If you are a college student that loves social media, becoming an influencer is a sound idea. It can become a creative outlet and a source of income at the same time.
Some people manage to turn it into a full-time career too. This article will teach you all the fundamental things about it.
Pros and Cons of This Career
It is essential to understand that it is not always an easy job. Indeed, it can be fun, but it can also feel overwhelming. Make sure to write down and evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages.
The pros include:
- It is a creative way to connect with people;
- Students can turn their social media presence into a source of income;
- It is a way to build a platform and convey important messages;
- If you are going to work in marketing, design, or branding, it is a perfect opportunity to get first-hand experience.
As for the cons, there is one major one – it does require a significant time investment. Balancing out all the responsibilities can be tricky.
However, students can always get term paper writing service from Paperwriter.com and have the best of both worlds. Professional writing services assist with all types of college papers, from essays to dissertations. So if you struggle to make time for an assignment, you can delegate it to the experts. Students can order writing, proofreading, or editing help.
Experience writers can polish your work or create an original assignment from scratch. So there is help out there, which is a great thing. If you genuinely want to become a student Instagram influencer, it is important to know about such opportunities.
Social Media Basics
For a beginner, it is crucial to cover fundamental things before you get to a content plan and promotion. Here are several steps to follow.
1. Choose a handle for all your social media
You can use your name or come up with a nickname. But make sure it is catchy and easy to remember and find. And it has to be consistent through all accounts related.
2. Select communication channels
Instagram can be your primary channel, but you’ll need other ones. There are no influencers that have only one social media account. Different apps and platforms give you access to a broader audience. And it is a perfect opportunity for cross-promotion and growing your following.
3. Decide on profile design
Use the same picture and bio information across platforms so people know it is you. Usually, influencers use Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, or YouTube. you might also want to know how to get an Instagram free verification badge, because you can gain people’s trust with that blue tick on your profile and gain more followers.
4. Choose your niche
It is one of the crucial parts of establishing an online presence. You need to decide what your content will be about. The niche will impact the target audience, content types, and potential brand collaborations.
There is no right or wrong. It needs to be something you are interested in. And it also has to be valuable for others. You may be passionate about college sports, doing comedy, or living a vegetarian lifestyle. It needs to be specific but broad enough to create a lot of content.
5. Research the target audience
After you’ve decided on the niche, you need to do a bit of research into the target audience. Who will love your content the most? What demographics are interested in this subject? Are they also students? Create a profile of a target follower with as many details as possible, including age, location, gender, financial status, etc.
Building Instagram Presence
Get to know the algorithm
You need to know how the algorithm works to grow your audience organically. Keep in mind two main factors – engagement and time.
The content must be engaging so people can leave comments or share it. And time is another crucial factor, do not expect significant change to happen overnight.
Create a content strategy
The worst thing you can do is go on a whim. You need a strategy and a plan. It needs to include the goals, objectives, and content types you will post.
Currently, Reels is a massive thing on the Instagram algorithm. It helps people find you on the Explore page. Learn how to make Reels and cater them to the target audience. Also, decide when and how often you are going to post. Consistency and regularity are crucial. For instance, you can post three times a week and stories daily. Stories offer plenty of engagement opportunities.
Communicate
To establish relations with your audience, you need to answer their questions, comments, and DMs. It will show your love and appreciation.
Diversify Content
Do not repost the same thing all over social media. Try to diversify it. Instagram is visually-driven, while Twitter is text-driven. You also can create a blog to share more voluminous posts and promote them on Instagram. Repurposing content is fine, but it should not be 100% the same everywhere.
Discover collaboration opportunities
One of the best things about Instagram is that you do not have to gain millions of followers before you start doing brand deals. Even small influencers can collaborate with brands.
Put your professional email in the bio so people can contact you. Draft pricing you’d be comfortable with. Consider who you might work with and who you won’t ever work with. Keeping your integrity to have a meaningful relationship with the audience is vital.
And consider learning about student influencer programs like:
- Riddle and Bloom;
- Student Beans;
- Seed Marketing;
- Jamworks Influencer Program.
Be patient, and remember that it will take time to get to the top. Be ready to invest your time in it. With the help of the best paper writing services, combining it with the college workload won’t be hard.
Conclusion
Becoming an influencer can be an excellent opportunity for college students. You already spend a lot of time on Instagram, so why not turn it into something bigger? With the right strategy and planning, you can achieve all your goals.
