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We all know how to spot an influencer on Instagram. From the millions of followers to the extremely clean looking photo layouts, influencers know how to make their living on social media. What they won’t tell you though is how easy it really is to make your Instagram look just like theirs. Here are some tips on how to get your Instagram to look like and be as popular as your favorite influencer’s page.
Tip #1: Research
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Research, research, research! Look into what other influencers are doing and take inspiration from them, they’re called influencers for just that reason. Take a look at their formats and what themes or aesthetics they chose. Either you can base it off a similar theme to theirs or it will lead you into finding your own unique niche.
Tip #2: Pick a cohesive theme
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It’s always so satisfying when you find a new Instagrammer and their profile has a clear theme to it, whether that be the type of photos they post or what colors they use in their photography. Picking a cohesive theme will help you to look professional and legitimate. That theme can come from anywhere- maybe you really like pastel colors (like @juliaberolzheimer) and want to always feature pastels in your photos, or you prefer minimalist photography (like @candela________) and want to focus on that. Think about your favorite colors or favorite styles and you’re bound to find a theme that speaks to you.
Tip #3: Invest in a good photo-editing app
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Editing your photos is key to having clean-looking content. Not everyone has a photo studio with perfect lighting that they can conveniently use. If you’re really serious about it, invest in a program like Adobe Photoshop or Corel PaintShop Pro. However, if you don’t feel like breaking the bank just to touch up your photos, there are plenty of free apps out there for photo editing including Adobe’s Photoshop Express Photo Editor, VSCO, and Snapseed.
Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to use filters
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It’s no secret that the use of filters can be looked down upon on social media. However, filters, just like editing your photos, will be your best friend when creating an influencer-esque Instagram. They’ll help you to tune your photo just right, and you don’t even need any separate apps to do so. Instagram alone has 40 filters that you can choose from to make your photos stand out on the feed.
Tip #5: Post consistently
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While tuning your photos is an important part of having that enviable Instagram, so is actually engaging on that account. Posting consistently is the easiest way to do that. Posting at least once a day has shown to cause an increase in likes and followers, which is what being an influencer is all about at the end of the day. Posting multiple times a week will show the sometimes finicky Instagram algorithm that you are someone to pay attention to, making your posts show up more on your followers’ feeds. If you’re someone who has issues with staying consistent, you can set a reminder on your phone to post or use one of many third-party post scheduling platforms that exist.
Tip #6: Use hashtags
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Hashtags are another essential feature of Instagram. Using them properly will help your posts to spread outside of your usual followers. Especially now that Instagram allows users to follow specific hashtags, placing them in the captions of each photo is a great way to spread your posts over the platform. Finding the right hashtags might seem tricky at first, but you just have to think about what you are actually posting. Try to avoid using hashtags that are hyper-specific, it’s less likely for people follow extremely specific hashtags than the more general topics.
Tip #7: Use other features on Instagram
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Instagram did start as a photo-sharing platform, but now it can do so much more. Take advantage of what features the app already has built-in to diversify your content. Using Stories, Highlights, and Live Videos are some of the easiest to use. Stories, for example, are right there as soon as anyone opens the app, so even if you just use them to promote a new post, followers are more likely to see your posts.
Tip #8: Promote yourself
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Finally, you have to take initiative in promoting your own posts, at least in the beginning. If your “influencer-style” account is a separate account from your main one, use your main account to lead people to your influencer account. Instagram also allows for cross-posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, which helps your posts to spread even further without you having to make the same post four times on four different platforms. Word of mouth is also an extremely powerful tool that everyone can use. Tell your close friends to follow your account, and from there, they can spread the word for you.
These tips are all relatively simple enough for anyone to follow, and in no time, you’re bound to have an Instagram page that even the best influencers will envy. Enjoy your posting, future influencer!
