How do Instagram stars make money with zero effort?

What does it take to make money off of Instagram? It turns out, not much. Here are steps that every Instagram star has to take to get to the top:

Find your niche

First, you have to decide what you want to be known for on Instagram. There are thousands of makeup artists that are famous on Instagram, but many of them have become successful because they have targeted a niche market. For example, some may only use vegan or cruelty-free products, while others may focus on replicating celebrity beauty looks. Find your niche, and then stick to it so you can start building a reputation as the go-to Instagram account for this specific area.

Start using hashtags

Then, begin to research the most popular hashtags within your niche market and use them on every single post. It has been reported that posts with at least 11 hashtags have higher engagement rates than those with 10 or less, so the more hashtags you use per post, the better.

How can you find hashtags? A great tool to use is Hashtagify.me. Using this tool, you can enter a broad hashtag and then find other more specific hashtags that are related to it. For example, if you enter #makeupartist, you might discover that people on Instagram refer to makeup artists as MUAs, so you should also include the hashtag #MUA. If you are a food distributor, you may discover other hashtags such as #supplychain, #supplier, and #wholesale.

Post visually appealing pictures

The key to becoming an Instagram star is posting eye-catching photos. It’s important that you post on a regular basis, otherwise, your followers may lose interest in you. Make sure that the photos are well lit, and don’t be afraid to use filters.

The key to becoming an Instagram star is posting eye-catching photos. Source

In fact, you may want to download apps that help you edit Instagram photos so you can make your photos more visually appealing.

Reach out to brands

Don’t wait for brands to come knocking down your door to offer you sponsorship or partnership opportunities. Once you have built a small following, it’s up to you to reach out to brands and get them to notice you. Start following brands that you have your eye on, and then send them a direct message or leave them a comment on one of their photos asking if you can get in touch with them regarding a business opportunity. If a brand starts to follow you, click on their profile and see if you would be willing to do business with them. If they chose to follow you, they must have some sort of interest in building a relationship with you.

By following these steps, you will eventually be able to grow your followers even more. Then, larger brands may start to get in touch with you regarding paid partnerships.

Do you follow any Instagram stars? Which ones? How do you think they make their money? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

—

DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation in writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.