In this article, I will walk through some of the proven
strategies you can use now to grow followers on Instagram in Kenya.
To help you do that, here are some of the answers to some of
the frequently asked questions
What should you be posting on Instagram in Kenya?
Are you looking for more followers on Instagram in Kenya?
Do you find yourself wondering what to post
on social media?
Or you get overwhelmed sometimes trying to figure out what
to post that is guaranteed to garner engagements.
If so, listen to this advice.
Understand your target audience
So the first thing that people need to know when they’re
creating content is;
Who am I serving?
Who am I trying to help?
This is because when looking for followers on Instagram in Kenya, you’re asking people something super valuable.
You are asking for their time and their energy and
attention.
Truth is, we have so little of it to give this is because
everybody is screaming at us ‘Pay attention to me.’
Here is the thing;
For them to pay attention and give you their time and
energy, you need to give them something more than what they are giving.
You need to educate them in some way.
Teach them something that is of value to them not to
yourself but them.
As such, showing pictures of things that interest only you,
unless you are like setting trends is really not interesting to people.
And once you internalize that, you will be able to grow an
audience
Leverage new features on the platform
The other thing your audience needs to know is that when a
platform rolls a new feature, they want you to use those features.
And if you do that, the algorithm starts favoring you.
For example;
Instagram is trying to get more attention around these 10
slide carousels.
You could teach using this thing, reach more people, get
more followers, and make more money.
What to do when starting on Instagram in Kenya today
What is the game plan
for starting on Instagram in Kenya today from zero?
Here are a couple of things you need to do;
The first thing is to have the right mindset.
You need to realize that this is a long game.
It is not a game of instant gratification.
And if you are in it for that, you need to STOP.
You can’t expect to post only 3 posts and expect people to
follow you.
Keep at the bare minimum of 12 posts.
This brings me to the next tip;
Focus on one topic.
Stop posting stuff your target audience isn’t interested in,
especially when you are trying to build an IG account for your business.
This leads us to the next question about Instagram in Kenya;
What the heck am I going to write about?
There are two ways you can solve this problem;
One, write about things that you are passionate about.
As they always say, follow your passions.
It is also true on Instagram in Kenya.
Secondly, imagine you are speaking to your younger self,
could be your cousin, a sister, a brother, your mom, or your dad.
Imagine yourself speaking to them.
Try to help them with the problem you are trying to solve.
You have to approach this with the mindset and the spirit of
generosity.
This means helping other people without strings attached.
That is, you need to give with no expectations.
Now, if you do that consistently, you are on the right path
to gaining more Instagram followers in Kenya.
One more thing;
Pick out say three colors that you are going to use
throughout your IG account.
Well, you may not use it all at the same time.
This way, when somebody sees your feed, they get a feeling
like, ‘oh there’s some intention behind this.’
Additionally, pick one maybe two fonts to use in all of your
posts.
The goal is to make the layout simple.
But most people with no design background find this really
daunting.
So they get insecure and start adding a lot of things to the design, thus ruining it.
Solution?
Follow the advice I have given you here.
The secret formula to growing on Instagram in Kenya
Here is the truth;
There is a higher chance that nobody knows
you on Instagram in Kenya.
So, if you really want to grow, you have to create something
that a stranger would feel so compelled to share on their timeline.
Whenever I see a post, if it doesn’t really tickle me, I am
not going to like it.
For people to go out of their way to hit that share button,
it has to be super valuable to them.
Want a secret formula?
Use AIDA.
- Attention
- Interest
- Desire
- Action
It is copywriting formula used by advertisers to drive
boatloads of engagement.
First, you need to start with something that grabs people’s
attention.
Usually, use something that is of benefit to them.
Here is how;
You promise a result that they are looking for, identify an
objection they might have, and then talk about the time it takes to achieve
that benefit.
For example;
How to learn Facebook
ads (a desirable result) in 7 days (the time it takes), even if you
don’t know how to use a computer (objection).
The next thing is to arouse their interest.
Now that you have their attention, your next step is to make
them keep reading.
