In 2018, which seems like forever ago, serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk or “Gary Vee” finally revealed his secret to growing his followers on social media using his decade-long experience in user psychology and reverse engineering.
His trick? Be social.
That’s it. By engaging with the community online. He called it the $1.80 strategy, which best applies to Instagram.
Gary Vee believes that even if you have hundreds of thousands of IG followers, it’s worth nothing if they don’t engage with you. Having users become part of real conversations is the key to growing your brand online and part of that is leaving valuable comments.
But it’s not just about writing any comment, that’s why I emphasized “real” above. You need to answer questions, admire awesome content, tag relevant users and friends who can benefit from the post, etc. The key is to leave an authentic response. Authentic. Yes, that’s what every comment should be.
Authenticity is paramount when it comes to interacting with your audience on social media. People aren't going to engage with your content if they can tell you're being disingenuous or insincere—regardless of how great the content is. That's why it's so important to make sure you are being authentic in all of your interactions and take the time to leave meaningful comments that provide value to your followers.
In addition, you should also make sure you are engaging with other users who can help grow your account. the word about your brand. This will not only increase your visibility but also help foster relationships with those in the community, leading to increased trust and loyalty from your followers.
It consists only three steps:
Search for the 10 best hashtags to follow that relate to your brand or business niche. Identify the top 9 posts for each hashtag.
Researching the best hashtags for your niche is essential for utilizing the $1.80 strategy and growing your brand or business on Instagram. The most effective way to do this is by using specific hashtag search tools, such as HashtagsForLikes, Flick and Tagify. These tools allow you to search through millions of hashtags to find the most popular and relevant ones for your niche. Once you've identified the best hashtags, you'll be able to easily find the top 9 posts for each hashtag.
Leave your opinion or “2 cents” (one that contains value to readers) on the post. Spend no more than 2 minutes for every 2 cents you leave.
Authentic comments on social media posts can help get your brand or business noticed by organic followers. Genuine comments are more likely to be read and remembered than generic comments that don’t add any value. When writing an authentic comment, make sure to provide a thoughtful response that is relevant to the post and adds something of value. Keep the comment short but meaningful, and try to keep it under once sentence.
Repeat the process until you complete all posts per hashtag.
That’s it you've left your 2 cents on 90 posts... which means you’ve left a full $1.80 worth of your thoughts in a specific IG category or niche.
Consistency is key to having a successful social media presence. Consistent engagement with followers on Instagram and other platforms can create more emotional connections and build trust between the brand and its followers. When users see that a brand takes the time to respond to their comments, they will be more likely to engage with future content. Furthermore, consistent engagement can help increase brand awareness and visibility, leading to more followers.
It's important to also remain consistent with the type of comments you are leaving as well. Make sure to stay on topic and ensure that each comment adds value to the conversation in some way. This will show users that your business is being genuine and authentic, which will lead to increased loyalty from followers. Lastly, consistency is also important when it comes to timing of your comments. Try to respond promptly so that users feel appreciated for their thoughts and contributions.
That’s because you’re providing real interaction to people who are relevant to your business or brand. In conversations, there’s really no substitute for active listening or in this case, active interaction. It sends a message that you’re genuine, interested in learning and engaging with the community.
The power of the $1.80 Strategy lies in its simplicity. You don't need to spend hours on social media trying to gain followers. It's an effective way to grow your brand or business by simply leaving thoughtful comments on relevant posts in your industry, which can have a ripple effect and bring in more followers. With consistent engagement through this strategy, you'll be able to build strong relationships with your followers and increase trust in your brand or business. So, start leaving your 2 cents today and watch as the $1.80 Strategy starts working for you!
The $1.80 Strategy isn’t the only social media strategy that you’ll be doing to optimize your marketing efforts. Unless you’re a full-time social media marketer that can dedicate a few hours, you need to devote a part of your schedule doing this method every single day. Every. Single. Day.
Thankfully, there’s a cool software tool I’ve discovered to easily get your comments posted. Heck, you don’t even need to open your Instagram account to do this. All you need to do is set up a few parameters through the software and it’ll take care of the rest. To make things easier, you can even post multiple comments at once! Now if that isn’t cool, what is?
The Dollar.Eighty platform takes inspiration from the $1.80 Strategy by Gary Vee using cool features that let you make 90 positive and meaningful IG comments easily.
It’s designed for anyone on IG that wants to use the power of engagement to grow followers organically.
This means you get to post daily comments based on hashtag targeting. And not only that, to fully optimize your engagements, the platform offers cool features such as:
*Can be unlocked with a Premium Dollar.Eighty Account
“I’ve never used an IG support software as good as this. The more I’ve gotten used to it, the more I’ve become motivated at getting 90 comments posted every day.”
Imagine having me do all things the old way just to get results from the $1.80 Strategy. It can be overwhelming and such a time-waster.
But the Dollar.Eighty software takes off the pressure and makes connecting with my community a lot easier.
There’s no stopping you from doing $1.80 Strategy the traditional way. In fact, beginners are encouraged to do so. But once you get the results, it’s hard not to sustain your efforts daily. That means you need a tool designed to make your work faster and easier… and the Dollar.Eighty software does just that.
If you currently have less than 100 followers, Dollar.Eighty suggests you post 30 comments a day. As you grow it to 250 followers, you can increase your daily commenting to 60 posts. Beyond 250 followers, it’s recommended to write 90 comments every day.
If it’s still a brand new account and you decide to send out 90 comments every day, you’ll be likely flagged as a fake account. It’s important to also post relevant content from time to time along with commenting on others’ posts. But yes, even with new accounts, this tool is highly recommended.
You’re right. Instagram limits users on the number of posts they can make up to only 30 posts per hour (although some accounts are allowed more than this number). This is to prevent bots from taking over the platform in favor of real users.
Dollar.Eighty solves this problem by queuing your comments. Write the comment now and it’ll be posted in the following hour per IG rules. You can check your comments that will be posted under the Comments Queued section of the History page.
I adore the Location and Profile targeting features of this platform. I can find more variation for what I want to engage with.
Yes, I am. And let me be candid about this: I’m very picky with the products that I endorse. That’s because I’d like my personal brand to be honest and reliable. If you want to know more about how much I love using this tool, the folks at Dollar.Eighty featured me on this blog post on their official website.
Not at all. Even those just beginning to explore IG can use this. It’s not rocket science.
Yes, it does. This is to let you try the features of the software. However, just like any other free promos, you get limited features unlike the Premium Account.
If you want to test the waters, go ahead and set up a Free Account. But I’m warning you: the first day I tried Dollar.Eighty, I immediately subscribed to the Monthly Plan for only $15 per month so I can unlock the other features right away. It’s a wise investment so far. To know more, check out this link.
You can unsubscribe to your Premium Account anytime if you’re on the Monthly Plan. (But honestly, I’ve yet to hear someone unsubscribe to their account, which is further proof of how useful this tool is to any business.)
Disclosure: I may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy. This site is not intending to provide financial advice. This is for entertainment only.