Want to be an Instagram Influencer?

So you want to be an Instagram influencer! Well, who doesn’t! Getting there will take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It will also take these 8 tips from us! More than 85% of people state that their purchasing decision was influenced by an influencer. It is possible as an influencer to make a healthy bank from over 1 billion active users each month on Instagram – there’s no greater time to capitalize. We are even going to share the secret of the best time to post on Instagram in Hong Kong!

First launched in 2010, Instagram, while old, is still one of the world’s most used social networking services. Of course, one of the drawing cards of the app is the fact that it’s a highly visual medium, and for brands and individual creators alike, it’s got huge potential to capture the attention of millions of users at once.

In a previous post, we revealed the acclaimed success behind these 5 Hong Kong Influencers You Need to Follow on Instagram.

Now, we share 8 of the best influencer marketing tips from some of the most successful Instagram users on how you can attract your first 250k followers. Let’s get it on!

Do you need to pick a theme to be an Instagram influencer?

Of course, you do! Figure out what makes you tick and choose that as the theme of your page. Keep in mind, that your personal brand should emanate throughout your pictures. It could be anything you desire and it needs to make a statement of you being an Instagram influencer.

Regardless of dedicating your profile to must-have accessories or selfies of you traveling across the globe, having a set theme is sure to inspire your next post. Not only does having a theme inspire photo content, but it also indicates what your audience can expect.

A theme will also help you to stick to it, and that way – you’ll be able to post with greater efficiency and ease.

How important is it to be consistent as an Instagram influencer?

Consistency is key as an Instagram influencer! As with any other social media platform, Instagram requires consistency in order to attract loyal followers. That’s why you should try to post at least once to three times a day, minimum. Otherwise, if you skip a few days here or a week there, then you might come back to find that your Instagram page has turned into a ghost town.

One of the most effective strategies that you can use to stay consistent with your posting schedule is to plan your posts in advance so that you’ll have something to fall back on whenever you’re running low on content ideas.

Also, the benefit of posting often is that this allows you to engage with your audience on a regular basis while increasing your chances of gaining new followers, as your current followers are most likely to share your content if you post consistently.

When is the best time to post on Instagram in Hong Kong?

Since Instagram’s algorithm changed a few years ago, sharing visible posts on Instagram has become significantly more challenging. Business postings with links that are likely to drive users away from the Instagram app are given even less weight.

IG prioritizes postings from users’ friends and family, with fewer chances for corporate messages to be put in users’ queues. Businesses and Instagram influencers need to play the game effectively if they want to prosper on Instagram.

So when is the best time to post on Instagram? And in Hong Kong? Choosing the ideal time to publish on Instagram is not easy! Most people will also use the same best time to post on Instagram in Hong Kong too! What you should aim for is a period when people check their Instagram accounts but which doesn’t overlap with the time when most people upload their Instagram material. Anyhow here are the best times!

Day of the week	Best time to post on Instagram
Monday	6 AM, 10 AM, 10 PM
Tuesday	2 AM, 4 AM, 9 AM
Wednesday	7 AM, 8 AM, 9 AM
Thursday	7 AM, 8 AM, 11 PM
Friday	5 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM
Saturday	11 AM, 7 PM, 8 PM
Sunday	7 AM, 8 AM, 4 PM

Find out the times when your audience engagement is at a high, and post your content around those time peaks.

You see, it doesn’t matter how fancy your content is or how consistent you are, if you post at the wrong times you won’t be able to reach the right people – these factors are interdependent.

So, get familiar with Instagram analytics and learn more about your audience so that you can post to better meet their needs. If you’ve established quite an international following, use tools like HootSuite to schedule your posts at different times. This will ensure your posts are posted at the right time in several time zones.

Should you choose your hashtags carefully?

Hashtags can certainly help! Prior to making any post, do your research to find out what the latest and best hashtags are. You can post up to 30 hashtags on each post.

Whatever you do, never put the hashtags in the actual post caption, but rather add them as a comment immediately after you post.

That way, they’ll still help you attract the attention of the right followers according to the latest algorithms, without outshining the actual post.

How can using the geotag feature help you as an Instagram influencer?

Instagram’s Geotag feature allows you to tag particular locations within the photos you post, so you can share your location in real-time.

For example, if you’re at a certain hotel or restaurant – you can let your followers know that you’re actually posting right there and then.

Plus, it’s a great way to attract an audience from the people who follow those locations as well.

Are you using all the available content types on Instagram?

It’s difficult to be an Instagram influencer. It’s a constant juggling act to publish at the right moment, interact immediately, and think of fresh ideas to beat the algorithm.

To get the best results, you will need to use all the different content types available on Instagram. Reels, Stories, IGTV, carousels, and static posts are there to be used.

From our observation, Instagram influencer accounts with the highest growth focus on Reels. Currently, IG’s algorithm favors them. If you choose to leverage Reels, make sure you pick a good tune too! One thing to remember is not to use Tik Tok content in your Reel. You will be penalized if you do so.

Stories as well are good for keeping up engagement. Good solid carousels rock too! The goal is to diversify your account’s content so that your viewers will keep engaged and not get bored!

Why must you make your Instagram shareable?

Apart from knowing the best time to post on Instagram in Hong Kong, make sure your content is not only engaging but also easy to share.

For example, if you post a picture with a huge watermark over it, then people are probably not going to share it as much as they would if it was just the image alone.

Also, take it easy on the advertising and try to not be too obvious with it, as this can sometimes detract followers. The general rule of thumb is to post one advertorial post after every six random, non-promotional posts.

Remember as with influencer marketing – Tag, Tag, Tag!

If you decide to create a post that pays homage to a big movie star or musician on your page, for example, tag them or their PR team and some popular entertainment news outlets. This will allow these larger accounts to share your post if they find it interesting.

Final thoughts

When it comes to Instagram, every post is an opportunity for exposure.

Be authentic, but also take calculated steps towards building your audience. Remember to use all tips we have given here. Also, remember to post on Instagram at the right time!

Becoming an Instagram influencer as an individual or brand is hard work! If you’d like a helping hand, please check out our social media services. You can also contact us too. Happy posting!