Intro to the very basic but most important tips to follow
•First impression
•Stay Consistent
•Engage
•Be Real and Be YOU
•Share and Succeed
No single journey is the same on this platform. I have learned to stay in my own lane. We are all moving at different paces but in the same direction. Here are some valuable things I have learned along the way.
First Impression
When someone new comes across your profile for the first time, make sure your page stands out. You have less than 10 seconds to make an impression.
Any potential new followers should be able to come to your page and (mostly) know what you’re all about. Make sure to have a strong bio and a link to your website for further details. If you don’t have a website, highlights are a great way to save projects and links.
Stay Consistent
Try to keep your photos on your feed consistent. The first 9 photos that people see are important. I have a photo editing tutorial saved to my instagram highlights to help your photos look better and brighter. Here is a current photo of the first 9 images someone will see when visiting my page. Notice they are all similar in aesthetic. Which one stands out? The pool photo. It is fun and nice but it doesn’t fit with others.
I try to keep the photos white and bright, with subtle hints of color and wood tones. That is the vibe I have set for my personal feed and that is what my people can expect to always see.
Here is a photo of my feed a few months back. Still very consistent with the current top 9 but adding subtle fall colors as seasons change.
Make a schedule that works for you. Social media as a job is time consuming and you will not make money for a very long time. It took me a long time to learn how to balance it all. Plan your content ahead of time, take several photos of one project or space and have them in the vault ready to go. Normally the projects you watch me do are not in real time, I will share them a week or two later, while I am creating fresh content in real time. It is a hamster wheel! Make sure to take your breaks, so you are not missing the real good stuff happening all around you.
•Engage
Keep captions captivating. Rather than posting a photo of your kitchen that reads “this is a photo of my clean kitchen” try to share a quick tip to style a kitchen shelf, or a great recipe and start a conversation, what are y’all eating tonight? Try and cater to your people, always share something of value that leaves them coming back for more.
Build up your post! Communication is key. Tell everyone when and what you are posting. Ain’t nobody got time to sit around and wait for your next post, UNLESS they are invested in what you are creating. If you have a small project to share that only takes 20 minutes, let’s say… painting a pumpkin. Share the process along with your favorite paint and the brushes you use. Share the mistakes, what you would do differently and any tips you learned along the way. If the timing allows, connect your stories and your feed post. When you post your project, remind people to head to stories to see how it’s done.
Prep your post. Before posting, spend 20-30 minutes scrolling and engaging on other posts, they will remember and come back around when it’s your time to share. It is awesome to tap a heart and “like” an image but those who go out of their way to express their love on something you share, that is extra special and next level. Try to take the time to respond to each person that popped over to visit your post, and thank them!
•Be Real and Be YOU
Keep the feed clean, stories can be messy. Get personal, be vulnerable. Be sure to put your face on stories and make a connection. I love a great DIY project but my favorites to follow are those who give a glimpse into real life. I feel invested and connected and I look forward to their every day life. Be yourself, I always remind myself of the famous quotes “there is only one you” and “the only thing you will loose by being real is something fake.”
•Share and Succeed
Sometimes the fastest way to the top is reaching for the person below you and pulling them up too! Be kind and genuine, make friends and be a part of the community. The number 1 way to grow on instagram is to share other accounts you love to follow. It is that simple! Reach out to some more established accounts, introduce yourself, let yourself be seen. Constantly reach out and team up with similar accounts and share each other. If you are invested in a fun project someone is working on, share it with your people! You will not succeed in this space without celebrating the success of others. Don’t sit back and wait for others to engage with you, you should be engaging with others at all times.
Again, this is just my personal experience of ways I started out and learned to grow on my journey. Next time I will dive in a little deeper into growth and discuss how I turned a hobby into a business. Making an income on instagram is real. Hope you found this helpful, no go put this into action and stick with it!
Jess
