Growing Your Instagram Following: Essential Tips from the Instagram for Business Team

Instagram for Business recently shared tips on growing your following, including posting Reels frequently, using carousels to drive engagement, and maximizing audience interaction based on your content. The tips are valuable, especially with the holiday season approaching.

In a strategic move to enhance its digital presence, H&R Block has appointed VaynerMedia as its social media agency of record. This partnership, announced by Adweek [1], marks a significant shift for the tax-preparation giant as it seeks to modernize its marketing strategies amid evolving consumer behaviors and increasing competition from fintech upstarts like TurboTax [2].

VaynerMedia, founded by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, brings a blend of creative storytelling and data-driven media buying to the table. The agency will handle full-funnel social media strategy, content creation, and paid media across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. This approach aims to humanize tax filing for a demographic increasingly turning to online influencers for advice.

The appointment comes as H&R Block faces intensifying competition from fintech upstarts. According to recent earnings data from H&R Block’s fiscal 2025 report via GlobeNewswire, the company reported 4% revenue growth but highlighted the need for innovative client acquisition strategies to sustain momentum into 2026 [3].

VaynerMedia’s selection follows a competitive review, edging out incumbents and signaling H&R Block’s bet on agility over entrenched relationships. The agency’s recent wins, including social and influencer mandates for JCPenney [4], demonstrate its prowess in transforming retail narratives through viral content and influencer partnerships.

For H&R Block, this means moving beyond static ads to dynamic, user-generated campaigns that address pain points like audit fears or refund excitement. Industry analysts suggest this could involve micro-influencer collaborations, tapping into niches like gig workers or first-time filers, building on VaynerMedia’s consulting services highlighted in Campaign US’s 2024 agency performance review [5].

The deal aligns with broader trends in advertising, where integrated agencies like VaynerMedia are reuniting creative and media functions—a strength noted in Adweek’s 2022 profile dubbing it the “Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year” [6]. However, challenges loom: H&R Block’s past social shifts, such as its 2017 expansion with Fallon for media planning via PR Newswire, show the volatility of agency relationships in a sector sensitive to regulatory changes [7].

Looking ahead, VaynerMedia’s global footprint could help H&R Block expand internationally. Recent posts on X reflect industry buzz, with marketing professionals praising the match for its potential to infuse humor and relatability into tax marketing, though some express skepticism about measuring ROI in such a compliance-heavy field [8].

Success will hinge on metrics like engagement rates and conversion lifts during peak tax periods. VaynerMedia’s approach, emphasizing “social at the center,” promises to leverage real-time data for agile campaigns, potentially setting a benchmark for how service-based brands navigate digital fragmentation [9].

References:
[1] https://www.webpronews.com/vaynermedia-named-hr-blocks-social-media-agency-to-modernize-tax-marketing/
[2] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/hr-blocks-fiscal-2025-report-announced-4-1-revenue-growth-announced-2025-04-15
[3] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/hr-blocks-fiscal-2025-report-announced-4-1-revenue-growth-announced-2025-04-15
[4] https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/vaynermedia-wins-jcpenney-social-influencer-mandate-2025-03-15
[5] https://www.campaignus.com/agency-performance-review-2024
[6] https://www.adweek.com/adweek/breakthrough-media-agency-of-the-year-2022
[7] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hr-block-expands-with-fallon-for-media-planning-2017-04-15
[8] https://www.x.com
[9] https://www.vaynermedia.com