How To Become an Influencer on Instagram: Your Full Guide

Influencing is a big thing on social media. It even influenced you to look for this article. Everyone wants to know how to become an influencer on Instagram. You are in good company, and you came to the right place.

This article breaks down the steps to becoming the next big Instagram influencer. We even address misconceptions about how many followers you’ll need to achieve this dream. You’ll know everything necessary to be the next big thing. Read this article to find out!

5 Steps To Becoming an Instagram Influencer

Many people before you have done it. It is perfectly within your capabilities as well. You can become the next big influencer on Instagram. You just need to approach the process with intentionality.

Follow our five steps. Soon, you will know how to become an influencer on Instagram and get paid.

1. Choose a Niche

When you think of influencers, you automatically categorize them. It’s something you do without really thinking about it. 

IG users must know how to categorize you as well. It’s even more important that brands can tell what category you fall into. It will help them decide if collaborating with you is worthwhile.

Of course, in the beginning, it can be hard to choose a niche. There are so many options to choose from. You also don’t want to tie yourself down too quickly.

There are multiple ways to decide on a niche. One way is by trying out various options. In the beginning, it’s important to play the field. You can look at your audience demographics. Pay attention to your fellow influencers. Then, curate content and keep track of how well it does.

Another way is by capitalizing on the content you can make easily. Maybe you have a gym membership. You could become a fitness influencer. Perhaps you live in a popular tourist destination. You could create travel influencer content.

Of course, you can always double in multiple genres. But, having a clear IG niche is necessary.

2. Optimize Your IG Profile

People should look at your profile and want to follow you. Doing this involves optimizing every aspect of your profile. Let’s address each section.

Your Instagram handle is how people will refer to you on the Internet. It needs to be something that they can easily remember and type out. Say they want to refer someone to your page. It might be difficult to do so if there are too many characters. 

Ensuring a sufficient connection between the name and the handle is also useful. If your page is about travel, include that word in your handle. Doing this will also help for Instagram SEO purposes. SEO (search engine optimization) increases the chance of your brand showing up in search results.

3. Develop a Posting Schedule

You might think social media is a place for free spirits. People can post whenever they want and expect great results. The truth is that structure is important on Instagram.

Think of that content creator you desire to post at 6 am Monday. You look forward to their content and are ready to engage with it. This stability could be part of why they have gained millions of followers. They found the best time of day to capitalize on the Instagram algorithm. 

You can find the best day to post on Instagram as well. When you have a business profile, you get an in-depth profile of your followers. With these Instagram insights, you can see when your followers will likely be online.

You can also use scheduling tools on the platform to upload your content at the most reasonable time. You may not be using your phone. You can schedule these posts to ensure you post at the best time.

4. Master Your Content

Make your content as high-quality as possible. That might include upgrading your equipment or downloading apps to edit videos. Or, it could involve creating a cohesive feed. Choose an Instagram aesthetic to stick to. Soon, people will attach this aesthetic to your overall brand. 

This will include the fonts you use and the colors you incorporate. Great brands have defined color schemes as well. To improve your follower count, you must also have a defined look.

5. Pay Attention to Your Analytics 

Social media profiles are not all the same. To be an influencer, you will need a professional profile. Many benefits come with having a profile like this. One is access to Instagram Insights. This professional dashboard gives you all the stats on your page’s performance.

This data will tell you how well your content does. It includes posts, Reels, and Instagram Stories. Do more of what attracts attention on Instagram. It could include hashtags, videos, or trending audio clips. Ultimately, you will crack the code of what your followers like to see from you.

Instagram has provided a very useful tool. It comes free with the app. All aspiring influencers should familiarize themselves with this tool.

Micro Influencing: How Many Followers on Instagram To Become an Influencer?

A micro-influencer has between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. You can become an Instagram influencer with any number of followers. You may not have thousands of followers yet. You may not see the numbers you want if you just started your brand. Don’t view this limitation as a restriction to making money on the platform. 

Let’s talk about those creators with social media profiles with relatively small followings.

There Is No Minimum Number of Followers

Can you create quality content? Can you engage with your followers regularly? Can you set yourself apart from the wider Instagram market? Well, you have the makings of being the next social media influencer.

