Build Your Tribe | Grow Your Business with Social Media

Episode 852: How To Grow An Instagram Account from ZERO Followers (Step-by-Step)

Host: Brock Johnson
Date: September 25, 2025

Overview

In this solo episode, Brock Johnson delivers a clear, actionable six-step blueprint for anyone starting an Instagram account from scratch, whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an established business looking for a reboot. Brock’s guidance is direct, rooted in his own extensive experience growing accounts in multiple niches and helping over 50,000 students fast-track their own growth on Instagram—all with a commitment to efficiency, simplicity, and sustainability. If you want to grow from zero to 10,000 (or even 100,000) followers without wasting time on outdated tactics, this episode is your concise playbook.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Six-Step Instagram Growth Formula

• Step 1: Pick Your Niche

  • Who: Understand your target audience’s demographics—age, location, struggles, lifestyle.
  • What: Decide the specific topic you’ll focus on for this group.
  • “The riches are in the niches.” (02:52)
  • Start with something specific; you can always broaden later as you grow.
  • Example: Brock began with “helping moms keep their teens safe on Snapchat,” then expanded.

• Step 2: Set Up Your Profile for Success

  • Username: Use your brand or personal name; if taken, get creative with underscores, periods, or modifiers.
  • Name Line: Make it searchable with specific keywords (e.g., “Instagram Growth Coach”).
    • Use Google Trends to find search terms that are discoverable but not too broad.
  • Profile Picture:
    • Personal brand: close-up, well-lit selfie.
    • Business: simplified, icon-based logo for small display.
  • Bio: Four lines max:
    1. Niche statement (“I help [who] with [what]”)
    2. Qualification or story/context (“...without x pain point”)
    3. Creative touch (credibility, mission, fun fact)
    4. Call to action (follow, DM, visit link, etc.)
    • “If you go on to a fifth, sixth, seventh, whatever line, Instagram will automatically truncate it...” (17:23)
  • Meta Verified (Optional):
    • Paid blue check for authenticity, search boost, and support. Helpful for new accounts to show up in search.

• Step 3: Post 15 Pieces of Relevant Content

  • Purpose: Fill your new feed so visitors know what to expect—growth (followers, engagement, sales) comes later.
  • Posts must all relate to your niche.
  • Three must-have types:
    1. About Me/Brand
    2. About Services/Offers
    3. Quick Win (instant, actionable value)
    • “Think about it like a storefront... We don’t want your Instagram to look like that.” (20:18)
  • Pin these three as your top posts.

• Step 4: Pre-Make at Least 14 More Posts (Don’t Post Yet)

  • Pre-create (but don’t post) this extra batch—these are your “content runway” for easy, consistent posting after launch.
  • “You might as well do everything you can to set yourself up for success before launch by creating as many posts as possible.” (26:22)

• Step 5: Announce and Launch

  • Now, shout about your new account everywhere—old social channels, email lists, in person.
  • Clarify the value—don’t just ask friends to follow out of pity; invite only the right people.
    • “It should be follow this new account because every single day I’m going to be posting helpful tips for women over 40 who want to learn how to rock climb.” (29:32)
  • Optional: Run a relevant, appealing giveaway to incentivize targeted followers.

• Step 6: Consistent Posting—Focus on Quantity & Quality

  • Feed content = reels, carousels, and photos (not stories—those are for personal connections, not growth).
  • Early stage ratio: ~75% reels, 25% carousels.
    • Reels reach more non-followers and go viral faster.
    • Carousels outperform single-image posts.
  • “The more you post, the more you grow.” (33:14)
    • Data shows frequency directly correlates to growth, with no diminishing returns—BUT, only if it’s sustainable for you.
    • “If you burn out, if you’re inconsistent... you will not grow.” (34:37)
  • Average growth: 9–12 months of consistent effort to reach 1,000 followers (or faster if you’re in Brock’s program).

