Using Instagram isn’t just for fun; it can also help you earn money as an influencer. To make cash, you need to know how to get sponsored. You don’t need lots of followers for sponsorships. Even those with under 10K followers, called micro and nano influencers, can land brand deals. Follow our guide to get sponsored on Instagram in 2024. You can turn your account into an income source, whether as a side job or your main gig.
Steps to Get Sponsored on Instagram in 2024
When you’re figuring out how to get sponsored on Instagram in 2024, you’ll find a few important things to consider. Here’s what you need to know and do to land brand deals.
Define Your Brand
Defining your brand is crucial for boosting engagement. This means finding your niche and creating a clear brand identity.
- What’s your focus?
- How does your content look?
- What’s your content style?
- What message do you send to your audience?
A well-defined brand helps people recognize your content. Your audience should be able to identify your content even before seeing your brand name. Consistency in your content theme builds brand recognition and trust.
Describe your brand in your bio concisely. Make it easy for people to understand what you do. The clearer your description, the better you’ll attract the right audience.
Know Your Audience
Who follows you? Knowing your audience’s demographics helps you target the right people and get successful sponsorships.
To understand your audience better, create a persona of your ideal follower. Include key demographic info:
- Age
- Gender
- Marital Status
- Location
Also, know what content they like most and when they’re most active. This helps you decide when to post.
Understanding your audience makes it easier to land deals with big brands.
For instance, instead of saying your audience is young women, give more details:
- Women aged 18-29
- Located in California
- Most active on Instagram from 8 AM to 10 AM
- Interested in beauty and makeup content
Stay Consistent with Content
Posting regularly boosts your chances of getting sponsored. Brands notice active Instagrammers with consistent content, leading to more engagement.
Avoid posting too often, though. Followers might miss multiple posts in their feeds if you spam them at once.
Remember: You can share more Stories daily than Posts and Reels since they’re meant to be viewed in a row.
Tip: Check your analytics dashboard to find your best posting times. This shows when you get the most engagement.
Craft Top-notch Content
For top-notch brand deals, your content must attract your target brands.
Focus more on videos than photos. Video is what brands and users prefer nowadays.
Use all video formats on Instagram:
- Video Posts
- Reels
- Stories
- Live videos
Videos often get more engagement than photos, especially when they highlight products well. They also let you express yourself better, making you seem more genuine.
Tip: Make longer videos that delve deep into the products you’re promoting. This makes your followers feel involved in an exclusive experience, especially if you share your personal experiences with the products.
Use Hashtags and Geotags Wisely
Help your audience find your content by using hashtags and geotags.
You can use up to 30 hashtags, but it’s better to stick to around nine. Even three to five can work.
Make sure the hashtags you choose are relevant. The more engagement your content gets from these hashtags, the more visible it becomes on the hashtag’s page.
Tip: Check out the top posts on a hashtag’s page to see if it fits your content.
Avoid using overly popular hashtags with millions of posts. Your content might get lost among them unless you already have a huge following. Less crowded hashtags give your content a better chance to stand out.
Tip: Stay away from banned hashtags to ensure your content gets seen.
Geotags help people find content related to specific locations they’re interested in. Brands often check top content in certain cities to see whose content appeals to people there.
Tag Brands
To catch the eye of bigger brands, get into the habit of tagging them in your posts. This is especially important if your content is related to the brand.
Tagging a brand is like showing them what you’ve got. They get to see your great content and your followers. This helps them decide if they want to sponsor you.
Tip: When you’re starting out, tag smaller brands first. Startups are a good choice because they’re more likely to notice your tag and check out your content.
For example, if you’re wearing clothes from your favorite brand, tag them in your post. You could also answer your followers’ questions about the outfit’s price.
This shows brands that you can help boost their sales, making you more likely to get sponsored.
Approach Brands
A crucial step in getting sponsored on Instagram is reaching out to brands. Sometimes, getting a paid sponsorship is as easy as directly contacting a brand. Otherwise, you might wait a long time for them to notice you.
Before reaching out, do some research:
- Contact brands active on IG with a strong presence.
- Check which brands similar influencers are working with.
- Start with smaller brands for better success.
Once you have their email addresses, send them your pitch. Include:
- Who you are and your niche accomplishments.
- Why you’re a good fit for their brand.
- Your follower and engagement stats.
- A call-to-action with your contact info.
Create a pitch email template and customize it for each brand. Be authentic and sincere. Remember, you’re seeking a professional partnership.
Pro tip: Keep your email subject line short and engaging to increase open rates.
Note: You can also DM a brand on Instagram, especially if they’re smaller. Otherwise, your DM might be overlooked.
Wrap-up
By following our Instagram sponsorship guide, you’ll soon land brand deals. In the competitive Instagram landscape, focusing on your niche, producing top-notch content, and connecting with the right brands will pave the way to influencer success.