Instagram has grown in popularity over the years and is now one of the most popular social media platforms. It carries an enormous value for brands since most of the people brands are targeting are Instagram users.
An Instagram influencer is someone who can influence the purchasing decisions of their followers. That’s why brands are heavily relying on influencers to drive sales and brand awareness.
Many people make a living out of being Instagram influencers with some charging up to $25,000 for one post. But becoming a successful Instagram influencer is not simple. Like everything else that pays, you have to put in the work first. Here are some tips to help you on your way to being a successful Instagram influencer.
Pick a niche you are passionate about
You are going to be posting a lot about a particular topic, so be sure to pick a niche you have an interest in. It should suit your personality and be something that you are passionate about. You need to be knowledgeable on the topic(s) you pick if you want to be able to influence people. So look at your interest and find something you truly love.
Have a creative and interesting bio
When a brand or potential followers land on your page, the first thing they note is your bio. So you need to craft a bio that immediately catches people’s attention. It should say something about you and your brand.
Have a consistent and appealing aesthetic
This is very important if you want to become a successful influencer. Your photos should be high-quality and visually appealing. They should look great against each other.
But they shouldn’t be random. They must be in line with your overall brand theme and have a common aesthetic look. You might want to stick to a particular editing style so that all your photos can have a similar composition and color.
Post Consistently
To be a successful influencer, you need to post content regularly and consistently. Most Instagram influencers post two to four times a day. You need to determine a posting schedule and stick to it. When setting a posting schedule, make sure it is something you can handle. Don’t set unrealistic posting goals that you won’t be able to adhere to. If you find it difficult to keep a schedule, you can use tools like Ripl, Buffer or Preview.
Tell compelling stories
Being an Instagram influencer isn’t just about having a huge following. User engagement is also important. People are more likely to follow your page if your photos are accompanied by compelling captions.
Share your thoughts and stories with your followers and connect with them on an emotional level. By sharing genuine stories, your followers have a reason to not only trust you but engage with you as well.
User engagement also plays a key role in discoverability. Instagram’s new algorithm rewards accounts with a higher engagement by making them more visible. Having a huge following with minimum engagement with followers can no longer guarantee you partnerships with brands in your niche. Brands now look at engagement when choosing influencers to work with.
Take advantage of Instagram Stories
It is increasingly hard had to become discoverable on Instagram through posts only. So you need to take part of Instagram’s biggest feature, Instagram Stories. More than 300 million users use it every day, making it the perfect tool to reach more people and grow followers.
Unlike posts, Stories are discoverable to people who aren’t even your followers. You can also add hashtags and locations to your stories to be more visible. Instagram Stories also allows you to tag and give shout-outs other users, which is great for building relationships and increasing your followers.
