Many people think that lifestyle influencers can post anything they want, and people will gladly watch, like, comment, and share it with their friends, while brands come knocking on their doors, desperate to work with them. 

But when you try it… 

*crickets… 

13 views, one like from your best friend, zero shares, and not a single brand deal on the horizon. 

You might think that if you just keep posting snippets from your life, you’ll eventually catch an interested audience just like the big influencers. 

Or, you might give up and think that your life simply isn’t interesting enough for the internet. 

Neither is true. 

While lifestyle influencers make it seem like they can post anything they want, they’re actually very strategic with their content. 

And the steps they took to get to where they are is a repeatable process you can learn. 

So, I’m going to show you how lifestyle influencers “secretly” narrow their focus, build content pillars, and score brand deals left and right…all in an easy-to-follow 8-step guide. 

But first…

What is a Lifestyle Influencer on Instagram?

A lifestyle influencer is someone who shares several different aspects of their life online, rather than focusing solely on one topic. 

For example, a makeup influencer might share her routines, products she uses, and tips and tricks, but all her content centers on makeup. 

A lifestyle influencer, on the other hand, can share her makeup, wardrobe, food, family and kids, work, hobbies, and seemingly anything from her life. 

This leads some people to think lifestyle influencers can post anything they want. 

In reality, lifestyle content only works when there’s a clear POV (point of view), a clear target audience, and a clear benefit for the viewers…a niche within lifestyle. 

Which brings us to our first step in growing a lifestyle account: choosing your lifestyle lane. 

Step 1: Choose Your Lifestyle Lane

For lifestyle creators, it’s not about choosing ONE topic to focus on. It’s about choosing ONE group of people. 

Take a look at popular lifestyle influencers. 

You’ll notice that while they talk about almost anything, there’s always a specific audience they’re talking to. 

That can be: 

• Working professionals
• Stay-at-home moms
• People on a budget
• Digital nomads
• College students or recent grads
• Busy parents
• Creatives or freelancers
• Minimalists or simple-living fans

Or any group of people who share similar problems across different parts of their lives. 

Ideally, you should pick a group that you yourself belong to. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, you’ll have a much easier time creating helpful and relatable content for other stay-at-home moms. 

But you don’t always have to be a part of the group. 

In fact, if you want to monetize quickly, one way you can do things is to target a group of people with plenty of money to spend, such as business owners (even if you yourself aren’t running a business yet). 

Step 2: Build a Profile That Converts (Not Just Looks Pretty)

The best lifestyle accounts are the ones where when people land on your profile, they instantly know if it’s for them. 

Take a look at this profile: 

The moment you see it, you instantly know it’s for moms and what they can get. 

Try to replicate this by working on your: 

• Username – you can either use your real name, or a catchy play on words that highlights your niche. Using your real name makes you more authentic, while using a play on words gives people an idea of what type of content you post. 

• Profile Picture – a clear, professional headshot of your face. If people are going to follow, they need to see who they’re following! Avoid using logos, especially for lifestyle content. 

• Bio – an elevator pitch for your profile. Add a quick description of what people get when they follow (eg, making motherhood easier), as well as the types of content you post. 

• Link in Bio – you’ll want to have one main action for your link in bio. Whether that’s to get your ebook, sign up for a program, or check out a product, make it as straightforward as possible for people. If you don’t have anything to sell yet, add links to your other social media platforms here. 

• Highlights – you don’t need highlights. But if you’re getting a ton of frequently asked questions and want to direct people to where you want them to go, adding highlights is a helpful way to do this (just like the profile above). 

Step 3: Pick 3 – 5 Content Pillars (So You Never Run Out of Ideas)

Content pillars are the main themes you consistently create content around. 

Having these not only makes planning content easier, but your audience will also start to recognize you for the content you make (making them more likely to follow). 

Not sure what content pillars to choose?

Here are some ideas: 

Stay-at-home moms: 

• Daily Mom Life – routines, chaos, wins, struggles, “no one talks about this” moments.
• Home & Homemaking – cleaning, organizing, cooking, decor, systems that make life easier.
• Kids & Family Activities – crafts, learning at home, schedules, play ideas, family traditions.
• Self-Care & Identity – burnout, mental health, finding yourself beyond “mom,” balance.
• Money-Saving & Mom Hacks – budget meals, thrifting, time-savers, affordable family fun.

