Last Updated on Feb 6, 2020 by James W
Being a social media influencer involves more than just posting a few times a week. Consistency is key, and it’s equally important to pay attention to engagement, stats, content, and more. We’ve covered everything you need to know to become a successful social media influencer. Read on for more.
- Be consistent:
Establish a posting schedule and stick to it, even if it means taking a bunch of pictures at the beginning of the week so you have something to post every day. It also helps to develop a content calendar so you don’t run out of stuff to post on your social media accounts.
It’s also important to establish a consistent aesthetic so you can attract brands that you actually like when you decide to monetize your accounts.
For instance, you probably shouldn’t post about the best teeth whitening cream if people know you for off-grid living. You want your sponsorships to reflect your brand otherwise you’ll lose trust with your audience if your posts clash with your aesthetic.
Don’t forget to research the best times to post in order to get the maximum amount of engagement on your content every day.
- Set your Instagram profile to “public”
With over one billion monthly users, Instagram is the fastest growing social media network. That’s why it’s imperative that you set your Instagram profile to “public” if you’re serious about being an influencer.
This might seem scary at first because you want to monitor who’s following and viewing your profile. But, setting your profile to private limits the number of followers you can get.
A public account puts you in good standing with the Instagram algorithm. You’ll appear on the “Explore” page which makes it easier for brands to find you. It’s also an invitation for people to view your content, see what you’re about and decide if they want to follow you based on that.
- Be yourself:
Authentic influencers tend to grow a lot faster because they make genuine connections with people. You’ll also find that it’s easier to come up with content because everything is based on things that you genuinely like and enjoy, whether it’s beauty & makeup or traveling and cars.
You can make your account relatable by asking questions in your captions and using relevant hashtags. This will improve your engagement and help you connect with followers.
- Create good content:
You don’t need an expensive camera or a professional photographer to produce good quality content. As long as you have a decent phone camera you can easily leverage natural light to take beautiful photos and videos.
Use good quality editing software to ensure that your pictures are clear so people don’t have to squint to see what’s happening.
- Engage with your community:
When people leave comments on your posts, respond as quickly as possible to show them that you care. Reciprocity makes it easier to build a following and brands prefer to work with influencers that have the most engagement.
As your account grows, take the engagement a step further by hosting offline meetups with your followers. Some of the most successful influencers got to where they are because they put themselves out there.
Don’t forget to network and attend industry events that are relevant to your niche. Google influencer conventions that are happening in your city and go to meetup events if you can.
Do you want to be Insta-famous? Follow the tips outlined above and you’ll soon see brands sliding in your DMs!
