Let us first understand what does an Instagram Influencer (Social Media Influencer) mean, it means a person who inspires and guides their followers by posting high quality audio or video content or facts which influences the minds of the viewers and motivates them to take an action upon it. The post can be related to a recent visit to a new city or a brand collaboration or a technical post.

How many followers do you ideally need to become an Instagram Influencer?

As an influencer you do not need to have a huge number of follower base, because at the end of the day it’s all about quality not about quantity. Having a higher number of followers could be beneficial too but it is not a necessity.

Most of you might be having the notion that being an Instagram Influencer is an easy task. In actuality it is not so, Instagram influencers (Social Media Influencer 2021) just don’t reach the heights of success by simply posting pictures or quality content and stay back home with the thought that success will be knocking at their door. It takes a lot of effort and hard work to become a successful Social Media Influencer or Instagram influencer and if you closely follow the below steps it might be able to give your life a kick-start.

1. Set up your Account :

• The very first thing you need to do is that you need to create a new Instagram Account.
• After creating one you need to find a Niche. A niche is a marketing term which is used to describe a certain part of the market. Every market is divided into smaller segments (aka niche) which are defined more in detail.

  For e.g.: a Fashion Market, in a fashion market you have a lot of varieties like men, women, plus size, petite, luxury fashion and so on. Narrow down your niche as much as possible because that will help you to gain attention which leads to more opportunities.

• So how to know which is the correct one for you or which will be the right niche for you? On a piece of paper, note down all of your interests and topics you should have on your Instagram account, as this will help you in making a better decision. After that select one niche from all the topics that you have noted down.
• Post this set up your account and switch from personal account to business account. The benefit of switching your account from personal to business is that it gives you insights, and also the option to add your contact details in your bio, and lots more.
• Next, set up a unique name and an appealing and relevant profile picture.
• After this create a theme for your profile and stick to that one theme to make it easier for your followers to recognize you.
• Lastly, use as many creative contents to get more attention and use stories and IGTV to give regular details about you or your product that will help you grow.

2. Grow your Instagram Account :

• Now your account is all set and looks shiny. And, it’s about time to gain some attention.
• For this, always focus on creating quality content because in the end it’s all about adding value and growing your brand.
• To reach on the top search space always make sure to use the right Hashtag, as it plays a very vital role in getting your post a lot of attention and engagement.
• Make a hashtag strategy and try not to use any random hashtags, instead use the ones which are related to your niche and has been active through the week.
• Follow people who are in your niche- them having a huge or small number of follower base won’t make a difference to your growth.
• Just don’t play the follow and unfollow game as it would highly impact your profile.
• Make sure that you engage with your followers on a regular basis, like or comment on the posts of the people who are in your niche and interact as much as possible.
• Do a live session on your account to interact with your audience and clear any doubts that occur in their minds regarding your product or service.

3. Work with Brands :

This is the most important part, how to work with local and international brands as an influencer (Instagram Influencers or Social Media Influencer).

• You have to reach out to brands; you can reach out to any brand but try to reach them one at a time and someone who is related to your niche.
• You can drop an email telling them about your profile- attach your profile URL, and tell them why you could possibly be a good influencer for their brand, mention about your audience and about your journey so far.
• Always be honest and never ask for free products or services. Try to show them the positive side of your profile or work even if it’s brand new.
• Don’t flex that you have a lot of followers, you can use better words like I have a good engagement history with my followers.
• Try to join influencer marketing platforms as it’s the easiest way to work with multiple brands. By joining these groups you can connect with a lot of fresh brands and influencers.
• You can always share your thoughts and interact with them to build healthy relationships that will help you grow in your career.

How to Become an Social Media Influencer in 2021

1. Set up your Account

2. Grow your Instagram Account

3. Work with Brands

How to become an instagram influencer and make money in 2021 : Podcast