How to Start an Insta Blog and Build a Steady Following

June 08, 2021

In recent years, blogging is one of the most classic trends that have taken over the web. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown brought out a lot of creativity in people and most of this creativity has gone into creating blogs.

Building one from scratch isn’t as tasking as you may think, though. The bulk of the work lies in creating content to roll out the ideas you already have.

This is the same for an Instagram blog.

Starting a blog on the social network is no different from starting a normal weblog, all thanks to the high 2200-character limit each post has. This is the highest limit of any social media app.

So you can start a blog with your Instagram account, tailored to drive sales, show off your products, for affiliate/influencer marketing, or simply to have fun. The platform is here to fulfill your needs, no matter what your reason may be.

Here are a few steps to follow when creating an Instagram blog, plus some tips on how to build a community that engages with your content:
 

1. Create an Instagram account

Certainly one of the more obvious steps in this process. You need an IG account—either you use an already existing account or create a fresh one, all depending on your goals. 

The platform makes it possible to change your username. So if you have a bunch of followers already, you don’t have to lose them—try rebranding by deleting unnecessary posts and changing your handle as needed. Then you’re good to go.
 

2. Choose a focus

Do you know the popular saying “jack of all trades, master of none?” This applies to starting an Insta blog. It's extremely important to choose a niche that fits your skills, talents, goals, and personal values.

Focusing on a particular niche (or a combo of related niches) will help you gain consistent followers, views, and engagement. You're basically telling them, “Hey, follow me to learn more about this, my content is great and you’ll enjoy it.”

You cannot be a beauty blogger, then all of a sudden start posting travel tips and the best destinations to visit. You lose a lot of followers and confuse the ones who stay. A majority followed you to get tips on beauty and makeup, but they're now seeing that you don’t offer those anymore.

Take your time when selecting your niche and focus; that's the key takeaway here. And to reiterate, you need a niche that matches your strengths and talents.

Further, changing your market is possible but needs a lot of rebranding, so it’s best to avoid the stress. Alternatively, you can choose a broad topic then specialize once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

To give you some ideas, here are the most popular niches for an Instagram blog:

  • Beauty 

  • Lifestyle

  • Food

  • Modeling

  • Motivational speaking

  • Finance

  • Travel 
     

3. Build a solid profile

Craft your bio/profile to tell a story. A story about you and your blog. The bio section is pretty much the first impression followers have of you, as it's where they go to learn about your Instagram page. It can either persuade or dissuade them to hit that illustrious follow button.

You're to sell yourself to the public in 150 characters, so make it great. Take your time and craft an eye-catching, captivating bio that will stay ingrained into their memory.

The goal is to create a bio that gives clear—sometimes creative—insight into what your page is all about. Whether you talk about travel or crypto, you need to put it in there. If you’re one on the look for promotions and/or collaborations, your contact details need to sneak on there as well.
 

4. Upload quality images and videos

Seeing as Instagram is an app built around photos and videos, it's important to upload high-quality visual content.

Using poor-quality or unrelated images/videos can damage the way your blog is perceived by others and affect both your follower count and engagement.

Evidently, the way your page appears matters a whole lot. That's why some of the best Instagram bloggers invest in the aesthetics of their page in many different ways.

Most of them use the 3 by 3 posting, in which they upload a particular picture with different styles three times so that it's perfectly aligned. Others use one preset filter for all their pictures, giving it a beautiful look when glanced through.

If you can’t create your own pictures, be sure to use stock photo websites (like Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, etc.) to source pictures for your page.
 

5. Write great posts and use relevant hashtags

Your blog is only as good as the content you put out. When you start it, you'll need to put your best foot forward and create great content that appeals to your target audience.

People will follow you when they know you have something to offer, and they can gain valuable knowledge from your posts. Always think from this perspective.

Ask yourself, what do people want to know about? What are their interests? Needs? These questions will help shape your mind to think of useful content to put out.

Remember to include a CTA (call to action) in your posts. A CTA is very useful in inspiring readers to take action. It could be a phrase asking them to purchase a product or share the post with their friends. And it's important to always have a CTA.

Hashtags are incredibly useful when posting on Instagram. They give your posts a wider reach through search, as clicking on a hashtag takes you to all content in which that hashtag was mentioned. This is a great way for people in your niche to find your page and engage with your work.
 

6. Use Instagram features

There are a lot of Instagram features out now made to make life much easier for you, from the profile highlights to the Stories feature.

These are all great ways for you to showcase and publicize your blog. You can even take it a step forward and purchase Instagram Ads to promote your uploads.
 

Other tips to help you succeed at running an Insta blog include: 

  • Cross-marketing your blog content on other social media channels and vice versa. 

  • Sharing user-generated content.

  • Posting when your audience is most active.

  • Interacting with your viewers like a real human being.

  • Creating a well-thought-out Instagram strategy, which accounts for your content and engagement.

  • Engaging with other pages within your niche, especially those pushing out trending videos and images.

  • Engaging your audience with contests, Q&A sessions, Live videos, etc.

  • Using GIFs, emojis, memes, and other fun and interactive materials.

These are all great ways to grow your upcoming Instagram blog.
 

Start your Insta blog today!

Hosting a social blog on the platform may seem tasking at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll discover that there’s really nothing to it. Create your account and choose your desired niche, then you’re all set.

One of the more important practices to note when running an Insta blog is to be consistent. This is key to breaking any barriers and achieving success when you start a new blog or try to drive traffic to an existing one.

⟵ Torna al blog