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Getting Started

Everything you need to know to get your account up and running.
Albert Luka
By Albert and 1 other
• 5 articles

How to set up your first Instagram Account

Welcome to Kicksta- Let’s start growing! Setting up your account takes just a few minutes and can be done from any device. 🚀 First thing's first - Your account setup can be completed on your dashboard, so make sure you’re logged into your Kicksta account before reading further. 1. Connect your Instagram account The first and most important step is to connect your Instagram account to our system. You can do this by clicking on the “Connect Account” button on the banner at the top of your screen. This banner will also show up if your account ever gets disconnected from Kicksta. Clicking the button will open up a secure popup to log in your Instagram account and connect it with our system. Since this will be your first time connecting with our servers, you may get a prompt in your Instagram app to confirm if this was really you logging in. Our servers are located in Europe, Belgrade, Serbia. Make sure to click “This was me” on your IG app, and you will be connected in no time. 2. Set up your Targeting Once your account is connected, we're ready to start engaging with your targeted audience, but first we need to know who they are. You can tell us what types of followers you want to get by adding what we call “Targets”. Targets are Accounts and Hashtags that your audience is interested in and likely to engage with. We will use those Targets as a reference when deciding what profiles to follow and unfollow in order to grow your Instagram account. We never unfollow users you were following before signing up. 👍 Start off by adding about 10-15 targets by clicking the Add Target button: Think about what types of accounts have an audience that will be interested in seeing your content, and what hashtags that audience would post on their Instagram. Every profile is unique so make sure you're only adding relevant targets. - Targeting by Account 🔍 : We will target and engage with users that are following that specific account. For best results, consider adding industry influencers and relevant competitors. - Targeting by Hashtag #️⃣ : We will target and engage with users that posted the hashtag you targeted. Consider adding specific hashtags that only your ideal follower would post. Everyone we find based on your targets will also be Filtered out to make sure they’re a high quality account that matches your preferences. Filters let you select what types of targeted accounts we should engage with. This includes their number of Followers, Followings, Posts and whether the accounts should be Public or Private. You can preview and change your filter settings by clicking the Filters button. 📈 3. Monitor your Activity and watch your profile grow! Your dashboard home has all the stats you could ever want. This includes your total growth over time, interactions done by our system, and a lot more. In addition to all the stats on your home page, you can also browse statistics for individual Targets, and preview exactly which accounts are queued up for our system to engage with in the next batch of interactions. And that's it! We hope you’re ready for Instagram greatness, because we plan on getting you there. For any additional questions, you can consult your Onboarding Manager, or contact our support team. Welcome aboard - let’s shoot for the stars! 🚀

Last updated on Nov 15, 2023

How to Filter Your Audience

Filters are the best way to narrow down the type of Instagram user you are trying to target. They focus on the more technical aspects of your audience's accounts. Things like their number of posts, follower count etc. Filters come pre-loaded with optimal settings, but you can still change them at any time depending on your preferences and industry. You can access your Filter settings by clicking the "Filters" button in your Targeting section. Magic Filters will return your Filter settings to their optimal default values. Filter Settings - Followers - The number of Followers your audience should have. Keep in mind that profiles with over 2000 followers do not receive notifications that you followed them, so going higher than that has diminishing returns. - Following - The number of accounts your audience Follows. Profiles that follow too many users will not engage with your content, so lowering this number will give you higher engagement at the expense of followbacks. - Media - Number of posts. Increasing this value will focus more on content creators compared to regular posters. 🎨 - Public or private 🔎 - This setting lets you choose if you want to target Private accounts, Public accounts, or both. Private accounts generally have better engagement, but we can't know how many posts they have before we follow them. The Media, Engagement rate and Last post date filters do not apply to Private profiles. - Allowed Content / NSFW toggle - This setting lets you choose if you want to allow your account to engage with 18+ accounts. This is OFF by default.

Last updated on Feb 28, 2025

How to set your Targeting

Your "Targeting" tells the system what types of followers you want get using our service. 🎯 The Targeting Tab lets you select, filter and optimize the type of audience you want to attract and engage with. In short - it's the most important place on your dashboard. 💪 You must set your targeting in order for your growth to start. Click the "Add Target" button to add your first target. When adding a target, you can choose between Accounts and Hashtags. Add a good mix of both for best results. Target Types Accounts - When you add an account, our system will find and follow users that are following that account! If your account is in the same niche, those users will have a very high chance of following you back and engaging with your content! 💹 Hashtags - Adding a Hashtag tells our system to find and engage with users that have included that hashtag in their posts. For example, adding trending hashtags related to your industry or competitors is a great way to target engaged users that will want to check out your profile. 👀 Best Practices While the most important thing is to make sure your targets match your profile and audience, there's a few other important things to keep in mind: - Your Targets should not be too large, or too small. Smaller targets will be spent too quickly, and larger ones have a tendency to give you a lower quality audience. - Try to find targets that range between 20k and 250k followers. - Regularly monitor your Followback %. This is the number of users from that target that decided to follow you. While this stat takes some time to calculate, it's incredibly important. You should aim for 10% or higher on all sources. - Update your targets regularly, remove underperforming ones and add fresh targets that better align with your audience. - And of course - Don't forget to set your Filters!

