Instagram marketers looking to grow reach and followers in 2025 should be thinking less about clever hacks and more about consistency. New data from Buffer, based on more than 2 million posts from over 100,000 accounts, confirms a simple truth: the more you post to the feed, the better your performance.

But before brands flood their content calendars, there’s important nuance to consider.

Frequency Fuels Follower Growth

The analysis clearly shows a strong positive correlation between posting frequency and follower growth. Accounts that publish between 3 and 5 times per week more than double their follower growth rate compared to those posting just 1 or 2 times.

At the higher end, accounts posting 6 to 9 times per week see up to 3.7 times the growth, while those posting 10 or more times can achieve as much as 5.5 times the increase. However, returns begin to diminish after 5 posts per week.

These figures relate specifically to feed posts, including photos, carousels and Reels. Stories were excluded from the analysis due to their limited role in audience growth.

Reach Improves with Every Extra Post

It’s not just growth that improves. Reach per post increases significantly with higher frequencies. The data shows that:

• Posting 3–5 times weekly lifts reach per post by around 12%

• 6–9 times per week boosts it by 18%

• 10+ posts weekly drives a 24% gain in reach per post

Put simply, the more often you post, the more chances your content has to appear across the home feed, Explore page and Reels tab. Each individual post performs better as volume increases.

Posting More Doesn’t Mean Cannibalisation

One natural concern is whether frequent posting might reduce the performance of individual posts or annoy followers. The Buffer analysis suggests otherwise.

Instagram’s algorithm no longer shows content in strict chronological order, meaning it is unlikely that all your posts will appear back to back in a user’s feed. This gives marketers more room to increase volume without fear of saturation.

Think of each additional post as a new opportunity to land on the Explore page or be surfaced to new audiences. Even incremental increases in frequency can create real compounding benefits over time.

The Cost of Inactivity

Equally important is what happens when you don’t post. Weeks with zero posts show below-average performance, with growth dipping by around 0.08 standard deviations from the norm.

This “no-post penalty” can quickly lead to account stagnation or even follower loss. The message is clear. Maintaining a minimum level of activity matters.

Quality Still Reigns Supreme

All of that said, frequency without quality is a fast track to audience fatigue. The biggest risk of posting more is the potential drop in content value.

If increasing volume means cutting corners creatively, you may harm long-term growth. Worse, it could drive disengagement or even unfollows.

Buffer’s recommendation is to only scale up frequency when you have the bandwidth to maintain quality. Content value remains the single most important factor for performance.

Finding Your Ideal Cadence

So, what’s the sweet spot?

Here are Buffer’s data-driven benchmarks based on the 2 million post analysis:

• 1–2 posts per week: Maintain presence with minimal effort

• 3–5 posts per week: Ideal for steady growth and reach

• 6–9 posts per week: Maximise follower growth, with caution

• 10+ posts per week: Aggressive growth, but risks burnout or drop in quality

The biggest lift in performance occurs when moving from 1–2 to 3–5 posts. The reach-per-post gain begins to shrink as frequency increases beyond that point. If you’re looking to optimise effort versus impact, 3–5 high-quality posts each week hits the right balance.

Posting Consistently Is What Counts

The real secret isn’t just more posts, but consistent posting. Accounts that follow a steady cadence see better outcomes than those posting sporadically. Whether you’re managing an emerging brand or a content-heavy channel, setting and sticking to a realistic schedule is key.

Even moving from one to three posts a week can deliver measurable gains without overwhelming your team or diluting quality.

Final Takeaways for 2025

• Post more often: Higher frequency equals more growth and reach

• Quality matters: Don’t sacrifice value for volume

• Avoid inactivity: Even one post a week helps prevent stagnation

• Aim for consistency: Sustainable schedules outperform bursts of activity

• 3–5 posts per week: The ideal range for most brands

Instagram growth in 2025 isn’t about gaming the algorithm. It’s about committing to a consistent, high-quality publishing schedule that gives your content the best chance of discovery. Whether you’re aiming for audience expansion, engagement growth or brand visibility, the data is clear. Consistency wins.