How To Become an Influencer: Your Roadmap to Instagram Fame

There’s no manual on how to become an influencer on social media. If there were, everybody and their mom would be battling it out online to capture audiences and gain fans. In reality, successful influencers forge their own unique path to Insta fame. Some did it from scratch for years, while others accidentally became viral sensations overnight.

Becoming a popular influencer might be a challenging goal to meet. But if you know how to rise to the top of the influencer world, you might have a shot. We’re here to help you reach that dream. In this guide, we’ll give you a comprehensive lowdown on building a successful personal brand. By the end of it, we’ll answer a burning question of the digital era—how do you become an influencer?

How To Become an Influencer Overnight: Is It Possible?

It makes sense for striving creators to want to kick off strong and wonder how to become an influencer overnight on Instagram or other social media platforms. Unfortunately, there’s only a slim chance of it happening even to the most talented creators.

The lucky ones might get famous overnight if one of their posts goes viral, earning them much engagement. There are also a handful of new creators who sign paid partnerships with big brands for a major campaign. These lucky content creators might also have a chance at instant fame.

But for most social media influencers, becoming famous on Instagram takes time—and a lot of it. It means honing your craft, devising a digital strategy, building relationships, and more to boost your online presence. And while it may be time-consuming and tedious, it will be all worth it once you make it big online.

How To Become an Instagram Influencer: 8 Steps to Insta-Fame

So many people—especially younger social media users—dream of becoming a popular content creator. In fact, CNBC reports that about 57% of Gen Z-ers want to become influencers one day. But how feasible is it to launch a career as an influencer and be successful?

Finding fame on Instagram is definitely not a walk in the park. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it. At the end of the day, it’s all about what you bring to the table and whether people like it. Want to take your chances and shoot your shot at becoming a successful creator? Here’s how to become an Instagram influencer in eight steps.

1. Define Your Niche and Target Audience

The first thing you must do after you’ve decided to follow the influencer career path is decide on your niche. What specific topic do you want to specialize in and make content for? Do you want to become a fashion influencer or focus on technology, pet care, or parenthood? Maybe you are more interested in fitness influencing or beauty. 

Think about what you’re passionate and knowledgeable about and what you’d enjoy sharing with your audience.

Don’t be afraid to narrow down your topic. Instead of going for something generic like fitness, think about ultra-specific niches, like prenatal fitness or yoga. The more specific and pointed your niche is, the higher your chances of being an influential expert in your field.

Once you have a clear idea of the kind of content you want to create, determine your target audience. What kind of people will resonate most with your content? Consider the demographics of your target market, from their age and gender to where they live. By having a clear understanding of who your audience is, tailoring niche content for them will be easier.

2. Set Up Your Instagram Profile

When you have your game plan in terms of niche and target market, it’s time to set up your page. Create an Instagram account (or use an existing one) and optimize it to exude your influencer persona.

Choose a simple yet catchy username that is easy to remember. Make it so straightforward that when people search your name, you’re the first account to come up. That way, your future followers won’t have a hard time looking for you on Instagram.

Then, write an interesting bio to go to the top of your profile. Make sure you include keywords your target audience might search on the platform. For example, if you’re a fashion influencer, use niche words and phrases like “minimalist style” or “coquette fashion.” Add affiliate links, e-commerce sites or blog URLs to your bio as well to drive traffic to these pages!

Finally, select a high-quality profile picture on Instagram to serve as your brand image. It could be a glamour shot of your face or a cute selfie that can make a good first impression. It should exude positive energy and be interesting enough to pique people’s interest in your page.

3. Switch to Creator Mode

At this point, switch from a personal page to a creator account. Most new creators forget this step. However, it’s a must if you want to reap all the benefits of a professional Instagram account.

Once you’re an official creator on Instagram, you can make use of the platform’s plethora of professional tools. Here are just some of the perks of switching to a creator page:

• You can run paid ad campaigns to read your target audience effortlessly.
• You’ll have access to Instagram Insights to see your posts’ key metrics, from reach to engagement scores.
• You can add contact buttons and categories to your profile for a more professional look.
• You’ll have more options for organizing your direct message inbox.
•  You will be eligible for monetization programs for your high-performing content.

4. Brainstorm Your Content Strategy and Calendar

Now, it’s time to craft your blueprint for creating content on the platform. Yup, if you’ve made it this far, you’re finally ready to make your very own content strategy. It’s time to be extra strategic and creative and ask, “How do I become an influence in my niche?”

