There are more ways than ever for you to earn a living, including using the popular social media platform Instagram.

That said, you need to go about becoming an influencer and maximizing your earnings the right way.

Even if you don’t want to focus specifically on your personal brand on Instagram, you can help other brands maximize their potential and successfully reach their target audience

Focus on Your Passion 

If you mainly drink tea and are hardly found within 15 feet of coffee or a coffee shop, it doesn’t make much sense for you to devote your Instagram feed to all things coffee.

You should focus on a topic to which you are passionate. Try to be as specific as possible with your niche.

For instance, rather than focus on fashion, maybe you can focus on accessories. Instead of books, you may be more inclined to concentrate on indie sci-fi publishers and writers. This level of specialization can bring unique paid opportunities

Show Some Personality 

People are warier than ever of anything that may be a bot or a scam. That’s why you want to polish your personality and let it shine on your Instagram feed.

Let your followers know what fuels your passion, and what your overall goals and intentions are. You want to open up to your audience and followers, but you do not have to let them in on the most intimate details of your life.

That should be reserved for people you know and hold dear in real life. Companies you help can influence their audience by doing the same. 

Choose a Style, and Stick to It 

Once you’ve decided on a niche, determine how you’ll present that niche. Specifically, you want to create a specific style your audience immediately associates with you.

This aesthetic can be a particular way you take photos, colors used in all your images or a specific item that’s in all your pictures.

Take a look at some of the current leading Instagram influencers to see how they present themselves.

Rather than copy what you see, use it as a guide for creating your own style. Know that it’s okay to experiment with different things when you’re just getting started. Over time, your “Instagram look” will come to you. 

Use a Quality Camera 

Images, film and advertising have become glossier and of higher definition than ever. What that means for you is that you can’t take blurry or poorly lit pictures and expect to draw a wide audience.

The camera on your smartphone may do the job, but there’s a chance you might need to buy a few accessories to take those capabilities to the next level.

You don’t have to go broke on a great camera. Do some research, and ask your friends if they have any recommendations.

If you’ll need to be in the pictures you take, invest in a quality tripod, or hire a professional photographer to take care of everything for you. 

Don’t Forget About Hashtags 

To make it easier for your target audience to find you, you’ve got to use hashtags. There’s plenty of information on how to create and use hashtags your audience is likely to use while searching for Instagram feeds like yours.

To get started, see what hashtags similar influencers in your niche use. No matter which hashtags you decide on, you don’t want to go overboard; three to five per post is best. Be both specific and intentional with tags. 

Let Others Know You’re Open to Collaborating 

Know that you don’t have to make gaining followers and advertising your feed harder than necessary.

Specifically, working with other Instagram influencers is a great way to gain experience and find unique opportunities.

One thing to be aware of is the fact that companies and other influencers may want to know more about your influence such as website traffic, follower growth and your engagement rate.

Find tools that make it quick, painless and easy to compile and understand such information. When the requests for collaboration and sponsorship come rolling in, be selective about what you accept and for whom you choose to work. Not every offer is a good one, and not everyone is as trustworthy as you’d like for them to be.  

There’s much more to becoming an Instagram influencer, but the above tips are a great place to start.

Put the information to good use, and don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for you, your feed and your audience.

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