Organic Growth Hacks

Referring to innovative, resourceful, and often unconventional growth strategies used by individuals, brands, and businesses, Elizabth B. Evans defines what has become known as a ‘growth hack’ in the digital marketing space. As you might deduce from the name, these strategies are supposed to help you “hack” your way to new audience growth and engagement without depending on traditional (read: expensive) marketing tactics. Instead of (or in addition to) paying for ads, these growth hacks rely on leveraging the inherent affordances of social media platforms—their “natural algorithms”—to help your content gain more reach. My goal is to flesh out what growth hacks look like (and don't look like) on social media, with a focus on Instagram and TikTok. While the growth hacks discussed here are not bad or wrong in any way, be warned: some of the practices that constitute Instagram growth hacks have been deemed unethical by some, and for good reason.