Perfecting your content strategy has many layers. At the most superficial level, you’ll want to decide on your personal aesthetic. Think of the overall look you want your feed to have. Decide on your signature color palette, key filters, photography style and more. Your look should be something that reflects your personality and is attractive and visually appealing to your audience.

Then, it’s time to get a little deeper and more strategic. After just thinking of your overall aesthetic, think of specific content buckets for your posts. These buckets will be your key themes for content.

For example, beauty influencers might have content buckets like get-ready-with-me videos, makeup reviews, skincare tips, tutorials and more. For food influencers, buckets might include recipes, kitchen hacks, and restaurant reviews. You basically have to decide on every type of content you want to put out on your page.

Once you have those down pat, it’s best to create a content calendar. This calendar is your ultimate guide to what you need to post on what specific date and time. It lists the content type, content bucket, hashtags, captions, and other details a post may have. That way, you can see all your content lined up for a specific week or month at a glance.

5. Create High-Quality Content That Will Impact Your Followers’ Lives

Now that you have a solid content strategy and calendar to guide you, you can finally start producing content.

Make sure to come up with valuable content your target audience will enjoy and find helpful and exciting. For example, if you’re a travel influencer, create city guides, informational culture posts, local eatery recs, and more. Put out content that isn’t just aesthetically stunning but useful for your followers, too.

When we talk of high-quality content, we don’t just mean content with the right message. Your videos, photos and audio clips also have to be top-notch and in high-definition. Otherwise, people will automatically scroll past your post. Here are some tips for making content of the highest quality possible:

• Invest in third-party photo and video editing tools to elevate your posts.
• Use high-quality equipment, such as cameras, microphones, green screens, ring lights, and tripods.
• Plan out your outfits and props in advance before production shoots.
• Always prepare storyboards and shot lists before you shoot videos.

6. Start Partnering With Businesses as a Brand Ambassador

Once you’ve posted a good amount of content online, you will likely amass a significant follower count. Now that you have some fans who look forward to your content, you can start trying to land brand deals.

Looking for sponsorships and collaborations isn’t easy, even for more experienced influencers with huge fanbases. For a new content creator, it might be even more challenging.

Our advice? Create a media kit showcasing what you can offer to potential brand partners. Show them your numbers and creative portfolio. Take time to explain why you can be an awesome brand ambassador for them. Then, send it out to the brands you want to work with. Hopefully, you can land your first brand deal in no time.

7. Nurture Your Relationship With Your Fans by Engaging With Them Regularly

An influencer is nothing without their loyal fans. You might have tons of followers and brand deals, but your greatest strength is your community of fans. Keep those people loyal to you by engaging them online and genuinely building a relationship with them.

The easiest way to do that is by responding to your fans’ DMs and comments. Interact with them whenever you can, and make sure to be your authentic self when doing so. Sparking a conversation like that will make them feel valued by someone they look up to, boosting their loyalty to you.

Another way to bond with your fans is to host Q&A sessions on Instagram Stories or Live. This is an awesome opportunity for them to ask you anything and for you to open up to them.

8. Use Analytics Tools To Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses as a Creator

Even if you become an incredibly successful influencer, there will always be room for improvement. Put effort into improving your craft and coming out with better content using analytics.

Creators have access to Instagram Insights, the platform’s in-app analytics tool. From time to time, check on your posts’ performance metrics to see how they’re faring. Assess which posts perform well and which don’t. Analyze what about those posts led to those results. Use those learnings and insights to optimize your content strategy and improve your posts moving forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

And That’s How To Become an Influencer and Make Money on IG

Becoming an impactful influencer isn’t easy. You must spend lots of time refining your Instagram strategy, growing your expertise in your niche, and making valuable content. Following the steps above about how to be an influencer will help you make it to the top. All you need is a passion for content creation, a knack for digital marketing, and an authentic personality to showcase online.

Now that you know how to become an influencer and make money, it’s time to make it a reality. A terrific way to jumpstart your career as an influencer is by working with Path Social. We’ve helped influencers like Terrell Conyers get thousands of followers with our strategies! 

Through organic promotions, influencer shout-outs, hashtag strategies, and more, we’ll push your content to ensure your target audience sees it. Be a successful influencer by building a solid community of Instagram followers today with Path Social!