Podcast Summary: Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades

Episode Title: Ep 68. Growing your first 1,000 followers on Instagram [Updated strategy for 2025]
Release Date: April 30, 2025
Host: Katelyn Rhoades
Powered by: Stan

Introduction

In Episode 68 of Call Her Creator, host Katelyn Rhoades delves into the refined strategies for amassing the first 1,000 followers on Instagram, tailored for 2025's evolving platform dynamics. Reflecting on her previous insights from the past year, Katelyn acknowledges the continuous changes Instagram undergoes, emphasizing the need for updated approaches to leverage new features effectively.

Katelyn Rhoades [00:00]: "I did an episode on this last year around January, and of course, things change on Instagram week to week. So I felt like it was time for me to update this strategy."

Key Strategies for Instagram Growth

Katelyn outlines a comprehensive, step-by-step blueprint designed to transition from zero to 1,000 followers. This strategy is built upon her extensive experience assisting thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs in overcoming the stagnation that often accompanies early-stage Instagram growth.

1. Define Your Niche and Content Pillars

a. Identifying Your Niche
The foundational step involves pinpointing what you want to be known for. Whether it's finance, interior design, skincare, or any other field, establishing a clear niche helps in creating focused and relevant content.

b. Developing Content Pillars
Content pillars are thematic areas that support your niche, ensuring consistency and depth in your posts. For example, an interior designer might focus on:

• Educational Content: Design tips and how-tos (e.g., "Three mistakes that make your living room look smaller").
• Authority & Inspiration: Project highlights and transformations to build credibility.
• Conversion Content: Clear calls-to-action about services and offers (e.g., "How my room refresh service works").

Katelyn Rhoades [06:30]: "Connective content helps you spark emotion for your audience... It could make them feel seen and heard, teach them something, or inspire them to share your content."

2. Identify and Attract Your Ideal Followers

Rather than garnering a broad and disengaged follower base, Katelyn emphasizes attracting ideal followers who resonate with your content. This targeted approach ensures higher engagement rates and better algorithmic favorability.

Katelyn Rhoades [08:00]: "Having an ideal follower in mind is going to help you come up with good content that they connect with, that they engage with."

Defining Ideal Followers:
Understand demographics and psychographics—age, gender, interests, challenges, and hobbies. For instance, targeting women who enjoy interior design and have an interest in budget-friendly decorating solutions.

3. Optimize Your Instagram Profile

A polished and optimized profile serves as the gateway for new followers gained through strategic content.

a. Profile Picture
Use a clear, professional image that represents your brand.

Katelyn Rhoades [15:00]: "If you're the face of the brand, then it should definitely be a picture of you. Well lit, maybe professional."

b. Bio Crafting
Create a concise and compelling bio that includes relevant keywords and clearly states who you are and what you offer.

Katelyn Rhoades [16:30]: "I’m telling them enough to why they should follow me. Social media expert, agency owner, 15 years plus experience... I'm telling them why they should follow me."

c. Story Highlights
Utilize story highlights to showcase bingeable content such as introductions, services, testimonials, and tutorials.

Katelyn Rhoades [22:00]: "For my own story highlights, I have 'Start Here' to introduce who I am, 'Membership' for my services, and 'Testimonials' to share client successes."

4. Develop a Consistent Posting Schedule

Consistency is key to maintaining visibility and fostering growth. Katelyn recommends a manageable posting frequency that aligns with your capacity to maintain quality.

Katelyn Rhoades [24:00]: "I personally post 14 times a week, which is a crazy amount... For today's episode, we're just going to say that you do 15 posts for the next month."

Content Breakdown:

• Reels: 8 per month, focusing on educational, relatable, and inspirational content.
• Carousels/Static Images: 4-7 per month, delivering value through infographics, photo dumps, and bite-sized tips.
• Stories: Supplemental content with polls, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and personal updates, kept minimal to avoid audience fatigue.

5. Mastering Reels for Maximum Engagement

Reels remain the paramount growth tool on Instagram. Katelyn highlights the importance of adapting Reel strategies to current trends while maintaining authenticity.

a. Trending Sounds and Early Adoption
Engage with trending audio quickly to capitalize on their popularity before the space becomes saturated.

b. Talking Head Reels
Short, engaging videos where you speak directly to your audience can significantly boost watch time and interaction.

Katelyn Rhoades [32:00]: "Talking head reels perform really, really well... If you want the full strategy, comment the word xyz."

c. Crafting Strong Hooks
The first three seconds are crucial for capturing attention. Utilize compelling text and visual elements to keep viewers engaged.

