Social media is a tool you can’t ignore as a blogger. It connects you to your blog’s audience, and it’s an awesome way to start collaborating with brands too. But before you can start forming some great partnerships with brands that work for your blog, you need to know how to find them and get noticed by them. Instagram has millions of users and plenty of them are bloggers and influencers trying to get the attention of brands. So how do you stand out and make the most of the platform?
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Get Your Instagram Account Growing
The first thing you should think about is growing your Instagram following. You might have an account already, which could be under your name or might represent your blog’s brand. Either way, you’ll find it easier to get noticed if you have a good number of followers. More followers means a larger audience to advertise to. Maybe your blog already has a good readership, but brands on Instagram are going to want to see that you have a decent following there too.
Start by linking your blog and your Insta account. Put follow and share buttons on your blog and use your IG bio to add a link to your blog. This will encourage your readers to follow you and send your followers to your blog too. Once you’ve done that, make sure you’re following people too. People following you back will help your follower count, and it will show you’re not just there out of self-interest.
Now it’s time to start sharing and interacting. You can share your blog posts on Instagram and use your blog content to inspire your Instagram content. But you can also go beyond your blog, sharing extra material that will interest your audience. Make use of relevant hashtags to help people find your posts. And don’t forget to comment and interact with other people’s posts too. Being consistent and using the app regularly will help you slowly build your followers.
The Biggest Trends Right Now
Want to stay on top of the best ways to use Instagram? Following the latest trends will help you stay up to date. You might notice some top trends on your own, but don’t worry if you’re not that observant. You can always find other people giving tips about what you should be doing to keep up with the latest happenings.
Using Reels
With the rise of TikTok, short-form video is more popular than ever. Instagram Reels are another great option for posting these kinds of videos, whether you also have a TikTok or not. Instagram Reels have been on the rise and can really help to grow your follower count.
Carousel Posts
Carousel posts allow you to add up to 10 images and videos in one post. That makes them pretty engaging for your followers and potential followers. They can be used in lots of different ways, from sharing advice and educating to telling a story.
Broadcast Channels
Instagram introduced broadcast channels as a new feature in 2023. They’re relatively new but can provide another way to interact with followers. They’re a messaging tool that you can use to send a message to multiple people, sharing exclusive content in an intimate way.
Microinfluencing: What Is It?
You might have heard the term microinfluencer thrown around, but what exactly is it? A microinfluencer is an influencer with a social media presence that’s larger than the average person’s but smaller than a big celebrity’s. Sounds pretty achievable, right? Generally, they have somewhere between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. Microinfluencers also generally focus on promoting brands that align with their own interests, which is ideal for bloggers.
Top Instagram Affiliate Programmes
Affiliate marketing is a great way to tap into the power of Instagram. As an affiliate of certain brands, you’ll promote their products for a commission on any resulting sales. Some affiliate programmes might be specifically intended for Instagram influencers, while others are more general and you can join them to promote their products on a range of platforms.
Here are some of the most popular options if you’re looking for an Instagram affiliate programme:
- Amazon Associates – Amazon Associates is one of the most popular affiliate programmes. You can use it to promote a variety of brands and products on your Instagram, as well as your blog. There are no strict requirements, either. Most people can simply sign up and start earning a commission from sales.
- Rakuten Advertising – Rakuten Advertising is another good choice for anyone who wants to use affiliate marketing on Instagram. It’s high-performing and can help you find brands that work for you and your audience, with data-driven recommendations. Brands will vet you before deciding if they want to work with you.
- Awin – Awin is one of the biggest affiliate marketer programmes. It runs affiliate campaigns for brands across various industries, so you can find those that suit you best. With Awin, you can integrate your trackable links with various content on social media. You can join as many programmes as you want but you’ll need to be approved by the advertiser.
- Etsy – As well as their affiliate programme, Etsy has a separate Creator Co programme, which is designed for content creators on social media. This makes it easy to promote unique items on Etsy through your social media posts, including what you post on Instagram. There aren’t any specific requirements you need to follow, but some people might not be eligible, depending on the topics they cover.
How to DM Brands and Actually Get Results
Another way to find collaboration opportunities on Instagram is to direct message brands you’re interested in partnering with. But how can you do this without getting ignored? Brands get a lot of messages asking about partnerships, so you need to stand out from the crowd. If you write your DMs in the right way, and contact the right people, you can get great results.
So how do you get noticed and make sure brands don’t ignore you? Getting their attention quickly is essential. You only have a few seconds to do it, so you need to get right into it with your message. Start by choosing brands that are more likely to listen. That will include brands that are relevant to you. Don’t bother with any that don’t make sense for your own brand.
Starting with a template for your message can be helpful, just to give you the outline of what you want to say. But every DM you send should be tailored to the brand you’re approaching, and sometimes a specific person too. Research the brand so you know what you’re talking about and can customise your message. Start by quickly introducing who you are and why you feel like you and the brand will work well together. Why are you a good fit and why do you feel a connection with them?
You should also give them important details about how you can help them promote their products or services. Provide solid numbers, including how many followers you have, how many subscribers or how much traffic your blog has, or stats about specific posts. They want to know how partnering with you is going to benefit them.
Finally, make sure they know how to get in touch with you. If you have a media kit or similar, mention that you can send it to them or send them your rates.
Product Review Campaigns
Collaborations with brands on Instagram are often product review campaigns. The brand sends you a product and, in return, you review it on your account. Many brands will want a genuinely honest review, although it’s obviously smart to ensure your review is as balanced as possible. Other brands might be looking for more of a direct ad or recommendation, rather than a review. Your review might be in the form of a video, or it could be an image accompanied by a written review in the description.
How to Spot a Scam
There are scams abound on Instagram, especially for anyone looking for promo opportunities. So you need to be really careful if you want to avoid getting scammed.
Follow some of these rules to spot scams:
- Don’t click any suspicious links
- Check to see if a brand’s followers are real
- Research the brand
- Take your time – don’t rush or panic
- Learn about common scams to avoid
Is That Offer Fair?
Getting a fair rate for your work is essential when you’re working with brands on Instagram. You need to know what’s fair so they don’t take advantage of you. Rates are often based on your reach and how many followers you have.
According to InfluencerMarketingHub, the average rate for a microinfluencer with 10,000 to 50,000 followers on Instagram is $100-$500 per post. Keep in mind that this can vary by platform, so you might earn more on Facebook or YouTube. Other factors that matter include your follower engagement, type of content, industry, and exclusivity.
You’ll have to put time into growing your Instagram followers and finding the right brands to partner with. But once you get the ball rolling, you could form some successful partnerships.
