The Secret to Growing on Instagram for MUA’s
Ahh Instagram. You either love it or you hate it! I have really changed my relationship with Instagram over the past two years, mainly down to By Kayleigh. I have super curated my social media, so everything I see (for the most part!) is super inspiring, helpful, educational or just joyful. I have also found, By Kayleigh has had a huge growth boost this year, which I’m happy to say is 100% natural, organic and steady! So I thought I would share my secrets today, if you are looking to grow your gram!
1) CONNECTION
When I just had my older, makeup focused account (KayleighKMUA) - the growth was pretty slow. I was actually told by an agent “your work is lovely, but you just don’t have enough followers”, which disappointed me, but set me into a huge plan of action to create growth. I tried everything (apart from buying the followers!) from engagement groups to super strategies that involved me being online an hour a day (yes, one hour out of 24 hours of our day, I would sit on Instagram and power comment on as many accounts as I could). The result? Growth, but super slow and often, not the ideal client I was looking for. With By Kayleigh, I didn’t want to grow. I mean, of course I wanted to - but that was never the aim. My aim was to connect and inspire and help grow as many makeup artists as possible. I wasn’t the main character (whereas with KayleighKMUA, I was!). I came at By Kayleigh with love, authenticity and a will to help people and connect. I didn’t focus on the number, I focused on what I could do, for the 100, 200 or 5000 people who were listening to me. If you are looking to grow (which is OK, don’t be ashamed of wanting to grow your community!), then try a different angle. Look at your current community and think, how can you connect with them today? How can you help better or enrich their lives in some way. Come out of your main character moment, and become the bestie.
2) PASSION
Now this is something I know we all have. We love what we do. We are all so insanely passionate about it. But the amount of makeup artists I see, screaming, shouting and cheerleading their own work or their own industry is very little. Show your passion. Show your WHY. Do you ever find an account and go on their stories and see them SO in love with what they do that it makes you smile? Be that account. Spread your joy.
3) BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOU
A cliche I hear you say. But it’s true. The second I stopped caring if people though I was silly for loving anime, or crazy for buying sneakers or lame for loving my dogs so much - that was the second I became free. That was also the second I created more connection than ever. Did I ever tell you about the bride who bought me a sausage dog keychain? Or the production company who proudly said they hired me because of my about page? Or the countless conversations I have about sneakers, or the tags I get in new sneaker drops? You don’t have to always connect through makeup. You can connect through being you, through showing your authentic self and your interests. I hear a lot of my mentees say, they feel its unprofessional to show these things. If your ideal client would think that, then what would your ideal client like to see? A robotic machine with no interests? Or a full fledged human being with interests, hobbies AND a passion for makeup and women?
4) CONSISTENCY
Now, for a techie one. Instagram is a business. Instagram likes to see people use their business. So what will the Instagram algorithm favour more? Someone who posts once a year and barely goes on stories or utilises barely any of their features? Or the account, showing up, creating content people love, interacting with users and maybe posting one reel a month, but actively trying and utilising the app? Of course, instagram will favour the people being consistent, on the app, interacting on the app and creating content on the app, so be consistent. If you want to see growth, you have to show up.