Practical Tips for Sustainable, Efficient Growth

Four Ways to Increase Quantity Without Burnout

1. Stop Chasing Perfection
   • “Stop trying to make every damn post you make perfect... Just press post.” (33:52)
2. Schedule Your Posts
   • Scheduling does not hurt engagement; use the IG scheduler, Content creation tools, etc. (34:17)
3. Work Smarter (Use AI & Repurposing Tools)
   • Leverage ChatGPT, Munch, or BrockBot for content ideas and efficiencies.
   • “I don’t think that ChatGPT is necessarily an expert when it comes to Instagram... The BrockBot is...” (35:15)
4. Upcycle Your Old Content
   • Repost your own past content (from other platforms too); tweak or just reuse—most won’t remember seeing it.
   • “Over 2/3 of my posts... are upcycled.” (36:09)

Four Ways to Increase Content Quality

1. Strong Hooks
   • 80% of your time should go into the first three seconds.
     • “Hooks are everything... If you can get people to just watch past the first three seconds, you’re going to be far above the rest.” (37:11)
2. Success Leaves Clues
   • Consciously analyze what works for others (and why), but look outside your niche for inspiration.
3. K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Sweetheart
   • Make points clear without jargon; relatable > sophisticated.
     • “Basically, dumb it down and speed it up.” (38:10)
4. Create Shareworthy Content
   • Focus on posts people want to send to others, as shares have outsized effects on reach and virality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Choosing a Niche:
  • “The riches are in the niches, and the more specific that you can get, the better.” (02:52)
• On Bio Optimization:
  • “Anything that you put on that [name] line becomes a way that you can be discovered within Instagram search and outside of Instagram search, on Google and any other search engine.” (14:09)
• On Upcycling Content:
  • “Over 2/3 of my posts that you see... are upcycled... The average person sees 10,000 posts a day. Don’t flatter yourself by assuming they remember your post from two months ago.” (36:09)
• On Post Frequency:
  • “There is no upper limit—the more you post, the more you grow.” (33:14)
• On Consistency:
  • “Your focus should be on what you can sustain, because if you cannot sustain that frequency... you will not grow.” (34:37)
• On Growth Timeline:
  • “It takes the average account 9 to 12 months of consistent effort to reach about a thousand followers... Realistically, it’s going to take you months, if not years to hit 10k or to hit 100k followers.” (41:10)
• On Mindset:
  • “I want you to embrace the suck. I want you to enter the pain cave. I want you to understand that it’s probably not going to be overnight success.” (41:28)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – Brock introduces his six-step process and philosophy
• [02:10] – Step 1: Picking your niche—“the who and the what”
• [10:20] – Step 2: Setting up your profile for growth
• [17:23] – Bio structure and call to action
• [22:00] – Step 3: Posting your “launch content” (15 posts, including three key types)
• [26:22] – Step 4: Creating a content runway of at least 14 posts before announcing
• [29:32] – Step 5: Official launch—how and who to announce to
• [32:11] – Giveaways and launch incentives
• [33:14] – Step 6: The power of quantity & consistency in posting
• [33:52] – Four tips for posting more frequently without burnout
• [36:09] – Embracing upcycling—why and how to reuse content
• [37:11] – Four tips for boosting your content’s quality
• [41:10] – Realistic expectations for Instagram growth
• [41:28] – Inspirational close: “embrace the suck” and focus on the long game

Final Takeaways

Brock’s method is refreshingly practical and honest—no shortcuts, no hacks, but a blueprint rooted in experience, research, and leveraging what works in today’s Instagram landscape. If you want fast, relevant growth and a business-building following, focus on:

• Clarity of niche and value
• Solid, compelling profile setup
• Preloading quality content before launch
• Steady, sustainable posting, with consistent use of reels and shareable carousels
• Working smarter, not harder (via scheduling, upcycling, and smart AI tools)
• A mindset that treats growth as a marathon, not a sprint.

“Just keep going. Consistency is the ultimate growth hack.” (paraphrased, episode close)