5 Expert Tips Every Instagram Influencer Needs to Know

Have you figured out the secret to growing fast on Instagram yet? I did. And so did my friend Janssen with Everyday Reading. We have been growing our businesses for 10+ years, so we have a ton of experience in what does and doesn’t work. This past year has been a huge year of growth for us. And we want to share everything we’ve learned with you. This post is all about the 5 expert tips every Instagram influencer needs to know.

 

 

If you missed my last blog post and/or podcast episode, I interviewed my friend Janssen with Everyday Reading about what she’s done this year to grow so immensely on Instagram. She shared several valuable tips in that interview, so I wanted to take the time to dive deep into a few of those in this post. 

If you happened upon this post from researching Instagram and influencer tips then you’ve found the right place. I am going to share practical tips that you can apply to your growth strategy right now that WORK. I know they work because they are the same ones Janssen and I have both put to the test and have been blown away by the results. Are you ready? Let’s get started. 

 

 

Expert Instagram Influencer Tip #1: Niche down for your feed content.

I’ve said this many, many times and I’m going to keep saying it. Niche down. And then niche down even more. The more specific you can get with the content you create the faster you will grow on Instagram. When you can narrow down your content to one specific topic then the algorithm can more easily figure out what type of creator you are and put your content in front of the right people. 

Niching down also helps newcomers know right away what type of content you create and how you serve them. You want your content to be so clear that someone could say, “Follow Michelle, she’ll help you with growing on Instagram.” And of course, they would fill in my name and niche with yours. Take a look at your content and see if you can gather that one thing you help people with and what you can do to get the message across more clearly. 

I know it can be hard to niche down, especially if you are just beginning because you may not know what that one special thing is that you want to talk about for hours on end. But the good news is that you can talk about all the other things in your stories. If you can just focus on one thing for your feed content and save the rest of your interests for your stories, you will start to grow like crazy! 

 

Expert Instagram Influencer Tip #2: Find your fun.

If you really want to be successful on Instagram, you have to find that thing that lights you up. What’s the one thing you could talk about all day long? What gets you fired up and excited when you start to think about it? That’s what you want your content to be about. And if it is, you will not get bored with creating content. You will look forward to growing and posting on Instagram!

The real reason why this will help you grow is because no one can duplicate your passion. You are the only one who will show up the way you do, so talk about that thing that lights you up and do it wholeheartedly. People will be attracted to you and stay connected with you because of it.

 

 

Expert Instagram Influencer Tip #3: Train your audience to know what to expect from you.

Janssen is such a good example of this one. She mainly uses her stories to train her audience to know what to expect from her. This is a great place to do it! Janssen usually wants her followers to click the link in her stories to her blog. Her blog is one of her main sources of revenue, so the more traffic she gets there the better. She usually gives a little teaser in her stories and then tells her audience they can click the link to her blog post where they will get more info on that topic. 

Think about where you are making the most money in your business. Is it your blog? YouTube videos? Affiliate marketing? Determine which source is your main money maker and then think about how you can use your stories to lead people to that place. This will train your audience on what to expect from you and bring in more money for your business! 

 

Expert Instagram Influencer Tip #4: There is a time to sprint and to be sustainable.

This past year I have been sprinting to grow my Instagram audience. And because of that, I’ve seen some really big results super fast. But the priority I’ve given to my Instagram content is not sustainable. I have many other parts of my business that need attention, so I can’t sprint in my Instagram growth strategy long-term. 

This shows that there is a time to sprint in your business and there is a time to be sustainable. As the owner and creator, you get to decide when and what this looks like. If you have a goal in mind and you want to get there fast, it’s OK to hustle and work hard in order to get there faster. And then once you hit that goal, you can slow down and start to sustain. 

 

 

Expert Instagram Influencer Tip #5: Have a killer email sequence.

I know this is not technically an Instagram tip, but it still needs to be talked about! Getting people from your Instagram onto your email list is always a good thing to do. This is how you build your community and your business. You want to have a place that you own where you can have more control over the content your audience gets from you. You get to be more intimate with the people on your email list and give them freebies to help them feel special! Doing this will build your credibility and really strengthen your relationship with your people. 

When Janssen first created her email sequence, she chose 10 blog posts from her blog that she wanted to send people to. She then wrote an email for each of these posts with the goal of sending them to her blog by the end of reading the email. She has slowly added to this email sequence, always leading people back to her blog in each one. 

This is a fantastic system Janssen set up because the emails are automated and now whenever she has people sign up on her email list, the emails are getting sent out to them every week without her having to do a thing. She is creating new content now that she adds to this email sequence, but the start of her email sequence is automated and when you can automate things as a creator, it is a really beautiful thing. (And it helps make you money while you sleep!) 

If you want to get started with email, but have no idea where to begin, you can check out any of my blog posts HERE that will tell you step-by-step what you need to do! 

 

Expert Instagram Influencer Bonus Tips

• If you’re frustrated with how slow you are growing on Instagram or with just posting on Instagram in general, look at your content and ask yourself if you even like it. Decide if you like creating content on that topic or not. Maybe it’s time to make a shift! 
• Make your content easier. Creating content does not have to be this big thing. Make your content work for you and don’t think too much about making every post look perfect. Especially if you are new to posting, consistency matters way more than what it looks like. 
• Engagement is everything! Being an influencer on Instagram does not mean posting content and finishing there. You should be replying to people’s comments, responding to people’s DMs, and referencing your audience’s interests in your stories. When you offer this two-way communication, your audience will be way more committed to you because they see you putting in the effort to notice them and hear them out. 

 

 

5 Expert Tips Every Instagram Influencer Needs to Know

Instagram is such a powerful tool because it brings people together. You have a way to connect with the world at your fingertips. It is such a blessing to have and I’m so glad you’re here trying to navigate your Instagram journey. I hope you gained some insight from these 5 expert tips every Instagram influencer needs to know! And of course, I have tons of more tips for you, so make sure you’re following me on Instagram @iammichellegifford. And you can also find Janssen on Instagram @everydayreading.    

P.S. If you’re ready to go all in with this Instagram business, join my Insta Social Society. This will give you everything you need to finally feel like you’re ahead of the Instagram game. You can learn more about what’s included in this membership HERE!