility tool, not just a sales tool. When followers comment your keyword, it spikes comment counts on your post — which signals to Instagram to distribute your content to more people.
- Use Trial Reels to test bold content. If a hotter take feels scary, test it on Trial Reels first. They're shown to non-followers, so it's a low-risk way to experiment before committing to your main grid.
Links Mentioned:
- Free DM Automation Guide + 1 Month of ManyChat Free:DM me the word LEADS on Instagram @elizabethmarberry
- Hot Reels (my 12-month Instagram content lab)
- Monster Music SC on Instagram: — great real-world POV content example!
A Truth You Need to Hear:
"Safe content doesn't spread. You've got to take a stand." — Elizabeth Marberry
FAQs
What is POV-driven content on Instagram?
POV-driven content means sharing a clear, distinctive point of view — a bold opinion, a hot take, a myth you're busting, or a stand you're taking in your industry. It's content that makes someone stop and think "I've never heard it said like that" or "thank you for saying what I was thinking." In 2026, this type of content is what separates brands that grow from those that get ignored.
What is the Instagram repost feature?
Instagram's repost feature (the recycling arrow icon on reels) allows users to share your content directly to their own feed and followers — similar to a retweet on X. When someone reposts your content, it expands your reach to their entire audience, while all views, engagement, and credit still come back to your original post.
How do I create content that gets shared or reposted?
Focus on content that is highly specific, emotionally resonant, or says something people have been thinking but haven't heard said out loud. Ask yourself before you post: would someone DM this to a friend? Would someone repost this to their story? If the answer is yes, you're on the right track.
What is DM automation and how does it help with Instagram growth?
DM automation (via tools like ManyChat) lets you set up automatic responses when someone comments a keyword on your post. This spikes your comment count, which signals to Instagram that your content is performing well — triggering wider distribution to non-followers. It's both a lead generation tool and a visibility amplifier.
What are Trial Reels and how can I use them?
Trial Reels are shown to non-followers only, making them a perfect testing ground for bolder or edgier content before committing it to your main grid. If you want to experiment with a stronger point of view but feel nervous, post it as a Trial Reel first to see how it performs with a cold audience.
How is the 2026 Instagram algorithm different?
According to HubSpot's 2026 State of Marketing Report, as AI floods the market with content, brands without a clear point of view are getting lost. Instagram's algorithm now heavily rewards content that generates comments, saves, shares, and reposts — meaning engagement quality matters more than ever.
S3 Ep115 Transcript - How to Create Instagram Content That Gets Seen, Shared & Reposted (Part 2)
00:00
This is part two of a three-part mini series on underrated Instagram growth strategies. And today we're focusing on your content. What's actually working in 2026, how to stand out, a newer Instagram feature you should be using, and a simple tool to turn your content you're already posting into more followers. I hope you're excited. Let's go.
00:25
Welcome to Strut It, a podcast about creating bold visibility on social media with zero apologies. I'm Elizabeth Marberry, your host and Instagram marketing coach. I help small business owners get seen on Instagram and monetize their offers so they can make more money doing their sole lead work. If you're tired of spinning your wheels on Instagram and you're seeking simple, proven Instagram marketing strategies that actually work, you're in the right place.
00:54
Let's dive in.
01:04
Welcome back to the show. Thank you for taking this time to invest in yourself and your business. I'm so happy you're here and you have landed on part two of our three part mini series on underrated Instagram growth strategies that are working in 2026. So last week we talked about how to grow your account without posting more. It was pretty epic. We discussed things like strategic commenting.
