Influencer marketing is on the rise. According to Statista, in 2022, it was worth about $16.4 billion worldwide, with Instagram leading the way. Why Instagram?
Well, brands can connect with influencers easily through DMs, and there are lots of content options (Photos, Reels, Stories, Hashtags) to promote products.
An Instagram brand ambassador is part of this influencer game. The good news is that anyone from loyal customers to celebrities, employees, or students can become one.
Keep reading to learn how to become a brand ambassador on Instagram, what are the scams, and more.
What Is A Brand Ambassador on Instagram?
An Instagram brand ambassador is a person who represents and promotes brands through posts or stories that highlight the brand’s products and services.
In simple terms, they are the face of a brand, raising awareness about the brand, connecting with them, and increasing sales. Just look at Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i), for example, a brand ambassador for Nike.
How to become a brand ambassador on Instagram?
Becoming a brand ambassador is just the beginning of an exciting journey. You can start pitching brands even if you have fewer than 10,000 followers (that’s called being a Nano influencer) and work your way up to becoming a micro and macro influencer. So, let’s dive into how you can become an ambassador.
#1. Choose your favorite niche
First things first, you’ve got to pick the niche that suits you best – whether it’s clothing, fashion, jewelry, sports, or any other business. It has to align with your personality and interests.
Remember, success won’t happen overnight, so if you’re not passionate about your niche, you might throw in the towel too soon.
#2. Improve your Instagram account
To get started, make sure you have a professional account (creator or business) for those extra features. Then, optimize your bio by adding contact info and a call-to-action (CTA). A little self-introduction won’t hurt either. And ask people to reach out via DM.
- Stay consistent and active and share high-quality photos or videos. Text posts, like quotes, might not do the trick. Your feed needs to look fantastic!
- Invest in a good camera or smartphone with a quality camera, and ensure your photos are well-lit, clear, and sharp.
- Be yourself (for more authenticity). You don’t need to pretend a person who you are not.
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#3. Grow your follower base
Skip the idea of buying followers or using bots – they won’t get you far! What you need are genuine followers who actively interact with your posts (likes, comments, saves, mentions).
And when they engage, make sure to engage back by responding to comments and DMs. It’s all about building real connections!
BTW, we can show you how to grow your followers from 1000 to 10,000.
#4. Engage with brands
Once you’ve got a solid profile with a decent following, it’s time to connect with the brands you want to pitch.
So, show your interest by liking and commenting on their posts, or tag them in your related posts. Engage, engage, engage!
#5. Set up a creator portfolio on Instagram
Exciting news for those chasing Instagram brand ambassadorships! Set up a portfolio to flaunt your skills and what you bring to the table. This way, you become visible for potential branded content collaborations.
#6. Participate in hashtag campaigns
Who can forget the #NationalFriedChickenDay hashtag from KFC back in 2017? It had thousands of users jumping in and creating content. Who knows, your content might catch someone’s eye if you join the fun. By taking part in these campaigns, you up your chances of getting noticed.
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#7. Pitch brands
Time to make your move! Shoot that brand an email or slide into their DMs and explain how you can make their brand better.
Take a page from the book of successful ambassadors like Tori Dunlap, Nick Cutsumpas, Ashley Jones, and Emma Cortes, who shared their pitching tips in an interview with Business Insider.
How to find Instagram brand ambassador jobs?
You’ve got the basics down. Now, let’s explore the sources for Instagram brand ambassador programs, whether they’re for clothing or cosmetics.
- Companies offering Instagram influencer positions can be discovered on platforms like Indeed, SimplyHired, or LinkedIn.
When searching, use keywords like “brand ambassador,” “influencer,” or “social media ambassador” to pinpoint relevant job listings. Alternatively, explore freelance job platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr.
- Use An Influencer Marketplace
Making use of a quality Instagram influencer marketplace like Ainfluencer helps you (as an Instagram ambassador) create your brand ambassador profile and add your Instagram account to the app so that you can explore companies looking for brand ambassadors.
You can see many campaigns from businesses looking for brand ambassadors on the Explore page. After selecting a brand, you can view both the campaign’s objectives and brand profile.
- Marketing or advertising agencies like Izea or Brandheros let you find and pitch brands.
