Here’s a simple guide to help you get started.
The article Six tips for becoming a travel influencer on Instagram first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.
Instagram has evolved past being a platform for sharing photos and artwork. It has become a place for sharing stories across the world and discovering new places you’ve never been to. This side of Instagram has led to the proliferation of travel influencers eager to share their experiences with the rest of the world.
Aside from visiting and experiencing new communities and cultures, you also get to forge partnerships with brands who are eager to help you grow your following. However, reaching such a level of success is hardly a simple matter.
That doesn’t mean becoming a travel influencer on Instagram is impossible for a normal person. So long as you know what to do, you’ll be well on your way toward sharing unique travel stories with a loyal Instagram fanbase. Here’s a simple guide to help you get started:
1. Clarify your passion and purpose
Before building your social presence, you’ll have to make sure your passions align with your goal to become a travel influencer. You wouldn’t want to do it just because everyone else is doing it. Considering the money, time, and energy you will have to spend to build your following, you will need to be clear that traveling is part of your passion. Otherwise, you will only end up wasting time and money on something you don’t have a passion for.
2. Set yourself apart
After you have decided to start an Instagram page, you must develop a unique identity that will set you apart from all other influencers in the same niche. It pays to know that you’re not the only active travel influencer online, so you will need to focus on coming up with an original approach to sharing your travel experiences.
If you’re into art, you might want to consider sketching on location and posting them on your page. Food blogging is another niche you can get into, but consider unique ways of featuring the dishes you try out. You might also discover your own storytelling style accidentally, so keep experimenting and find your voice.
3. Develop your multimedia skills
To be a travel influencer, you will need to be a Jack or Jane of all trades. Since you’re managing your page alone, you will have to deal with every task, from writing captions to editing reels. Instagram experience is a major factor, but in case you need to learn more advanced techniques, you can sign up for digital marketing courses or check out tutorials offered by influencers for free.
If you’re equipped with a high-quality camera, check out photography workshops where you can learn skills such as effective composition and lighting. In terms of tools, you may need to use CapCut, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Lightroom for editing images and crafting interesting stories. Learning these multimedia skills will help amplify the content you will be publishing.
4. Start locally
Before you can even begin to feature places outside your country, you might want to try visiting local attractions. Consider this as a training ground for developing your travel photography skills and coming up with a unique identity as an influencer. As you build your following, you can then move on to places abroad so long as your finances allow. Then again, some influencers started by featuring other cultures, so take advantage of every opportunity to go abroad to build your Instagram page.
5. Be ready to network
As your Instagram following increases, you might be receiving partnership offers from brands and other influencers. You can use these connections to grow your followers further and earn more resources for future travels. It’s only a matter of knowing what you could gain from the people and businesses you’re dealing with.
Research the background of each one so you will know if you’re dealing with legitimate personalities who wouldn’t take advantage of you. The right people should give you a fair share of the spotlight and, more importantly, offer to collaborate on future content and promotions.
6. Be an ethical influencer
As much as you want to gain fame as a travel influencer on Instagram, this shouldn’t cause you to be disrespectful. Some influencers have the gall to poke fun at other cultures just for engagement and others would go so far as publishing offensive (and, to a greater extent, racist) content just to amass a following. Avoid going down that road, and instead use your platform to generate greater awareness and appreciation of other cultures. To be a travel influencer is to be a human with a genuine love for humanity.
Endnote
Being a travel influencer opens you up to valuable opportunities where you get to turn your passion for traveling to an inspirational page on Instagram. Use these tips and start wandering the world with a desire to tell stories in a way no one else can’t.
The article Six tips for becoming a travel influencer on Instagram first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.