01:32
leveraging your warm audience and repurposing your content. So if you missed that, definitely go back and check it out. But today we are talking about the content that you are posting. And if it is underperforming, if it's not getting the engagement you want or reaching your target audience, you are gonna love today's episode. Because the truth is you can be consistent, you can post every day, you can show up, you can do all the right things. But if your content isn't getting shared,
02:01
and seen by your ideal people, your growth is gonna feel stalled out. So today I'm teaching you three strategies to help you grow your Instagram through the content that you're already creating. And then just a little teaser for next week, I'm sharing a couple strategies that work off of Instagram and off of the app. So make sure you have followed and subscribed to the show so you don't miss when part three drops. Okay, the first strategy that
02:30
is working really well right now in 2026 is POV driven content. So having a really clear point of view. And in prepping for this episode, I was reading HubSpot's 2026 State of Marketing Report and they say, as AI floods the market with content, brands without a clear point of view are getting lost, okay? And that is why
02:57
this is a huge shift that we are seeing on Instagram in 2026 is that you've got to take a stand in your content. One of the biggest problems I see in working with business owners when they have me do Instagram audits for them is they're really trying to play it safe, right? You're posting tips, you think you're posting value, you're educating, but you're not saying anything new. You're not saying anything that makes someone stop and think, wait,
03:27
wow, I've never heard it like this before, or thank you so much for saying the thing that I was thinking, but I was too afraid to say out loud. And in today's landscape, safe content just doesn't spread. It doesn't work. It doesn't resonate. It doesn't stand out. It does not stop the scroll. And I'm not saying that you have to create any sort of clickbait hooks or anything that is not authentic or real. Don't get me wrong, that's not what I'm saying. But you do need to...
03:56
really think about your brand, your mission, your values. What are you seeing in your industry? Are there any myths that are still being spread or are there ways that are being taught that don't work for you and you have a different way of approaching it, right? There's lots of different ways to do this, but essentially the content that is shareable is content that has a really clear point of view. So it calls something out or it challenges a norm or it shares a really bold opinion or a hot take.
04:26
This doesn't mean being controversial just to be controversial, okay? It really just means choosing your lane and be willing to stand for something. I'll give you an example. One of my private client graduates, his name is Galen, and he owns Monster Music, which is a vinyl record store in Charleston, South Carolina. Their handle is Monster Music SC. Go check them out. So he created some content this week. I was so proud of him. I reached out to him in the DMs, of course.
04:56
And essentially in his industry, there is a day called a record store day. And apparently there's some controversy over having record store day. So some people love RSD because it brings people into local shops and supports local businesses and independent record stores. But others think it's become too commercial or unfair to smaller stores or hard for real fans to get the records they want.
05:25
whole issue is very complex, but it was really cool as an independent record store owner. He starts the video by saying this. Hey, if you're a record store and you are vociferously anti record store day, I want to ask you a question.
05:55
bad thing. Does this look like this is a bad thing? We are one store. We are not some corporate giant or something. This is what Rent-a-Store Day is about. And it's awesome.
06:12
So it was really cool because he is showcasing in the store all these happy customers shopping and supporting his local business. And that video popped off, got over 77,000 views and of course invited a conversation, right? Cause some people were chiming in and saying, we love supporting independent record stores. We love what you're doing. And then of course other people commented their opposing opinion. But this is an example of
06:41
being in your lane, right? And really owning your point of view. They took it a step further, which I thought was so brilliant. They showed a video of people waiting in line to come into their shop. And they asked people, why are independent record stores important to you? Why do you like Record Store Day? And all of these people shared their thoughts. And so what a beautiful way to bring attention to an issue. And also what it does is it riles up the community to
07:10
either a line or not a line with this local business, right? But Galen has built such a beautiful community for his record store that it really just like fired people up. And then when people feel that energy and that emotion connected to your brand, they're going to be more loyal shoppers, right? They're going to root for you. They're going to fight for you, right? So this is just one example of POV content that can do really well for your business.
