3 Instagram Rockstars & How You Can Be One Too

A writer, editor, and interior designer often wondered if Instagram was worth their time. They all learned to use Instagram to expand their following, land huge partnerships, book more clients and increase sales. Land Huge Partnerships, Book More Clients, and Increase Sales

Here, they share their Instagram marketing tips that garnered them tremendous success over the last 5 months.

Case #1 Writer.

PROBLEM: Jennifer Snyder is a writer, editor, and podcast host. As a content creator, she understands the importance of sharing stories, however she was struggling with how to best engage with and grow her following on her social media platforms.

SOLUTION: Knowing that many of the people she was trying to reach were spending their time on Instagram, she decided to focus there. “I knew I had to invest some energy to figure out a strategy. Instagram has been a game changer for my business,” she says.

BEFORE: Before her Instagram account was filled with pics of her dinner, her dog, and photos of she and her husband on date night. She’d post random photos without a lot of thought to the story they were weaving for her potential followers. The photos you choose over time add up to the story of you and your brand and need to be carefully curated and not chosen slap-dash.

AFTER: Within just three weeks, Synder said she began to understand how to use her already developed brand voice to better reach the right people on Instagram. She credits her success to working with Melissa Camilleri, Instagram expert behind @shopcompliment.

After completing several exercises in Camilleri’s class she switched her strategy to focus on how to tell the story of her business and offerings through images. The big shift came when she consistently kept in mind what her CLIENTS would want to see, instead of whatever she wanted to post on a whim. Your Instagram marketing plan takes some care and cultivation to woo potential clients, customers and sponsors. Keeping them in mind equals consideration and thoughtfulness.

She has seen the sales of her online products and services triple and, perhaps most importantly, she’s built an engaged community of fans, supporters, and clients.

RESULTS: “Since February, I’ve quadrupled my Instagram following organically. I’ve been featured on numerous accounts, which has led to wonderful PR opportunities. I’ve participated in several collaborative projects through Instagram and have seen my follower engagement increase beyond my expectations,” Snyder says.

Case #2 Author / Editor

PROBLEM: Similarly, Janna Marlies Maron, author and editor of the literary magazine, Under the Gum Tree, wanted to share her stories with other like-minded people, but wasn’t sure how to find them.

“You would think that as a writer, storytelling would come easily to me. Most of the time it does, but throw images into the mix on a platform like Instagram, and I was paralyzed.  I knew I needed help in the whole crafting-story-with-images department,” she says.  So she reached out to Camilleri for a little guidance on Instagram marketing.

SOLUTION: Together, they fine-tuned her bio, cleaned up her feed, kicked up the quality of her photos, and began interacting with people who were following similar hashtags. This was all in preparation for a big writing conference she would be attending as an exhibitor to gain exposure for her magazine.

RESULT: “I was setting up the Under the Gum Tree table when someone came by to introduce herself because I had liked her picture on Instagram. I didn’t really think much of it. But soon, Under the Gum Tree’s table was swamped.

At least 50% of the people who came by our table saw us first on Instagram. We sold out of magazines and swag (a first for us in the three years we’ve been exhibiting at this conference.)  Ninety percent of our sales were from our Instagram followers,” Maron says.

“This was the first time I have experienced direct and immediate results from strategically using a particular platform. It was so energizing to meet people who were interested in what I was doing, and the only thing I can attribute that to is Instagram: they got a glimpse of our story in images and were interested enough to come get the full story in person. Working with Melissa gave me the confidence to target my audience on Instagram and was such was totally money well-spent on my business.”

Case #3 Interior Designer

PROBLEM: Interior Designer, Nicole Salceda is the brains behind @eyeforpretty on Instagram. Nicole was posting cute pics of her kids sprinkled in with room redesigns. She also wasn’t posting consistently or at the times her followers were active.

SOLUTION: “Melissa helped me figure out where my ideal clients were hanging out on Instagram and understanding how to engage with them. Once I did that I increased my following by several hundred each week.”

RESULT: In the five months since working with Camilleri Nicole has increased her following from 3500 to an amazing 30,000 (and quickly growing.)

“I realized in early 2015 that I could start building my portfolio on Instagram for no cost and also gain potential clients as E-Design was a new path I was pursuing. The opportunity to work with Melissa’s came at the perfect time,” she explains.

“With each milestone I reached, new and exciting partnerships and opportunities began to present themselves. In the last couple months, I’ve now had the opportunity to work with brands like Pottery Barn, Tuesday Morning, Chasing Paper NYC.  I’ve also booked many new clients throughout the country. Each week, I get at least one new opportunity — a new client, small business, or big brand, asking me to work with them. Without a doubt, Melissa helped propel me further and faster than I could have imagined.”

Melissa Camilleri will be sharing the strategies she’s used to organically grow her Instagram following on @shopcompliment from 1000 to over 30,000 engaged followers in a little over a year, which has resulted in 5-figure sales month after month.

She credits Instagram for helping her grow her business from a production line on her dining room table to the socially-responsible corporation it is now. At the urging of her business-owner friends who wanted to replicate her marketing success, Melissa dusted off her teaching hat and created the 21-Day Insta-course to help others market their products, services, and brick and mortar shops.

Tens of thousands have attended her virtual courses, participated in her workshops, and studied under her guidance. These same strategies have helped thousands of entrepreneurs share their messages on Instagram and reach their ideal clients/customers in an authentic and engaging way She believes we rise by lifting others.

Melissa will be joining me August 6, 2015 for a FREE TRAINING: 5 Reasons You’re Not Seeing Results On Instagram (and How to Fix That!)

Seats are limited.  Click here now to register.

To get her 21-day Instagram course right now go here.  NOTE: Starts August 17. Next one January 2016. (This course works equally well for DIY, books, service, and product-based businesses).

Check out our PR and Media Training Workshop to Jumpstart your Publicity