The next step is desire.
This is where you have to deliver the promise.
Make sure it is valuable, otherwise they will hate you for
wasting their time and energy, and you won’t get that follow!
The last one in action.
What do you want them to do next?
Give them a call-to-action (CTA).
Tell them what you’d like them to do.
Do you want them to like the post, share, or check the link
in your bio?
Avoid too many CTAs.
Only one is enough!
4 Additional tips to growing on Instagram in Kenya
Here is a tip on how not to get overwhelmed;
Heads and tails game
I understand how hard it is to create content, but there is
a way around it.
And I am going to use the Instagram carousels strategy as an
example.
There is this game called heads or tails.
Here, you flip a coin;
If it is heading, write 10 headlines.
AND then you build the rest of the carousel (or whatever type of content you are using) to deliver on that headline.
Flip the coin again, IF it is tails, focus on the key
takeaways.
Think of the nuggets of wisdom or gold.
Make it personal and meaningful, otherwise, no one is going
to like your content.
Learn how to use hashtags
The next tip has to learn how to use hashtags.
Here is something you don’t know;
Hashtags teach the algorithm what YOUR post is all about.
And there
are a lot of strategies on how to do this.
But the simplest one is to just Google and you will find
some hashtag strategies.
Guest posting
Once you have met the minimum of posting 12 pieces of
content consistently about one topic or on one subject, write a guest post.
Here is how to do that;
Find somebody that you look up to in your space and spend
your time creating a super valuable piece of content.
Design the heck out of it.
Give them your best posts ever and if they like it, they
will post it on their feed for free.
This may send perhaps hundreds or even thousands of
followers to your account.
But for this to work, your account MUST already be in good
shape.
Shoutouts
You can also pay for shout-outs.
This is something that happens and luckily, it doesn’t cost
that much.
All you have to do is look at people who post other people’s
content.
Slide into their DMs and say;
“Look, how much do you charge for a shout-out? I will write
the content and design it in a way that is consistent with your account.”
Does Instagram pay in Kenya? If yes, how much?
Many of those aspiring to make money wonder if Instagram pays
in Kenya.
The amount of money you will earn on Instagram in Kenya
depends on two things; the number of followers and the engagement rate.
This means that the more followers you have, the higher your
chances of making more money.
Now, other studies show a different picture.
For instance, a study conducted back in 2019 by a UK-based
firm showed that Instagram influencers earn between KES 13,000 and KES 100,000
per sponsored post.
Now, these numbers vary depending on the number of followers
and engagement rate.
For example;
If you have between 10K and 100K followers on Instagram in
Kenya, expect to earn upwards of KES 2K per post.
As you can guess, there is no exact number to say, this is
how much Instagram pays in Kenya.
How to make money on Instagram in Kenya
Here, I will teach you three proven strategies you can implement now and be on your way to earning your first shilling on Instagram in Kenya.
Remember, these are just strategies, they don’t work if you
don’t.
So, I expect you to be a self-motivated person (i mean, you
are here right? You should know a thing or two about taking initiative).
Strategy 1: Post Sponsored Content
When you hear IG, I bet the first thing on your mind is
‘Instagram influencers in Kenya.’
Yes, you can make money on Instagram by posting sponsored
content.
Here, brands approach you to post or endorse their products on your account.
And in return, they compensate you for the ‘little’ work you
did. I mean, you’ve been using Instagram, right?
Have you been posting?
What is so hard or special about this that you can’t give it
a try?
Well, not so fast cowboy!
First, for this to work, you have to be a good marketer.
In other words, this strategy is for you if you’re good at
making strangers on the internet like and trust you.
How do you get started?
But basically, this is what you need to do;
How to get started
- Pick a
niche. A niche is a specific market or that special group of people you
will be talking to. For example; if you love fashion, you can focus on
building an account on kids’ fashion. Why? Because that is how to grow
fast and earn more, more on this later
- You
need sizable followers on Instagram. Yes, no one will even
look at you with your 100 followers. You need at least 5K followers for
this to work.
- Once
you have the followers, the next thing is working on engagement.
