I started my Instagram page back in 2015 as a fitness inspiration account to keep me accountable while I was doing Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide also known as BBG.
There were a whole bunch of girls around the world who started their guide around the same time as me so I gained followers relatively quickly because my page was a source of motivation for all the new girls starting.
My page grew as BBG grew in popularity, and it eventually grew to where it is now. I became an ambassador for BBG Cape Town in 2016 and we hosted regular BBG workout events until the end of 2017.
Over the years I continued to document my fitness journey and post relatable content. Workout memes, inspirational quotes, and transformation pictures really motivated me and seemed to connect well with people on similar journeys.
I got into fitness to empower myself because I had no confidence in myself before I started working out regularly, even though I played sport throughout my life.
I started my fitness page in 2015 but my health and fitness journey started in 2013 back when I used to use Twitter for workout motivation.
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Before you go on this influencer journey, follow these steps:
1. Decide your niche and stick to it
It’s easier to grow a page if you specialize in one or a few things so people will know what to expect from you.
Think about it, when you follow an account that’s not a friend or celebrity it’s usually because they post something specific that you like eg. make-up tutorials, fitness or fashion inspiration, food recipes etc.
2. Think of yourself as a brand
If you’re building a brand, there has to be some level of self-reflection your page needs to be an honest extension of you.
What do you stand for? What’s your vibe? Make sure your feed represents your personal brand.
3. Figure out your why
What’s the purpose/aim of your account?
Is it purely for fun or is it business? And then decide how much time you want to invest in it to match what you expect to gain from it.
4. Have a theme for your pictures
Everybody likes things, make sure you have a flow going on your page. There are so many categories to pick from. You can use a consistent color theme or even have a particular object in all your photos to test your creativity.
Even if it’s just the same filter, aesthetically planned feeds are nice to look at.
5. Work, Work, Work
Put relative time and effort into your posts and try to be as creative as possible. Try having “content creation” sessions once or multiple times a week like you have study sessions.
And/or take down any ideas that pop in your mind in your memo pad so you can use them for post and caption ideas later.
6. Socialize
That’s the whole point of social media! Respond to your comments and engage with the accounts you follow so they are encouraged to engage with you too.
The more engagement you have the greater the chances are of your page being discovered by people and brands.
7. Use hashtags
The hashtag game is always changing but it doesn’t hurt to experiment with a few and see how it affects the engagement of your posts.
Also, try to use less popular hashtags so ones that have less than 1M posts. You’ll have to search for hashtags in your niche and find the ones that people use but don’t abuse like #fitness or #love
8. Collaborate with people in your niche
Follow and engage with accounts in your niche to let other people interested in your niche see your profile, the more your account has seen the greater chances you have of gaining new followers.
You can also do story shoutouts with people in your niche for more exposure or even try to ask them out for coffee.
9. Track your engagement
Pay attention to what posts people respond to best. Figure out what content your followers enjoy viewing. Track the times you get the best engagement, that usually helps get followers.
10. Have fun
It’s really not that deep unless you see it as a business, then different rules apply but don’t let social media get to you.
Remember, Instagram isn’t real life and real life has so much more to offer than aesthetics. That doesn’t mean I don’t love a pretty bowl of oats, just remember to keep everything in context.
The Bottom Line
Relax!
When you focus less on structure after you’ve done your content planning, more ideas tend to come your way. If you are someone takes their own photos.
I would recommend walking around with a portable camera or learn some tricks with your phone. People really do gravitate to someone they sense is genuine or can add value. I think you need to stay up to date with all the changes and continuously adapt your content (Try to think of ways you can make yourself invaluable) if you really want to slay the game.
For more on Shalom’s fitness journey and amazing fitspo, find her on the gram.
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