How To Become Instagram Famous in 2022 [8 Steps]
Are you wondering how to become famous on instagram?
if you want to be the next kylie kardashian or christian ronaldo, we have bad news: we can’t make kris kardashian your mother or bless your feet to stardom. (that’s asking too much)
but we can show you how to find instafame. After that, it’s up to you to exceed 464 million ronaldo followers or not.
If you want to become famous, there is a fairly simple formula to follow. we’ll walk you through these eight tried-and-true steps.
how to become famous on instagram
Nowadays, being “instagram famous” means more than just having a lot of followers. Instagram accounts are often influencers or creators, meaning they can use their audiences to drive awareness of a trend, topic, company, or product.
instafame is not instant. you can’t buy a ton of followers, call yourself an influencer, and wait for brand offers to roll in.
That also goes for people who are the one-hit wonders of viral videos. sure, they might experience a brief flash of instagram attention. but that fame will quickly fade if they don’t keep producing high-quality content.
Take @flyysoulja, who had a monster 15 minutes on tiktok for his viral “island boy” video as an example. they now regularly post content on instagram and maintain over a million followers.
source: @flyysoulja
The following steps require time and effort. but they are consistent with the habits we see influencers and instantly famous people using.
1. define your personal brand
If you don’t have a viral video that’s propelling you to millions of followers, you’ll need to start from the beginning.
that means figuring out how you want to appear on instagram. remember, the “you” you put on instagram is your brand. therefore, your online identity should feel (and be!) authentic – your followers will know if it’s not.
Branding can be a deep process. Here are five steps to defining your personal brand and some questions you can use as prompts.
first step: define your goals
Without clear goals, you won’t be able to measure your success. start by thinking why you search for instafame.
- why do I want to be famous on instagram?
- what does fame look like on instagram for me?
- what milestones can I achieve to reach my goal of being famous on instagram?
step two: find your differentiator
Next, consider what sets you apart from your competition. No matter your specialty, you’re probably entering a crowded market. why should someone follow you instead of someone else?
- what makes me stand out from the crowd?
- what can I do better or different than other personal brands like mine?
- note: this doesn’t have to be a big difference: you could be the most cheeky baker on instagram, for example, or the most educated mycologist.
step three: write your narrative
Your backstory is where you say who you are and what matters to you. people remember emotionally driven stories more than facts. plus, keeping up with your copy is easier when you have a brand story to refer to.
- what is my story?
- where did I come from and where do I want to go?
- what motivates me?
step four: define your personality
You want your content to be consistent and discoverable. That means every post should reflect your brand personality in some way. are you trying to inspire your followers? teach them? amuse them?
- what are the five words that describe my personality?
- what is my brand voice?
- how do I want people to see me? How do people really see me?
step five: craft your personal brand statement
A personal brand statement is a short, catchy statement that you can refer to as you create your content. externally, it can act as an elevator pitch.
Look at your answers above and ask yourself, “Who am I? why am i doing this? what makes me unique?”
you can put your personal brand statement on your instagram bio. Consider, as creator Lauren Sundstrom has done, combine it with the essentials of what your audience needs to know.
source: @laurengsundstrom
voila! now you have a personal brand around which you can build your instagram strategy.
and a note: these answers will evolve with your brand. it’s a guide, so don’t worry too much about perfecting it the first time.
2. find your niche and serve it
once you know your differentiator (step 2 above), use it to target the niche audience that makes the most sense for your brand.
Niche followers are often fiercely loyal. Shared interests create strong bonds and can make your relationship with your audience much less strained.
Once you understand your niche, find micro-brands adjacent to you and work with them. Lauren Sundstrom, a trans woman, activist, model, and style aficionado, regularly posts about working only with brands that share her green perspective.
3. listen to your audience
Your audience is your best asset. people on the internet are generally ruthlessly honest. if you ask a question, you can expect a real answer. when you’re your brand, this may require some tough skin.
solicit responses through questions and surveys, and be specific. open-ended questions like “what do you want to see more of?” you probably won’t get what you want. instead, ask specific questions, like “should I add color or keep it neutral?”
source: @delancey.diy
Pay attention to any repeated comments or questions. there may be a gap in your communication that needs to be filled. give your audience what they’re looking for and can inspire brand loyalty.
oh, and don’t worry about having few followers. that just means you are a micro-influencer. According to hypeauditor, micro-influencers (1,000 to 10,000 followers) have the potential to earn, on average, $1,420 per month.
However, if you really want to increase the size of your audience, here are 35 ways to build your follower list from scratch.
4. engage your followers
fame does not exist in a vacuum. you can only be as famous as people are willing to pay attention. So, engage your audience and engage them, and no, you can’t take a shortcut here. using bots to interact (trust us, we tried) doesn’t work.
As tempting as it may be to cut corners, a quality engagement strategy will have you reaping the rewards in no time. Strong engagement continues to be a key player in the Instagram algorithm. The better your engagement, the more instagram will put your account in front of people and the more your brand reach will grow.
5. be consistent
Consistency builds credibility! it can take some time to figure out your visual style, brand voice, and posting cadence. but once you do, keep it up. people will begin to associate your brand with a certain aesthetic and point of view, further cementing it in their minds.
A social media content calendar can be a lifesaver, helping you plan ahead and post consistently.
6. create quality content
Instagram is and will always be a visual application. that means posting visually appealing content will always be important. you may need to take a photography course, buy some video equipment, or figure out how to edit your videos and photos with photo editing software
and remember: genuine and authentic content attracts people. once you master the basics, you can start optimizing your content with keywords, popular hashtags, powerful calls to action, and instagram live content.
7. treat your instagram account like a business
your instagram account is the way you get your product (you and your personal brand) out to the world. that means it’s your business now, so treat it as such.
if you haven’t already, now is the time to transition to an instagram business profile or creator account. you’ll get access to detailed analytics and builder-specific tools.
Also, a business or creator profile allows you to use third-party apps like hootsuite (our personal favorite, obviously).
hootsuite allows you to schedule and publish posts directly to instagram, engage your audience, measure performance, and manage your presence on other social networks, all from a single dashboard.
hootsuite will even suggest your personal best moments to post to your social media accounts right within the posting interface.
Try it free for 30 days. cancel at any time.
8. manage sponsorship interest like a boss
Now for the fun part: the money! When you have reached a certain level of following and recognition, brands or organizations will contact you with sponsorship opportunities.
You can also be proactive in finding that money. we have expert tips on how to make money on instagram.
Also, when you’re ready to start reaching out to potential partners, you can use HootSuite analytics to build your brand presentation. Brands want to know you’re a good bet, so being able to demonstrate a strong engagement rate or high conversion can be a game changer.
remember when you’re monetizing your account to keep up with your instagram stardom. make sure you do it the right way by avoiding these common mistakes:
- don’t say yes to everything. you’ll want to treat your sponsored posts as your own content. If an offer doesn’t vibrate with your brand, say no. and be sure to defend products or services you would use yourself.
- make sure you are comfortable with the compensation presented. If someone offers you “exposure” instead of something of monetary value, don’t be afraid to let them know that you can’t pay rent with “exposure.” or politely decline. it’s your account and your call.
- don’t accept anything you don’t fully understand. Did you receive a detailed summary of the campaign? what exactly is expected of you? please contact for clarification if unsure. otherwise, you may take on more than you bargained for or damage a potentially lucrative partnership.
start building your instagram presence using hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts directly to Instagram, engage your audience, measure performance, and run all your other social media profiles, all from one simple dashboard. try it for free today.
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