07:39
Another simple example is I did a reel a few months ago where my hook at the beginning of the video said, stop posting your trial reels to your feed. I have since changed that coaching because the trial reels continue to change in terms of the strategy. But what I do want to share highlight about that hook is that it's a very bold statement, right? It's saying the opposite of what we have been taught. So that's kind of what you can think about is like,
08:09
sharing your bold statement or your hot take and it's going to spark conversation. It's going to make people think it's going to make people comment and it's going to make people share and engage and that's exactly what the algorithm is looking for. And I have a little bonus tip in here. If you're hearing all this and you're thinking, OK, I want to do this, but I'm scared. Like what if people judge me? What if my clients see it? What if my sister sees it? What if I do it wrong? I get it. Here's a little workaround for you. Trial reels. So.
08:37
Use your trial reels to test out this POV content if it kind of sends you into your spook zone. Trial reels are shown to non-followers. So if you want to experiment with a stronger opinion or a hotter take or something that feels really edgy for you, but you're not ready to share it to your main grid, you can totally use trial reels as a safe place to test it out. All right, the next one, and this is a big one, is if your content is not being shared,
09:08
or reposted, your growth is limited, right? Full stop. Because one of the fastest ways to get in front of new people right now is when someone else shares your content. Most people think of sharing as sending a reel in the DMs to a friend, right, or colleague, or sharing a post to their Instagram story. And yes, those are still huge. Those absolutely can help increase your reach. But a few months ago, Instagram rolled out
09:38
the repost feature. So it kind of looks like a little like recycling icon. I'm sure you've seen it on your main grid because we now have like a repost option on our grid that shows, you know, all the reels that you've reposted. And then when you're scrolling reels, you'll see, you know, the hearts, the comments, and then right underneath that icon is it looks like two arrows going around in a circle. That's what I'm talking about. The repost option.
10:05
So I was really excited a few months ago when Instagram rolled this out because now when someone really resonates with your content, they have the ability to not just share it privately, but they can repost it. And when they do that, it shares it to their audience, their followers. So that means that your content is now showing up in front of a bigger audience and it's gonna show up in their feed on that repost tab on their profile.
10:32
Instagram has actually said that reposts help your content reach more people, which of course that makes sense. And a cool part about reposts is it still gives all the credit and views and engagement back to the original creator of the post. So this is a huge opportunity because now your content can travel further and faster without you doing anything extra, right? So when someone reposts your content,
11:00
It's now eligible to show up in their feeds or their followers. And even if those people don't follow you yet, so it's a huge growth opportunity. That's how you can grow your audience. Now, here's where most people miss the marks. They're creating content for themselves or only for their hottest prospects. Meaning like, you're already assuming that I know who you are when you create the content and you're writing your hooks. You're assuming I know who you are, who you help, how you can help me.
11:30
your product, your service, your solution, all of that, right? Instead of, you need to create your content and look at it from a lens of a cold audience. Is it going to resonate with someone who doesn't know you or your brand? And so I want you to ask yourself when you are done, you know, creating a piece of content, would someone share this? Would someone feel inclined to repost this? Why, right?
11:57
Would someone send this to a friend or colleague in the DMs and say, oh my gosh, this is so you, or we were just talking about this today, or I wanna go check out this Airbnb, look at how cool it is, right? Because that is the type of content that spreads. And typically the content that is most shareable and most repost worthy is very specific, right? So we've talked about this a lot on the podcast.
12:22
The generic hooks are out. You've got to be really specific in calling out clear identifiers of who you're talking to and really painting a picture with your hooks. Emotionally charged content that people can really feel seen by or moved by. The highly relatable, really funny, make me laugh, like how did you crawl inside my brain kind of content. Or it just says something people have been thinking about but haven't said out loud. So I saw a video the other day that I watched from start to finish. It was a pretty
12:52
decently long talking head video and she started the video by saying I'm 55 and yes, I look 55. Can we please stop telling women that they look younger than their age? That's a hot take. That's a perspective. And this video really spoke to me because I'm all about fighting ageism and fighting this idea that women expire at a certain age or that women need to chase these ideal beauty standards that are just unrealistic and on and on. Right? So I was clearly the target market for this.
