How to Get 10k Followers on Instagram

Stick to your niche.

People follow accounts that post content about their favorite niches. When people see consistent unique content with a cohesive theme on your profile, they'll know that following your account will provide them with the content they crave. If your content isn't easy to categorize, people won't understand your true focus or brand. People find you on Instagram because of your current content, but they follow you because they want to see your future content. Sticking to your niche keeps your current followers connected while also encouraging new growth. Micro influencers (usually defined as between 10k and 100k followers) are attractive to advertisers because of their niche audiences. Every time you share something new on Instagram, think about your target audience every step of the way. Who are they? What do they need? And how will your post fill that need and mesh with your niche?

Improve your engagement rate.

The more likes and comments on your posts, the more people will want to join the conversation. If someone stumbles across your awesome posts and sees that nobody is liking or commenting, they probably won't give you a follow. To improve your engagement rate, start conversations with your audience and encourage them to interact with each other. Put calls to action to your captions, such as "Tell us about a time you…" to get people talking. Ask questions, tell stories, and encourage people to share their thoughts on hot topics. To calculate a post's engagement rate, find the total of engagements (likes, comments, shares, and saves), and then divide that number by your follower count. Once you have 10k followers on your account and a healthy engagement rate, advertisers will consider you an expert in your niche, making your account very attractive to advertisers and far more lucrative for your brand.

Create share-worthy content.

If your current followers share your posts with their friends, their friends will probably follow you. The key here is making sure your posts are worth sharing. What kind of content is considered share-worthy? Content that entertains. Short videos and other posts that are relatable, funny, or otherwise engaging. Check out trending Instagram Reels for inspiration. Educational content. Life hacks, tips, step-by-step tutorials, and interesting history lessons. Relatable stories: Photos, videos, and text that takes viewers through funny, sentimental, emotional, life-changing, or inspirational experiences. Aesthetically pleasing photos and graphics: Posts with an attractive aesthetic, photos with great lighting, and well-crafted graphics are all worthy of sharing.

Use hashtags the right way.

Hashtags are the best way to reach new followers without spending money on advertising. People search for their favorite topics in Instagram's search tool, and you want your content to show up in those searches! Your hashtags should always be in the description of your post, not in separate comments. Putting the hashtags directly in your caption ensures that your posts will be associated with the hashtags you use. Use between 5 and 10 well-known hashtags for your niche per post. Keep tabs on popular hashtags that fit your content. Get into the habit of checking the posts of similar creators to see which hashtags they are using.

Boost your best posts.

Create Instagram ad campaigns to target your content to the right audience. Instagram's paid advertising tools are a great way to expand your reach to people who wouldn't find your account otherwise. You can choose your target audience, desired reach, and even make it easy for people to click right over to your website. If you have the budget and are serious about growing your follower count to 10k and beyond, promoting your posts is the most reliable way to reach new people.

Monitor your Insights to see what's working.

Find out which content brings you the most new followers. When you have a Business or Creator account, you can tap the Insights button on your profile to check helpful statistics, including follower growth metrics. If certain posts, Stories, or Reels result in bigger boosts to your follower count, use those posts as inspiration for future posts.

Get into Reels.

Instagram Reels are heavily promoted all over the Instagram app. As people scroll through their feeds, Instagram shows them relevant Reels from accounts they don't already follow. If your Reels are suggested to others, you'll expand your reach beyond what you can do with regular photo and video posts or Stories. Reels that are fun, entertaining, funny, are most likely to capture peoples' attention. When Instagram introduces new features to the platform, give those features a try! Instagram will likely promote your use of their new features to a wider audience.

Follow and engage with other creators.

Instagram is about community. As a community member, it's important to interact with other people and build relationships outside of your existing follower base. Find and follow Instagram accounts in your niche and build relationships with both the creators and the followers. They're likely to follow you back! Following other creators also gives you a chance to see what's working well for others, as well as network for future collaborations. Don't spam your account on other peoples' posts—engage in natural conversations for organic results.

Run high-value contests and promotions.

If you already have a solid community, create contests that can expand your reach. Many influencers grow their follower count by offering prizes to new and existing followers. Think of a prize that people will really want, then encourage your followers to tag friends who they think would be interested. State in the rules that the winner must be following your account to win the prize, and watch the new follows roll in.

Promote on your blog or social media accounts.

If people follow you on other platforms, they'll likely want to follow you on Instagram as well. This is especially true for bloggers, Twitter users, and business owners who are just getting started with Instagram but already have a larger following elsewhere. You can also embed your Instagram posts on your blog and share your Instagram Stories on Facebook for a seamless experience.

Join a quality engagement pod.

Engagement pods are groups of like-minded creators who interact with each other's content. In general, engagement pods are controversial, as they encourage non-organic interactions with Instagram posts. But those are just the larger, spammier engagement pods. Joining a smaller niche pod of similar creators who will like and comment on each other's posts can be a quick way to bring attention to posts with lower engagement rates. And if others see that people are engaging with your content, they'll be more likely to engage with it themselves. Some great places to find niche engagement pods are Reddit's /r/IGPods and Facebook Groups. The larger engagement pods are typically found on Telegram, but try to avoid those—the engagement won't look natural, and Instagram may think you're trying to manipulate their algorithm.