Do you ever wonder what it would take to become an Instagram influencer and start getting paid to work with your favorite brands? Are you confused on exactly where you should start?
After getting a number of requests for guidance and advice on how to become an instagram influencer, I have come up with 10 easy steps to get started.
1). Determine your Niche:
Think about what you love and what you’re passionate about. Your niche will be what your content is focused on. First, take time to write down a list of things you love. Next, narrow down your list to a general niche. It is very important to know and understand what your niche will be. Furthermore, your niche will guide you in the type of content that you create!
Do you love traveling? Do you love giving fashion and style tips? Are you passionate about all things motherhood? Remember to be true and authentic to yourself when choosing your niche.
2). Write a Captivating Bio:
One of the first things that people see when they come to your Instagram page is your bio! This is where you want to find a creative way to tell your audience and potential brands who you are, what you do, and what you love! Also be sure to have a call to actions so potential brands know that you are open to collaborations and partnerships! For example, within your bio. you can add “email for collaborations.”
3). Set up a Business Account:
Switch your personal account to a business account on instagram. Why? There are two main reasons why you want to do this. The first reason is with a business account you’re able to see insights of your account such as the demographics of your followers, analyze your content, and check the most effective times to post! The second reason is because you want brands to be able to easily email you if they are interested in working with you. The instagram business account allows you to link your email.
4). Post Quality Content:
Spend time taking photos that align with your niche. Understand that instagram is a visual platform so you want your page to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Also, your captions are just as important. Your captions should narrate the mood of your picture. Here is a tip on how you can start posting quality content. I typically take my pictures on the weekends. My niche is motherhood so I take lots of pictures of my children and myself with my children. Determine what days work best for you to take your pictures and create content.
5). Be Consistent:
Be consistent! Say it with me, be consistent! I can’t stress this enough. Becoming an instagram influencer is a business so you have to operate as such! Consistency is a part of how you grow your followers and one of the reasons why brands choose to work with influencers.
Frequency? The ideal frequency is different for everyone. Overall, you want to post quality content consistently. That may look like every day for some influencers or 2-3 times per week for other influencers. Remember, quality content over quantity!
6). Hashtags:
I love hashtags because this is a great way for you to grow your followers as well as be seen by potential brands! It is suggested that you make full use of the 30 hashtags that are allowed per post. I prefer to add my hashtags in the comment sections rather than my caption section. Make sure your hashtags align with the picture and caption that you are posting. For example, if I post a picture of myself and my daughter in matching outfits, some hashtags that I might use are #mommyandme #matchingoutfits #motherhood. I would also add hashtags that are related to my position as an influencer #momblog #momblogtribe.
7). Provide a Resource:
Within your posts and/or instagram stories you should be providing some type of resource to your audience that focuses around your niche. Are you providing your audience with cooking tips? Have you thought about providing tips on how to master motherhood? Are you providing links on style and fashion tips? You want your audience to of course love the beautiful pictures that you post on Instagram, but you also want your audience to come to your page because you are providing a resource to help them with some aspect of their life. Always think about how you can serve your audience.
8). Engagement:
This is something that brands really pay attention to with influencers. Brands want to see that you have a very engaged audience that not only likes your photos but also leaves comments. Make sure there is interaction between influencer and follower! When your followers leave you comments, comment back and/or like their comment. Try to say something meaningful and positive back. Your followers will appreciate you engaging with them. Check out my blog post on 5 Tips to Increase Engagement on Instagram.
9). Instagram Stories:
Instagram stories is a fun way to be creative with your content by making videos and taking pictures. Utilize all the instagram story features such as the polls, questions, GIFs, and filters. Also, have fun with the music option! Instagram stories are a great way for your audience and potential brands to have a sneak peak into your daily life.
10). Engage with Brands:
Start engaging with all your favorite brands. Follow them and comment on their posts! Also, @ brands that you are currently using within your posts and Instagram stories. This is one of the many ways to get noticed by brands. I have had several brands that started to follow me back and we have established a partnership because I started actively engaging with them on Instagram!
What’s the next step:
In conclusion, now that you have started on your path to becoming an instagram influencer, you’ll want to start reaching out to brands that you want to work with. One of the best ways that helped me jump into working with brands was through influencer platforms. Check out my blog post on 8 Influencer Marketing Platforms for Beginners Also, follow me on Instagram so you can get an inside look at my life as an influencer, blogger and content creator! @Beautifully_Made.
XO,
Ashley
