So you want to be famous on Instagram. Well, first things first: you have to know how it works.
Instagram is a place where people can express themselves—and that’s exactly what the app was designed for. It’s not just about posting photos; it’s about sharing who you are and what matters to you with the world.
But if you’re looking to take your Instagram presence from “hey, I post photos sometimes” to “I’m a bonafide Instagram star,” there are some things that will help get you there.
First, remember that the only way to become an Instagram star is by posting consistently high-quality content and interacting with your followers. The more people like and comment on your posts, the higher up your posts will show up in other users’ feeds—which means more people will see them! But if no one likes or comments on your posts, they won’t get seen as much by others… so make sure that if someone likes or comments on one of your posts, you like or comment back!
Second: never forget that while Instagram might seem like just another social media platform at first glance (and it kind of is), it’s actually much more than that: it’s also a place where people can find
How To Become Famous In Instagram
Are you wondering how to become Instagram famous?
If you want to be the next Kylie Kardashian or Cristiano Ronaldo, we’ve got bad news — we can’t make Kris Kardashian your mom or bless your feet into super-stardom. (That’s asking a little much)
But we can show you how to find Instafame. After that, whether or not you surpass Ronaldo’s 464M following is up to you.
If you want to become Instafamous, there’s a pretty straightforward formula to follow. We’ll walk you through it in these eight tried-and-true steps.
How to become Instagram famous in 8 steps
2. Find your niche and cater to it
7. Treat your Instagram account like a business
8. Manage sponsorship interest like a boss
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
How to become Instagram famous
These days, being “Instagram famous” means more than just having a large following. Instafamous accounts are usually influencers or creators, which means they can use their audiences to drive awareness about a trend, topic, company or product.
Instafame isn’t instant. You can’t buy a ton of followers, call yourself an influencer, and wait for brand deals to come rolling in.
That goes for folks who are the one-hit-wonders of viral videos, too. Sure, they might experience a brief flare of Instagram attention. But that fame will die out fast if they don’t keep producing high-quality content.
Take @flyysoulja, who had a monstrous 15 minutes on TikTok because of their viral “island boy” video. They now regularly post content on Instagram, maintaining over a million followers.
Source: @flyysoulja
The following steps take time and effort. But they’re consistent with the habits we see influencers and Instafamous folks using.
1. Define your personal brand
If you don’t have a viral video to springboard you into millions of followers, you’ll need to start at the beginning.
That means figuring out how you want to show up on Instagram. Remember, the “you” you put on Instagram is your brand. So your online identity needs to feel (and be!) authentic — your followers will know if it isn’t.
Branding can be an in-depth process. Here are five steps to defining your personal brand and some questions you can use as prompts.
Step one: Define your goals
Without clear goals, you won’t be able to measure your success. Start by thinking about why you’re pursuing Instafame.
- Why do I want to become Instagram famous?
- What does Instagram fame look like for me?
- What milestones can I achieve to reach my goal of being Instafamous?
Step two: Find your differentiator
Next, consider what sets you apart from your competition. No matter your specialty, you’re probably entering a crowded market. Why should someone follow you instead of someone else?
- What makes me stand out from the crowd?
- What can I do better or differently than other personal brands like mine?
- Note: This doesn’t have to be a huge difference — you could be the sassiest baker on Instagram, for example, or the most polite mycologist.
Step three: Write down your narrative
Your backstory is where you say who you are and what you care about. People remember emotionally-driven stories more than facts. Plus, staying on point with your copy is easier when you have a brand story to refer back to.
- What is my story?
- Where did I come from, and where do I want to go?
- What motivates me?
Step four: Define your personality
You want your content to be consistent and recognizable. That means each post should reflect your brand’s personality in some way. Are you trying to inspire your followers? Teach them? Amuse them?
- What are five words that describe my personality?
- What is my brand voice?
- How do I want people to see me? How do people actually see me?
Step five: Craft your personal brand statement
A personal brand statement is a short, catchy statement you can refer back to while creating your content. Externally, it can act as an elevator pitch.
Look at your previous answers and ask yourself, “Who am I? Why am I doing this? What makes me unique?”
You can put your personal brand statement in your Instagram bio. Consider, like creator Lauren Sundstrom has, pairing it down to the bare essentials of what your audience needs to know.
Source: @laurengsundstrom
Voilà! Now you’ve got a personal brand you can build your Instagram strategy around.
And a note: These answers will evolve with your brand. It’s meant as a guide, so don’t stress too much about perfecting it the first time.
2. Find your niche and cater to it
Once you know your differentiator (step 2 above), use it to target the niche audience that makes the most sense for your brand.
Niche followers are often fiercely loyal. Shared interests make for strong bonds and can make your relationship with your audience much less forced.
Once you understand your niche, find micro-brands adjacent to you and work with them. Trans woman, activist, model, and style aficionado Lauren Sundstrom posts regularly about only working with brands that share her eco-friendly outlook.
