Maybe you’ve been on Instagram for awhile, but you’re not seeing the results or growth you were initially hoping for. Trust me, I’ve been there! Back in 2019, I almost gave up content creation and blogging FOR GOOD. I felt like I wasn’t growing anymore, my content was stagnant, and I wasn’t attracting brands as partners. January 2020 hit and I decided that I was going to give content creation and blogging my ALL after taking an entire month off in December 2019. I changed my attitude and began thinking of content creation as FUN again! Since I work 9-to-5, content creation really is my creative outlet. So, I started treating it as such! Throughout this process, I learned how to create engaging content that connected me with new audiences, whether new followers or brand partners.
This attitude adjustment and prioritization ultimately set me up for amazing success as a content creator. I went from making less than $1000 in 2019 to contracting over $19,000 in brand collaborations in the year of 2020 (against all odds). At the beginning of 2020, I set a goal to make five figures through brand collaborations (a.k.a. $10,000). As you now know, I was able to nearly double that, bringing in over $19,000. Flash forward to April 2021, wrapping up Q1, I’ve already surpassed my 2020 total of $19,000, contracting over $21,000 in just the first three months of 2021. Today, I’m sharing my strategies for creating engaging content that helped me capture the attention of brands and grow my audience immensely!
This is a long post, so here are a few of the topics I’m covering today:
- Creating Seasonal Content
- Providing Value in Your Posts
- How to Tag Brands to Get Their Attention
- Ideas for Creative Concepts or Photo Series
Let’s jump in!
Create Seasonal Content
2020 was the first year I prioritized creating seasonal content. And, let me tell you, it PERFORMED! I had fun with swimsuit hauls and my mini blow-up pool in the summer. I went to pumpkin patches and decorated my house for fall. The holidays brought my most successful quarter to date, bringing in over 50 percent of my contracted campaigns for the year of 2020. It’s no coincidence that the year I started prioritizing seasonal content was the year I contracted almost $20,000 in brand collaborations.
Here are some examples of seasonal content:
Spring
As you can see, I enjoy creating content for various holidays! At the beginning of 2021, I compiled a HUGE list of social media holidays (think National Donut Day or National Margarita Day). Once I had my list prepared, I created a content calendar to help other content creators come up with content for the year of 2021! Since we are getting close to the halfway mark of the year (time is flying!), I am offering my CONTENT CALENDAR for half off! Just use code “HALFOFF” at checkout! For more info on the content calendar, check out this blog post!
Summer
Fall
Winter/Holiday
Provide Value with Every Post
Whenever I put together a post for Instagram, I think to myself “What value am I providing my audience with this post?” This question is one of the reasons I love sharing tips every week, as I know my audience finds that content incredibly valuable!
The caption is often a great place to provide value. There is absolutely value in engaging content or aesthetically pleasing content, but pair that with a valuable caption and BOOM, you’ve got a winner!
Here are some examples of how I provide value with my posts and captions. For my more local audience here in St. Petersburg, Florida, I love sharing favorite spots around town or colorful murals.
To keep things engaging for my audience all over the country, I’ll often offer to buy coffee for a few people in my audience who guess the right answer to a question I’ve asked or whoever comments their favorite coffee order. By doing this, I am essentially rewarding my audience for engaging with my content. And, it is of minimal cost to me, as I will venmo or send a small Starbucks gift card to cover their order.
I like to ask questions in my Instagram captions as it gives my audience an automatic way to interact with my content. Consider adding a question to the end of your Instagram question and engaging with those in the comments who answer!
Tag Your Favorite Brands
If you are hoping to partner with a brand in the future, show them you’re already a fan of their products by tagging them! You can use their @username in your caption, tag them in the photo, or use their branded hashtags. If you’re really trying to get noticed, I would recommend all three. Pair tags with engaging content and brands will absolutely notice you!
Come Up With Creative Concepts or Series
Another way great way to create engaging content is to come up with a fun series or creative photoshoot idea. I love trying out new things! I never want any two of my shoots to be the same. Some of the ways I keep my content fresh are renting clothing items from FashionPass (use my code EMILY9K for $35 off), switching up my shoot locations, writing exciting captions, and trying new editing/camera tricks.
Typically, I find inspiration for my content through Instagram and Pinterest, but often just from driving around town as well. One of my favorite things to do is search for new murals around St. Petersburg by going through the tag #stpetemurals. Doing this inspired an ENTIRE CONTENT SERIES for me! Earlier this year, I introduced my murals of the rainbow series, which performed incredibly well with my audience. I saw increased engagement as well as an influx of DMs, emails, and saves from this content. I highly recommend creating a series as your audience will be waiting for your next post throughout the series, making them more inclined to interact with your content.
Murals of the Rainbow Series
I hope you enjoyed these strategies for creating engaging content that helped me capture the attention of brands and grow my audience. What are some of your tips for creating engaging content?
Are you a new blogger or content creator looking for more resources? Check out these recent posts:
- What Rates to Charge as a Content Creator in 2021
- How to Choose the Best Platform for Blogging
- How to Provide Quality Content to a Brand
- My 2021 Content Calendar
- 9 Blogging Essentials You Need
- How to Maintain Relationships with Brands
- Pitching to PR Contacts (+ How To Find Them)
- Boost Your Instagram Story Engagement
- How to Get Noticed By Brands for Collaborations
- Pitching to Brands as an InfluencerΒ (+ real email templates that I actually sent!)
- The Tea on Instagram Giveaways
- Influencer Marketing Platforms to Help You Make Money
