Angela Arena, seen above posing in front of a mural in Nashville, TNIt’s no secret that growing on social media is getting harder and harder these days. It feels like everyone and their brother is trying to get into the influencer world and brands seem to be overwhelmed with requests to work together. Instagram influencer, Angela Arena of pineapples and pretty walls shares her best tips for breaking through that brick wall and getting started!If you could only give one piece of advice to someone growing a brand, what would it be?
If you’re looking to grow a brand on social media… you’re going to roll your eyes when you read this but… It’s the truth. There’s a reason that everyone says it. PICK. A. NICHE. But don’t stick to it, that’s horrible advice. Stick to what your audience responds to!
Start by thinking about what you want to be known for… But you MUST be willing to evolve. I helped grow @mannyandmichael on TikTok. This account started with the idea of being Michael and his mannequin friend, Manny. Overtime, we realized that our audience solely responded to cooking videos… so we decided to stick with it. Even more specifically, they responded to DISGUSTING recipes. We made mashed potatoes out of potato chips and it has morphed into making vintage recipes. It was absolutely not what we planned on creating, but it’s what worked. If you have a viral video/reel/TikTok/post/whatever… Stop and think. What about this did my audience react to?
Now zero in on that and RUN WITH IT!
If you scroll all the way down on my IG, you can watch me find my groove… for the most part. I archived tons of my posts once I really niched down. Anyway, you can see that I started by posting travel content that was all bright colored. I found that my audience always responded best when I was in front of a mural though… so I stuck to it. I also found that my audience really liked when I post really long/vulnerable overshares as well… hahaha… so that’s what you can count on me for… pretty murals and too much about what I’m *feeling*
What are your best tips for growth?
Connection, connection, connection. Did I mention connection? NOBODY wants to follow you because they’re dying to see when you drop your skincare routine… Hate to break it to you. If you’re anything like me, you follow influencers because you start to feel like you know them. Aside from posts and hashtags and all of the absolute basics… Every social media platform gives us several ways to connect with our audience on a more consistent and personal basis. Treat your stories and lives like your own reality show. Let people in. The trick is to tell people everything… without telling them anything. It’s an art.
If you were starting over right now, what would you do first?
Ha, get on TikTok. @michaelandmanny on TikTok said to me the other day “I’m proof that TikTok is basically a hack to growing your Instagram, huh?”
We’ve grown 300 followers in the last few weeks on Instagram without barely logging into Instagram just by having videos do fairly well on Instagram.
Also, Instagram finally released a feature that allows you to go live with up to three other accounts at a time! This is a fantastic opportunity to share audiences and connect with new people!
How do you know what companies to reach out to and which collabs will go well?
My general rule for this is pretty simple… If I wouldn’t buy the product and post about it without any compensation at all… I won’t do the collab. Authenticity and trust are SO important…
Angela has been coaching other influencers in growing their brands and monetizing them into thriving businesses since the beginning of 2020. If you’re interested in working together, have a quick question, or even just want to say hi… you can send her a message on Instagram @pineapplesandprettywalls
Media Contact
Company Name: Pineapples and Pretty Walls
Contact Person: Angela Arena
Email: Send Email
Phone: 904-420-6417
Country: United States
Website: Pineapplesandprettywalls.com