Working professionals: 

• Career Growth & Skills – promotions, raises, resumes, networking, office politics.
• Productivity & Time Management – workflows, routines, tools, beating burnout, deep work.
• Work-Life Balance – boundaries, rest, commuting life, WFH vs office realities.
• Lifestyle & Personal Development – habits, mindset, confidence, adulting tips.
• Money & Career Finances – salary negotiation, benefits, side income, career ROI.

People on a Budget:

• Budgeting Basics – monthly budgets, sinking funds, tracking expenses.
• Frugal Living & Savings Hacks – grocery tips, coupons, swaps, low-cost alternatives.
• Affordable Lifestyle – cheap meals, free fun, minimalist living, smart purchases.
• Mindset & Financial Habits – breaking bad money habits, discipline, and financial confidence.
• Extra Income & Cost Reduction – side hustles, cutting subscriptions, negotiating bills.

Notice how all those pillars are things that your target audience will be interested in. 

So choose 3 to 5 pillars, and start listing ideas for content. 

If you can create a recognizable content series like Kwoowk’s “Rating Dips Around the World,” or Pepper Step’s “Hiking ABCs” from one of these pillars, even better. Because it’ll give you tons of content to create, and make you super recognizable for your original series. 

Step 4: Create Viral Reels

Here’s the thing…

Even if you have extremely valuable content…no one is going to watch your reel unless you use some proven tactics. 

There are three parts to every Instagram reel, and if you do them well, you have a great chance of going viral. 

Hook

The hook is the first 3 seconds of your reel. 

This is arguably the most important part, because if your hook doesn’t catch attention and stop people from scrolling, the rest of your video doesn’t matter. 

Here are some hooks you can use for lifestyle content (regardless of niche): 

• “Nobody talks about this part of everyday life.”
• “This is what my life actually looks like.”
• “I used to think this was normal… It’s not.”
• “Things I stopped doing and my life got easier.”
• “This routine changed everything for me.”
• “Unpopular opinion about daily life.”
• “If your life feels chaotic, watch this.”
• “This is your sign to slow down.”
• “I wish someone told me this sooner.”
• “The quiet habit that improved my life.”
• “My life before vs after this change.”
• “This took me way too long to figure out.”
• “What a normal day really looks like.”
• “The lie we’re all told about lifestyle balance.”
• “I stopped chasing this and felt better.”
• “This small shift made a huge difference.”
• “Things that matter way less than you think.”
• “I didn’t expect this to change my life.”
• “This is why I don’t do this anymore.”
• “A reminder you probably need today.”

Try to work in your niche into the hook (or right after). Because if people hear in the first 3 seconds something that relates to them, they’re far more likely to stay and watch. 

Also, those are just lifestyle examples. If you’d like more hook ideas, check out my 27 proven hooks you can copy article. 

Tension

Don’t you hate it when you stop to watch an interesting reel, only for it to go on and on and on without ever getting to the point? 

Even if you can get people to stop with a catchy hook, if there’s no tension in your reel, people will scroll away before the end. 

So how do you keep people watching? 

1. Cut all unimportant bits – the more you do Instagram, the more you’ll learn that the struggle is not finding things to say, but finding which things to leave out. People need to feel like they’re getting value from start to finish. Any slowdown can cause them to scroll away. 

2. Use proven formats – formats like listicles, get-ready-with-me, day in the life, before vs after, storytime, and others keep people watching. They’re easy to consume, people know what’s coming, and they are proven to work across all niches. You don’t have to be original with formatting; just pick one that works, and add your content in. 

3. Add personality – This is critical for lifestyle content. Showing your personality is what gets people to interact with you and follow. 

Payoff

If you have a catchy hook and good tension throughout, people will watch your reel all the way through. But without a strong payoff, a lot of people won’t bother liking, commenting, saving, or sharing the reel with their friends. 

And here’s a secret:

You don’t get people to like your reel by screaming, “LIKE this reel!” 

Instead, people interact with your contact when they feel something at the end. 

For lifestyle content, you can make them feel: 

• Seen because your reel is super relatable.
• Inspired to take action because you showed a path forward. 
• Comforted because the message felt human.
• Validated because their feelings finally make sense.
• Motivated to try again because it feels doable.

And a few other feelings. 

Once you hit these, people are far more likely to interact with your content. And if you pair it with a call to action to check out 

So don’t just plan the hook and tension. Ask yourself, “How do I want people to feel once they’ve watched my reel?” 

