How This Frugal Fashionista Grew to 16,000 Followers on Instagram

It's hard out here for a fashionista trying to make it on the gram! But there are a few things I've learned along the way that has helped me grow as a fashion influencer, without breaking the bank!

Although it takes dedication and time to grow a following online these days, here are the 5 essential tips I have learned along the way:

• Consistency: In all things that you do, you must be consistent to see results. Once I began posting images 2-3 times a week on my main page, and daily pix/videos on my IG stories, my followership grew. You have to be consistent to show your supporters / audience that you're worth following. People like to see that you're on IG to show them something great-- whether it be an image, video, or IG story. It's not always easy keeping up with this (and I honestly haven't mastered the daily posts yet), however to see the results you want, you have to give the people what THEY want.

• Content: Don't sleep on quality! All those grainy, blurry, android looking (ha!) pictures gots ta go! People want to see that you put some effort into your craft by providing quality images/videos on your page. Themed posts (same filter, same aesthetic, etc) also make your page look polished, and shows people that you take your page seriously. To step up my IG game up, I purchased a canon camera, a tripod, remote, lights, and teamed up with a few fashion boutiques that send me clothes for branded posts (more on this soon!). I also became #teamiphone in order to create better stories on my IG because nobody wants to see blurry videos all day. You have to invest in your craft if you want people to stick around. I trip up sometimes with my quality due to editing apps or lighting, but it's a work in progress. Practice makes perfect to produce better content. I mean, if you don't care, why should they?

• Community: No matter how many followers you have, engagement is everything on IG. You don't have to have 100k followers to have great engagement. You just need to engage with the few people that do show you love, and watch that grow over time. It also leads to brand deals and partnerships (hello emails!) when they see people engaging on your page. Most people believe you can just post something on IG, then disappear hoping for 100 likes. No! That's not how it works. You have to engage with the community as well and spread the love. IG is like politics: To get people's votes (follows/comments/likes) you have to shake a few hands, kiss a few babies (follow/like/comment on their page), and attend rallies (networking/pr events). Let's be clear, NOBODY wants a stuck-up Instagrammer that can't show love.

• Hashtags: Your IG best friend. When I see people complain about not having followers, and they don't use hashtags, I literally cringe. Unless you're famous, showing off your yams on the gram, dating a celeb, or creating out-of-this-world content... YOU NEED #HASHTAGS! Let's be real, you don't know everyone on IG, and your community probably consist of only 200 people. So how would other people find you?! Hashtags! Using hashtags on your posts increases your visibility, and allows NEW people to find your content. Hopefully once they do, they'll find your page cool enough to follow. I usually post about 5-7 tags in my caption, and then throw the rest in my comments. Read below on ways to find the best hashtags for your posts because the world needs to see you front and center! #instagramhashtags2018

• Tools: Here are the best social media tools I've used to keep my Instagram looking as good as I HOPE it looks:

1. Facetune - Smooth, Blur, Filter and Edit Images to go from zero to hero

2. PicsArt - Add sparkles, lights, and everything artsy to your images

3. ColorStory - Filters for dayssss. Make things pop such as beach photos and food

4. InShot - Edit videos and crop them for IGtv, Stories, etc

5. VSCO - Professional Filters for Photos

6. Lightroom - Use preset filters or create your own

7. Canva - Become your own graphic designer. Great for so many things! A TRUE God send!

8. Repost - Repost videos and pictures from other people's accounts

9. Planoly - Plan & Schedule your IG posts

10. Linktree - Need more links added to your IG Bio? Add multiple links with this

11. Hashtag Expert - Find the best hashtags for your posts

12. Instagram - The built in filters and editing tool is pretty great for minor edits

I hope you've found this write up useful. Now, your success on IG doesn't happen overnight, and there's definitely work to be done. However with consistent posts, and following the tips above, you will definitely see a difference in your instagram. Even if you don't have a business or service right now, growing a following online gives you leverage if an opportunity ever presents itself. You'll bring more value to the table, and it's best to create a fan base now so you have potential clients/customers for life!

Well, that's all folks! Pretty easy right? 😉 Now go out there and grow your following!

Stay Hustlin' xo

#instagramgrowth #instagramtoolsforbusiness #howtogrowoninstagram #instagram2018