How to become an Instagram influencer 🏆

An influencer is someone who has grown a community of engaged followers on a platform, in this case, Instagram. While there is no specific number of followers that lends this status, there are various subcategories of influencers based on this count.

Influencer scope

The subcategories are nano-influencer, micro-influencer, and macro-influencer, with fewer than 10,000, 10,000–100,000, and 100,000–1 million followers, respectively. There are also mega-influencers, people who boast over a million followers. Here is a guide on how to become an Instagram influencer.

Define your niche and content type

You can have a broad niche like fashion or acting. However, your content type should involve specific subcategories relevant to the niche. It should be specific enough to set you apart from other creators in that niche.

It can take time to identify a niche. To help narrow down your focus, ask yourself what your biggest passions are. Are there any specific topics your family and friends consult you about? Consider if you’re an expert in a certain field.

Find people to follow on Instagram

Reach out to as many people as possible – they will be more likely to follow you on Instagram. There are two ways to find people on Instagram and follow them. You can search for people to follow by tapping at the bottom of the screen. You can also link your contact list, and Instagram will suggest users follow based on that.

Open a creator account

There are three types of accounts on the platform: creator, business, and personal. Both creator and business accounts can earn bonuses from Meta’s $1 billion creator fund. You need a creator account to create and grow viral Instagram reels. Music is the main difference between business and creator accounts, which affects what you can create on reels. People with business accounts can only use copyright-free music. If you have a creator account, you’re guaranteed access to trending music.

Optimize your bio

Your bio is a powerful tool. It will be easier to grow a following if you optimize it. You need to have the same picture and username on all networks and channels where you have accounts. This augments brand consistency and helps you gain recognition.

Your name field should include your full name and location, like the closest big city. Add the word ‘influencer,’ ‘creator,’ or ‘blogger,’ depending on your identity. There aren’t many searchable things on Instagram, but the name field is one of them. Brands use name fields to find influencers to invite to local events or use in their campaigns.  

You should also include ‘I help’ in your bio. This lets people know what they can expect if they follow you.

It’s a good idea to add your email to your bio. Agents will find you more easily, and it can increase the likelihood of future collaborations with brands.

When viewed on desktop, there is no email button on Instagram profiles. This is why it can be crucial to add your email. Many brands continue to cast campaigns by viewing profiles on a computer.

Focus on Instagram Reels

Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the medium would prioritize video at the end of 2021, provoking a public and a quite negative reaction from certain celebrities. Reels launched in 2020, and a study found engagement for images had dropped by 44% since 2019. This leads one to conclude that static content has become a less effective and reliable growth tactic.

There’s no doubt making Reels comes with a steep learning curve, but you shouldn’t wait. Don’t worry about your first Reel being ideal. Just producing one will help you learn how to become a better creator.

Support your Reel with a strong story, so it’s more likely to provoke engagement. It doesn’t matter how long it is. It’s effective to add a number in the title, like ‘7 Fascinating Facts About X.’

Your Reels will get more views if you use trending music. Some good ways to find trending audio include visiting your explore page, watching other Reels, or browsing music through the widget on Instagram Stories.

Schedule posts

The best way to get as many views as possible is to post when most of your followers are online. You might find scheduling software helpful. The best software calculates the best time to post automatically. The best times to post to your feed are:

• Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 am – 1 pm
• Mondays at 11 am
• Thursdays and Fridays at 10 am and 11 am

Posts with hashtags see more engagement

On average, posts with one or more hashtags see 12% more engagement than those without. The right choice of hashtag depends on your audience. Decide who you’re trying to reach and what they might be seeking.