It is weird having 10K followers and only getting 10 comments and likes.
You need engagements to make money on Instagram in Kenya (and this is the
secret, continue reading to find out more).
- Approach
brands to sponsor your account. This should be easy if you have a targeted
audience. For example; you go to Kids’ brands and present to them your
numbers. And if they are good, there is no way they going to pass your
proposal. Sometimes if you are really good, they will come to you.
Now, there are a couple of things I want you to know;
First, you need a niche.
Make sure you pick the perfect market.
The secret is to go with a market that consists of people
who spend money. A good example is the babies market. Mothers are always
looking for the best products.
Also, brands are always coming up with new products and new
entrants into the industry. This means that the competition is high, thus needs
to spend more on capturing the market.
Secondly, build your engagement.
With competitive engagement rates, you don’t need thousands
of followers on Instagram to make money in Kenya.
Strategy 2: Be
an affiliate marketer
If you are still interested in learning how to make money on
Instagram in Kenya, this is another strategy.
Unlike being an IG influencer, this strategy is less about
spreading awareness and more about making sales.
Why?
Because you only make money when your followers actually buy the product.
On the positive side, as an affiliate marketer, you don’t
need to worry about producing that product or fulfilling orders.
All you have to do is promote the product on your account
and wait for commissions to roll in.
Is that easy?
Well, not exactly.
I wish it was that easy to make money as an affiliate in
Kenya. But there are some things you can do to make it easier.
What comes into your mind when you hear ‘affiliate marketing
in Kenya?’
Scammers!
Promising you 7K-10K per week and a life full of champagne
and classic cars.
Well, I don’t blame you.
Affiliate marketing in Kenya has received a bad rap.
But if you take time to learn it, you will figure it is one
of the most promising ways of marketing online.
All you have to do is recommend your favorite phones, or
mascara, or shoes, and provide either a link to buy the product or get a promo
code with a small discount.
Here, both the link and promo code are unique to you, so the
seller (owner of the product) can track sales back to your efforts. You earn a
fee or percentage for every sale (commission).
How to get started
- Just
like being an influencer on IG in Kenya, you need to pick a niche. But
unlike it, here, you can focus more on the material needs of the audience.
For example, you can go in running shoes for men. You are more of a
product reviewer.
- Look
for sellers within your niche. If you have created an account targeting
dog lovers, look for affiliate programs under this niche.
- Start
posting about the product. It is a good practice to let people know that
you are an affiliate.
What I see most people do in Kenya is go to places like
Jumia, sign up as affiliates, and start promoting products.
All you have to do is pick a product category, for example;
you can start an IG account about ladies’ accessories.
Strategy 3: Selling your own products
This is another one of the best ways to make money on
Instagram in Kenya.
The strategy
goes beyond just marketing on Instagram in Kenya.
It involves more of eCommerce in Kenya, which means you will
need an online store.
How do get started
First, you need to decide on the product.
Two things here;
- Yours
- Source
You can either create/manufacture your own product. Here,
you first have to figure out what type of product you’d wish to sell.
And then get down to creating it.
Alternatively, just find an already existing product, source
it, and sell it on Instagram in Kenya.
Look at @Size8Reborn.
She started her hair business in Kenya.
And I bet it’s working really well for her.
Why?
She already got followers, so it should be easy for her gaining
customers.
Once you have identified the product, what is next?
- Pick a
platform – this is where customers can order your product. If you are
selling physical products, go ahead and open an online store. You can
either create
a website, or use marketplaces like Jumia.
- Start
promoting your product on your accounts
- Fulfill
orders and handle customer service very well.
A good example of a business you can start on Instagram in
Kenya is sourcing products from Alibaba.com.
For example;
You can start importing ladies’ handbags.
You can pay KES 500 per piece and get 100 pieces. That is
50K and logistics, say you end up paying KES 80K.
Now, come and sell the same at KES 2500. Do the math.
Wrapping up making money on Instagram in Kenya
These are the best ways to make money on IG in Kenya.
Pick the one you like and run away with it.