The Complete Guide to Becoming an Instagram Influencer

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Build a successful brand and make money on Instagram
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If you love Instagram and want to become an influencer, you're certainly not alone! While becoming an influencer is not a science, you can take steps in that direction by establishing your brand and curating your account to reflect a certain theme or attitude. You'll also need to engage with your followers to slowly build your account up.

Easy Steps to Become an Influencer on Instagram

To establish your presence, first identify who you are and determine your niche. Use scheduling tools to plan and maintain consistency in your posts, ensuring they match with your brand or profile. Additionally, include genuine captions in your content to engage with your audience and promote interaction.

Section 1 of 4:

Establishing Yourself

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  1. The best Instagram accounts have a focus, and yours should, too. However, you shouldn't just pick something out of the blue. Base your account around something you enjoy. If you're passionate about it, your followers will know!
    • Really, it's up to you what you focus on. You can do food, makeup, travel, embroidery, poetry, or even slime. As long as it has a visual component and it's something you enjoy, go for it!
  2. While you don't want to get too narrow, as your posts will get old quickly, you should have a focus. For instance, "sports" may be too broad, but "tennis balls" may be too narrow. The idea is to carve out an area that makes your account unique so people will want to follow it. [1]
    • For instance, Instagram has a wide range of food bloggers, but you could still find your own niche within that. Maybe you want to review food in your city, for instance, or maybe you want to focus on the food you make. Just think about what makes you unique and how you can apply that to your account.
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  3. Your bio appears at the top of your photos when someone clicks on your account, so you don't want to write a novel. Keep it to 1-2 sentences at most. In fact, some bios are just a few words. However, it should be enough to describe what you're doing and catch people's attention.
    • For example, if you're writing about the food culture in Oklahoma City, you might write, "Looking for the best eats high and low in OKC." That shows that you like all kinds of cuisine and that you're focusing on Oklahoma City.
  4. While this won't get you famous, it's certainly a place to start! Instagram generally suggests people you can follow from places like Facebook, so you can start with those names and work outward.
    • Look for the "suggested" friends section, as it usually pops up in the middle of your feed.
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Section 2 of 4:

Generating Content

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  1. These apps help you manage your account. You can upload photos and reels to post later, edit photos, track followers, and a whole host of other things through these apps. They make it easier to manage your Instagram page. [2]
    • The editing tools in these apps are much more sophisticated than what you have on your Instagram account. They also allow you to do things like edit videos, and in some cases, schedule posts for a later date.
    • For instance, try VSCO, UNUM, Preview, or Planoly.
    • If you have a professional Instagram account, such as a Business or Creator account, you can also access some of these types of tools through the Meta Business Suite app. [3]
      • The Meta Business Suite app is available for iPhone or Android.
      • You can also access the Business Suite online at business.facebook.com .
      • It’s free and easy to set up a Business or Creator account!
  2. 2
    Adapt to the algorithm. Instagram's algorithm can change, so you should change with it to keep up. Read social media blogs or news articles to keep up with the changes. For example, if the algorithm changes to favor short-form reels over text-based story posts, you need to alter your plans to convert your original text-based posts so you can release more short-form reels!
    • However, if the newer content isn't something that matches your brand, you shouldn't change your brand to fit the content in the algorithm's spotlight. This will compromise your brand. [4] .
  3. Now it's time to get to the fun part! Start taking photos every day of the things that fit into your account. Get a week or 2 built up before you start posting, so you have lots of quality photos to post on your account. [5]
    • You can use your smartphone, or you can spring for a more expensive camera. Whatever feels right to you!
    Gigi Hadid, Model & Fashion Influencer

    Build your personal brand on social media. "I feel lucky to live in the era of social media and be a working model at this time. Back in the day, models were just another face, but social media has given people a voice. You can show the world your personality."

  4. Once you upload your photos and reels to your feed planner, rearrange them as needed to make the page feel more cohesive and organized. Think about how the images look as a whole on the page and play around with different filters. The feed planner lets you apply a filter to all the photos at once, and you can also move photos around so that the layout of the whole page looks planned. Try to pick 1 filter for all your photos so that they will all look like your brand. [6]
    • Try applying partial filters by adding the filter and lowering the percentage halfway. Don't use more than 1 filter for your photos.
  5. A photo alone isn't enough to get people to follow you. They want to hear the story behind the image, even if it's just a short quip. The key is to be as open and genuine as you can, as your followers will feel when you're being sincere and want to connect to that.
    • For instance, if you post a picture of your breakfast as a food blogger, you might write, "Real talk: every morning can't be omelets, bacon, and Belgian waffles. Sometimes, a simple bowl of plain yogurt and fruit hits the spot. Plus, I can grab it when I'm running out the door!" With a caption like this one, you're admitting that every meal you make isn't fancy, which helps humanize you to your followers.
  6. 6
    Create variety in your content with Posts, Reels, and Stories. Don't forget to use other media types, like Reels and Stories! They might be faster to create than an image-based post with words, but that doesn't mean you should only create Reels and Stories. Your followers might get bored if all you post are videos.
    • Use trending music to attract attention to your Reels and Stories ! You'll see a list of suggested sounds when you tap the music icon when you're creating a Reel or Story; this is a sound that fits your content, but you can also look at the "Trending" tab to see more options.
  7. Hashtags help categorize your posts, and in fact, some people crawl through hashtags to find new accounts to follow. Therefore, choose carefully. Basically, you can use any word or phrase without spaces as a hashtag by typing the "#" followed by the word. As you type, pay attention to the number of times each hashtag has been used and pick the one with the highest numbers. [7]
    • For instance, if you post a picture of your cat, look at the hashtags "#cat" and "#cats." One likely has more uses than the other, so choose that one and leave the other off.
    • Don't use too many hashtags, as Instagram may bury posts that are flooded with too many.
  8. Location tags make your post more visible because people may dig through locations. You can pick a specific location, such as a restaurant or a park you're at, or you can make it more generic, such as a section of your city. [8]
    • Location suggestions pop up under the caption box when you're on the last page before posting your photo. Pick one that seems right or suggest another.
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Section 3 of 4:

Improving Your Photos

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  1. With a smartphone, it can be tempting to always shoot in square mode or vertical mode. Even though Instagram typically uses square mode, you'll have a better chance of capturing everything in the shot if you use horizontal mode. You can always edit it down later. [9]
    • Horizontal mode even works well for portrait shots, as you can capture more of the background.
  2. When you're first starting out, don't be afraid to use your camera's preset modes. For instance, try using "portrait," which uses a wider aperture and dampens the colors a bit. On the other hand, "landscape" uses a small aperture, and it amps up the color. In addition, make sure to stabilize your camera, either using a tripod or even something like a beanbag on a flat surface. A stable camera will take a much clearer photograph. [10]
    • Don't be afraid to play around with different settings. See what works best for the shots you take!
  3. Basically, this rule says you don't want to center everything in the middle of the photo. Instead, imagine the photo has 2 vertical lines and 2 horizontal lines that divide the photo into even thirds each way. When you're "centering" the main subject of your photo, aim to place it along one of the lines or at an intersection. [11]
    • For instance, if you're taking a picture of a person, set them off to the right or left in the photo instead of dead center.
  4. For this type of photo, stand above your subject, typically on a chair, to get a wide shot of whatever it is you're photographing. This type of shot works especially well for artistic shots of food or things like table decorations and the like. Lay out your items or food on a flat surface with a neutral background.
    • Tell a story with this type of photo. That is, if you're taking a photo of a book you're reading, such as Harry Potter, try laying out items in the picture that fit the theme, like a wand, lightning bolt, glasses, or a scarf in house colors.
    • Don't be afraid to leave some areas blank for this type of photo. You can still use the rule of thirds.
  5. When planning out your photo, try to limit it to 2-3 colors to tie the photo together. At the same time, incorporate different textures into the photo to add visual interest. [12]
    • For instance, add something silky and something made of rough wood. You can also mix old and new. Get creative! [13]
  6. Take multiple shots from many different angles. You're not likely to get the perfect shot in one photo, and using different angles will up your chances of getting a great one. [14]
    • For instance, try taking a photo from below your subject and from above. Try shooting from the left and the right. Look at different ways you can frame the shot with things in the background.
  7. Natural light is the best light for creating glowing, beautiful photos. While you can't take every photo in natural light, try to do as many as you can. [15]
    • For instance, if you want to take a photo of something you made for lunch but your kitchen table doesn't have much natural light nearby, move the setup to a window or door where you get soft natural light.
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Section 4 of 4:

Engaging with Community

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  1. 1
    Boost your posts. If you have a professional account, you can boost your post so it's seen by more eyes. All you need to do is go to your profile, click or tap on the post you want to boost, and select Boost . A boosted post is basically a paid ad for your account, so choose a post that really represents your brand and decide what your goals are.
    • You'll need to set your preferences for the boosted post. Make selections for the following categories:
      • Goal - What do you want people to do when they see your post: visit a website? Call a number?
      • Audience - This describes who you want to see your ad.
      • Budget - Set how much you want to spend daily to promote the boosted post. You can spend more money to reach more accounts.
      • Duration - This selection determines how long your post will remain boosted.
    • Click or tap Next to continue.
    • Link a Facebook account (optional), preview your boosted post (or ad), and click or tap Boost post . [16]
      • You can do the same to boost Reels and Stories as well as posts.
      • Avoid boosting posts with images over 8 MB.
  2. You could flood your Instagram account with 10 photos a day, but you may start to turn some followers off, particularly if the photos are all similar. Instead, opt for the best quality shots you take and pick the ones that have the most significance for you and your account. [17]
    • Try to post at least once a day, but don't go over 2-3 posts a day unless it's a special event.
    • You can also create a single post with multiple photos if you want to post lots of pictures at once without overwhelming your followers.
  3. Try to look at your photos and captions objectively. Would you follow your account? If you wouldn't, it may be time to rethink what you're doing. There's always room to learn and grow! [18]
    • Typically, what draws followers to accounts is clean, colorful pictures with a certain style or emotion that ties them together. Interesting captions are also important.
  4. Simple questions encourage your followers to comment on your post. More comments mean you'll be put higher up in people's feeds. You want your posts to show up as often as possible, so the more exposure you can garner, the better. [19]
    • While you can simply pose a question in the caption of your post, Instagram also allows you to incorporate polls or prompts into your posts. When creating a new post, tap the Poll or Prompt button under the text field where you type your caption.
      • This feature is only available in the mobile app.
      • If you select Poll , you can enter a question and then create custom answers. When you’re done, tap OK . Keep in mind that you can’t edit a poll after posting it.
      • Selecting Prompt allows you to pose a more open-ended question. Responses to your prompt will be displayed at the top of the comment section.
    • For instance, you could ask questions like "What's for dinner at your house?" or "What song are you listening to?" You could also try something like, "Pomegranates: Love or hate?" Even comments with 1-word answers are good!
    • You can also add Emoji Slider stickers to most of your content to encourage engagement with your followers. Just tap the sticker button when you're editing your content and select the Emoji Slider.
    • Here are more ideas to encourage engagement with your followers using Stories.
  5. When your followers leave a comment on your post, try to "like" or reply to as many as you can. That helps create a relationship between you and your followers, as it makes them feel included in what you're doing. [20]
    • If you’re looking for more ways to interact with your followers directly, consider starting a broadcast channel. Channels allow you to send messages, polls, discussion prompts, images, voice memos, and more directly to channel members.
      • If you have subscribers , you can offer access to your channel as a bonus feature.
      • To set up a channel, open your Instagram inbox, tap the Compose button in the top right corner, and select Create channel . [21]
      • This option isn’t available to everyone, and it’s not always clear why Instagram offers it to some professional account users and not others. If you don’t see it, keep growing your account in other ways and check back later to see if it becomes available.
    EXPERT TIP

    Ramin Ahmari

    Social Media Expert
    Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, an AI-led fashion house using machine learning on social media to forecast trends & eliminate fashion's problem of overproduction. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.
    Ramin Ahmari
    Social Media Expert

    Ramin Ahmari, the Co-Founder and CEO of FINESSE, says: " Something that's really powerful about Instagram is that a DM allows you to connect directly to your following, which is such an incredibly powerful tool. Take the time to connect with your audience. Write to them, and respond to their DMs. Don't think of yourself as an authoritative figure— listen to your followers' feedback and adapt to it. The most powerful influencers have personal connections with their following that they have carefully crafted and maintained over time."

  6. Focus on accounts that are similar to your brand, as you're more likely to get people to follow you in return. Then, like and comment on their posts. That will encourage them to check out your page, too.
    • Try clicking on hashtags to find posts about content similar to what’s on your page.
  7. 7
    Collaborate with similar accounts. If you're already following and interacting with pages that are like your own, you might be able to collaborate with them . This way, you'll get more eyes on your content (followers of your collaborator will see your posts), and they might add to your follower count!
  8. You can find many websites that offer a way to meet brands. Look through offers and work with the brands that fit your niche, so you aren't promoting something you don't believe in! [22]
    • These networks are usually websites off the main Instagram account. You can search online to find one.
    • Brands are increasingly partnering with micro and nano influencers. Micro influencers have 10,000-100,000 followers, while nano influencers are smaller, with 1,000-10,000 followers. These smaller influencers tend to have better engagement statistics and more authentic connections to their audience. [23]
    • Check out this wikiHow article for more ways to monetize your IG account.
    9. Advertisement

Grow Your Instagram Presence with this Expert Series

Do you dream of becoming an Instagram influencer? Are you struggling to gain more followers. Then this expert series is for you!
1
Get 1k Followers on Instagram
2
Get Featured on Instagram
3
Get More Likes on Your Instagram Photos
4
The Complete Guide to Becoming an Instagram Influencer
5
Have a Good Instagram
6
Make Money on Instagram

Expert Q&A

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Add New Question
  • Question
    How hard is it to become an Instagram influencer?
    Ramin Ahmari
    Social Media Expert
    Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, an AI-led fashion house using machine learning on social media to forecast trends & eliminate fashion's problem of overproduction. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.
    Ramin Ahmari
    Social Media Expert
    Expert Answer
    It takes a lot of time and effort to grow a social media presence. You have to create content that tells a story that people can really relate to. People want to connect with someone they can trust, so you have to build that relationship.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    How much do Instagram influencers really make?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    It depends on how many followers they have and where their pay is coming from. For instance, some influencers are paid by companies to advertise their products, while others make an income from selling their own merch. It’s highly variable, but on average, a low-level influencer makes around $10 per 1,000 followers or $250 per 1,000 engagements with ads/products.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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  • Question
    How many followers do you need to be an influencer?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    While there’s no magic number that defines you as an influencer, generally speaking, you’d need about 5,000 followers and a little over 300 sponsored posts per year to bring in $100,000 in a year.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomward/2017/12/12/how-to-become-an-influencer-10-tips-for-success/#6ef9709672a8
      2. ↑ https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer/
      3. ↑ https://help.instagram.com/138925576505882?helpref=faq_content
      4. ↑ https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer#77
      5. ↑ https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer/
      6. ↑ https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer/
      7. ↑ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/how-to-be-an-instagram-influencer
      8. ↑ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/how-to-be-an-instagram-influencer
      9. ↑ https://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2014/09/8-tips-improving-your-instagram-photography#page-2
      1. ↑ https://www.techradar.com/how-to/41-tips-and-tricks-to-improve-your-photography
      2. ↑ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/how-to-be-an-instagram-influencer
      3. ↑ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/how-to-be-an-instagram-influencer
      4. ↑ https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer/
      5. ↑ https://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2014/09/8-tips-improving-your-instagram-photography
      6. ↑ https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer/
      7. ↑ https://help.instagram.com/2090822074310288/?cms_platform=www&helpref=platform_switcher
      8. ↑ https://www.inc.com/darren-heitner/4-tips-to-be-an-instagram-influencer-under-new-algorithm.html
      9. ↑ https://www.inc.com/darren-heitner/4-tips-to-be-an-instagram-influencer-under-new-algorithm.html
      10. ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/306934
      11. ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/306934
      12. ↑ https://help.instagram.com/783859809732797
      13. ↑ https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-become-an-instagram-influencer/
      14. ↑ https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/beauty/how-nano-creators-became-beautys-best-marketing-tool

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