Growth Strategies

Finding your niche

New bookstagrammers panic about defining their niche before they even know what they enjoy posting or what resonates with people.

Your first 3 months should be experimental. Post different content types, try various formats, test book photography vs memes vs educational content. See what actually gets engagement AND what you enjoy creating.

My story

I started posting only book reviews, then realized people engaged more with my bookstagram tips and relatable content. If I’d locked into “book reviewer” as my niche from day one, I wouldn’t have discovered my actual strength and love of teaching.

Want to know exactly how I track this data and make strategic decisions? It’s all in my Complete Bookstagram Toolkit

You do NOT Need a Library Full of Books or an Aesthetic House To Grow

While some bookstagrammers explode overnight with their massive libraries or dedicated reading rooms, you can absolutely grow with 10 physical books and a Kindle. That’s how I grew mine, with the help of Canva.

My situation

Create content that helps people discover their next read or teaches them something valuable. Your authenticity matters more than your bookshelf size and people do not follow anymore only for aesthetics, they need to get something in return.

Post with the algorithm in mind

If Bookstagram is purely a hobby, absolutely ignore the algorithm and post whatever brings you joy.

But if you want to grow and monetize, we need to work with the algorithm. That means participating in trends, using popular audio, understanding what formats get pushed (carousels, reels with strong hooks).

I used a viral format at the moment and paired it with a caption that hooked people

How I balance it:

I balance content I love making with strategic posts designed to reach new audiences. My educational posts perform differently than cozy vlogs, but both serve a purpose in my growth strategy.

The sweet spot:

Find the overlap between what you enjoy creating and what your target audience actually wants. That’s where sustainable growth happens.

The Trial Reel Secret Everyone’s Sleeping On

When trial reels first appeared, people reposted popular reels to reach new audiences. Instagram caught on and now similar content won’t get pushed.

What actually works now:

Use trial reels to test new hooks, introduce yourself to new audiences, or experiment with content outside your usual niche.

Three of my viral reels were trial reels where I tried something different. Example: “POV: you’re a Bookstagrammer and don’t know what to post” with my carousel images, inviting people to check out my page.

Utilize Threads and Pinterest

This one physically hurts me because I see SO many bookstagrammers ignoring these platforms.

Don’t post “please follow my page” or “looking for mutuals” because these attract people who unfollow quickly or never engage. (You know the ones)

What actually works:

• Post bookish memes (several of mine went viral)
• Share your carousel content but instead of sharing the link to the IG post, share the photos directly
• Engage in genuine book discussions
• Stay current with bookish gossip so you know what trends to avoid (on Threads I found out how hurtful AI truly is to our community)

Add your Instagram handle to your Threads bio so people can easily find and follow you.

For Pinterest:

Create vertical pins for book recommendations with SEO-friendly descriptions linking to your Instagram, you can also automatically link your Instagram to Pinterest and they are posted without you having to do anything.

The Bottom Line 💡

Growing on Bookstagram isn’t about having the perfect aesthetic or posting 7 times a week. It’s about understanding what your audience actually wants, balancing content types, and being strategic while staying authentic to yourself.

Check my youtube video for more: