The 8 Simple Ways To Win At Instagram

OK so there are actually 16… 8 dos and 8 don’ts. These are the things that I’ve learnt since starting my Beauty Glow Girl Instagram page last year. I often get messages from people asking how to get started, or if I have any tips. I like these messages and meeting new people, but I thought I’d make it a little easier by writing out what I had learnt.

First up - here are the things you should do if you want to build up your Instagram account:

1. Make Friends

Instagram is Social Media - it’s called ‘social’ for a reason. If it was just a wall of content with no interaction, you could just start a blog. It’s a chance to engage, talk to people and make new friends. I was so pleased when people started messaging me, asking questions, starting conversations with me and then I started to do the same and lo and behold I’ve made so many lovely new friends. Even people I have plans to meet up with in the new year. This is probably the most rewarding part of instagram - see it as an opportunity to widen your social circle and it will be far more fun!

2. Be Honest & Be Yourself

Ultimately, everyone is doing the same thing on Instagram. When I first started I wanted to post images of products like everyone else. I wasn’t sure how honest I could be about products that didn’t work for me and I didn’t even want to put my face in pictures. However, the more I started being myself, the more I started to really enjoy it. I posted videos of make-up tutorials, posted more genuine reviews and even drunk posted a few stories. It makes it so much better to be yourself and if you can’t be really you, what’s the point?

3. Be Supportive

There is a real issue both on Instagram and in real life where people think that if someone else has something, it somehow takes something away from you. It doesn’t. Be kind, be supportive and treat others how you would like to be treated. Even if you’re feeling jealous that someone has been sent some awesome PR or someone is getting insanely good engagement (and trust me we’ve all been there) celebrating in their success will make you feel a hell of a lot better than trying to bring them down. The only one you’ll actually be bringing down is you!

4. Good Quality Pictures

Ultimately, if you want to grow your following and get the numbers up, you need to have good pictures - after all it’s what Instagram is about - beautiful images. I took a lot of inspiration in the early days from people I liked. I also invested in tools like good quality lighting and an app that allowed me to lighten my images when I didn’t have daylight on my side. Take your time over your content. Try to make it look beautiful and your pics will get more reach.

5. Comment On And Like Others’ Work

This is kind of inline with 1 & 3 but if you want likes and comments you have to give it out more than you receive. Try to interact. Like other people’s work and comment on pictures. Actually read the captions and try to interact properly. Don’t just do it to get likes and comments back, but try to genuinely be sociable. It’s very much the same as real life - if you talk about yourself all the time and never listen or talk to anyone else, you’re going to get a reputation!

6. Post Regularly

It’s important to stay active. I say this at the time when I am about to have a break, but when I started out I was posting every day. This is important in the early days. I have since dropped it down to 3-4 posts a week and I create all my content at the weekends ready for the week. This allows me time to get it right but allows me to create enough content i need to keep sharing regularly. The Instagram algorithm works in a way that favours active creators - so be one!

7. Use Hashtags

People still question whether hashtags actually help… they do! If you want to grow your followers they need to know you exist and therefore need to see your pictures. For them to see your pictures you need to get them out there. The way the algorithm works is that the more likes and comments (and engagement) you get in that first hour, the higher your reach. So choose a range of hashtags big and small to get out there as much as possible.

8. Expect To Use Up Lots Of Time

Growing instagram doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen without a lot of hard work. I spend all day on a Sunday sometimes creating content and then hours in the evenings during the week commenting, replying to messages and generally be sociable. It can take over your entire life so if you want to grow it, the more time you spend doing it, the more it will pay off. If you only want to spend a few hours a week on it that’s fine too - but just don’t expect the same fast return. You get out as much as you put in.

Second up - here are the things you should NOT do if you want to build up your Instagram account:

1. Follow/Unfollow

Come on people! I understand this is a major way to get followers but it’s just a bit unnecessary. I find it much better if you simply only follow the accounts that you actually like the look of. If you enjoy their content, interact, be sociable and don’t unfollow just cos they don’t follow you back after a day you’re going to grow your engagement and reputation quicker. Also, you look like a dick if you unfollow all the time… just saying!

2. Ask For A Follow

I get a lot of messages every week from people with a small following begging for me to follow them. I wouldn’t mind this so much but they usually don’t follow me, have barely any content and have made no effort to engage. It’s not a good idea. If you have to ask for a follow you’re probably doing something wrong! I will always follow accounts I like the look of with no need to be asked!

3. Promote Yourself In Comments

If you look through the comments on my posts, you’re bound to find at least one from someone who has made absolutely no effort to properly engage and instead just comments ‘follow me’ or ‘go buy something I am advertising’. This really winds me up. At least pretend to have read and interacted before you start plugging your own cause! Rude.

4. Be A Copy Cat

We all make a lot of similar content on here. I get inspired all the time by some amazing creators, but when I do I try as much as I can to tag them as inspo. A lot of people copy my images (sometimes to the letter) and don’t even have the decency to follow me! It’s just plain rude.

5. Steal Pictures

I have had a lot of accounts pop up pretending to be me and stealing my images. They’re hard to find but they’re out there - people are so unoriginal. I also think it counts as stealing a picture if you post my picture and happen to tag me or mention my name but don’t say it was my picture, have no reference to anything about my image but simply promote your own interests… that’s stealing babes!

6. Compare Yourself To Others

This is not so much a ‘don’t’ but it can be unhealthy and toxic to compare how well you’re doing or compare what you’re getting out of it to someone else. You have no idea what the other person is doing, how they’re doing it etc etc. Concentrate on you and what you’re doing and don’t be distracted by everyone else.

7. Do What Everyone Is Doing

It can be hard to set yourself apart on Instagram. Everyone copies everyone, but if you think your success lies in copying someone else, it doesn’t. As amazing as someone else is, you can’t compete at trying to be a better them. Try to be the best version of yourself.

8. Like Others’ Comments On Someone Else’s Posts

This is a weird one - I always find a little bemusing when someone has liked a comment left on my photo when it simply says great photo. I would understand if the comment was funny or related to them, but when it just relates to your photo it becomes clear they just want a like or follow. Yet another example of people trying to bypass being social and skip to followers for nothing. Just don’t do it.