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You use Instagram to scroll.
You open the app, kill time, like a few posts, and close it without anything changing in their life.
But there’s another way to use Instagram one that actually pays.
Not by getting lucky.
Not by waiting for brand deals.
And not by having millions of followers.
Instagram becomes a business when you understand one thing:
Attention + trust + an offer = income.
That’s it.
And once you see it this way, the platform makes a lot more sense.
Instagram Is More Than Entertainment
Instagram is not just a social app.
It’s a distribution machine.
Every day, millions of people open it looking for:
answers
ideas
shortcuts
inspiration
If your content consistently gives them something useful, attention follows.
And attention is the starting point of every online business.
You don’t need a huge audience to begin.
You need a system, one that attracts the right people and guides them somewhere meaningful.
Step 1: Growth (Getting Seen)
If no one sees your content, nothing else matters.
Right now, the fastest growth tool on Instagram is Reels.
Why?
Because Instagram pushes short-form video to people who don’t follow you yet.
Even a brand-new account can get thousands of views with the right Reel.
Once people discover you, other formats do the heavy lifting:
Posts & carousels show depth and ideas
Stories build connection and familiarity
Think of it like this:
Reels bring people in
Posts prove your value
Stories make you feel human
That’s how attention is built.
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Step 2: Trust (Making People Stay)
Attention alone doesn’t last.
Trust is what keeps people around.
There are two main ways creators build it:
1. Personality-led
Showing your face, voice, and daily life.
2. Value-led
Staying faceless and letting ideas, insights, and consistency speak.
Both work.
What matters is not the format, it’s the pattern.
Trust grows when:
your content actually helps
your ideas are clear
you show up consistently
One viral post doesn’t build trust.
Repeated value does.
Step 3: Offers (Turning Trust Into Income)
This is where most people get stuck.
They grow.
They post.
But they never connect their content to something people can buy.
Instagram becomes a business when trust points to an offer.
That offer can be simple:
a guide or template
a service
coaching or consulting
an affiliate product
a newsletter or program
You don’t need a massive audience.
A small group of people who trust you is far more powerful than a large group that doesn’t care.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Most beginners waste months because they focus on the wrong things:
Chasing followers with no plan
Copying trends instead of solving problems
Waiting for brand deals to save them
Thinking they need thousands of followers to earn
These mistakes come from treating Instagram like a popularity contest instead of a business tool.
Once you shift that mindset, everything becomes clearer.
Today’s Move (15 Minutes)
If you already have a page:
Look at your last 5 posts
Ask: Do these solve a real problem?
Add a clear next step (email list, guide, service)
If you haven’t started yet:
Pick one problem you want to help with
Write down 3 content ideas around it
Purpose beats posting more.
Final Thought
Instagram rewards creators who understand leverage.
Grow attention.
Build trust.
Connect it to something valuable.
That’s the entire business model.
It’s the same system I used to grow @Relentlece and turn content into a real income stream, without brand deals and without needing a massive following.
If you want, I can break this model down even further in future issues.
Talk again soon,
Dyl,
Founder of Relentlece.