The social world has become the hub for your prospects to find you through the crowd. ‘’73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their business (Buffer, 2019).’’

When you fall under the Instagram influencer tag, the way prospects perceive you are different. Since you will be sharing the information which matters, prospects look up to you as a brand who is well aware and have the right knowledge on how they need to cater to prospects. For instance, say if you are a business that sells proxy servers and VPNs. When you recommend your prospects about which proxy server would be ideal for them, prospects would actually take your suggestion into consideration.

The reason being they trust you and this is important for a brand to continue selling in the market. When you are able to win that trust, prospects will never have their share of the doubt when it comes to you suggesting them to purchase any product. This is so great because even with the tough competition, prospects tend to return to those brands who continue to help their prospects fulfill their needs with the best solutions.

‘’According to Mediakix, marketers spent $1.6 billion on Instagram influencer marketing in 2018 and in 2019 they’re predicted to spend $1.7 billion.’’ This figure is proof of how demanding Instagram influencers are and will continue to be with the years to come.

So how can you as a brand possibly work towards increasing your follower count and draw your prospect's attention towards your profile for any of their needs related to the industry you function in?

The following solutions can help you better.

1. Decide what expert you want to be

‘’Instagram has over 800 MILLION monthly users.’’ and if you want to capture their attention you need to understand how exactly you want to tap them in the first place. For instance, if you are selling proxy servers as a business, you need to speak about it, start sharing references, posts, and blogs related to that topic.

If you type on Instagram with the words proxy servers, you will probably see many related pages showing up but are they the pages you can trust for an opinion? The answer leaves you in doubt. Don’t let your prospects feel the same way about you. Ensure that you have decided on a particular niche you want to sell and work on enhancing and selling them better.

2. Share on high-quality images, videos, and content

Source: Sterlingmorris

As mentioned earlier your prospects are well aware of what is happening around them, they are aware of the solutions being sold and are aware of the companies selling them too. This statement is being repeated because you need to understand that to become an Instagram influencer you cannot just post or share any content. Every content you share or the images or videos you post should be error-free, clear and understandable.

See it in this way, when you view an image from a brand, would you continue to stare at it for continue scrolling? Many would choose the latter. The only way you can capture your prospect's attention and then retain them longer to understand what you are selling to them is by showcasing them quality content which matters. When prospects view content which deepens their understanding better about what they are or are not aware that they tend to follow you to learn more about it.

When you make use of visual images such as clear ones where the prospect's attention gets captured with the design and the product, that is also another way to capture the prospect's attention. For videos too, choose impactful words, relevant and clear pictures and subtle colours which draw prospects to click on what it is about.

3. Keep one theme for all your posting activities

Source :Zoe Linda

When you start as an Instagram influencer another factor you need to keep in mind is that the theme for your page should remain constant. For instance, for your every post you are using a particular colour and are placing your logo on the top continue to do that because when your prospects continue to be seen in that pattern your prospects will remember that is your brand.

For instance, let’s say that you have used a theme for your page and while scrolling your prospects happen to see the post you’ve shared. As they continue to see your post regularly they are aware that this theme is from your brand. So say if another brand has shared one of your posts when your prospects see it they will be able to identify that the post is from your account and will come to see it on your page.

When this action happens often you tend to receive a high number of followers which in turn affects your count rate making you an Instagram influencer.

4. Post according to a fixed schedule regularly

Another factor that matters when you want to become an Instagram influencer is the postings you conduct. For instance, when you post regularly, your prospects will be able to remember you and consider the content you share in your postings. Say you post for continuously one week, three times a day and then the next week you post only twice or less than that, chances are you can witness your follower count dropping and this isn’t a good sign for one that wants to become an Instagram influencer.

Did you know that for an Instagram influencer, continuous posting and engaging on Instagram is necessary, the reason being you are able to constantly remind your prospects about your existence. You can easily engage with your existing prospects as well as make way to attract more new prospects. Ensure that your postings are conducted regularly and you and if you need to make any changes make sure your prospects are well aware of what the action. Hubspot claims ‘’The best time to post on Instagram is between 2 PM and 3 PM CDT. The best day to post on Instagram is Thursday, not just at 3 PM, but at 5 AM, 11 AM, and 4 PM as well.’’

