It’s quite possibly, the single most desired thing on Instagram for anybody who’s aiming to grow an account.
People grind out daily posts, engage for 10 hours a day, and even buy followers – just to hit 10K followers.
Today, I’m going to explain to you EXACTLY how you can take your Instagram account from 0 – 10K followers.
No this isn’t a course or an e-book.
I teamed up with 11 other Instagram creators to compile a guide that covers 12 necessary topics for growing your account.
Anyway, Enjoy!
Part 1: How to build your Instagram growth engine by @letsbazooka

An Instagram growth engine is split into two separate categories:
- Content
- Engagement
They’re interdependent. One cannot work without the other. (Much like you can’t work without a coffee in the morning)
Content
Content is king.
I’m sure you’ve heard that saying before, but it’s true! Content drives increased engagement, reach, impressions, and generates more profile visits.
How?
Well, if you have high quality content then the reader wants to stick around. They enjoyed one post, so they check out your profile and see 2, 3, 4, 5 more posts that slap with value and are enjoyable to read.
Now they may share a post they especially liked or follow you – this is best case scenario.
Even the worst case scenario is they drop a like and a couple of comments (hardly a loss is it?) Yet this all stems from having content that is quality enough to warrant this response.
Tips to make your content high quality
- Include scroll stopping images
- A clear and direct headline
- Make slide 2 powerful (an extension of slide 1)
- Actionable tips and language

Engagement
Engagement is queen.
To successfully engage you need to be strategic about it. It’s not just a simple comment and leave exercise, no. There’s a lot more thought that goes into effective engagement.
Always leave a thoughtful comment.
If you’re dropping “great post” or “good” underneath someone’s upload, the door is behind you, and Instagram engagement might not be for you.
Treat your comment as an extension of value on the post itself. If you drop valuable comments, then you become known for value. The reputation you have is boosted because you don’t just serve up incredible content on your own page, you share it out to everyone!
Tips to improve your engagement:
- Turn notifications on for big accounts and be the first to drop a valuable comment on there.
- Aim for the pinned comment. If you can something extra, do it!
- Comment on existing comments and start a conversation.
- Reply to every comment, DM, mention you receive on Instagram – don’t ignore those that support you.
Read the full post by @letsbazooka here
Part 2: Crafting an instagram brand identity by @thesamcaron

Let’s dive into a step by step approach you can use to create the perfect brand identity!
Step 1: Start with positioning
Where do you fit into the market?
Make a list of competitors in your niche and organise them on a market positioning map. Then, make a list underneath each company stating what they’re good at.
Now do the same with yourself.
What are you good at, and where do you fit in on the map? Look for the gap.

Step 2: Find your why
Every business needs reasoning for their beginning, and each business has one.
What you need to do is convey your purpose to the audience and no, don’t write “to make money” – the audience isn’t going to get behind you, they’re going to call you selfish and money hungry.
You need to create a purpose that the audience can get behind AND that’s true. So, it could be something charitable, or progressive, it’s your call.
Step 3: Find your ideal audience
Create an ICP (Ideal Customer Profile).
Be super specific with exactly who you would want to target, then create content based around that person. Chances are your content will make its way to them, providing you target the right market – obviously.
The customer isn’t always right, but the customer is your validation.

Step 4: Visual Identity
Yes, I can see all you branding experts now, “A lOgO iSn’T tHe OnLy FoRm Of BrAnDiNg” – and you’re right, it’s not.
But it is important.
So, having a clean, scalable logo is very important when creating a visual identity. Alongside this, you should choose around 3 brand colors and distinguished typography.
Make sure your brand colors reflect your purpose, and the company itself. The same goes for the typography.

Step 5: Brand messaging
Break down how you want your brand to appear:
- Serious or fun?
- Formal or casual?
- Professional or relaxed?
- Traditional or modern?
- Silent or vibrant?
- Mature or youthful?
There are dozens of questions like these you can ask yourself, and the more answers you have – the more defined your brand message will be.
I know what you’re thinking – “Do I really need to do this?”
The answe is yes, buddy.
Read the full post by @thesamcaron here
Part 3: Carousel Explosion by @theharryneedham

If you’re a regular Instagram user, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If not, let me explain.
A carousel is a series of slides that make up a post on Instagram. You can have up to 10 slides per carousel and they’re great for storytelling and conveying a bigger message.
Now that’s cleared up, let me teach you how to create EXPLOSIVE carousels!
Structure
Slide 1: Cover image
This should a scroll stopper. Whether it’s actionable language or unique imagery, it has to be noticeable. Use no more than 10 words in the title and be sure to use emotive language.
Slide 2-6: Interest
Build the hype.
Use slide transitions to keep interest and ask questions throughout. This phase is about creating curiosity around your post.
Slide 7 – 9: Value
This is what the reader came for.
Use lists, tutorials, actionable advice, step by step guides, or infographics to add a huge amount of value at the end of your carousels.
The goal here is to include information so valuable that the reader has to save it.
Slide 10: Call To Action (CTA)
Add a branding element to the end of your post, keep it recognisable. End with a strong CTA, that encourages either post engagement or following, and add a picture of yourself. People relate with people, remember that.

