How to Get 10,000 Followers on Instagram: 13 Essential Tips

Get your first 10K followers on Instagram the right way

Co-authored by Ross Taylor and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: June 30, 2025 Fact Checked

Hitting the 10,000 followers mark on Instagram is an exciting milestone. Not only will having 10K followers place you in the prized "micro influencer" tier, but it will also show others that you're a respected creator in your niche. But how do you find those first 10K followers? We spoke with several successful social media and marketing experts to learn guaranteed strategies for growing your Instagram followers to the 10K mark and beyond!

How to Get 10K Instagram Followers

According to marketing expert Ross Taylor, the best way to get followers on Instagram is through mentions from other users. Be sure to post high-quality shareable content (especially videos) consistently, increase engagement so your content gets noticed, and build relationships with other creators in your niche.

1

Stick to your niche.

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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.^{[1]
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- 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?

2

Improve your engagement rate.

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The more interaction 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 in your captions, such as "Tell us about a time you…" to get people talking. Ask questions and encourage people to share their thoughts on hot topics.
- If you're trying to get 10K followers for your in-person business or restaurant, Social media specialist Melissa Rodriguez recommends engaging with the followers of other similar businesses. "Engage with the followers of other businesses that are local to you to make them aware that you're there." Some ways to do this, Rodriguez explains, are to like their pictures and comment on them.^{[2]
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- Use engagement stickers in your stories. There are many stickers available for Instagram stories designed to provoke a response, such as "Add yours," question stickers, and quiz stickers.^{[3]
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  - Check out our Instagram Story Game guide to learn more fun ways to boost engagement.
- 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.

3

Create share-worthy content.

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If your current followers share your posts, their friends will probably follow you. According to Taylor, the easiest way to grow your audience on Instagram is through mentions from other users.^{[4]
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Ross Taylor
Marketing Expert

Expert Interview} The key here is making sure your posts are worth liking and sharing, and then getting the right people to find these posts.
- - What kind of content is considered share-worthy?***
  - Content that entertains. Short videos that are relatable, funny, or otherwise engaging. Check out trending Instagram Reels for inspiration.
  - Educational content. Life hacks, tips, "a day in the life" videos, step-by-step tutorials, and interesting history facts.
  - Relatable stories: Content that takes viewers through funny, sentimental, emotional, life-changing, or inspirational experiences.
  - Aesthetically pleasing videos and graphics: Posts with an attractive aesthetic, photos with great lighting, and well-crafted graphics are all worthy of sharing.
- Make sure your content is high quality. Social media influencer and marketer Jenna Jean Davis stresses the importance of sharing high-quality videos and photos, especially on a visually focused platform like Instagram.^{[5]
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- To get people to share your content, tag them. Like Taylor says, the trick is getting other Instagram users to mention you. Tag them in the posts and stories you want them to share (and that you think their audiences will appreciate) so they know about your content.^{[6]
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4

Post consistently.

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Develop a posting schedule and stick to it. Davis and Taylor agree that posting consistently is key to growing your Instagram followers.^{[7]
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Jenna Jean Davis
Social Media Influencer & Marketer

Expert Interview} On Instagram, many believe the optimal amount of posting is 1 to 2 Reels (video posts) and 1 carousel (multiple photo) post, but this varies by niche.^{[9]
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- Look to your peers. Taylor recommends researching the Instagram accounts of people who are successful in your niche to get an idea of how often to post. "Who is an influence in your niche and how often do they post? If they post multiple times a day and seem to get responses and engagement, then that's likely what you will have to do.^{[10]
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5

Use hashtags the right way.

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Hashtags are the best way to reach followers without spending money on ads. Rodriguez recommends using hashtags that are relevant to your industry so your posts are easy to find.^{[11]
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Melissa Rodriguez
Social Media Specialist

Expert Interview} 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.

6

Boost your best posts.

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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.^{[12]
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Research source} 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.

7

Monitor your Insights to see what's working.

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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.^{[13]
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Research source} If certain posts, Stories, or Reels result in bigger boosts to your follower count, use those posts as inspiration for future posts.

8

Post high-quality videos (Reels).

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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, and funny are most likely to capture people's 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 broader audience.
- The more you boost your engagement rate, the more Instagram will expand the reach of your video Reels.
EXPERT TIP

Jenna Jean Davis
Social Media Influencer & Marketer
Jenna Jean Davis is a Social Media Influencer & Marketer and the Founder and CEO of Jenna Jean Marketing LLC. With over five years of experience, she specializes in organic social media marketing, TikTok marketing, and Instagram marketing. Jenna is also an established TikTok creator. Jenna earned her BA in Journalism from the University of Utah.

Jenna Jean Davis
Social Media Influencer & Marketer

Video content is key. Instagram is really pushing video content right now. In order to grow and get in front of new potential followers, you must be posting Reels.

9

Follow and engage with other creators.

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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.
- Try collaborating on posts. Instagram's "Collaborate" feature allows two or more Instagram accounts to coauthor a post. If you can find an account to collaborate with that has a lot of followers, this will expose their followers to your account.^{[14]
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- Don't spam your account on other people's posts—engage in natural conversations for organic results.

10

Run high-value contests and promotions.

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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 followers roll in.
- If you're trying to build a following for a restaurant, business, or other location visitors will check out in person, Rodriguez recommends running a "tag a friend" giveaway–for example, "tag a friend for a chance at winning a free meal/drink/service."^{[15]
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- Rodriguez also suggests DMing potential new customers directly to offer gift cards, free products, and other perks for giving your business a try.^{[16]
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11

Promote on your blog or social media accounts.

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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.

12

Join a quality engagement pod.

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Engagement pods are groups of 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, spammiest 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.^{[17]
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- 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.

What Are Some Tips to Gaining Your First 10K Followers on Instagram?

Watch

Grow Your Instagram Presence with this Expert Series

Do you dream of becoming an Instagram influencer? Are you struggling to gain more followers. Then this expert series is for you!

1

Get 1k Followers on Instagram

2

Get Featured on Instagram

3

Get More Likes on Your Instagram Photos

4

The Complete Guide to Becoming an Instagram Influencer

5

Have a Good Instagram

6

Make Money on Instagram

Expert Q&A

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Question

Is it hard to get 10k followers on Instagram?

Jenna Jean Davis
Social Media Influencer & Marketer
Jenna Jean Davis is a Social Media Influencer & Marketer and the Founder and CEO of Jenna Jean Marketing LLC. With over five years of experience, she specializes in organic social media marketing, TikTok marketing, and Instagram marketing. Jenna is also an established TikTok creator. Jenna earned her BA in Journalism from the University of Utah.

Jenna Jean Davis

Social Media Influencer & Marketer

Expert Answer

Yes, it is. Gaining followers takes work, time and commitment. To grow a significant amount like 10k, you will need a social strategy in place and you should consider working with a Social Media Specialist to help you. That said, if you want to grow your online presence, focus on consistency, quality and videos.

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What is the most-followed account on Instagram?

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The Instagram account with the most followers of all is the official profile for Instagram itself (@instagram). The most followed man is Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano), and the most followed woman is American pop singer Selena Gomez (@selenagomez).

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Can I get followers?

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Sure, if you post new and interesting things daily.

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Instagram used to require users to have 10,000 followers before they could add web links to their own stories. This feature is now available to all users, regardless of follower count.^{[18]
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