If you are visually-orientated person, you probably have Instagram on your phone. It provides an outlet where you can look at an effectively endless stream of beautiful photos featuring food, travel destinations, and so much more.

However, if you want to take the leap from being a consumer of this app to being a creator, you’ll need to put in a good deal of effort.

It is possible to take this platform and leverage it into a business; take Michael Briese as an example. He is an avid user of Instagram who ended up making this platform work for him.

Downloading it due to his love of amazing photography, he embraced the platform wholeheartedly, building up a following intimately interested in his fast-paced career as a stock broker.

Want to start documenting your life on Instagram? Below, we’ll reveal how you can use this app to build up a rockstar following.

1) Define your niche and stick to it

If you want to build up an enthusiastic following on Instagram, you need to figure who you are before you start going crazy posting photos.

If you are a digital worker who loves to travel, for example, feel free to post standard travel shots, but be sure to mix in some cafe and co-working shots as well.

We find our tribe on this medium by accurately representing our lives through our pics and videos, so don’t post irrelevant content just become some guru told you to do it.

In the end, you need to be true to yourself.

2) Be consistent

If you want to hook people, you need to post content on a regular basis. It is thought that Instagram’s algorithm rewards creators that post on a consistent basis, so be sure to upload at least one shot per day.
Being consistent also give you more opportunities to garner likes and shares, which also influences whether Instagram places your photos high up in your follower’s feeds.

3) Don’t go overboard with hash tags

We get it: you want to bring people outside your inner circle of friends into your camp by hash tagging terms like #travel or #foodporn.

However, when you list three dozen terms in your image description, it looks so cluttered that it can actually drive away some followers.

Limit your hash tags to seven at the most, as any more than this has been shown to irk users.

4) Take time to make your photos pop

Don’t just snap a shot and put it up without applying filters. Unless you are a pro photographer, your image could benefit greatly by adjusting the brightness, contrast, saturation, and other settings.

In addition, Instagram gives you the option to add text and other fun overlays to your photo, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

5) Learn how to make Instagram stories

Recently, Instagram made a move on Snapchat’s turf, debuting a feature known as Instagram Stories. It allows you to string together a series of ten second videos and pictures, all of which self-destruct within 24 hours.

Bundling the functionality of Snapchat into an app that already has a huge fan base, this will be an addictive feature for a long time to come.

Start making these features for your followers, and you’ll strengthen their devotion.