Want to know how to get 1 million followers on Instagram? Read more!
Instagram is the current big thing: influencers of all sizes are dreaming of being the next one to achieve a highly coveted goal. These days, being a millionaire isn’t necessarily about money. In this case, it’s all about follower count: 1 million followers, to be exact. For smaller micro-influencers with 10,000 followers, and even people with a few hundred thousand, achieving that lofty goal can seem impossible. What on earth do you need to do to hit that magic number?
Why is the 1 Million Follower Mark so Significant?
It wasn’t so long ago that hitting the 1 million mark was reserved entirely for big-name celebrities. Now, it seems, that goal is much more attainable for a wider variety of less well-known names. Musicians and artists, entrepreneurs, and even those who have built their Instagram career from the ground up as micro influencers and then macro-influencers.
And attaining the elusive 1 million can mean big changes for the owner of the account. Once you hit 1 million followers, you’re no longer a micro or macro influencer. In fact, at this point, many brands see you as a celebrity. For those who hit 1 million followers, it doesn’t take long before offers for sponsorship deals and brand partnerships to start trickling in.
What exactly is it about the magic million that makes it the all-important goal? It may be something of an arbitrary cut-off point, but there’s no doubt that hitting the million means that brands and sponsors are all of a sudden sitting up to take notice.
Tips for Getting the Elusive 1 Million Followers on Instagram
We’ve written about influencers before and behind the scenes there is a lot of work. There’s no single right path to follow in order to guarantee you’ll achieve the 1 million follower target. The truth is, the path is a little bit different for everyone, and it depends a lot on the nature of the industry they’re working in. Whichever path you take, it involves work – there is no magic wand!
A reporter once said to a famous golfer that he was really lucky – the response was:
“The harder I work, the luckier I get”
For the most part, what it takes is consistency, in all its forms. Consistency in your posting schedule, in your brand, in your content, and in your personal integrity.
Generally, however, there are some core steps that most people need to focus on if they want a chance at 1 million – or more realistically, several thousand.
- Start with the basics. Find out what the “must-do” things are and do them consistently. For instance, on Instagram that usually means posting new content daily, and perhaps even multiple times a day.
- Use hashtags, both to organise your content, and to stay on top of whatever conversations are going on. For best results, find out what the most popular hashtags are that are relevant to your account and your content, and use those when you can.
- Engage with your audience, preferably on every single post. That doesn’t mean you have to reply to every comment you get, and of course once your following increases it’ll be impossible. But always reply to one or two comments on each post you make.
- Make friends with other Instagram users who are at your level. With a small network of other influencers you can all help each other by cross-posting content, guest blogging, making recommendations, and so on.
- Tag brands and other accounts in your own posts. This helps you add to your network and encourages reposting of your content.
- Don’t ignore any opportunities that come your way for posting branded content, in favour of “staying authentic”. As a micro-influencer, and later as a macro-influencer you’ll hopefully get a range of opportunities—and it’s important that you don’t shy away from them. You can post paid content and still hold on to your integrity as a content creator.
- Always, always signpost paid content. Your credibility as an influencer can be destroyed in an instant if you post paid content without disclosing it as such.
A Quick Instagram Case Study: Arielle Charnas
One way to sort out what works, in terms of hitting the magic million, is to look at who’s doing it right. Don’t worry about the Kardashians and the Beyonces of the world: they’re on another level entirely, simply because they were in a position to be able to turn their existing fame into social media fame.
Instead, look at who’s hovering around the 1 million mark. Who’s about to get there, and who just made it? Fashion blogger Arielle Charnas (@somethingnavy) is a great example of someone who did all the right things on her way to the million-follower club. Charnas, who now has a private label deal with Nordstrom, started blogging in 2009, and quickly started racking up the Instagram followers for one very important reason: she took the time to engage with her followers on a regular basis. She posted celebratory updates for every 100,000 follower milestone, and used hashtags like a pro.
Essentially, what Arielle Charnas did was what we’re all advised to do as we grow up. She was herself—her authentic and real self. In the world of social media influencers, it’s that authenticity that pays off, more than anything else.
Failing this other ways to get to the million on Instagram are
Be rich, famous or related to someone who is and talk about your Insta account
- Pay for the followers – in the Facebook Ads platform you can show your content to potential followers who might follow you – budget around $1 or £1 a follow!
- There is no fast way to do this, it requires work and dedication.