Most of you are aware of the changes Instagram have been making to our accounts with the algorithm, where Instagram choose the posts it thinks we want to see in our feed. Now this won’t affect the majority of users but it does effect the influencers (like myself) and they way we work with brands.

It’s even more important than ever to be aware of how to build your instagram account organically.  It’s never ever a good idea to buy followers and in fact there are apps that brands and PR companies use to see if you’ve bought followers.  So if you are wanting to work with your favourite brands then my advice is don’t try and do it the easy way by buying your audience, cause you’ll get found out.

So invest in your followers and follow my tips to grow an authentic audience that will hang around with you as you grow.

Know Your Audience

Have a clear vision for your brand.  If you take random pictures and just post them then you’re followers will be confused about your content and what what your message is. Stay true to what your brand is about and know what your audience will be expecting from you.

TAG TAG TAG

When influencers post a picture the outcome they want is for their audience to enjoy the content and then perhaps be able to purchase the products.  After all that is what influencers are all about, influencing, right?  So when you post a picture be sure to tag all the relevant brands.  Use useful hashtags too (not shadow banned hashtags – more about that later) but use relevant hashtags for your images so that you are also easily found if people are searching #interiors for example.

Be Active On Your Account

If someone takes the time to ask you a question, or leave a little comment then show some love back and reply to them. Now I know that if you get 50+ comments that might be a little bit difficult but even just like their comment to show some recognition. Believe me it will go a long way.  Especially those followers that ask ‘where is that from’ even though the picture is tagged with the supplier.  Reply back to them and don’t forget your etiquette and manners.  After all a social media account is just that, being social.

Use Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are a way that we can show our audience a little bit of our real life side or behind the scenes as people like to call it.  It’s a great idea to do a little video of yourself on what your doing, showing that there is a person behind the content.  It’s a great way to show images that you don’t want on your feed too and by keeping it real, people are more likely to stick around.

Create Great Content

Also edit your pictures before you go live on your feed.  Check that what you are saying makes sense and make sure there are no spelling errors.  When I style for a brand I take so many images.  Then I edit them all and most of the time only one image makes the cut.  By creating great content your audience will be excited to see what is coming next.

 

Be Interested in Your Analytics

As an influencer, I get brands asking all the time about my analytics.  Not only are these statistics useful for being eligible for campaigns but they are also useful to see if you have any patterns forming with your audience. It may answer questions for you like ‘when is the best time for me to post’ or ‘how many followers have I gained this week or even lost’.  You will be able to refer back to the particular posts and see where you went right or wrong.  Knowing what time to post when your audience is most engaged is very useful information.

So I hope these tips have helped you all out.

Let me know if you have any other tips that I can add.