In This Episode…
We’re joined by Beth – a book blogger, BookTuber and Instagrammer at BooksNest. In the past few years, she has grown her following to 27k+ on Instagram and almost 4k on YouTube (as of August 2020).
Beth shares her tips and tricks for growing your Instagram following, how to set up your account for success, and she explains how she started monetising her online content.
Listen to the episode below, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more!
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Watch this episode in video form!
How to Start Growing Your Instagram Following
Beth shares a ton of tips in this episode, but here are some quick tips for growing your Instagram following and how to get started right now.
Engagement and consistency is key.
Instagram knows how long you spend on the platform, and it actively boosts people who engage with other people’s content a lot. Even just spending 10 minutes a day liking and commenting people’s posts will help boost your visibility. And posting more often will definitely help this, too!
Is a theme important?
Is it really important to have a coherent look for all of your posts? Beth thinks it is. People are drawn to something that looks aesthetically pleasing, and that might differ for everyone — but if you have a look that people are drawn to, they’ll be more likely to hit that follow button.
Are captions important, and should they be short or long?
There’s no easy answer to this. Beth explains that doesn’t see a big correlation between the length of the caption and the amount of engagement the post gets, but she aims for 2-3 paragraphs. Whatever you do, try to include an engaging question that people can answer in the comments — and try and make it something imaginative like “describe your current read in emojis” rather than just “what are you reading?”.
Try Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels have helped Beth grow a lot – she explains that she tries to post 1 regular post and 2 reels every day, and it’s helped her engagement massively and boosted her following. Her goal is to reach 30k by the end of the year, but she didn’t think this goal was achievable until Instagram Reels were introduced.
Use your Instagram Stories
Personality is important for making your content unique and drawing people in — not just to your feed, but to you as a person! You can show this by posting on your Instagram Story. This could be behind the scenes content, sharing achievements or exciting news, or just something you’re doing in your regular day-to-day life.
Use hashtags wisely
Instagram allows you to use 30 hashtags in your posts, so use those 30 hashtags! And make sure to vary them — don’t use the same set over and over again. If you’re stuck for ideas, look at the ones your favourite creators are using and try using some of the same ones. You can also find tons of free resources online to help you use the best hashtags for your niche.
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Making Money With Your Online Content
This is something that is still a taboo subject, especially in book blogging, but it’s something you can do if you put your mind to it and you have a good following. Beth explains how she started to monetise her content in the episode, but here are a couple of quick tips:
Don’t be afraid to ask
Sometimes, the only way to get something is by asking for it. It can be scary, but be brave! When an opportunity arises, don’t be afraid to ask if there’s a budget. Beth explains that you’ll be in the minority because a lot of people don’t ask — so there might be more of a chance.
People often say they don’t get any opportunities, but a lot of the time, they are getting them — they’re just not turning them into paid opportunities. And again, the best way to do that? Just ask.
Have a media kit
A media kit is something you can show potential clients who want to work with you. You can also have it on your website so if anyone is interested, they can see it without having to ask. A media kit will usually include a bit about you, what you do or how you can work with clients, your social media/blog/YouTube following and other stats, and sometimes costs if you know them.
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What Should You Do Right Now to Grow Your Instagram Following?
This is another thing Beth talks about in more detail in the episode (towards the end). If you’re motivated after listening to this episode to grow your Instagram following, here are a few tips.
Audit your account
Grab your phone now and look at your Instagram profile. Check out:
- Your name. Is it simple and clear who you are? Does it contain any funny symbols that might be hard to read?
- Your bio. Make sure to explain who you are and what you do/what you post. Fill it with a couple of keywords if you can – “bookstagram”, “reader”, “book blogger”, etc. Don’t just use it to put a film quote or something that doesn’t explain who you are. Make people want to follow you!
- Your profile image. Is it a picture of you? More often than not, people are drawn to a profile image of a face, or at least a partial face (it’s okay if you want to cover some of your face with a book!).
- Your highlights. If you have any highlights on your profile, do they have nice covers that fit aesthetically with the rest of your theme?
Be motivated, dedicated, and consistent
It can be hard to stay consistent, especially when life gets in the way, but if you’re truly dedicated to growing your Instagram following, you should try your hardest to do so. As mentioned above, even just a few minutes a day of engaging with other people and posting something yourself can help you stay in the game.
Most importantly: be patient and don’t expect immediate results
Success won’t happen overnight. This might be a slow process, but Beth explains that if you keep this up for a couple of months, you’ll start to see the results. The longer you can stay consistent and dedicated to your growth, the more it’ll begin to show, and your hard work will be worth it.
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About Beth
Beth started BooksNest at the beginning of 2016 and has since gone on to grow her accounts on social media, win two blogging awards, make a tone of friends during the process and read many amazing books!
Where to find Beth online:
Check out these Instagram tips & other resources from Beth’s blog:
- You can’t earn money, you have to review every book you read and other book blogging myths debunked
- How to manage creating content for multiple platforms at once
- A guide to Instagram Reels and why you should use it to grow engagement & audience
- What is a media kit and how can you create one?
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