5. Get engaging

Another way to become an Instagram influencer is to engage with prospects. Many believe that by posting pictures regularly their job is complete. So what happens the count of followers tend to grow very slowly and that may not be good when you want to succeed better in becoming an Instagram influencer. The greatest way to become an Instagram influencer is by connecting with your prospect. The more you connect with your prospects the better you are able to offer them the needs they are looking for. Also having continuous engagements helps you to build that trust factor which is important when you sell them your solution. For instance, when your prospects trust you, they will tend you to trust your opinions too.

Engaging with your prospects doesn’t necessarily mean spamming their inbox, you can try several other engagement methods such as:

1. Conducting contests
2. Providing goodies
3. Having debates on posts
4. Conducting a Q & A session

All of these factors contribute to increasing your engagement levels with prospects and win them over. If you do this often, becoming an Instagram influencer wouldn’t seem impossible.

6. Get your hashtag game strong

#hashtags have been garnering popularity ever since it became famous on Instagram.

Source: Hopper HQ

Hashtags are a great way to indulge in extending your post outreach. In fact, when you use hashtags depending on the number of hashtags you use, you can easily make your post more available for your target audience. For instance say if you sell some software, your hashtags would be #business #software #b2b #softwarforsocialmedia and the list can go on. So when your users want to search for you, they just need to type in the word such as software and your posts since it has that hashtag will appear amongst the options.

To become an Instagram influencer using hashtags can make you memorable as well. Creating a hashtag and then using it whenever you write a caption or post videos or images gives your brand another identity and makes it aware in the minds of your prospects when they see it. To create impactful hashtags, you can:

1. Create a short one which is easy to remember
2. Should be in such a manner where it remains at the tip of the tongue for your prospects

7. Merge with other influencers

If you are still doubting this technique, you might want to reconsider your decision. Merging with other influencers expands your brand to a whole other audience. See it in this way, when you are able to merge with another influencer this is what happens:

1. You tend to grab the attention of another set of the target audience
2. You would be able to trigger more interest in your brand and the solutions you offer

Source: Business Insider

When you get with individuals who are from the same industry, it becomes easier to extend your brand exposure. You have the ability to connect with so many more prospects who are looking for a need like yours. You are even connecting with them in a better way and all of these actions are important in growing to become an Instagram influencer.

8. Create an eye-catching bio

Source: Oberlo

When your prospect views your page, the next thing they would see is your bio. Your bio should explain everything about your business, your brand and how you aim to help prospects. Always remember that when you display more about the benefits your prospect would be getting, the better you are able to sell to them.

Your bio could have the fanciest of features when it comes to product, but if it doesn’t state in a few lines how it can help your prospects, they will be walking out. See it in this way, when your prospects come on your account and you tell them that for instance, ‘we can help you increase your lead count 3x more than the current solution you are using’ this would make your prospects interested in what you have to offer.

Ensure that your bio has the following factors:

1. A good statement of what your account is about
2. Crisp points about the benefits of the product your selling
3. Mention your brand name, location

9. Make use of Instagram stories

‘’One third (1/3) of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses. Instagram stories have become a thing of the present and it is one of the most widely used features on Instagram. Instagram stories appear for 24 hours which makes it easy to cover all the audience on your account at any time.

Source: Later

Another thing with Instagram stories is that you can post images, videos and also have a live session that matters in the process of you becoming an Instagram influencer. Instagram influencers have grown to be popular because Instagram stories are one of the ways you can easily reach out to your prospects. With the help of Instagram ads, you can even post your products and it will appear on multiple prospects account when they view their stories. The more you engage with Instagram stories the better are your chances to increase your identity and draw prospects towards you.

10. Ensure your account is ‘business’

Source: Later

Another thing that matters when becoming an Instagram influencer is the factor that you need to change your account into a business profile because this is how your prospects will understand you better. With a business account, you can add CTA’s such as email addresses or contact numbers. So say for instance when prospects view your account, they will realize that you are a brand as well as immediately contact you to learn better.

11. Be open the solution you are offering

The main agenda here is that you as an Instagram influencer need to convince your prospects that what solution you are offering is genuine and that if they apply it they will be able to cater to their exact needs. But for that to happen, you need to first list out the main problems. When you list out the problems your prospects are facing you turn to garner more interest and when the interest increases they will eventually want to come and try out what you have to offer. The greatest thing about Instagram influencers is that when you openly and confidently talk about the problems being faced and why your solution you are offering them is the best one, chances are your prospects will consider your words because you are connecting with them in a way which is right in the field of business.