How to make your Instagram bigger ? it’s silly that i’m asking this , coz i always do not give a flyin damn about ig followers and this whole blogging , social media popularity looks for me so shallow and i don’t wanted to be on that constantly chasing rating mob , that’s why my account was private for a long time .. but here i am now , that almost everyone who i knew is recommending me first upfront to work on my Instagram for my job . My dream job is acting , modeling . Do you have any tips or recommendations? my account is public now and i post even professional photoshoots and hq content , but my following is staying very low .. ( i have 139 followers)
I actually recently started working as a social media manager, and I have a lot of friends who are actors, so I think I can help! Here's how you can get new followers and up your engagement with your current followers:
Identify your niche. What categories of content do you make? You want 3-5 "content pillars" based off of what your followers will want to see. For example, on this blog, my content pillars are something like "life advice", "Skins content", "commentary on social issues", "fashion advice" and "answering your random questions". Knowing what your pillars are help you to know what kind of posts your followers are expecting.
Figure out your overall "vibe". Are you aiming to make content that's relatable and funny? Aspirational? Educational? Seductive? The "vibe" that you're giving off should be present in all of the content that you post. This is the beginning of figuring out what your personal brand looks like.
Engage on your account daily, whether that's in the form of grid posts or stories.
Instagram seems to prefer videos that feature a person's face, so getting on InstaStories and just talking to your audience or posting Reels is a good bet. For acting and modeling, this type of video content might be monologues, skits, or fashion or posing advice.
Use the interactives on your stories. Instagram likes it when you ask a question, post a quiz, do "this or that" posts, use the sliders, etc.
If you're doing a grid post, leave a question in the caption for people to answer in the comments.
Reply to all the comments and DMs that you get.
Hashtags are important for getting your account seen by new people. Use a mix of smaller hashtags (under 50k posts) and bigger hashtags that are specific to what you're posting. Location specific hashtags can be especially useful.
Once you find some niche hashtags that fit your content, like and comment on the top nine posts within those niches. The comment should feel authentic to the content of the post that you're commenting on and ideally, organically highlight that you make similar posts on your account.
Find out when your audience is online most frequently and post at those "peak activity times".
In your Instagram bio, put your niche, explain what it is that you do or offer, and put a call to action (click link in bio, check out my highlight reel, DM me, if you want to work with me, email my management at this address, etc.). You probably want to include that you're an actor/model, give contact information, and put where in the world you're located.
Put keywords in your bio, alt-text for your photos, and captions for your grid posts in order to optimize your posts for search engines.
Tag people that you shoot with in your photos and post about every new project you work on, big or small.
Make sure that your profile picture is one where your face is clearly visible- a fun, headshot-type photo is best.
For modeling in particular, the goal is to show potential clients that you can do the work. Here are some tips for how to do that:
For your grid posts, focus on images that show your personality, body shape, and facial features. These don't have to be professional photos, but they need to show that you have potential and that you know how to pose. If you have a phone, you can take self-timer photos of yourself. A mix of photos that feel like a photoshoot and photos that feel more "lifestyle" and show your personality are good.
Minimize the amount of editing you do to your photos if you do anything at all, since you're trying to show that you're a natural talent.
Define your aesthetic- what makes you unique? What's your style? What ties all of the photos on your account together? What makes them stand out from other people's accounts? What's your overall vibe? Are you an edgy high fashion model or a girl-next-door lifestyle one? What colors are prominent in all of the photos that you take of yourself? You want to have a brand identity that feels authentic to you and lets you show off your personality, while also carving out a niche for yourself.
Follow the accounts of smaller photographers you want to work with and (authentically) comment on their posts.
Follow the accounts of small and big modeling agencies you're interested in, and submit to them when they have open calls.
If you want to be a bit more ballsy, you can hashtag modeling agencies in your posts or reach out to them through DMs. If you reach out through DMs, you can attach digitals of yourself and say something like, "I’ve been hearing wonderful things about your agency and would love to work with you". Include your age, height, measurements, and citizenship in the message.
You can also hashtag or tag brands you want to work with, particularly if they're smaller brands and you're showing off their clothes in one of your posts.
This isn't an Instagram tip, but if you haven't already, I would recommend submitting digitals to modeling agencies. Having an agency is by far the best way to get modeling jobs, and many of them are constantly accepting submissions.
For acting in particular, the goal with social media is less to show casting directors that you can act. It's more about building your brand and showing that you can attract an audience. Here are some tips for how to do that:
Tell stories on your InstaStories or on Reels. Comedic stories tend to do really well because they keep people watching, so talk about an audition that you totally bombed or a weird thing that happened to you today.
Post about all the work you're doing, whether it's a short film you made yourself or a professional project.
Unlike with modeling, you want to really show off your personality in your grid posts. A feed that's filled only with professional or semi-looking professional photos of you is less helpful in this case than a feed with a mix of content.
Your instagram bio should give a clear idea of who you are. Something like "18. Actor. Member of SAG. Black Belt." is nice because it lets casting directors know that you're an actor, roughly what age range you can play, whether they can hire you for their production, and a special skill that you have. Also link to your reel or your website in your Instagram bio, and make sure all your contact information is prominently displayed.
Follow casting directors on Instagram, since they'll let you know when open casting calls are coming up. It can also help to follow managers and agents on Instagram. You don't want to like their photos, tag them, or DM them, as they tend to find this inappropriate. Just use their accounts to keep up with what's going on in the industry. If you're going to reach out to them directly, do it through their business email instead.
This isn't an Instagram tip, but if you haven't already, I would recommend setting up accounts on Backstage, Actor's Access, Casting Networks, and other casting websites that are specific to your location (like NYcastings.com if you're in New York). These will let you know about in-person open casting calls or open casting calls where you can submit a self-tape. Some cities also have Facebook groups or other online groups that post auditions. Look for "[your city] directors," "[city] casting," or "[city] actors" type groups or websites. If there are universities in your area that have film programs, also check to see if there are student films being made. It's also a good idea to take a (legitimate, non-scammy) acting class, since acting teachers can sometimes connect you with opportunities and you'll hear about opportunities through your classmates.
The most important thing is for you to have a demo reel that casting directors can look at. Reels are a one- to two-minute-long edited video collection of your best performances. If you haven't been in anything, you can use self-tapes that you've submitted, film yourself doing monologues, or stage scenes that look like they could be part of a larger project. Reels give casting directors an idea of whether or not you can act, what you look like in motion, what you sound like, and let them see if you've been in anything that's noteworthy.
With both acting and modeling, it's really a numbers game more than anything else. You have to keep submitting- to casting directors, agents, and management as well as professional opportunities. The best advice I can give is to set a number of submissions you're going to make every week and to make sure you hit that number. You can't be hired if you're not on the casting director's list, so you need to make sure you're consistently putting yourself out there.
