How to Go Viral With Instagram Carousels with Marisa from Dirty Copy

Ever feel like your reels are a “needle in a haystack”… but your carousels might actually be the growth lever you can control? In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend (and literal Carousel Queen), Marisa from Dirty Copy — creative copywriter, marketing consultant, and host of Dirty Chats: Gossip & Grow Your Business. Marisa shares how she went from high school teacher → copywriter → viral carousel strategist, and the exact shifts that helped her grow from 4–5K followers to 25K+ — including the 30-day challenge that sparked multiple “viral” carousels and her biggest hit at 2.8 million views. If you’re an ambitious woman who wants to grow your brand without overcomplicating your content (and while staying true to your personality), you’re going to LOVE this one. In This Episode, We Talk About Marisa’s origin story: from teaching to copywriting (thanks to a random “cake + neighbor” moment) Why she rebranded from The Rhodes Edit to Dirty Copy (and why “disruptive” works) Why carousels can be easier to go viral with than reels (more control, less guessing) The biggest carousel mistakes people make (and why they stop your content from spreading) Marisa’s “toddler audience” framework (and how it changes the way you write slides) The #1 rule: presume boredom and reduce friction Why “story → buy my offer” usually doesn’t go viral (and what to do instead) How to build authority: show transformation instead of insisting you’re the expert The smartest CTA shift: send them to more value first (podcast/freebie) so trust grows Canva design tips + how to make your carousels feel premium without a full rebrand Using pop culture + “marketing meets celebrity culture” as a vehicle for teaching How Marisa landed a Love Is Blind guest (and the psychology behind making bigger asks) The real thing she had to release to receive her growth: fear of what people close to her think The woman she’s becoming: calm, Kim-K-unbothered energy (YES please) Favorite Quotes “People aren’t interested in your content like you are. Presume boredom.” “Your audience is like toddlers — make it easy to digest.” “Show the transformation… and they’ll decide they want you.” “You can be authentic and polished.” Resources + Links Follow Marisa (Dirty Copy) on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dirty.copy/  Listen to Marisa’s podcast (Dirty Chats):https://open.spotify.com/show/0QvEqUqdZWo6hYCjISIipL?si=f1fb92a18bfa4377  Viral Carousel Course:https://viral-carousels-the-mini-course.teachery.co/viral-carousel-mini-course-cyan  Use code JACKIE for 30% off Marisa’s Freebie:https://polite-tree-993.myflodesk.com/aha8w3b891  About Marisa Marisa is a creative copywriter, host of Dirty Chats, and a copy + marketing consultant for brands that don’t do boring. After growing her Instagram audience by 20K in just a few short months, she’s now widely known as the Carousel Queen — helping businesses cut through the noise with messaging that stands out and actually gets people to care. If this episode lit something up for you, take a screenshot, tag me, and share your biggest takeaway on Instagram. And if you’re joining Marisa’s course, send your first carousel to both of us — we want to see what you create. JACKIE'S LINKS FOLLOW ME HERE FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM  FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK FOLLOW ME ON YOUTUBE   JOIN THE 21-DAYS OF TAPPING & AFFIRMATIONS HERE