Instagram marketing is here to stay. With more than 45.4% of people ages 30-44 saying they’ve purchased a brand new product due to an influencer’s post, there’s no doubt the influence creators wield over their followers. And that’s exciting to marketers and influencers alike! Set yourself up for success with these six tips for getting started as an Instagram influencer.
How to get started as an Instagram Influencer
If you’re interested in how to get started as an Instagram influencer, this guide will share helpful tips and tricks for you and best practices to employ when starting your journey as an Instagram creator.
Pick a niche
First, choose your niche. What type of content will you be sharing?
If you aren’t sure, think about the topics you are passionate about or are an expert in. An easy exercise to try is to think about what your friends go to you for help with. Is it your amazing fashion sense or your knack for knowing where are all the best deals are? Start there.
Once you have your niche figured out, be sure to refine it and get as specific as possible. Fashion by itself isn’t a niche; Plus-size budget fashion or boho fashion for 20-somethings are all examples of more specific niches.
Determine your content pillars
A niche is an excellent starting point, but you’ll still likely run into days where you don’t know what to post. This is where having a defined set of content pillars can really help.
Your content pillars are simply the umbrella of topics that you create content about on Instagram. This is typically three to five topics that represent you and your brand.
A lifestyle influencer, for example, may choose to share content on healthy eating, exercise tips, cleaning and sustainable fashion. As a best practice, you’ll want to feature a piece of content from each one of your pillars in at least one of every nine photos. This gives brands an accurate view of who you are and what you cover when glancing at your feed.
Sign up for a business account
Setting up your business account is pretty easy and will give you access to more detailed analytics and advertising tools. Most brands require that influencers have a business account, so create one from the get-go.
Create a compelling bio
Your bio is precious real estate — use it wisely! You’ll want to include a brief overview of who your content is for and what you post. Don’t forget to include a link to your website and your location.
Curate an aesthetic feed
Instagram is an incredibly visual platform, so creating an aesthetic feed and brand will set you apart. Study other Instagram accounts to get an idea of the look and feel you may want for your own. To create a consistent feel and color palette, you can do things like purchase Lightroom Presets to edit your photos. Many creators also plan their photoshoots in advance so they all contain specific colors or types of places.
Set your goals
What is the purpose of your Instagram account? What are you hoping to achieve? Taking the time to establish clear goals will make all the difference, especially when you’re feeling uninspired. Maybe you’re looking to drive traffic to your Etsy shop or maybe you’re hoping to help other moms feel less stressed. Whatever your goal is, write it down and keep it top of mind as you embark on your Instagram journey.
Influencers:
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Marketers:
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