Do you have a small start up business but don't know where to actually start?! Or are you trying to turn yourself into a brand? I'm here to help! Now, I'm no expert, but I can give you a few pointers that have helped me with my business, Krys Stylez, and my personal brand! Here are some tips I recommend to help you draw traffic to you and your brand!
1. Be consistent
You want to post often and be strategic with your posts. This doesn't mean you have to post every single day, but at least 2 times a week or once a week or whatever you're comfortable with. This will help you to stay relevant within the TL and also allow more people to see your work/posts.
2. Engage
Engage with your followers! Don't be scared to interact with people who comment under your posts. Did you know that within the first hour of posting is when your post will be seen the most?! After that it's like trying to pick a needle out a hay stack to find your photo. But, if you continue to comment back when people comment under your posts it'll help. Plus your followers will appreciate you engaging back with them!
3. Use the Proper Hashtags
Hashtags are very helpful! I know back in the day when Instagram first came out we low-key despised hashtags and thought they were corny, but now they really can bring you more exposure, new followers or even sales (if you have a business)! Finding the right hashtags can be trial and error, but once you get the hang of which ones work for you, you'll be good to go. Going to my favorite influencers pages and looking at their hashtags helped me because I was able to see what hashtags were used for the same things I aspired to do and post. I also put the hashtags in my notes so I would never forget! Plus, you want to use hashtags that aren't oversaturated, but still have traffic coming to them. Keep the hashtags relevant to your post as well!
Ex: If you have a picture of yourself wearing a leather coat, I probably wouldn't use the hashtag #WoolCoat because it's not pictured.
4. Collaborate with Small and Local Businesses
If you're building your personal brand or wanting to be any type of influencer, doing this is a great start to get yourself out there. Whether companies or businesses come to you first or you reach out to them; Don't knock it! Even if this means doing some collabs/posts for free, it'll help you get some credible content out there and allow paid brands to see you actually in action.
5. Do Giveaways
People love FREE shit, honey. Doing a giveaway that requires people to follow you and/or another page (such as your business page) for free items is one of the easiest things you can do for your business! Seriously. Start with small items or do a random gift card giveaway! Get creative! And if you need a flyer Canva is your best friend!
6. Quality Content
When I say quality, I mean make sure you're not taking pictures with just anything sitting in the background. Try to create sleek and clean pictures free of clutter, heavy filters or just anything that looks crazy. And please don't get me started on the people who crop their pictures to point you can barely see it! It grinds my gears! Please don't do that or stop if you do!
7. Share Your Posts
Just posted a new picture? Share it with your close friends/family/followers and ask them to support you by liking and/or commenting! This way you can start engaging and more people can essentially see your post. Not to mention, if someone reposts you on their IG story they can gain you a new follower. So don't be scared to ask for help! I do this mostly on all of my posts til' this day!
8. Plan Your Content
Now, I do this sometimes and I honestly should do it more, but it definitely helps! Use apps such as Planoly or Preview (my favorite) and they help you plan out your posts days/months in advance! Not only that, but it'll even upload your posts with your caption and all for you. You can also rearrange some photos to plan your feed out accordingly and see how it'll look if you post certain photos's. Dope, right?!
9. Tag Your Favorite Brands
If you're wearing or talking about a brand in your content, TAG EM' and use their brand hashtags! A brand could potentially repost you, they could possibly email you or DM you for a future collaboration. And once again, if they repost you it could draw more followers to your page!
Ex: I tag @fashionnova @fashionnovacurve and use the hashtag #NovaBabe #FashionNovaCurve when I wear any of their items!
10. Update Your Bio
If you need an example just go look one of your favorite influencers or business owners who are killing the game. Your bio should display what you do and 1 or 2 of your accomplishments and where you're located or currently working or school you're enrolled in! This gives your followers a sense of who you are, what you do and where you're at! This can really make or break a follower, tbh!
If you've gained new information or found this article helpful, please share this link with your family and friends! Also, head over to my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thekrystalhall/) and leave comment under the post about this blogpost!