Social Media
7 Simple Hacks to be an Influencer on Instagram
Instagram started off as a simple photo and video sharing platform just for fun. It has since grown to a serious marketing platform turning little know individuals to celebrities called influencers. Influencers are Instagram users that have a significant following that well-known brands crave to have them mention their products on their pages.
Influencers can be just normal people with a massive following or celebrities like soccer players or movie stars. You can now make money simply by documenting your daily life activities. There is a whopping 2.38 billion budget for this particular sector.
Getting a massive following is not that easy, but it is possible if you are patient and persistent. While some opt to use bots such Instagress clones to get a following, it would be better if you start from scratch and build up a loyal following that will be participating actively in your campaigns. It is better to have a small, engaging following than a large dormant one. Here are some hacks you can use to grow your following and become an influencer.
Focus on Influencing Others
Becoming an influencer is not as difficult as you would like to imagine. It is true that a while ago, brands went only for those with a massive following. Today, there is a new category of micro-influencers. Most companies have realized that it is easier and cheaper to work with individuals with a small but engaging following. You can start pitching to have brands pay you to market their brands even with just 1000 followers. So, focus on creating an attractive account rather than buying followers.
Identify Your Niche
If you want popular brands to come for you, try and focus on one field when curating your account. This allows you to build an authentic account that companies can have confidence in. Lay a foundation of your brand by engaging and posting about things that you have a passion for. If you love traveling, then let the world see your escapades from your images, captions, and videos. You grow a more loyal following if people can identify with what you do.
Post Quality Content Regularly
The key to growing a following that will make you an influencer is posting quality content regularly. People will check your account and make a decision to follow you if they have something they can see on your account. If you have decided that fitness and health is your path to influencer marketing, then let people see what it is you can offer in that particular field. Try and stay true and passionate about your cause to maintain and grow a loyal following. You do not need to fake anything.
Focus on Increasing Engagement
As I mentioned earlier on, these days, brands focus on micro-influencers that have a stronger and more active reach to their followers. Brands know that it is easier for such influencers to convince their followers to try certain products due to their direct reach than those with a massive following without active engagement. So, make sure you actively engage your following by participating in their conversations and responding to questions and suggestions.
Follow Other Influencers
Identify other influencers that share the same passion as you and work with them. Make sure you do a background search of those influencers to ascertain their credibility. Some are just individuals with no passion and with so much fake following. Such would be detrimental to your work rather than boost you. But, if you find authentic influencers, then they can guide you on even getting your first gig.
Try to Be as real as Possible
Instagram users like to relate with real and authentic people. If you come off as perfect with everything set in place, individuals might be scared of you and feel intimidated by your lifestyle. Try to connect to people with small and simple activities and make people feel like they are a part of what you are doing.
Look for Contacts
With your account set and your brand taking shape, and having built a loyal and engaging following, you now have to reach out to varies companies to monetize your brand. Again, do not focus on the money, but on letting the product, you will be promoting known and used by your followers. Send direct messages to companies requesting to work with them. It is good to try out companies whose products you already use.