It's no mystery that Instagram is no longer the same outlet for influencers that it was a few years ago.
The days of sharing a pretty picture with a three-word caption and seeing huge development are long gone.
However, with the right tools and tactics, aspiring creators can still profit from a goldmine industry — the influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $15 billion by 2022.
Table of Contents
- 1 How to Become an Instagram Influencer
- 2 Conclusion
How to Become an Instagram Influencer
Though massive growth on Instagram will be more difficult in 2021, it is not impossible.
And, as more brands recognize the importance of Nano and Micro-influencers, you won't need millions of followers to secure major brand partnerships.
According to Later x Fohr's Influencer Marketing Study, Nano and Micro-influencers have the highest average interaction rate.
If this is something you've been considering, today is your lucky day. In this post, we'll walk you through the steps to being an influencer.
So, let's get this conversation going.
1) Select your Niche
Choosing a niche is the first step in discovering how to become an Instagram influencer. You can't be famous for anything, so pick one thing you're amazing at and know a lot about.
Do you like making bento boxes? Do you enjoy sharing your OOTDs? Or maybe you're a sneakerhead?.
Once you've decided on a niche, you must stick to it. So choose something that represents your true interests rather than a niche of which you do not know.
The more concentrated and niched you are at the start, the easier it will be to build a community that trusts and loves your content.
Why is this so? It is preferable to be a specialist in a few areas rather than a jack-of-all-trades.
However, deciding on only one or two subjects to write about can be difficult because we are multifaceted individuals with several interests.
If you've determined your overall niche, you should concentrate on your content pillars, which are three to five sub-topics for which you'll produce content regularly.
If you're a travel blogger, your content pillars might include vacation advice, lifestyle advice, and social media insights.
2) Write an Effective Bio
The second step in learning how to become an Instagram influencer is to understand the importance of a good bio!
Instagram bios are limited to 150 characters.
It may be brief, but it serves as the elevator pitch for your entire account. It introduces your brand to followers who are unfamiliar with who you are or what you do.
Customers are unlikely to adopt your brand if you do not have a straightforward and succinct bio. After all, would you put your faith in someone who can't even get their introduction right? Most likely not!
A smart piece of advice is to think of what you might say if you were presenting yourself at a networking function.
This question will assist you in determining the specifics you should include in your bio.
Another suggestion is to focus on keywords.
Make a list of the keywords you use to identify yourself and your brand. You'll be able to identify who you are and what you do once you've identified the obvious keywords that are important to your brand. Furthermore, your followers will be assured that they are following the correct profile.
3) Be Consistent
A few years ago, it was feasible to post infrequently and consistently expand. But things will be different in 2021.
Consistency is important if you want to see growth on Instagram and stay top of mind with your fans.
Pick a schedule for your feed posts and stick to it so your audience knows when to expect new content from you and for Instagram Stories, strive to be present every day.
Instagram Stories are becoming popular as people spend more time watching stories than scrolling through their feeds.
One of the most difficult aspects of waking up every day is a lack of material or time to prepare ahead.
4) Create Captions that Represent the Voice and Personality of your Brand
How do you interact with your fans?
You don't just make posts of beautiful images. You should also inject some personality into your Instagram captions to make your brand look more appealing.
After all, nothing is more appealing than a brand that lacks personality.
So, how do you decide the voice of your brand?
Choose two to four adjectives that best describe your business.
Assume your brand is "witty," "fun," and "chill." Denny's Diner is the company that represents this online identity. Thousands of millennials and teens follow their Instagram account because they find their language and tone amusing.
Captions are an excellent way to start a dialogue, provide value, and build meaningful relationships with your audience.
The “microblogging caption,” which is similar to a mini blog post, is one trend to try.
Hashtags are essential if you want to grow your following.
In reality, hashtagged posts receive 12.6% more interaction. This is because hashtags make your posts searchable for a specific keyword.
For example, if you're in the skincare niche, the hashtag #skincare will help users find your profile if they're looking for skincare advice. They won't be able to find your post if they don't have it, even if they scroll down all day.
A post should have between 5 and 30 hashtags. According to some experts, 11 hashtags per post is a reasonable number to aim for. Instagram will not allow you to comment on a post if it contains more than 30 hashtags. As a result, you should stop using too many hashtags.
In the search bar, enter a hashtag relevant to your article. For example, if you're talking about sneakers, use the hashtag #sneaker. Suggestions would then appear in Instagram's search bar.
You may also find relevant hashtags by looking at the posts of other influencers or brands. Assume the company Soko Glam advertised their new moisturizer in a tweet. You may use the hashtags they used in their message. Only make sure that these hashtags aren't exclusive to their brand or campaign.
Instagram Insights can be used to monitor the success of a hashtag. This allows you to decide which hashtags can help you reach your target audience the most effectively.
Do you need a way to keep track of all your hashtags? Our hashtag manager will help you save time... and your sanity! It allows you to keep all of your hashtags in one place, organize them into groups, and add up to 30 of them to your posts in a matter of seconds.
6) Interact with your Audience
Instagram is, without a doubt, a social media site. As a result, you'll need to connect with users if you want to build a large following.
If you're new to Instagram, you can start by looking for users who are interested in your niche.
Assume you're an influencer who enjoys fashion tips. You will find potential followers in the comments section of the posts by searching with the hashtag #FashionTips.
Examine potential followers' Instagram feeds and reach out to them by commenting on their stories. What do you like most about their posts? What would you say to make them feel better? What is the best way to make a good first impression?
Don't forget to engage with your current followers! Make sure to react if they leave a comment or ask a question in the comments section!
Followers appreciate it when influencers take the time to get to know them. Taking the time to chat with them is also important if you want to become an Instagram influencer. After all, some of them are taking the time to promote your content and share it with their network. So the very least you can do is speak to them and thank them for their support.
7) Try to Build your Community
Although growth and interaction rates are important metrics to consider, influencers should also consider the consistency of the community they are building.
When you are hyper-focused on breadth, you may have a huge audience, but they may not trust your advice because you haven't spent the time developing it.
In contrast, if you are hyper-focused on depth, you would have an audience that trusts your advice, purchases the items you suggest, and follows you to other platforms.
Building relationships within your group is the most essential point you can do at any point of your Instagram influencer career.
Conclusion
Although growth and interaction rates are important metrics to consider, influencers should also consider the consistency of the community they are building.
When you are hyper-focused on breadth, you may have a huge audience, but they may not trust your advice because you haven't spent the time developing it.
In contrast, if you are hyper-focused on depth, you would have an audience that trusts your advice, purchases the items you suggest, and follows you to other platforms.
Building relationships within your group is the most essential point you can do at any point of your Instagram influencer career.