Pro Tip: Check Your Analytics

Not sure which part of your reel you need to improve? 

Check your Instagram analytics by clicking on “See Reel Insights” below your reels. 

Then take note of the: 

• View rate past first 3 seconds – 50-60% is okay, but try to aim for above 60%. Meanwhile, anything below 50% means you seriously need to work on your hooks. 

• Average view duration (AVD) – an AVD of 5-7 seconds for a 30-second reel shows that people are leaving before the end because there’s no tension or value. Aim for 10-15 second AVD for 30-second reels, and 15-25 seconds for 60-second reels. 

• Engagement numbers – low engagement is a sign that your payoff is weak. Use this simple formula to check how engaging your reel is: Engagement Rate (%) = (Likes + Comments + Saves + Shares) ÷ Followers × 100. 1% engagement rate is low, 2-3% is okay, 3-6% is good, while anything above 6% is already very strong.

Step 5: Grow Your Follower Base

Making one viral reel is one thing, but building a loyal follower base is a whole other challenge. 

If you choose a specific group of people to target, have your content pillars, and create great reels, you already have all the right ingredients to grow an account. 

Now follow these steps to keep growing your follower base:

1. Post EVERY day – I’m a strong believer that the best way to grow on Instagram is to post once a day. Posting 3-5 times a week is okay, but you learn so much faster what works and what doesn’t when you post every day. So don’t overthink and post away. 

2. But don’t ignore quality – just because you should post every day doesn’t mean you can get away with posting low-quality reels. Instagram is a game of quality AND quantity. So always put the effort into creating stronger hooks and payoffs, even while posting every day. 

3. Answer every comment – interact with your followers. Answer every comment and DM you get, because people are much more likely to follow you if you do. You’re building a community, not just a follower base. 

4. Copy what’s working – aside from your content pillars, spy on your competitors by typing in a keyword related to your niche, and watching the viral videos there. You’ll get tons of ideas for content that’s working, and you can make your own version. Also, check how your competitors interact with their followers to see what’s working.

5. Let your personality shine – don’t be afraid to let your personality show! Remember, people like following real people. The more personality you show, the more your people will be drawn to you and hit follow. 

6. Use AI – AI tools not only speed up content creation, but they can also help you make better content. You can use ChatGPT for help with hooks and scripts. It can give you stronger hook ideas while helping you trim down your scripts so it doesn’t drag on. 

7. Have a common enemy – whether that’s people who think creative work isn’t real work, or people who look down on stay-at-home mothers, pick a common enemy in your niche that you can rally your followers against. After all, nothing brings people closer than a common enemy. 

Step 6: Pick a Monetization Method

Once your account is taking off, it’s time to seriously think about monetizing. 

Some of the best ways to do this include: 

Affiliate Marketing

• How it Works: Promote products using a special link. Once people click on your special link and buy, you get a commission. 

• Earnings: 2-10% commission for physical products, 10-50% for digital products. 

• Pros: Arguably the easiest way to start monetizing.

• Cons: Lower income potential, no control over product.

• Tips for Success: Promote products that you actually use. If you can feature the product in your reels, people will be much more likely to use your special link. 

• Get Started: Check affiliate platforms like CJ, Impact, or Rakuten for products you can promote to your audience. Or read my full affiliate marketing on Instagram guide. 

Sponsored Posts / Brand Deals 

• How it Works: Brands pay you to feature their products in your reels/posts. 

• Earnings: The rule of thumb is to charge $100 per post per $10,000 followers. Exact pricing varies based on several different factors (read more here). 

• Pros: Very high earning potential.

• Cons: Need to prove your worth to brands.

• Tips for Success: If your follower base fits a brand’s target customer profile, scoring brand deals becomes so much easier. 

• Get Started: Reach out to brands and ask for a brand deal! Unless you have a huge account, this is the main way to get noticed by brands. You can read more about how to do this in my full guide here. 

Sell a Digital Product

• How it Works: Create an ebook, course, templates, etc., and sell it on your link in bio. 

• Earnings: Low ticket products ($20 – $300), and high-ticket products ($3,000+). Anything in between falls into no man’s land and is difficult to sell. 

• Pros: Very high earning potential / you have your own product you can be proud of. 

• Cons: Need to convince your followers that it’s worth spending on. 

• Tips for Success: Build authority through your reels. Don’t just be relatable, but help people with solid advice, tips, and lessons. That way, people will go to you when they’re serious about learning more. 

