Are you on Instagram? Of course, you are. Instagram has more than 1.2 billion users worldwide, and that’s nearly 15% of the whole planet’s population. Such a vast audience, right? Amongst all these Instagrammers, 95% of them use the platform as a time-killing app, but have you ever thought that this one app can help you build a promising career?
If you’re in a field that benefits from having an audience, especially if you’re into a creative field like photography, modelling, fitness, cooking, etc, your Instagram feed can become your modern-day portfolio. Instagram is a rapidly growing platform that you cannot ignore as it helps you influence worldwide and gives you the freedom to do something that you always wanted. But how can one grow as a personal brand? Take a deep breath, sit back, and I’ll guide you in brief.
Username:
You only have a few seconds to make a good impression, so knock it off and make a good one. The first thing people will notice is your username, so keep it as short and simple as possible. As you’re a personal brand, it’s a great idea to use your real name, or you can personalize an attractive name that will suit your feed and profession. Whatever it is but don’t complicate your username with any unnecessary symbols or numbers; it’ll help you stand out. Mention what you are, where you are from, and what’s your profession in bio, but in a decent and short text, don’t overdo it, and keep changing over time.
Know Your Audience:
In a world where social media matters more than anything, having the right audience is the key to success. It’s important how you connect with them visually; you have to be clear about what you’re going to add to their daily feed. If you’re into a creative field, then create a specific tone-vibe and use relatable but interesting captions to bring them to you as at the end of the day, they’re going to remember you by your work. The same applies to the rest of the fields; know your audience, know what they’re looking for and create your page accordingly.
Instagram Aesthetic:
What kind of difference do you notice when you visit your favourite Influencers feed and a regular Instagrammer’s feed? Yes, what you’re thinking is absolutely right, the aesthetics, the way they’ve composed their pictures. A well planned Instagram feed can visually convey brands in a second, as it shows how professional and passionate you’re about your work. You can learn how to set the aesthetic just by visiting your favourite profiles, are they bright and lively, or are they following some patterns? Note such things down and decide which one is suitable for you. These little things will not only give you a decent account but also helps you in building a fanbase. If you want to stay ahead of the game, then pre-plan your feed with Later’s Visual Instagram Planner because staying organized is always a great option.
Creative Editing:
The film is made in the editing room, so the Instagram feed. The essence of every art is editing, and learning it is like adding one more feather of art to your portfolio. Adopting the same or set of filters and following the same editing rules will help you keep your photos looking consistent. Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed and VSCO are the most helpful and must learn apps if you plan to level up your Instagram photos and work on aesthetics.
Amongst these, Snapseed and VSCO are pretty easy to use; if you’re looking to edit your images in less than three-four taps, then these two are best, but if you want a more professional look for your pictures, then I would recommend Adobe Lightroom, by far one of the most powerful photo editing tools out there. Also, keep these things in mind while editing your photos on an app, the temperature, brightness, and contrast, maintain these things to keep your feed consistent.
Replying to Comments:
If you have thousands of followers, then it’s not humanly possible to reply to each of them, but if you’re just started or into a developing phase, this will work great. Just a simple thanks will work wonders, even if they’re trolling you.
Hashtags:
Your personal brand is the intention behind your outward-facing interactions with the world, and you might think that with aesthetics and creative editing, you can create a decent fanbase, but what about a worldwide reach? Well, a hashtag is an answer to that. Research on what your fellow Instagrammers are hashtagging, create your hashtag to get noticed quickly, appeal to your audience about using the same hashtags, and add tagged picture stories to make them happy; these little interactions will help you go beyond the boundaries. If you’re looking for a hashtag generator, use Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder, the site will help you with the best hashtags to use for Instagram. Also, if you’re posting some brand-related content, even if it’s non-sponsored, don’t forget to tag the brands; who knows, they might feature or repost you in their next post.
With all these tips, you can have a fair head start over your competition, so don’t wait for the right day; go on, seize the opportunity.
