How to get featured on Instagram is a question I asked myself as a beginner mom blogger A LOT. I am writing this from personal experience because I wished I could find similar information when I started our family account. If you disagree with any of my points or want to add a few that worked for you – please comment! This is a free resource and I would love your help to make it better.
You might know that since the changes in Instagram algorithm, especially since June 2019, it feels next to impossible to grow your account on Instagram organically without paid advertising, because Instagram wants to make money – duh. They also disabled all the “illegal” ways to grow your following quickly, so the 3rd party apps such as follow-unfollow automations are also no longer available. However, if an account with a larger audience features your photos and tags you – it does help your content to get seen. It is one of the most effective free tools still available to gain new followers and potentially score new brand partnerships. Here is my step by step guide that can help you get featured and/or become a brand rep.
Post quality photos
The hardest to achieve and the highest-weighing factor in this whole science – the account admins must love your picture to share it. Try to imagine your pictures in their feed – will it fit in? Screenshot their recent posts and upload them into Preview app so you can try how your photos would look in their grid. Preview is free and a great tool. It’s possible to take great pictures with your phone. Photos outside or on clean light background work best. Avoid a lot of objects next or behind your kiddo – clean up your shot! Focus should be on them. DON’T USE Snapchat filters and DON’T put any text on top of your picture. Believe me, your child doesn’t need their face airbrushed! Don’t excessively use Instagram filters either. It’s good to use them on 20-50 %.
Select the accounts you’d like to be featured on
Try to choose the accounts who you would follow without any agenda. If you wouldn’t – you don’t need them! If they post a lot of bad quality random photos, it’s a sign that they do a lot of paid features or feature-for-follow. They also might have fake bot followers. Don’t try to get featured for the sake of it. Don’t accept the first paid offer that comes your way. Do your research. Although I heard that even features on small accounts help, so if it’s free, it won’t hurt.
You must Give before you Gain. Show them love!
You’ve found some great accounts – show them some love! Like and comment on A LOT of their posts – great way to get them to look at your account. Follow them and the admins if you see admin listed in bio. Like & comment on admin pictures. As the saying goes GIVERS GAIN! So true on Instagram.
Follow the rules
Read their rules on what to do to get featured. If they say to tag directly in the photo – don’t tag them in your caption. Google how to tag in photo if you’re not sure – it’s important.
Don’t over tag your photos
If trying to get featured by a brand, please make clear which items in your outfit are from that brand. Don’t tag or hashtag ALL KIDS clothing brands out there if you’re not wearing them – NONE of the brands will consider you. Valerie F. Marketing Manager of CitiTrends let me know that she automatically disqualifies all posts littered with tags, especially with their competitor brands. It’s okay to tag 2-4 brands specifically on the items: shoes – Target, shirt – Gap, and hat – H&M, for a example. But if you want Gap or Zara style accounts to feature you, try putting together an outfit that is exclusively Gap or Zara.
Tag them in your stories!
Stories will be shared faster than posts. Don’t do an “invisible tag” in tiny small print – that’s just cheating. You must be willing to have the tag seen by your followers so you in turn will be seen on their stories.
Patience. Patience. And more Patience.
Good accounts plan their feeds well in advance. It might be a month before they publish your photo. If they don’t explicitly ask NOT to DM – then message them! Ask a question or compliment their account, and politely ask to check out your recent posts. No harm in that. DON’T EVER DEMAND, sound entitled, sound offended, and critique their account choices etc. Remember, they don’t OWE you anything. Saying that your child is way cuter than the one on their recent post won’t get you anywhere (although it might seem true and very frustrating to you).
You got featured – Yay! Now what?
SAY THANK YOU! It’s not a one time deal. You want to be friends with the account to be featured again and again. So when your feature comes up you:
1) COMMENT “Thank you so much for the feature”;
2) SHARE the post to your stories and tag the account who featured you;
3) SHARE the post directly to your friends and ask them to like and comment.
They need the same things for their account as you do for yours – shares, saves, comments and likes. It’s that simple. The least you can do is help the account that featured you to do better. You see, if the account feels that you care about the post doing well, they’ll likely work with you again in the future. If you act like you are too cool to say thank you, they’ll move on to next cute kid with more cooperative parents.
Good luck and hope this helps!
What helped you get featured on large accounts? Please share in comments!