Bonus Carousel Tips
- Make the post relatable
- Answer common problems
- Use attention grabbing images
- Discuss new / unique topics
- Use emotive language
- Don’t try to please everyone
Use these tips to seriously up your Instagram game because, trust me, it probably needs some work!
Part 4: The Social Media Mindset by @iamthelearner

A lot of people ignore mindset, brushing it off as unimportant. Well, Steve, you’re wrong.
Having the correct mindset when approaching new problems and challenges can often be the difference between success and failure.
Social media is no different, so before you create your “revolutionary” account – make sure you’re in the right headspace by using the below checklist.
1. Practice and learn before you teach.
Lots of people say you should “position yourself as an expert” but the reality is, this can backfire very easily, especially if you’re useless at your “expertise” or starting out yourself.
Instead of faking it ’till you make it, just be honest about your ability and share your journey of learning.

2. Everybody sucked at some point
Nobody starts an account at 10K followers. Remember that next time you’re worried about your slow growth.
Those that do have big accounts put in a lot of work to grow that high, so don’t be jealous, learn from them.
Everyone starts at zero, and everybody’s first few posts are cringe-inducing, awful posts – so don’t sweat it. You’ll improve over time.
3. You audience does and doesn’t matter
Yes, your followers should help shape your content. After all, they’re the ones that consume it and will support you. But they shouldn’t define your content.
Just because your followers like a certain type of post doesn’t mean you HAVE to post it. If you don’t like it, then don’t upload it.
Grow some backbone and stand up for your own interests. If it doesn’t fit them, don’t force it.

4. Be willing to learn
If you enter the social media world thinking you already know everything, I’m sorry but even the biggest accounts still learn every day.
That’s like playing a sport for the first time and immediately thinking you’re the GOAT.
Have some humility and accept you know jack shit. Go out of your way to learn from those with more experience, better results, and higher success. The same goes for listening to followers.

5. Find you
It’s a game of trial and error, so prepare yourself for that.
You may end up in niches you don’t particularly like, and that’s fine. The focus is on finding a niche you personally enjoy, because happiness is the only true measure of success.
Read the full post by @iamthelearner here.
Part 5: Dominate engagement by @marketingharry

Engagement helps fuel growth (as we explained earlier) but how should you engage properly? Is there a strategy?
Yes, of course there is. So, listen up.
Firstly, you need to identify some target accounts. Now these should be organised into 3 different categories:
- Biggest accounts in the niche
- Accounts with strong communities
- Potential collabs & solid creator
Secondly engage with these target accounts.
For the biggest accounts, turn on notifications and aim to be one of the first comments they receive – it’s great for visibility.
Accounts with strong communities should aimed to be engaged with within the first 3 hours of posting. Comment on comments below and become an integral part of their community.
With potential collabs focus on DM’s. Keep in touch with them, engage with their posts when you can, and collab when possible. These are your homies, so treat them well.
Thirdly, aim for pinned comments.
They’re an amazing way to generate awareness and exposure and can lead to nice bumps in followers.
To secure a pinned comment, be sure to compliment the owner of the post to begin with, then follow it up with some extra value. Create an extension of the post in the comments below.
No, your “great post this was very good I learnt a lot” comment won’t get pinned. Be a little more creative than that.
Fourth, steal followers.
Sneak into those big accounts comment section and start replying to any questions you can find. Drop 20x pin worthy comments and, even if they don’t get pinned, you’ve still left some value in the reply.

Fifth, aim for the suggested for you (SFY)
SFY is a list of recommended accounts that appear underneath someone when you follow them. This is the secret to snowball growth and is how the big accounts start to take off.
Do 80% cold engagement and 20% warm engagement when just starting off to get the ball rolling.
After that aim for a 50/50 split when you’re driving a small portion of your traffic through SFY.
Then when the growth is really starting to compound focus on your community at hand – they’re the ones boosting your engagement rate, so treat them good!
Part 6: Collaborate for growth by @ms_einsteinette