• Get Started: Pick a product to sell first! You can check what other products people in your niche are selling to get an idea of what works. Then, read my full guide to selling digital products here. 

There are also other ways to monetize, like Instagram subscriptions or selling your own physical product. You learn more about these in my How to Make Money on instagram post. 

Step 7: Build a Media Kit

If you’re going down the brand deals monetization path (which most influencers do), you’ll also need a media kit. 

A media kit is a quick document that shows brands who you are, who your audience is, and why they should work with you. 

It typically includes: 

• About You 
• Audience Insights 
• Content Examples / Brands I’ve Worked With 
• Services You Offer 
• Rates 
• Contact Info 

This not only makes you look professional, but if your audience insights and content examples match what the brand is looking for, you can get a very quick deal. 

However, keep in mind that media kits are not pitches. Don’t just send this to a brand; you’ll also have to write a cover letter asking for a collab with this attached. 

Step 8: Bringing it All Together (A 1-Month Action Plan)

This last step isn’t exactly a “step,” it’s a 1-month action plan to get you off the ground running as quickly as possible. 

So if you’re not sure where to start, follow this! 

Week 1: Setting Up

• Choose your lifestyle lane
• Create and build your profile
• Choose your 3-5 content pillars

Week 2: Writing and Filming

• Write down hundreds of content ideas and create a hook bank
• Spy on your competitors, and add their most viral reels to your list
• Batch filming — try to film as much content in batches, so you don’t run out of things to post

Week 3-4: Posting

• Start posting every day!
• Work on improving hooks, tension, and payoffs
• Work on adding more personality
• Followers will start to trickle in (or blast up if you go viral)

Week 5: 

• Start using analytics — by now, you should have enough numbers to start studying what’s working and what isn’t
• Adjust your reels based on what you find from your analytics. 
• Continuously post every day and grow your account. 
• Start teasing a product launch (if you’re launching a digital product)

Week 6: 

• Build a media kit
• Reach out to brands for brand deals, or sign up for affiliate offers
• Launch your digital product and start promoting

Week 7 onwards: 

• You should be well into the Instagram game by now
• Keep on improving, keep reaching out to brands, and keep on growing your business! 

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Lifestyle Influencer

How many followers do you need to be a lifestyle influencer?

You can start scoring brand deals with as few as 1,000 followers (nano-influencer). 

There’s no follower-count limit, so start reaching out to brands as soon as you can. As long as you are building an audience that’s aligned with their target customer profile, brands will be eager to work with you. 

Do you need to show your face? 

No, showing your face is not required for lifestyle content. 

It can be more challenging, but there are ways to get it done. Read my full guide on building a Faceless Instagram Account to learn more. 

What should I post as a lifestyle influencer?

Post content that shows different parts of your life, but always through a clear point of view for a specific audience.

Choose 3 to 5 content pillars (like daily life, routines, mindset, or money), use strong hooks, and share stories that are relatable, useful, or emotionally resonant, not just random moments.

How often should I post?

To become a successful lifestyle influencer, you should post every day. 

Some coaches tell you it’s okay to post 3x a week, but for lifestyle content, it’s important to show up for your followers every day. 

This also helps you find what type of content works for your audience much faster, and grows your account significantly faster. 

How do lifestyle influencers make money?

Through affiliate marketing, brand deals, and even selling their own digital products. 

How do I get brand deals as a beginner?

Build an account targeting a specific group of people, then reach out to brands that sell products to that group of people. 

The closer your follower base is to the brand’s ideal customer profile, the more eager they will be to work with you. 

How much should I charge for a sponsored post?

Generally speaking, you should charge $100 per post for every $10,000 followrs you have. 

Of course, there are plenty of other factors involved, such as your niche, difficulty making the content, whether it’s a carousel or reel, or if the brand wants more than just one post. 

Ready to Become a Lifestyle Influencer?

Becoming a lifestyle influencer takes time. 

Not only do you have to choose a niche you can do well with and build content pillars, but learning how to craft strong hooks and emotional payoffs is also a learning process. 

But if you want to speed things up and get 10x more views, followers, and monetization opportunities as fast as possible, then apply for our coaching program today. 

In it, we’ll give you step-by-step coaching, templates, and AI systems to help you grow on Instagram, TikTok & YouTube…even if you’re starting from zero. 

So apply today to see if you qualify!