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10 Simple Ways To Increase Your Influence On Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular photo- and video-sharing social networks, with almost 300 million daily active users and 500 million monthly active users (as of the end of June 2016). Celebrities, athletes, business people, and normal people from all walks of life have taken to Instagram to share photos and videos with their fans and admirers.

A platform as big as Instagram provides opportunities just as big for marketing and promoting things. There are thousands of accounts on Instagram that are promoting and marketing something to huge numbers of followers. But, how do they manage to get thousands and millions of followers? Well, they understand a few simple things that need to be done on Instagram besides posting photos and videos.

If you want your account to get noticed by more people and get some of that big celeb-like fan follow, to grow your influence on Instagram, here are some tips to do just that.

1. Know your trade.

This is the first of all the rules in any kind of trade. It can’t be stressed enough: you’ve just got to know what it is that you actually intend to do. “Know your niche.” Know what your niche is on Instagram. Pick that topic and know your potential audiences who you want to influence and really stick to the topic, period. You won’t get anywhere on Instagram if you don’t know who you want to influence in the first place and how.

Merely posting your selfies and your meals isn’t going to interest anyone out there unless you are a celebrity. So it is important that you understand what your selling point is on Instagram, hone in on it, and then set on to harness the power of Instagram.

2. Create content that is double-tap worthy.

This should be obvious, since it is what Instagram is all about: awesome photos and videos that people would like and likely share. That is how your influence starts to grow on Instagram — with share-worthy content.

Great photography is always appreciated on Instagram and other social media alike. Make use of Instagram’s filters and editing tools to the fullest. Researchers have found that filtered photos on Instagram are 21% more likely to be viewed and 45% more likely to be commented on than unfiltered photos.

3. Share user-generated content.

One smart strategy that Instagram stars with marketing agendas are embracing is to share user-generated content. They are scouring the web for the best user content related to their niche and are featuring this content on their accounts.

And that seems to be working well for them — after all, everybody likes to be in the spotlight. By giving people the spotlight, they are getting them excited about their brands. Really a win-win strategy.

4. Post consistently.

Social media influence isn’t built solely with a “good enough” account and posting high-quality photographs. It’s not enough if you want a large number of followers. It requires daily attention and interaction, and over time, your influence increases (if you put enough time and effort into building influence).

Brands that post regularly tend to have more successful accounts on Instagram. It is important that you give your followers something to notice you — your posts are what make you noteworthy on Instagram. So  post consistently (at least once a day) to let your followers know that you are someone worthy of their attention.

5. Get savvy with hashtags.

Hashtags on Instagram are your best bets to funnel viewers into your account. If you don’t know how they work, it’s time you started studying them because crafting the right hashtags could make a big difference to your account’s visibility on Instagram. Searching content of interest on Instagram by hashtags is similar to a keyword search for a blog post. Adding relevant hashtags to your photos lets your posts be visible to the users interested in your niche.

A maximum of thirty hashtags are allowed per post on Instagram and many successful accounts max out this ability to lure viewers over to their accounts. Load up on good hashtags to target your audience.

6. Encourage followers to participate.

Social media is big in the first place because of people’s participation. They want to be involved. And it is to your benefit if you let them be involved. That grows your community.

Ask your audience for feedback. Host a photo contest and give out rewards. People follow your brand on social media to take advantage of whatever you have to offer them. Ask questions in your captions. Ask your followers to tag their friends and repost your photos. That helps you grow your network and influence.

7. Engage in conversations.

Engage in conversations with your followers to get to know them better and understand what type of content they are interested in. Comment on the posts of big influencers in your community and collaborate with them if you find the opportunity. Mention each other in posts like you would share links on blog posts.

“To lead, you must first learn to follow.” That is true indeed. Follow back your followers and engage with them by taking the time to comment and reply to comments. This is a great way to be noticed within your community and boost your influence. There are shortcuts to growing Instagram influence like buying views, but to reap long-term rewards, you want to build step by step.

8. Use collaborative social media to cross promote.

Cross promotion is a great way to get some extra exposure. Instagram allows you to share your photos to other platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. It also lets you embed Instagram photos in your blog posts.

 9. Pay attention to trends.

In social media, where things keep evolving, trends come and go frequently. It is important you keep up with the trends to stay ahead. The hashtag is a trend that is still prevalent on Instagram. Sponsored posts are more likely to be noticed by a large number of Instagram users.

Keeping up with changes to the platform and new trends will definitely help you grow your presence on the social network.

10. Make use of Instagram analytics tools.

There are free tools available that help you measure your social network influence. Make use of these tools to keep track of your Instagram presence and understand where you need to improve.