This strategy is one of the best for rapid growth.
Mix up your work from the same old same old and add a dash of freshness to it. It’s a great way to diversify your feed, boost your credibility and infiltrate new communities.
Make sure you plan ahead of the collab. Have a specific goal in mind (traffic, boost engagement rate, follower growth, etc.) and stick to it. A clear goal helps give the collab direction and structure.
Always choose creators that your audience will gain value from. So, mix it up! Don’t just add a branding creator to a branding channel – maybe partner with a storyteller or sales strategist. Keep it fresh.
Read the full post by @ms_einsteinette
Part 7: The 4 stages of growth by @squaredacademy

1. Finding what works.
These are the early days we all love to hate and hate to love. You should be posting 1 – 2 times a day trialling different styles, formats, etc.
This is the trial and error phase.
2. Content Bank
Once you’ve found a niche, create 9 amazing posts based on current feedback as a backbone. Be consistent with your niche and branding, you’re now building the framework.
Also, don’t engage yet. You don’t have enough to show for it.
3. Find a tribe
Use the engagement strategy we talked about to sneak into the comments section of big accounts. Locate the superfans and steal their asses. bring them to your page and start building your own tribe.
4. Momentum
Keep up the momentum you currently have with consistent, quality content. Also reply to EVERY DM and comment, don’t just like them. Engage with them. Don’t be rude, Instagram is a social media platform so… be social.
Also DM people to build connections, it’s an excellent way to build relationships.
Read the full post by @squaredacademy here
Part 8: Developing your personal brand by @themariotrotta

A personal brand should be your story. What brought you here today?
Everyone has a story tell. Yes, even you reading this, but please make it interesting. I don’t want to hear about that time you were captain of the sports team, it doesn’t make you sound like a leader, it sounds like you’re bragging.
Also, talk about what you’re doing currently. People are interested to see your daily life. Why? Because they’re nosy that’s why.

Be sure to cover everything, from success to failures – past and future. Your personal brand is you, and nobody else, so make it the best story you’ve ever read.
Read the full post by @themariotrotta here
Part 9: Standing out on social by @imdanthomas

The best way to be different, is to be yourself. See, there’s nobody else in the world quite like you, so be authentic. It actually makes you more different than you could ever hope to be.
Your weird is your niche.

To find your weird answer these questions:
- What do you love doing?
- What is something you do that hasn’t been shared with others?
- What drives you to try harder?
- What do you do when you procrastinate?
- What do you get lost in?
- What gives you energy?
Answer these questions and you’ll find your weird. We’re all “weird” so don’t hide it.
Oh, and if you think you aren’t weird, you’re the weirdest of them all.
Watch the full post by @imdanthomas here.
Part 10: Selling in stories by @dannyallenpage

Stories are the best place to sell. Period.
To drive best results you need a strategy. I’d recommend making a list of all the negative thoughts your target audience may have, then creating stories around them.
Spin them to fit your content and solve problems.

Make sure your stories are at least 90 seconds long, that way you can really drive home some value. Another pro tip is to utilise polls and stickers in your Instagram story.
They’re excellent for improving your engagement rate and bring a more community feel to your page.
Read the full post by @dannyallenpage.
Part 11: Social Selling by @thetylerarcher

Selling on stories is one thing, but how do you actually sell?
Well, here are 9 key factors for more sales:
- Trust
- Personal Branding
- Authenticity
- Value
- Credibility
- Authority
- Community relationships
- Quality content
- Social proof
As you may have noticed, these factors are largely similar to others we’ve pointed out when talking about growth rate.
That’s because, those most likely to buy from you are also your biggest fans. The audience and your customer are largely the same person.
For all you pro salespeople out there, check out these bonus tips!
(To be honest if you suck at selling, it’s probably worth reading too)
Sell in the DM’s using voice messages. They’re authentic and create a real connection with the person.

Leverage IG lives to build more trust and grow your personal brand. As mentioned prior, both of these increase sales figures, so don’t neglect the power of lives.
Be personal on your stories. Share insights into your daily life, create engagement through stickers, and show client reviews. It makes you seem more like a person, not a business, which is good for sales.
Read the full post by @thetylerarcher here
Part 12: Your IG is a night club by @thechristosnikas

To wrap up the highway to 10k, Instagram professor Christos Nikas made a great post comparing your IG account to a nightclub.
It’s a 2 part carousel that you can read here.
Final note
Whew, that was a hefty read, but I know for a fact you’ll have learnt a lot.
I hope this has covered any, and all questions you may have had surrounding Instagram follower growth and the race to 10K followers.
As I’m sure you’re now aware, social media is no easy game. There’s a lot of work that goes into this, so if you really want to achieve that high follower growth and skyrocket up to 10K you better be prepared to put in the work.
If you want to work with me on setting up your Instagram game to get ready for growth, don’t hesitate to contact me.