Chapter 5: Growing Your Social Media

Now that you’ve got an aesthetic page with your brand and target audience down, it’s time to cast a wide net and gain as much exposure as possible. So what can you do to get your pics out there on more? Explore pages and feeds so the right people can find and follow you?

Here are some tips and strategies that go beyond your photos and captions, so have a compelling backstory and impressive bio ready!

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1. Instagram Giveaways 

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When you’re just starting, it can be very challenging to grow an Instagram account. Not to mention, with the current Instagram algorithm, it’s near impossible to grow organically.  

Group giveaways allow you to build a small following first to help launch your Instagram. You can also participate in giveaways as a seasoned influencer to give your account a little boost. Although, here are a few things to consider and watch out for when participating in giveaways:

  1. It would be best if you didn’t wholly rely on giveaways to grow your following. 

  2. Watch out for the demographic and location of the giveaway participants. It’s important to build a strong audience base from your country because more and more brands look for sales conversion than brand awareness. 

Reach out to us, and we can help connect with some fantastic giveaway services. 


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2. Collaborate with your fellow influencers 

We’ve discovered plenty of influencers by seeing them (positively) featured on the pages of influencers we’re already following. Collaborating with influencers in your niche allows you to gain exposure from their audience. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow influencers for fun collabs. 

Just make sure that the partnership is mutually beneficial. 



3. Participate on a podcast.

Do you have a lot of unique insights on an important topic you’d like to share? Podcasts are a popular way to get exposure for reasons beyond being ridiculously good looking. Most podcasts last about 1-3 hours with discussions that range from lighthearted conversation to analyzing deep, often emotional topics.

Look through your network for anyone that’s hosting a podcast that talks about topics you’d enjoy talking about. Let them know you’d like to be featured and present what topics you’d like to discuss.

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4. Get interviewed by a magazine. 

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If you have a unique platform, such as cooking up healthier versions of common comfort foods, you’d be a great fit to be featured in a magazine article.   

Don’t worry; you don’t need to hit it big for this! Before you reach out to Vogue, try smaller local magazines that focus on small businesses and exploring inspiring stories such as Voyage LA. These magazines often feature indie brands and smaller, upcoming creators making a positive impact on their communities and the world. 

Think of yourself as a business, even if you don’t have a formal business license. Write out your story of why you decided to become an influencer, what your goals are, and what positive impact you aspire to make. Magazines often look for inspirational stories that stand out from the crowd and seek to make a statement.  


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5. Be more involved in your community, digitally.

An organic way to softly promote yourself is to be more involved in your digital community and list your social media as your preferred mode of contact. Post in Facebook groups, write guest blogs, and comment on other Instagram posts.

Of course, these postings shouldn’t be explicitly telling viewers to click on your profile. They should be authentic, informative, well-written responses to the topic you’re responding to. Your goal is to be noticed by providing value, whether it’s an insightful perspective or a funny joke. Start and/or participate in discussions on topics that are important to you and your brand. 


6. Hire a publicist.

If you’ve got the $$, you can hire a publicist to help you with much of the above. A publicist can help you amp up your exposure by securing brand deals, podcast spots, and interviews

 

7. Land brand deals. 

Brands often feature their influencers on their page, so this would help put you in the spotlight. 

Landing brand deals is a vital part of an influencer’s journey, so we’ll be dedicating an entire post to that. Sign up for our mailing list and stay tuned!

XOXO,

Irose