If you're new to Instagram, you're somewhat late to the bandwagon. But don't worry, we can forgive tardiness and help you better understand what you're getting into. Instagram is one of the world's most widely-used apps, with billions of current active users, millions of posts, likes, and comments each month, and a serious talent for marketing.
"Whether you joined Instagram as a casual user, a growing business, or with ambitions of becoming a wealthy influencer, this is the place to start," says the ViralRace team. Keep reading to learn how the platform works, what you'll need to do to grow your presence, and why Instagram is the perfect tool for growing your personal brand.
A Little Backstory
Instagram was launched in October of 2010, nearly a decade ago at the time of this writing (time flies, doesn't it?) At its launch, Instagram performed well; attracting thousands of new users and even winning a few years the following year, including Apple's Best App of the Year award. The platform's simplicity and authenticity made it a favorite among users, and in 2012, a giant stepped in to take over the business.
Facebook had its eye on Instagram for a while before making the purchase, and in 2012, the company bought Instagram for a whopping one billion US dollars. That same year, Instagram hit eighty million users, which was a huge leap in just two years' time. The app was translated to over 20 languages, making it accessible to people from all over the world.
Instagram has since attracted millions of users, businesses, and created an entirely new job niche: the influencer. Influencers use their influence in the form of thousands of followers to advertise products they love, giving businesses a new and improved platform to reach their customers from. Instagram has continued to grow over the years, and is still one of the most popular platforms in use today; hence why you're here!
Where Do I Start?
Instagram was designed to be easy to use, and starting out is simple. You'll need to make an account, of course, and from there, you can begin posting content immediately. You can connect Instagram to your Facebook account and many other apps like Tinder and Twitter. Once you've made your account, you'll need to decide why you're using the platform. What do you hope to achieve?
Are you just casually browsing content looking for the next best meme, or are you seriously considering building a business out of your content? Maybe you want to become an influencer and help convince your followers to endorse certain products, thereby making a living acting as a living billboard. Whatever your why is, narrow it down before you start diving into the Instagram pool.
The next thing you'll need to do is decide what kind of content you'll be posting (if any). Is it informational content, entertaining content, or somewhere in the middle? What hashtags will best describe your content when you make a post? Who is your audience? What benefits can you offer to them if they follow your page? If you're making a business account, ask yourself how you want to market your products, who should buy them, and why.
Growing Your Following
This subject in itself could warrant a 10-page article, as there are literally dozens of ways to grow your following and attract new people to your page. From buying followers outright to increasing your social media presence, these methods are tried and true and have worked for thousands of accounts all over the globe.
Buy Followers: This method has been polished over the years, and now Instagram has limited these kinds of service in its Terms of Use Agreement. This is because too many fake accounts were being used to boost followers, and let's be honest; fake accounts only take away from the value of the platform as a whole anyway. Today's Instagram services offer real followers from active accounts and offer a "buy Instagram followers free trial", so you can try it out beforehand. They'll send a few real followers your way and you'll be hooked in no time!
Diversify: Spreading the word about your content to other social media platforms and websites is one of the most important steps in growing your page. You can't be stuck on one platform these days, because you're missing out on potential customers that only use one or two platforms that aren't Instagram. Remember that as popular as Instagram is, it's not the only kid on the block!
Create Compelling Content: Even with the most diversified social media presence, buying Instagram followers, and using the right hashtags, your page will only be as good as the content you're posting. Compelling content will always outperform generic content. Remember quality over quantity, and you'll have greater success all around.
Use the Right Hashtags: Hashtags are crucial to a successful Instagram page. They're how users find the content they're looking for, and how you can ensure yours is at the top of the search results. Use creative but relevant hashtags for increased views and likes on your posts.
The Perfect Tool
Instagram's success is due largely to its simplicity and ease of use. It's easy to scroll and find the content you enjoy, and customers really appreciate the high-quality content that businesses are posting on a daily basis. Not to mention, you can narrow down your customer base by demographic and post content that's more specific to your audience; making for better results overall. Even if you're just looking to gain followers casually, you cant' get more simple than Instagram.
The competition is fierce, however, so you're going to want to create content that your followers will truly resonate with and enjoy if you want to get anywhere. Set yourself apart from the rabble, and you'll find much greater success comes your way. The modern customer is looking for a brand that's personal, genuine, and honest. The days of side-swiping customers and followers with false promises or sub-par products and services are over. You must set yourself apart with excellent products, content, and people skills.