Katelyn Rhoades [35:00]: "There should be a text hook at the top and a visual hook, whether that's your hands or something that catches their eye."

d. Authenticity Over Perfection
Natural, unfiltered content tends to foster better connections than overly polished posts.

Katelyn Rhoades [36:30]: "Some of my best performing videos are me looking like a normal human being... People are connecting more with that."

6. Engage Actively with Your Audience

Engagement goes beyond merely posting content. Actively interacting with your audience enhances community building and signals to Instagram's algorithm that your account is active and valuable.

Katelyn Rhoades [48:00]: "The biggest fail that people make on Instagram is that they're not engaging with their audience... engagement is a very underrated growth tip on Instagram."

Engagement Strategies:

• Allocate 15 minutes daily or every other day to comment on posts, reply to stories, and respond to DMs.
• Visit the Explore page to interact with a variety of content and attract a broader audience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Katelyn identifies several pitfalls that hinder Instagram growth, offering actionable advice to steer clear of them.

1. Posting Without Strategy

   Katelyn Rhoades [26:00]: "Posting without strategy makes it harder and leaves you talking to no one because you don't know what you want to be known for."

2. Obsessing Over Follower Counts

   Katelyn Rhoades [28:00]: "Obsessing over your followers is less productive than evaluating and optimizing your content based on performance."

3. Ignoring DMs

   Katelyn Rhoades [29:00]: "Ignoring your DMs can lead to lost opportunities. Utilize DM automation if you're short on time."

4. Neglecting to Keep Up with Updates and Trends

   Katelyn Rhoades [44:00]: "If Instagram releases a new feature, try it out. Early adopters can capitalize on better engagement rates."

5. Delaying the Start

   Katelyn Rhoades [50:00]: "Not starting now and waiting for the 'perfect' time only delays your growth. Execution is key."

Conclusion

Katelyn wraps up the episode by reinforcing the importance of execution—implementing the strategies discussed with consistency and dedication. She encourages listeners to utilize her Instagram Growth Starter Pack for a more detailed guide and to remain engaged with her content for ongoing support and advanced strategies.

Katelyn Rhoades [54:30]: "Execute your strategy, create your content pillars, engage with like-minded accounts, and build your community. The best tip? Just start."

She also highlights upcoming episodes featuring successful Instagram entrepreneurs, hinting at valuable insights and strategies shared by their experiences.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Katelyn Rhoades [00:00]: "Today we're going to talk about how you can go from 0 to 1000 using a step by step strategy that I put together for you."

• Katelyn Rhoades [06:30]: "Connective content helps you spark emotion for your audience... It could make them feel seen and heard, teach them something, or inspire them to share your content."

• Katelyn Rhoades [08:00]: "Having an ideal follower in mind is going to help you come up with good content that they connect with, that they engage with."

• Katelyn Rhoades [15:00]: "If you're the face of the brand, then it should definitely be a picture of you. Well lit, maybe professional."

• Katelyn Rhoades [22:00]: "For my own story highlights, I have 'Start Here' to introduce who I am, 'Membership' for my services, and 'Testimonials' to share client successes."

• Katelyn Rhoades [24:00]: "For today's episode, we're just going to say that you do 15 posts for the next month."

• Katelyn Rhoades [32:00]: "Talking head reels perform really, really well... If you want the full strategy, comment the word xyz."

• Katelyn Rhoades [35:00]: "There should be a text hook at the top and a visual hook, whether that's your hands or something that catches their eye."

• Katelyn Rhoades [36:30]: "Some of my best performing videos are me looking like a normal human being... People are connecting more with that."

• Katelyn Rhoades [48:00]: "The biggest fail that people make on Instagram is that they're not engaging with their audience... engagement is a very underrated growth tip on Instagram."

• Katelyn Rhoades [50:00]: "Not starting now and waiting for the 'perfect' time only delays your growth. Execution is key."

• Katelyn Rhoades [54:30]: "Execute your strategy, create your content pillars, engage with like-minded accounts, and build your community. The best tip? Just start."

Additional Resources

• Instagram Growth Starter Pack:
  Access a comprehensive toolkit including a 60-day Reels challenge, a 30-day marketing plan, a Stories challenge, and a profile audit review. Available in the show notes.

• Upcoming Episodes:
  Features interviews with successful Instagram entrepreneurs like Megan Hall and Jenna Peterson, who have generated millions through strategic Instagram use.

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a vital resource for creators and entrepreneurs aiming to establish a robust Instagram presence. By following Katelyn Rhoades' updated strategies—defining a clear niche, optimizing profiles, consistent and varied content posting, mastering Reels, and active engagement—listeners can effectively grow their follower base and transform their Instagram accounts into thriving business platforms.