I know we could most often time we find ourselves wishing that we can just—with the push of a button, buy Instagram likes, or just buy subscribers and save ourselves the trouble of going through the rigorous hurdles of carefully and diligently building a following.
But like the popular saying; “if wishes were horses, beggars will surely ride on them.” Nothing can be truer. It takes time, dedication, knowledge and persistence to be able to build your Instagram profile to the point where it starts making you money.
Are you throwing in the towel already? Don’t…! Must people as I have observed don’t have much trouble with dedication and perseverance, but rather are plagued with the know-how of how to structure and monetize their Instagram account.
So if you happen to find yourself in that category then stay tuned as I take you on an expository journey that will surely empower you into turning your Instagram account into a money maker.
Get the App
Sounds cheesy and easy right? Well, it will surprise you to know that a lot of folks try to use their computers for registering or opening an Instagram account, forgetting the fact that Instagram is a mobile app in the first place and should be opened or run from your mobile phone.
Plus it’s super easy, you just have to go to the app store and download the free Instagram app. After which you will be confronted with a question of whether you want to SIGN in with Facebook or your email address.
Now, if you intend to have a single primary Instagram account, or if you ‘ve got only one business you are running, then, by all means, opt for the Facebook medium of signing in. But if for some reason you are running several businesses, then you will want to go with the email address option.
Choose a Non-obnoxious Profile Picture
Bear in mind that this step is not very crucial, or immediately mandatory, (as you can always go back to your profile and change it). But know this, Your profile picture is one of the major, if not the most important factor in determining your noticeability on Instagram. (That, and your charming ability in convincing Beyonce to mention you in a post.)
Here are some pointers as regards posting Instagram photos;
The ideal Instagram photo should be around 500×500 pixels; Anything smaller or bigger than that will make you either over appealing or less appealing. You should strive for a balance at all times—if you know what I mean.
Your profile picture will always be resized to a square ratio; so, it is in your best interest to have your ID photo appropriated to 500×500, to avoid looking like a handicap on your profile pics.
If it is a business or corporation that you are representing; then you should go for a very simple logo, preferably without any words attached to it. Try to avoid using that corporate office picture, that your company probably used in her annual calendar. It is just going to look down-right crappy on a mobile phone. The best option is just to stick to a simple and eye-catching logo.
If you intend to use the account to represent you as a brand; then you have to opt for a top-notch quality picture that shows off the elegant side of you. You should endeavour to avoid full-frame pictures that show everything from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet. It is much nicer and safer to go for photos that show from your shoulders-up with a broad smile on your face.
Try To Locate Some Friends
Immediately after creating your profile, you will most likely be taken to a screen labelled; “find friends.”—Note that this is not also imperative, as at your own time of choosing you can always go back and select the find friends feature from your profile.
There are three strategic and powerful ways Instagram offers to help you find friends:
- Find friends from your Facebook account (did you know that Facebook owns Instagram?)
- Find friends from your phone’s contact list
- And finally, find friends from your email address.
Except of course, if you don’t want people within the inner circle of your life knowing what you are doing, then it will be very much to your advantage if you utilize these incredible options.
Use a Username That Is Charming
Before delving into the attributes of a good username, I would like to clarify a misconception. “Username” and “Personal name”
The username is more or less your user handle, while the personal name is the name on your birth certificate…period!
When signing up, you will be asked to fill in your personal name or (whatever alias you are using to stay anonymous), which can be changed many times over.
But your username is the most you should pay attention to as it is the one that carries a lot of branding charm in your Instagram account. Finding the right username can sometimes prove to be very challenging especially if someone has already taken up a name that you intend to you.
Create a Captivating Bio
Of all the points we have listed above, this might as well be the most relevant, and that is because your bio is where you get to throw in some key phrases or words related to your business or field.
More importantly, it is a place that can help you promote not only a call to action but also the peculiarity of why your business is the better choice.
Even though at the beginning of this write up I encouraged you to use your mobile device for signing up, but for this particular step, I will advise you to make use of your computer, as writing your bio on a mobile device will clump up all the text together.
And this is because Instagram doesn’t recognise breaks between lines when it comes to your bio.
Lastly: Link up your Instagram account with all other social media accounts you have
This is a very crucial step. You want to go ahead and synchronise your Instagram account with the rest of your social media profiles, which might include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
This will enable your posts and publications to have a wider reach, thereby boosting your engagement and online presence with very little effort.