13:21
video, but the video went massively viral and it's because she's saying the thing that so many women have felt, but she's saying it out loud, right? And I resonated so much with it that I reposted it because part of my brand mission is empowering other people to be more authentically themselves on Instagram, no matter your age, right?
13:46
So yes, I want you to think about how you can create more of that shareable, re-postable content. The final strategy I want to close with for today is, and this one is a little bit more behind the scenes, but super powerful when you understand how it works. And I've done a lot of different episodes on this tool. So if you want a deeper dive, definitely go back and binge the podcast. But that is DM automation, direct message automation. Now this is not about automation for the sake of automation.
14:16
This is about driving engagement, which then drives reach. So we know from meta that content that gets comments, saves, shares, interactions, gets pushed out and distributed to more people, right? So when you create content and you invite someone to comment your keyword, if you're using DM automation. So for example, in my content, I have a freebie, which is my Instagram visibility jumpstart kit.
14:44
It is a lead magnet. So it's a free guide. And when someone comments the keyword kit, K-I-T, on any of my posts, which you can go and test this now, they'll get a DM automation with the link to my free guide. And in exchange for me giving them the super high value guide, which solves a lot of their pain points in this guide, they give me their name, their email, and their phone number, right?
15:09
And so it's just an exchange and it's a way for me to grow my email list and my community where I can continue to nurture the connection with those people off of Instagram and of course drive more sales for my business. So when I'm creating this content and someone comments my keyword, I have a response set up where right when they comment that word, I have a couple different automated responses like you got it, check your DMs, I'll send you the link, right?
15:37
So right there, I'm increasing the number of comments on that post. So more comments gets you more distribution and more non-followers seeing your content. And that is where the growth really happens. So while DM automation is absolutely a great conversion tool and I use it for leads and sales, it's also a visibility tool when you use it intentionally and it really creates that loop of more engagement, more reach, more new people are seeing your stuff more.
16:07
growth. If you are new to DM automation or you have not signed up for MiniChat, which is my favorite platform to use, it's meta business approved. It's so simple. You don't have to have any tech experience. You can set up your first DM automation in less than 30 minutes. I want you to make sure you're following me on Instagram at Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y and DM me the keyword.
16:31
Leads, L-E-A-D-S, and I will send you over just a free DM automation guide, and inside this guide, I give you one month of ManyChat Pro for free. This is not a public offer. It's just available with that link. So make sure you DM me the keyword Leads, L-E-A-D-S, and I will send over that resource and that free month for you to try it. If you do decide that you continue to use it, it's only $15 a month. So it's kind of a no-brainer investment if you're serious about.
17:00
growing your visibility and driving leads and sales on Instagram. All right, so your next step from this episode is I want you to create one piece of content this week that is designed to get shared or spark conversation. So before you post it, I want you to ask yourself, would someone send this to a friend? Would someone repost this? If the answer is yes, you're on the right track and I am rooting for you to really
17:29
take up some space on the gram this week, share your hot take, your bold opinion, and I can't wait to see what comes out of it for you. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Next week in part three, we're talking about one of the fastest ways to grow your Instagram right now, and you're gonna love it because it has nothing to do with posting more content. So be sure you have subscribed and followed the show so you don't miss it. And if this episode landed for you, please take a screenshot.
17:55
Share it to your stories, tag me at Elizabeth Marberry. I love hearing from you, my beloved listener. And I can't wait to strut it with you next week. Thank you for listening to Strut It. If you're ready to start leveraging Instagram to grow your business, then you're gonna wanna grab my free Monetize Your IG Guide, where you'll learn seven simple and proven ways to finally make money on Instagram.
18:22
You can grab your guide at elizabethmarberry.com slash freebies. That's elizabethmarberry.com slash freebies to get my monetize your IG guide. If you got some incredible value from today's episode, be sure to leave a review and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. And I cannot wait to start it with you again next week.
