This is how YOU can make thousands from your social media accounts

INSTAGRAM - it’s the word on everyone’s lips and the app at everyone’s fingertips.

The “King of Social” has become a leading platform for communication, and the go-to place to share your brunch pics from the weekend.

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The app, initially used for close family and friends, has become a beautiful collage of all the “best” snapshots of your life.

Many people assume that having a profitable Instagram account with a large following is a no-go unless you’re a celebrity, or have deep enough pockets to hire a professional photographer - but this is certainly not the case.

Hayley Coleby, senior social media director at London PR Agency , has shared some tips on how to grow your Instagram following and reap the benefits.

She said: “Just like bloggers and YouTubers – with a little bit of determination and hard work, Instagrammers can use their skills, passion and creativity to become online ‘influencers’.

“Many companies and brands will collaborate with influencers so that they can tap into their audience – often offering money in exchange for sponsored posts, which will help to raise awareness of their products, services, or messaging.

“Therefore, if you want to make money from your Instagram account, your goal is to gather a large following of people who are interested in what you’ve got to say!"

For those who want to "up" their following and try their luck at making money from their account, here are Hayley's tips on how to move from an Instagrammer to an influencer…

Be creative

Instagram is a platform that welcomes creativity more than any other, but it’s also becoming increasingly necessary to get your voice heard.

With the change of Instagram’s algorithm (from chronical to engagement-driven), almost all accounts have seen a significant drop in the number of likes and comments that they receive.

The old chronical algorithm allowed you to see everyone’s posts in the order that they were shared, whereas now, users will only see your posts if they engage with your account frequently.

For this reason, being creative and standing out is essential if you want your followers to stop endlessly scrolling through their feeds, and focus on your posts.

Being creative will catch people’s attention and encourage them to engage with you. From there it’s about maintaining their interest, by making sure you sustain the momentum.

Find your niche

Many people are led to believe that sharing a mixture of posts which appeal to everyone, will result in more followers. Therefore, they start taking on new hobbies and activities and posting about them.

While it’s great to have a lot of interests and talents, this isn’t necessarily going to get you more followers. Ultimately, all this will do is create more work for you and make you seem unauthentic. So, find a niche!

Your niche could be anything - outdoor fitness, healthy eating, brunch spots in London, travelling, home décor. It should represent your tone of voice, your visual identity, or something you’re really passionate about.

Having a niche doesn’t mean that you can only share posts surrounding that topic. Just share a post every now and again which encompasses this niche, and your page will start to attract other Instagrammers with similar interests to you.

Hashtags = power

Never underestimate the power of the hashtag - they are the most immediate way to extend your reach, and build a community.

By putting up to 30 relevant hashtags underneath an Instagram post you can make yourself visible to millions of daily users who are searching for, or engaging with, content like yours.

Be tactical with your hashtags.

Don’t bother including simple, everyday hashtags such as #breakfast, #gym or #weekend, as these are far too frequently used and will get lost amongst all the noise– not to mention, they’re boring!

Try using a trending or localised hashtag, like #ManchesterPRIDE, #GlastonburyFestival or #InternationalWomensDay.

By using hashtags like these, you will be tapping into a new audience who are likely to be interested in your content and want to follow you because you have similar interests.

Naturally, the more engaged followers you have - the better.

Talk back

Many people treat social media as a one-way street, by posting pictures every now and again and expecting likes back – but that’s not going to get you very far.

Communicating with other Instagrammers is a clever (and sociable) way to spread the reach of your posts and generate more followers.

How? Responding to comments, asking people questions, and liking or commenting on posts, will mean that your name is out there and more noticeable.

Starting conversations will also drive people to your page, and establish yourself as a prominent member in the community. This is what we call community managing.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but taking the time to interact with others, especially your own audience, like other’s posts and initiate conversations, will generate noticeable interest and activity around your account.

Use the whole toolbox

Just because Instagram first started as an image sharing platform, doesn’t mean you should be confined to this.

These days, there’s a plethora of tools on Instagram that you can use to tell your story – think videos, GIFs, and Boomerangs!

The newest tool on Instagram, which is already a big hit with users, is Instagram Stories.

This is a feature that lets users post photos and videos that vanish after 24 hours, much like Snapchat.

Using this instant tool regularly, is a fantastic way to keep your account fresh, increase engagement and keep people interested in you.

Once your Instagram Story has been posted you will be able to see how many times it has been viewed and who has viewed it – which is a great way to monitor how many people are engaging with you, and what posts are working better than others.

Get a better camera

Uploading blurry or faded images onto your Instagram account can look shabby and amateurish.

If you prefer to take pictures on your phone, make sure that you are using a phone with a good, quality camera.

Alternatively, you can invest in your own professional camera to take photos, and then transfer them to your phone before uploading.

Be consistent

If you carry out all of the above tips then you should start to see your follower numbers pile up – however, you must be consistent.

Don’t try and do everything all at once, and then nothing for a month. Regularity and consistency are key to growing an account.

Posting at least once a day is crucial for boosting your following, as it will ensure that there is enough content out there for your existing followers, and potential followers, to engage with you on.

Although this might sound tiresome, regular social updates are key!

Previously we shared the stunning female pilot who became an Instagram star with 35k followers by sharing pictures of her travels.

We also revealed the woman who proudly shares photos of herself doing yoga NAKED on Instagram who bit back at trolls who slammed her for nudity.