How to Become an Instagram Model

Instagram provides models with a free and personalised medium to advertise their looks and lifestyles. It is a useful tool for both aspiring and successful models. However, using Instagram is time-consuming and can be tricky to utilise effectively.

Read on to discover how to become an Instagram model.

What is an Instagram Model?

An Instagram model is someone who uses the social media platform, Instagram, to post modelling photos to. In return, the public (both in the UK and worldwide) is able to follow their account and engage with the images by liking or commenting on them. Brands also use Instagram and they can contact any Instagram models they like the look of and who appeal to their target audience in order to potentially work with them.

An Instagram model can make money using Instagram in several ways:

• Advertising products and taking a cut of the profit (affiliate)
• Paid brand endorsements
• Paid by a brand to advertise a product

Instagram is also a useful tool to allow models to create relationships with brands which can then be worked with outside of Instagram.

How Many Followers Do You Need to Make Money on Instagram?

You do not need a set number of followers to make money on Instagram, though obviously the more followers you have, the more reach you have and therefore brands will be willing to spend more money on you.

Some models can start making money from brand deals and endorsements from as little as 1000 followers. Each deal is down to the discretion of the brand and it is up to the model to negotiate prices.

If a model has fewer than 10,000, usually they will be requested work for repayment via free products. Bigger brands have bigger budgets and therefore may pay a model a set wage. Models with over 10,000 followers can usually get paid a decent amount for a single product post. The terms of the agreement must be decided upon beforehand.

The ‘Terms of Agreement’

The terms of the agreement will decide how much the model gets paid and what the model will be doing in return. Terms can be very strict and include what hashtags the brand wants used as well as what caption to put.

The model and brand must decide how many photos are going to be posted, when they are posted, what the image/images should look like, whether the model will also post to their story, whether the model will keep the image up on their feed for a select amount of time or permanently… there is a lot to decide before the agreement is signed by each party.

How Much Money Does an Instagram Model Make?

How much money an Instagram model makes depends on how popular they are as well as how many jobs she agrees to do.

Celebrities and ‘already famous’ models, particularly those who are social media savvy like Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, can make thousands of pounds from a single post. This is because they have millions of followers and are able to influence their fans to make purchases with relative ease.

Models who are just starting out may only receive freebies or payment of around £80 for a post, depending on the size of the brand and how the payment negotiations went.

Some brands may request to pay you depending on the amount of real engagement the image gets within a certain timeframe. This is because some scammers pay for fake followers on Instagram to give the illusion that they have many legitimate followers. They may even pay for bots to leave comments to make it appear as though they have influence over a large audience/ brands have become savvy to this and will often to their homework before committing to working with someone, particularly if that someone is relatively new/unheard of and if their account is not verified.

Who is the Richest Instagram Model?

The models who make most on Instagram are mostly those who are famous elsewhere (like on the runway).

– Bella Hadid has 20 million Instagram followers and reportedly makes around $27,000 (that’s around £20,000) per post.

–Miranda Kerr has 11.7 million followers and is said to make around $50,000 (£37,000) per post.

– Karlie Kloss has 7.7 million followers and makes $50,000 (£37,000) per post.

– Cara Delevingne is an American model who has 41.4 million followers and makes $300,000 (£225,000) per post.

– Gigi Hadid has 43.7 million followers and is said to make around $300,000 (£225,000) per post.

– Kendall Jenner has 95.6 million followers and can make up to $500,000 (£375,000) per post.

– Kylie Jenner has 117 million followers and can make $1,000,000 (£749,000) per post.

How to Become an Instagram Model

Making an Instagram account is free of charge, as is using it. However it is an incredibly competitive social media platform due to its popularity, and the algorithm makes getting noticed on there very difficult.

If you are joining Instagram solely to try and make money, you are going to struggle. Only those who are passionate about modelling, photography or fashion will do well. It is time-consuming, tricky and often frustrating to do well on Instagram, so make sure you enjoy the process or you will ultimately fail.

Once you have created your own profile, it’s time to start posting. Your posts should be interesting and high-quality to entice people to stop – or better yet, interact with it by liking or commenting.

You need to be posting and using Instagram each day as the algorithm is set to benefit those who use it regularly. Don’t forget to follow other accounts, particularly brands. Make sure to regularly like and comment on other photos.

If you are a working model, post your professional images taken at photo shoots (with the permission of the brand and photographer) as this will help attract followers.

Growing a following on Instagram can seem endless and impossible, but if your images are good enough you will soon grow your follower count.

How to Get Noticed as a Model on Instagram

Finding Instagram fame is not an overnight task, and neither is forging a successful modeling career. It can take months if not years of hard work. But it is possible if you have the determination.

The easiest way to become Instagram famous is also the most difficult way; if you are a successful fashion model, you will naturally and easily become a success on Instagram. Models like Ashley Graham, Emily Ratajkowski, Candice Swanepoel, Chrissy Teigen and Josephine Skriver are all successful models who have also become incredibly successful on social media. If you’ve modelled for top brands like Prada, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Chanel or Versace, or you’re a regular at London fashion week, you will have plenty of material for your Instagram feed – and likely a decent pre-made fanbase, too.

If you are famous in another capacity like an actress you can use your fanbase here to help build yourself a decent following on Instagram.

While Facebook and Twitter are not as popular as Instagram for models, they are still useful tools to use in order to extend your reach and build your customer base.

If you are just starting out in your modelling career, you will need to focus on building a portfolio of professional images. They don’t need to be Vogue-worthy, but they do need to be high-quality and eye-catching. Fashion magazines are a great place to check for photo and posing inspiration.

You will also have to work hard to post consistently and engage with your followers often.

Perseverance is key. Don’t give up and you will soon have a following you can earn money from.