You might be passionate about photography, in which case you could upload different shots and styles to teach others how you took your photos. Maybe you’re really into fashion and makeup, so you want to connect with other users to find new ideas and inspiration.

You can search by your favorite hashtags to find accounts with your specific interests in mind.

Make sure you choose something that you’re really passionate about. The more you love what you’re doing, the less it will feel like work.

Make sure your profile pic is clear and in focus with good lighting. It can be a selfie or a portrait as long as you look and feel your best! If you don’t have an Instagram account yet, you can set one up quickly by downloading the app from the App Store.

Your photos don’t all have to look the same, but they should feel cohesive. Are you a foodie? Then focus on food-related photos. Are you a fashion junkie? Focus on colors, styles, and trends. Do you like a certain game or book series? Take creative photos of it and post it on Instagram!

For example, you could document your travels to a new place, the countdown to a significant event, or your journey with a new pet. Telling your story looks different for every Instagram account, so you can personalize it to your needs. Getting personal with your followers will help them see you as a real person, not just an account.

If you’re taking photos of yourself, consider getting a tripod so you can set up your phone on a self-timer.

It’s always better to take too many pictures than not enough. Don’t be afraid to get creative with it! Try out different angles and focuses to find new, interesting shots.

Try VSCO Cam, Adobe Lightroom, Prisma, Aviary, or Snapseed for high-quality photo editing. These editing apps let your mess with the frame, focus, highlights, shadows, and many more. Play around with each one until you figure out what you like best.

Having uniform colors and effects on most of your photos is a great way to develop an aesthetic. Some Instagram users choose never to use filters as a way to highlight the natural beauty of their photos.

You could tell the story behind the photo, why you took the picture, or what happened right before or after.

You can still share moments that fit in with your niche that your followers are interested in, but the photos don’t have to be high quality. Share saved Reels you make and add them to your Story.

For example, someone who posts photos from hiking adventures in the Pacific Northwest may use tags like #hiking, #method, #exploregon, #camping, and #mtranier. Someone who shares their illustrations may use the hashtags #illustrators, #artistsofinstagram, #penandink, and #womanartists. You can also create your own hashtag using your name or your Instagram account handle, then ask your followers to use the hashtag in their posts, too. Make sure your hashtags are relevant, and remember you cannot use more than 30. If you use a lot of hashtags that don’t have anything to do with your picture, Instagram might flag your post as spam.

Try not to comment something vague or irrelevant on someone else’s post. Think about what kind of comment you’d like to get, then write something similar.

If you’re really close friends with someone, you can even ask them to shout you out on their Instagram story.

This can also give your friends and family on Facebook a chance to see content from your Instagram.

If you’re posting all of your content elsewhere, people won’t have an incentive to follow your Instagram account.

You can also try captions like, “Tag someone who would rock this outfit,” or “Tag someone who needs a laugh today. ”

This is a great function to use in nature photos to let everyone know where you are and what you’re photographing.

This is why you should never buy fake followers just to up your numbers. Fake followers won’t engage with your content, so they’re not very useful for growing your account.

If it’s easier, you can try to make a posting schedule and stick to it. If you post more than 2-3 photos or videos per day, use Instagram Stories instead so you don’t clutter your followers’ feeds.

If you’re posting your morning coffee, ask your followers what their usual coffee order is. If you’re posting a makeup look, ask your followers what they think of the new product you used. If you’re posting a nature photo, ask your followers where they’d like to travel next.

It may also be helpful to like comments others have left for you too, especially when you can’t think of a written response to give.

You can also tag brands in your posts so they see your picture.

Encourage your followers to tag their friends so they can also enter your contest.

If you’re just starting out, you might have to approach brands for a partnership. As your account grows, you could start receiving offers from different companies and brands.

If the company can’t compensate you with cash, you’ll often get a free product instead.

Always get a contract in writing!

You’ll have to hashtag your post with #Ad so your followers know that you’re being paid to promote a product.