- Many brands have special career pages on their websites where you might stumble upon brand ambassadorship opportunities.
Consider Everlane, a popular clothing brand, for instance. They often post openings that you can apply for if you meet the criteria. So, why not check out the websites of your favorite brands to see if they have any vacancies up for grabs?
- Don’t forget to explore Instagram itself for brand ambassador job opportunities. Some agencies post vacancies directly on their Instagram profiles, just like Event Marketing Strategies did.
To discover these, search relevant hashtags like #Instagrambrandambassador, #brandambassador, #influencer, #ad, #sponsored, #businessmodeliing, or #enterprisemodelling.
- Besides, online communities can be valuable resources for discovering brand ambassador opportunities.
Look for Facebook groups, forums, or platforms like Meetup where you can connect with like-minded individuals and potentially find events or groups related to your interests.
Do Instagram brand ambassadors get paid? How much?
Brand ambassadors have some flexibility in how they work. They can either be employed with a regular salary or work independently, earning commissions. Like many social media gigs, the money you make can vary based on factors like how much you work, where you live, what exactly your job involves, and more.
From what I’ve seen on platforms like Indeed and Glassdoor, Instagram brand ambassadors’ salary varies somewhere between $13 and $20 per hour, or they could rake in an annual income ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. But remember, these numbers can differ based on your unique situation.
Andrea Aguilerapa is Miss Supra’s organization brand ambassador
For those just starting out, you might come across offers for free or discounted products. In some cases, super-loyal brand fans might be willing to work for absolutely free.
What does a brand ambassador do on Instagram?
As mentioned, your main job is to get the word out about the brand, connect with the audience, and boost sales. Here’s what you’ll be doing:
- You’ll create posts, like photos and videos, to show off products and services.
- You’ll also join in on online reviews, comment on them, and respond to any comments.
- Good old word-of-mouth marketing is part of the gig, so you might be telling friends about the company.
- You could attend marketing events too.
- Sharing feedback based on customer responses is a must.
- Plus, you’ll track the numbers, like how many likes, comments, and shares your posts get. This helps measure how well you’re doing.
Instagram brand ambassador scams
Being a brand’s face is thrilling, but beware of scams. Some fake brands charge you to represent them while phishing scams lurk. Learn from Katie’s experiences and how to avoid scams.
Instagram Brand Ambassador Vs. Instagram Influencer
While both fall under the umbrella of influencer marketing, there are some distinctions.
Brand ambassadors are typically loyal consumers of the product they represent, with prior experience. In contrast, influencers often lack this deep connection and may switch from project to project. However, an influencer can become a brand ambassador.
@bboyhongten has been working as a Redbull dancer for a while.
Instagram brand ambassador rules
When you work as an influencer- ambassador, you are often involved in creating branded content, and such content on this platform must meet certain requirements.
It’s essential to tag the product, brand, or business partner in your posts. Additionally, the content should feature you, or you should be actively involved in its creation.
In line with Instagram’s community guidelines, there are specific industries or products that you generally should not endorse as an Instagram brand ambassador. These prohibited categories typically include:
- Tobacco or cigarette products or services
- Drugs
- Unsafe products like steroids
- Weapons
- Adult products
- Regional lotteries
- Multilevel marketing
More tips to become a brand ambassador
If you’re all in for becoming an ambassador-influencer, you’ll want to sharpen some key skills, including:
- Strategic thinking
- Data analysis
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Communication skills
- Content creation
- Paid social advertising
- SEO
- Customer relationship management (CRM) and retention marketing
FAQs
Q1: How many followers do you need to be a brand ambassador?
At least 1000 followers. While having a larger and engaged following improves your chances of getting noticed by brands, it’s worth noting that even well-known companies like Sephora, Nike, Adidas, Dunkin’, Jillete, Canon, and Nivea have collaborated with nano and micro-influencers
Q2: Is being a brand ambassador on Instagram legit?
It is. But you have to keep an eye out and steer clear of those scammers trying to pull a fast one. There are tons of fake brands out there, so make sure to double-check their credibility before diving in.
Q3. Can a normal person be a brand ambassador?
Yes, everybody from normal customers or even students to Internet celebrities and influencers could become a brand ambassador on social media.
