According to Forbes, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms for millennials. As social media users have flocked to Instagram and taken to its self-service feature, Instagram Stories, the network’s highest user-generated content is now most often shot on mobile.
With a population of 800 million users, Instagram is used by 40 percent of the most popular global brands and the platform attracts over a billion views a day. All this success means users need to be inspired and be recognized by brands and celebrities to keep coming back. Whether that’s by racking up thousands of followers or being featured in brands’ ads. The only way to stand out is with an Instagram worthy feed.
Once you’ve chosen an industry or niche that you truly understand, you need to go all in. You’ll need to craft a certain style to your Instagram.
Yes, you should be you, but remember you are trying to really make something unique and special that people can engage with.
Take pictures that showcase your beauty and experience in the field. Show off your art, and then have a conversation that’s not just promotion.
Try to be transparent and real with your audience. As you get more followers, you can try to transform your account into a merchandising tool that’s highly coveted.
For example, what if you produce a pretty rad makeup line for a brand? You’ll need to build your audience, so start small with accounts that compliment your life. I recommend aiming for 50 to 100 followers at first.
With any great following, you’ll have opportunities to be featured in magazines, and in advertisements.
A blog is a personal space that you’ll always have and control, no matter what happens to Instagram, so if you do choose to create a blog, always try to direct people to it.
Once you have a good following and an original Instagram account, it’s time to get creative.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Most great accounts already do a good job. To stay ahead of the game, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of creating.
Ever wonder about how all the top influencers and accounts get the blue checkmark? It’s simple—you need to have a third party, reputable news source review and write about your work. This is the way that Instagram can tell how big you are in the real world (outside of Instagram).
To do this you need to look into getting some PR (public relations), because a good PR company can get you organic coverage about your work. If you’re curious, try looking at our PR firm. We have created an online app where we get our clients high-quality organic coverage for some of the lowest prices on the market.
PR is an overlooked aspect for many beginning Instagram stars and some don’t even realize they need it. It is especially favorable when you are trying to search engine optimize (SEO) yourself, and make you and your account EVEN MORE visible on the net.
Unfortunately, in this day and age you can’t take a break from creating content. However, content doesn’t always have to be super professional, and it can be frivolous and fun!
Videos are big right now. Many bloggers, including @GenelleSeldon, post a video every single day. You can make these when you have more time or when you have downtime. You can post multiple short videos at once, but if you’re feeling rushed, do one at a time.
You can also get a social media manager that let’s you time out your posts, so you can make a lot of posts and then post them over the next week.
You’ve seen a lot of these accounts. Some of my personal favorites include @JamesCharles, @KandeeJohnson, @mypaleskinblog, @nikkietutorials and @vegas_nay. But why are they on this list?
They follow the formula that has worked for other influencers. Their videos are often full of product shots and compilations. Each has their own unique voice and spin that they give to their account, which makes them interesting to follow.
Using hashtags is great but engaging with people is better.