You may see creators with huge platforms. You assume that they are the ones making the big bucks. If some of them are honest with you, they will tell you they don’t earn that much. 

They may use Instagram as a platform to earn on a third-party website. Maybe they don’t create content that attracts brands. Don’t let the big numbers fool you. A huge following doesn’t mean automatic success on Instagram.

Now you know your follower count is not a bar to being an influencer. What will you do with that information?

There Is a Market for Small Creators 

You asked how many followers on Instagram to become an influencer because you are thinking of financial opportunities. Yes, Instagram is a great platform for making an income. However, you might think only the big creators benefit from brands. They care about the small creator as well. 

We will tell you why brands like creators like you. Your content will cost less than content from the account with the huge platform. These brands are still looking to save money. Engaging several small creators may be more economical than one big one. This fact doesn’t mean you should sell yourself short.

Always try to negotiate the best prices when brands approach you. Balance this with building content creation experience. Some brands will offer free products instead of monetary payment.

Small content creators also have closer relationships with their followers. It’s easier to build online connections with few followers than with a huge follower base. 

When you have a close relationship with your followers, you can influence them to purchase items. They trust you more because they view you as a friend, not a brand employee.

You also have a higher engagement rate than bigger creators. It’s easier for you to gain and maintain engagement from fewer people than a huge following. Brands like creators with strong engagement rates. It is a good indicator of how well you can influence your following.

Big content creators can appear to be walking billboards. As a smaller creator, you have a certain authenticity that big creators struggle to get. When it’s time to send a pitch email, play up this feature.

Knowing How To Become an Influencer on Instagram Fast May Not Be the Best Idea

You might be waiting for your viral moment. Some people catapult themselves into fame with a single video. They bypass using all the necessary content pillars and benefit from their new fame. We don’t think that is the most sustainable way to become an influencer.

You might gain fame using a particular type of video. It may have been a viral trend that wasn’t your usual content. Now, people will want to see that content from you more often. Can you maintain it? Maybe not.

Also, going viral pressures you to have another viral moment. What if you can’t achieve that? Do you just fade into obscurity? Think about these things when you ask how to become an influencer on Instagram fast. It may be better to build your IG follower base gradually instead.

We Know How To Become an Influencer on Instagram, and We Can Help 

You may not need a huge following to be successful on IG. Still, it certainly helps with influencer marketing. It could put you in a better bargaining position. It’s not necessarily about the number of followers. It’s about the quality of followers. We can help with both.

Plixi uses sophisticated AI targeting technology to bring active followers to your platform. It gives great support to our platform for Instagram influencers. We can grow your following to the level that you desire. 

Now you know how to become an influencer on Instagram. With our help, you’ll be unstoppable! Sign up with Plixi today!

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming an Influencer

More people want to try their hand at being an IG influencer. It may seem like an easy enough job. That is, until they attempt to do it. Now, they have many questions about how to pursue content creation as a career. We’ve gathered some of the questions below. Perhaps they will help you make a decision as well.

How many followers do you need to be an Instagram influencer?

There is no minimum follower requirement to become an Instagram influencer. The platform does not prescribe a minimum number. You can begin to create content to influence others at any follower size. However, it may impact how much you can earn.

What is an Instagram influencer?

An Instagram influencer creates visual content and uploads it to the IG platform. They do this to encourage others to make purchases and engage in a particular lifestyle. It is typically a job where creators receive monetary compensation to encourage followers to buy their products.

How do I get paid on Instagram?

There are multiple ways to receive payment on Instagram. Here are a few:

1. Offer affiliate links to followers to use when they make purchases. Creators gain a percentage of the sale.
2. Become a brand ambassador promoting products from established brands.
3. Use Instagram to advertise products sold on a separate website.

How do Instagram influencers get famous?

There are multiple ways Instagram influencers get famous. Here are a few:

1. They post high-quality content consistently and maintain a high engagement rate.
2. They experience a viral moment that attracts many new followers.
3. They have real-life, traditional fame, leading fans to follow them on social media.