With over 1 billion users worldwide, Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media platforms currently available. The app has been growing at an increasingly rapid pace over the years and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Needless to say, there is a real opportunity, right now, to start making money online. All you need to do is take the first step.

Over the last five years, I’ve successfully been able to grow, flip and manage multiple Instagram pages in different niches while making a significant amount of money. Below, I will share 4 small tips which I have found to make a big difference in gaining an audience on Instagram.

1. Post Consistently

Consistency is key. When it comes to Instagram, this saying could not be truer. Many people get caught up in trying to create the perfect piece of content and use that as an excuse as to why they’re not growing.

Entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuk said it best: “Speed is 4 billion times more important than perfection“.

After having attempted multiple different strategies, I’ve learned that posting frequently has always been most effective in driving traffic to my site. Understandably so, the more content you put out, the more your posts are being shared, liked and commented, ultimately leading more people to your page.

Based on the niche you’re in, or the type of content you put out, the amount you post may vary. If you’re reposting videos from other accounts, curating content will be less time consuming than if you have to make your content from scratch.

For instance, posting original content once a day may be enough for creators, but for those reposting content from other sites, posting 3 to 4 times per day may be necessary (Always be sure to credit other people’s work). That being said, whether you post multiple times daily or multiple times weekly, find a posting schedule that works for you and stick to it.

2. Use Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to gain exposure to your posts and reach a new audience who isn’t following you! Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post and I would recommend using all of them.

If you don’t know which hashtags to use, you can simply look-up which ones are most popular for your niche. Diversify your hashtags by using a variety of commonly used ones, with some less popular ones mixed in. If you’re new to Instagram, bigger pages may appear ahead of you in the hashtags, so choosing less-common ones will narrow down the competition.

Pro Tip: When using hashtags, avoid using them directly in your caption as it can look messy and unprofessional. Instead, copy the hashtags and post them in your comments section to give your post a cleaner look!

Another thing to remember is that hashtags aren’t only available for posts on your feed, but also on your story. Using a couple of hashtags on your story posts can really help you get that edge and gain some extra views.

3. Engage With Your Audience

A small action that can make a big difference. Engaging with your audience is a great way to get them involved with the content you’re putting out. Simply replying to comments or liking them will make your account much more personable and create a sense of community with your followers.

Part of the process of building an audience on Instagram is not only to attract new followers, but also to retain the ones you have. By engaging with them, not only will your audience be more encouraged to come back and comment again, but it also allows you to improve your page by listening to the feedback you get to then improve those aspects.

4. Create Relationships

Good relationships come a long way in business; go out of your way to message other accounts in your niche. After having contacted some people, you will have created a group of like-minded individuals which will help you get closer to your goal.

By liking and commenting on others’ posts, they will subsequently return the favor. Receiving engagement on your posts from pages similar to yours will increase your chances of making it onto the explore page and ultimately expose you to a wider audience.

Always seek to create new relationships, maintain the ones you have, and try to do for others what you’d want them to do for you. In the long-term, you never know how these relationships could help you out.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an easy way to make money over-night, Instagram might not be for you. But, if you’re serious and follow the 4 steps above, you will, over time, be able to acquire a following and make Instagram a profitable side-hustle, posting content about a topic that drives you!

If you have any tips on How To Turn Instagram Into A Side Hustle that weren’t included in the article, drop them in the comments below!