Last updated on Nov 15, 2023

The Tech Behind Kicksta’s Growth Method

As Instagram continues to evolve, users are constantly looking for ways to expand their reach and audience. Growth tools have become an essential part of that process, but not all of them operate the same way. Many rely on outdated methods that put accounts at risk, while Kicksta takes a smarter, authentic approach to growth. To power your Instagram growth, you’ll first need to log into your account through Kicksta Dashboard. This step allows the system to seamlessly integrate with your account and start engaging with your target audience.  At the core of Kicksta’s system is a network of real, physical mobile devices designed to interact with Instagram just like a human would. Unlike other platforms that use virtual machines or emulators, Kicksta’s technology mimics real user behavior, ensuring smooth and organic engagement while maintaining Instagram’s trust. Keep reading to see how our technology makes it all happen.  Real Devices, Not Virtual Machines Most Instagram growth tools rely on emulated environments, which are detectable and flagged by Instagram’s security algorithms. Kicksta operates on real phones, not virtual devices, making interactions identical to actual users. This approach removes the risk of bans or action blocks, ensuring stable and long-term growth. Dedicated Proxies for Each Account Each Kicksta client gets a dedicated phone within Kicksta’s system, paired with a unique proxy to ensure secure and authentic interactions. This setup makes every action appear as if it’s coming from a real user with a dedicated residential IP address, reducing the risk of detection and avoiding issues common with mass automation tools that operate from a single source. Advanced System Behavior Mimicking Human Activity Kicksta’s system is designed to act like a real person browsing Instagram. From scrolling feeds to engaging with posts at different intervals, every movement is randomized to reflect organic engagement. During the initial 72-hour warmup phase, every newly onboarded account goes through a gradual adaptation period where interactions are introduced progressively—starting with passive activities like browsing and story viewing before ramping up with more complex ones such as follow and unfollow. Unlike basic Instagram growth tools with predictable behavior patterns, Kicksta introduces dynamic delays, pauses, and activity switches, just like a real user would. This helps establish a history of organic activity before Kicksta’s system transitions to full speed. With this approach, you’re gaining real, organic followers, however, Kicksta’s growth method is only one piece of the puzzle. Many factors can influence your growth, and understanding them can help you maximize results. Why This Matters for Growth Instagram’s algorithm is constantly evolving to detect and penalize suspicious activity. By using real devices, dedicated proxies, and realistic activity patterns, Kicksta keeps interactions natural, allowing your account to grow without any risks. The system is built to work within Instagram’s ecosystem, ensuring consistent and sustainable growth over time. If you’d like to dive deeper into Kicksta’s growth strategies and the key differences between the growth types we offer, check out the full breakdown here. 👈

Last updated on Feb 25, 2025

The Difference Between Organic Follow-Unfollow Method vs. On-Demand Followers

In addition to Kicksta’s well-known follow-unfollow method of organic Instagram growth, we’ve introduced On-Demand Followers, an option for those looking to increase their follower count instantly. But which one is right for you? Here’s a breakdown of how both options work, including their benefits! Organic Follow-Unfollow Method Kicksta is known for its organic growth method, which helps users attract real, engaged followers. In a nutshell, this method works by following and later unfollowing Instagram users based on the selected targets. How Kicksta’s Organic Follow-Unfollow Method Works ✅ Step 1: Targeting the Right Audience – The system finds users who are likely to engage with your content based on the selected target accounts or hashtags, of your choice. ✅ Step 2: Following and Unfollowing Users– The system automatically follows a set number of users per day, getting your profile in front of people who might be interested in your content and give you a followback. All users are then unfollowed within the next 2-4 days to keep your follower-to-following ratio balanced regardless of the outcome. ✅ Step 3: Take Full Contol of Your Growth– Use advanced options to fully customize your growth preferences! Whitelist users to keep them in your network, blacklist the ones you wish to avoid in the future, add filters to narrow down your preferred audience and decide which actions Kicksta should take on your behalf. Why Choose This Method? ✔ Authentic Growth – The followers you gain through this method are real people who choose to follow you based on similar interests. ✔ More Meaningful Engagement – Since they’re following you for your content, they’re far more likely to like, comment, and stick around compared to inactive or purchased bot followers. ✔ Instagram-Safe & Natural – Kicksta’s approach follows Instagram’s guidelines mimicking human-like activity and acting just like a real user would. Because this method depends on real people making decisions, growth doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time to see results, but this method does build a more sustainable, engaged audience over time. If you need a quick boost in followers, Kicksta’s new feature might be the right option for you. On-Demand Followers: For those who want faster results, Kicksta offers an option to buy followers directly. Unlike the organic follow-unfollow method, this feature instantly increases your follower count! How On-Demand Followers Works ✅ Step 1: Choose Your Package – Select from follower packages ranging from 500 to 50,000. ✅ Step 2: Automatic Delivery – Your new followers start arriving almost instantly after the checkout. Why Choose This Method? ✔ Instant Results – No waiting, just a fast increase in follower count. ✔ Boost Credibility – More followers can make your profile appear more established and even more suitable for organic engagement. ✔ No Effort Required – Unlike organic growth, this doesn’t require time or strategy. Disclaimer: These are all active followers who show signs of engagement. However, since you haven't connected with them through standard engagement techniques, and they're not exactly targeted, they won’t necessarily engage with your content like organically gained followers typically would. Which Growth Method Should You Choose? If you’re unsure which approach to take, here’s a simple breakdown: Final Thoughts For brands, influencers, and businesses serious about long-term Instagram growth, the follow-unfollow method remains the best choice, as it helps build a real, engaged audience. However, if you need a quick follower boost to establish credibility, Kicksta’s On-Demand Followers feature provides an easy way to increase your numbers instantly. At the end of the day, both methods serve different purposes, and with Kicksta, you now have the flexibility to choose what works best for your Instagram strategy.

Last updated on Mar 12, 2025