To put it simply, Instagram influencers are the users on Instagram who accumulated a considerable number of followers who look up to them and value their opinions.
If you become an Instagram influencer, you will not only be able to sell your products to this audience but also promote other brands and earn money that way.
Here’s a guide to becoming an Instagram influencer in 2019.
1- Choose Something You Like
The first step is to choose your niche. This is very important because it should be something that you are truly interested in. If you select a topic that will make you lose interest after some time, you will be unlikely to succeed in the end.
The niche you choose must suit your personality, your habits, and your interests. You must have some prior knowledge about the topic and be willing to do further research. This will make you look like an authority that can be trusted rather than a random user on the Internet with a doubtful opinion.
Keep in mind that doing something that someone else has succeeded in is not always the right way to go. In fact, taking a very small niche could help you become a micro-influencer much faster and build a small but dedicated fan base.
You can also choose a combination of topics. This will usually come under the collective name of “lifestyle”. However, all of these subtopics should align with your brand and your values showing that you really represent all of them.
2- Set Up Your Account Properly
Once you know what you will be posting about, you can start setting up your account. It will consist of a variety of elements so you need to customize each of them well:
- Username: Your username is what your audience will use to search for your account. It represents you just as much as your own name. You can either use a username with your first and last name or you can find something different. This can be a phrase or a word that is connected to your topic someway or represents you.
- Profile Pic: More often than not, you will need to use a photo of yourself for your profile picture. After all, you will be establishing a connection with your audience through yourself and not just through the content you post. In some way, it is similar to selecting your LinkedIn profile pic. On the other hand, you may want to consider using a photo of something relevant to your topic.
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https://www.instagram.com/savrosee Bio: The bio on your profile is the third thing your potential follower sees. This is why it carries so much prominence both for you and for your audience. Make sure that you list your interests and the topics you post about.
You can also add some important dates such as when you started your account or information about a hashtag your followers should use for UGC. Don’t forget about emojis!
- Business: Finally, you have to switch to a business account to be able to access Instagram Insights. Simply go to settings and select the option for switching to a business account. Then, you will have to link your Facebook account and you are all set.
3- Find the Tools You Will Be Using
The next step is to find the tools you will be using to create your content. These will need to cover such aspects as:
- Writing: For writing your content, you will need different tools for proofreading it like Grammarly as well as translating it. The latter ones are easy to do as you only need a social media content translation service like The Word Point to do this for you.
- Editing: Your images will have to be edited well and look consistent to make your feed beautiful. From cropping to adjusting the brightness, you will need different features.
- Hashtags: These will be discussed later on in the article, but it is important to mention now that you will need to do proper research to find the most relevant keywords.
4- Start Sharing Your Stories
An Instagram influencer is not just someone who shares great photos but also someone who writes great captions. You have to start sharing your stories in order to attract the audience you are looking for.
By offering value in your content, you will be able to connect with your followers on a personal, emotional level. It’s an integral part of building your brand with the aid of the art of storytelling. This is your chance to make them more involved and prompt them to engage with your content.
Think in terms of building your reputation and trust. Anyone on social media will be able to see through your lies easily in case you decide to be dishonest with them. Always be genuine with what you say or do.
Make your stories interesting and authentic so that your followers will want to read more and more of them. It’s all about providing value and getting it back from your audience. It’s an exchange and a kind of symbiotic relationship.
5- Create a Beautiful Feed
Along with the stories you tell, you must not forget about the way your feed looks. This includes both your posts separately and when viewed together. You have to show consistency with your style and editing.
Make your photos visually appealing so that more people notice them and decide to like them and leave a comment. You should have an overall theme that reflects your personality and particular brand.
A good idea is to check the profiles of other influencers in your niche to see what style they have been using. Travel influencers, for instance, love to make their images look bright and “happy” with vibrant colors.
At the same time, don’t forget about your posting scheduling. Publishing your posts regularly will ensure that you get enough exposure and improve brand awareness exponentially. Research your target audience and think of the hours during which they are most active online.
6- Use Relevant Hashtags
Last but not least, you need to use relevant hashtags in your posts. It is essential that you do your research well so that you know exactly what works and what doesn’t. You can use Keyword Tool or something similar for this. Here are the three types of hashtags you should be using:
- General Hashtags: These are the hashtags used by everyone. They help you to introduce your posts to the mass of other posts created by almost everyone. Such hashtags include #MondayMotivation and #ThrowbackThursday among others.
- Industry Hashtags: These are the hashtags specific to your industry. If you are posting about makeup, you will be able to include more niche hashtags such as #Lipstick and #Eyeliner. Industry hashtags can help you reach more narrow audiences.
- Branded Hashtags: These can come in the form of either the name of your brand or the slogan your brand uses. For example, some of the most popular branded hashtags include #Nike and #JustDoIt. Such hashtags also work well for attracting great user-generated content or UGC.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, you will need to dedicate time and effort to become an Instagram influencer, but if you are passionate about it, you will succeed. Follow the steps outlined in this article and you will start making progress in this direction.
Author’s Bio:
Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.