After you've either started from scratch or reformed your page, you should be following a plan that specifically includes your personal style choice and a content cycle. As you continue to follow that, there's a good chance you may naturally start catching new people's attention. However, this is also the point where some people tend to get discouraged if they are not gaining the traction that they're expecting. So, here's how to kick things up a notch:
- Hashtags: Using hashtags has been proven to help new people find your content. The most strategic approach is to use hashtags that are broad enough to be seen and used by a larger audience, but specific enough that your content does not just get lost amongst other posts. Also, "trending hashtags" can be even more helpful than trying to think of your own and helps people find your page if they are already looking at similar content.
- Shout-Outs: With so many up and coming brands and influencers out there, you can utilize one another for promotional reasons. By offering to shout out another user (be sure to pick someone who coincides with your influencing sub-category) in exchange for your own shout-out on their page, you can easily gain more quality followers.
- Reach Out to the Brands You Want to Represent: I've expressed the value in reaching out to brands before, but a lot of people shy away from this out of fear of looking desperate or merely being rejected. The reality is that you will be rejected at times throughout the process of becoming an influencer, but putting yourself out there first vastly widens your opportunity. Again, there are plenty of other people trying to enter this rapidly growing industry, so you have to realize that a brand is not always going to find you first and THAT'S OKAY! At the very least, make the introduction with ideal companies and if they choose to pass up the opportunity to use you at the current time, they will at least have eyes on you in the future!
- Be an Active User Yourself: Between the Instagram algorithm (as well as the algorithms of other social platforms) and the human appreciation for reciprocation, this is a big one. By being an active user yourself (liking and commenting on others' posts, following trending hashtags and similar users), you will not only be boosting your own content (which essentially means finding a loophole to different social media algorithms), but you will also be showing your followers that you care about their stuff as much as they should care about yours.
The first two are a little cliché for my style, but they still have proven beneficial for people starting out or trying to expand their brand and for that reason, I highly encourage trying them out! As for the last two tips, these are the two that I have found the most advantageous in my experience entering the influencer industry.
