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The world of “flipping” homes is everywhere! I have a small confession….I’m obsessed with HGTV and I especially love me some Chip and Joanna Gaines.
When it comes to the concept of flipping homes or even learning how to start flipping houses there is SO much to learn. So many little details and most likely a lot of things that you wouldn’t have ever thought about. Most people would probably hire someone to teach them, go to seminars hosted by current and successful flippers, or even take an online course about doing so. When it comes to flipping Instagram accounts, it is no different. I will do my best here to help you understand what flipping an Instagram account actually entails and I will use flipping homes as a parallel since many of us know it well.
So, what does “flipping” an Instagram account mean?
Flipping an Instagram account is the same exact thing as flipping a home. You either buy something that is in need of “fixing” or you build it from scratch and then sell it for profit. Building an account on Instagram is a lot of work. However, how does $5-7K sound for a 100,000 follower account? Or how about $22K for a 1 million follower account? Both numbers are REAL life examples of profits I have made from flipping accounts.
Can I flip an account with no money?
This might be more of a loaded question, but I’ll do my best here to explain it to you. The simple answer is yes. The more complex answer is yes, but it will take you A LOT longer. Can you buy a house to flip without having any money? Theoretically, yes, if you get a “construction loan” from the bank. Can you grow and sell an Instagram account without spending a dollar on it? Yup! It will just take you A LOT longer to see a return on your investment of time.
How do I pick what kind of account to flip?
There are three things that I tell people when they are looking into “flipping” accounts.
1) Pick a LARGE audience. You wouldn’t put a SUPER unique flooring and backsplash in a house that you were trying to flip, would you? No. By being too niched down you limit your audience significantly and, therefore, your buyer audience shrinks as well. If you want to flip accounts regularly you need to think about how you can reach a HUGE audience within one theme.
2) Pick a theme that has content that is READILY available or easy to create. If you have to fight to find content that can be used for this theme, then it is not the right one. I make content for all my accounts on Sunday and I make an entire week at a time. I could easily make 3x that thanks to the themes I have chosen.
3) Check your competition. If similar accounts are selling advertising on the regular (I’ll get into more about that later) then they have a theme that advertisers like. Half the battle in creating an account to flip is knowing that you are making something that an influencer would want because they know they can make money off the page. If they are going to spend thousands of dollars on buying the account, they will want to know that they can get a return on that investment rather quickly. This is really important and just like when you are trying to flip a home you need to think about your target audience and knowing that they will see value in what they are purchasing.
What are the steps to “flipping” an account?
I love when I get this question. I wish there was a very simple answer but there really isn’t. The problem is that there are many different ways that you can break into the flipping game. For example, I bought my bigger account at 225,000 followers. I then used it to leverage growth for all my smaller accounts while still growing it in the process. I have also started accounts from 0 and used my hashtag strategy and engagement tactics to grow it to 100,000 followers and then sell it. In theory, here would be your steps if you started from scratch (if you didn’t want to spend ANY money to get started).
1) Make a list of possible page ideas that excite you.
2) Check all the above ideas on Instagram to figure out how similar pages are performing. While you are looking, keep in mind that you want to see your competitors pages selling advertising on their pages/ having sponsored posts.
3) Narrow your choice down to one.
4) Create enough content to start your page off with at LEAST 9 posts. (Another blog article to come all about creating content and different ways to do so!)
5) Grow your page through my hashtag guide and engagement tactics.
6) Get to 100K followers and then network to find a reputable buyer.
7) Sell your account.
8) Begin with #1.
How long does it take to “flip” an account?
The answer to this question will be different for everyone. The best way to determine how long it will take you is by asking yourself how diligent and intentional you are willing to be. Flipping an Instagram account will take you more than a few days or even a few weeks. Think of it this way, your input is a direct reflection of what your output will be. Flipping a home can take 30 days, or 6 months. While both will get the job done, it is the diligence (and having one heck of a team!) to get it done in the 30- day window.
Personal experience with this is that I spent 3 years working on a 1 million follower account that I sold for 22k this past fall. I have also sold a 78K and a 55K account as a pair for $4K back in July of last year. Both of those I grew simultaneously in less than 6 months.
In conclusion the world of flipping Instagram accounts is a very lucrative one. However, I encourage anyone who is looking into this to think about the fact that this is not a QUICK gig. It is not a get rich scheme. Flipping Instagram accounts is however a great way to add a level of income to your Instagram business and create a “revenue” stream for you to keep in mind.
Related article: Gain Followers On Instagram: Why your easy” way out wont work
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