Instagram is more than just an app for pretty photos, it has become a tool used by creators from all different fields to express and show their art to the world, whether you be a painter, a makeup artist or a comedian; Instagram can be a space where you can express your voice freely. If you’re lucky (and with the right bit of help) people may start to listen.
Because we too are always wondering how to lift our Insta game, we were lucky enough to be invited by Instagram to VidCon where we got to chat with some of the best content creators, Insta models and makeup artists in the game.
We sat down with three incredible social media influencers – surfer and videographer Alex Hayes (606K followers), makeup whiz Rowi Singh (174k followers) and the queen Emilee Hembrow (1.1 m followers) to get down to the real tough questions in life: How does one become Insta famous?
WATCH: Firsts with your favourite influencers at VidCon Australia 2019
1. Stay true to who you are
Every single influencer at the Instagram lounge spoke of one thing: authenticity.
It was the buzz word of the day, and Alex, Rowi and Emilee explain why.
Emilee: “I feel like everyone looks online and says, ‘oh they’re doing that and they’re successful, so that’s how I’ll be successful’, but that’s wrong.
“Stay true to you and be confident in who you are. Be different, people will like you for that, instead of being the same as everyone else.”
Alex: “Authenticity always wins. It’s super easy these days to get caught up in what’s current right now as opposed to what is best for you, forever, long term. Being yourself, enjoying the moment and not getting caught up in appealing to other people’s expectations is key.”
Rowi: “I think just being really true to yourself and your opinions.”
2. Make your voice heard
When it comes to being the voice that carries in the busiest room in the world, Rowi Singh says it’s about understanding what makes you unique, and using that to connect with people.
“It’s all about creating a niche for yourself and standing out in the way that’s most authentic to you,” explains Rowi.
“For me, it’s all about using colour and integrating it into my culture, that’s a huge thing for me. All these girls around the world were relating to the same experiences as me, as an Australian Indian girl or an American Indian girl or a Canadian Indian girl, so it’s all about that connection with people all around the world, and from there it sort of snowballs.”
3. Find what you’re passionate about BEFORE you head to Instagram
Rowi: “I think if you want to be a social media influencer then you might not have your goals set straight. I think the idea is to be like ‘I want to be an artist, I want to be a makeup creator, I want to be a comedian’. Have passion first and then look to the platform. Because if you do it the other way around then you’re going to lose your focus.”
Alex: “If you’re passionate about the content, you will be successful. For example, posting a current trend may get a lot of likes and engagement in the moment, but it’s not really brand suitable and has no longevity.”
4. And if you’re lucky enough to travel a fair bit, don’t forget to take a photo
Alex Hayes reveals that his very first Instagram’s were taken while away in exotic locations for competitive surfing: “I was always putting out content when I was young because I was surfing.
“So, I got to go to these cool places, then when I was putting this content on my Instagram it would gain a little bit more momentum every time. A strategy came in a little later when I found out I could actually monetise and make a career out of it.”
Here you go fam, use this information wisely!
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