Despite the recent changes in the platform, Instagram is still one of the best places to promote your business. From beauty products and clothing lines, to photographers, influencers, and cafes,  Instagram is still a fantastic platform to create buzz and get noticed by people. However, to be successful on Insta, you need to put out the right message. If you want to use this ever-evolving platform to build and grow your personal brand, there are a few basics you’ll need to get right first.

Instagram Strategy for Your Personal Brand

Before you can start creating (or curating!) content and gaining a following on Instagram, you should have the following in place:

Objectives. What do you want to achieve with your Instagram account? A clear goal will guide you about the type of content you need to create. It is too easy to spend hours creating content that doesn’t align with your goals and you don’t want that. Do you want a lot of followers? Do you want viral content? Do you want more sales? More leads?

Audience. Who do you want to reach on Instagram? What do they like? What makes them follow an account? These are important questions to ask yourself to figure out not just what to post but also how often to post.

Niche. What is your unique selling proposition? It matters to define what sets you apart from others businesses that’s the same as yours. 

Schedule. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to post every day in order to become successful on Instagram. What’s important is that you do it consistently. Not only will this help you gain followers that actually read and interact with your content, but a consistent schedule also helps with your productivity.

Instagram Tips for Personal Branding Success

Stay Consistent

And not just with your schedule! Be consistent with your messaging, tone of voice, and quality of images. This will help you earn the trust of your followers, making them more likely to be customers. You also want your followers to recognize your personal brand even before they see your IG handle.


Make Sure Your Images Are On Point

Instagram is a visual platform. The people on this social media channel respond to images, first and foremost. This is not the place for crappy, low-res images. Whether you are posting a photograph of yourself or the things you do and love, or sharing an infographic, be sure that it is clear and well-done.


While selfies are still cool, it’s best to hire a pro photographer to take your personal brand photos. A good personal branding photographer should be able to help you communicate who you are and what your business is through photographs.


Use the Right Hashtags

Do hashtags still work? You bet they do! Hashtags may not always get you an eye-popping number of likes but they do increase your visibility. Posts with hashtags enjoy up to 12% more interactions! Not only that, specific hashtags help people who are looking for the exact service that you offer to find you. Use hashtags that are specific to your location and niche, on top of general ones. Hashtags can also help you take advantage of trends.


Show Them Who You Are

First impressions matter so instead of using your logo (which we’re sure is cool) as a display photo, use a headshot instead. Using your face instead of a logo as a display photo helps you connect with the people you reach almost instantly! And nope, not a traditional corporate-looking headshot, please. A great personal branding photographer should be able to take a great headshot that works well for Instagram and other social media platforms, too.


Start Sharing

Never underestimate the power of community on Instagram. Like and share content that you find interesting and let accounts know that you find their stuff awesome. By engaging genuinely with accounts that you love and people that follow you, you start to form connections that go beyond likes.  


Make Each Post Count

Every post is an opportunity to find a lead, make a sale, or build a following. So put in 100% effort in each one. Use high-quality images, the right hashtags, location tags, and don’t forget to use a clear call to action. Each post should either be informative or engaging. Don’t be afraid to ask your followers what they think about a topic or trend and make them express themselves in the comment section.


Instagram is a fantastic platform to allow people a peek into what your personal brand is all about. Keep it fun, interesting, stay consistent, be authentic, and you are sure to find success on it.


Do you have any questions about personal branding or do you need help figuring out how to best represent your personal brand? Leave a comment below or shoot us a DM -- we are on Instagram as @bravoimage_branding!