I’m probably going to sound like the great aunt of the internet, but when I started my first online business, Instagram, Instagram followers, and Instagram influencers were not a big part of my life.
(Okay, pretty much ZERO part of my life.)
Megan Neugebauer had a different story.
She’d already experienced what it could do when she had her own furniture painting business, so she knew that Instagram for her online business was a must.
Since launching Shop Resin Molds, Megan has developed an amazing strategy for working with great influencers in the resin art category. She’s also learned the secret to taking her Instagram followers from zero to well into the six figures—and how to turn them into influencers as well.
Find out how.
The Path to “Creating” 100k Instagram Influencers
Megan Neugebauer is like soooooo many of the stay-at-home moms I work with who want to earn a little bit of extra money to help with groceries.
But she didn’t start with an online business.
Megan wanted to put some of her DIY skills into practice and learn to paint furniture. She did a really nice job, her local customers loved her, and she even got her work featured on Instagram by a few paint companies.
What she DIDN’T love was the time she was spending painting furniture, which took away from her time with her husband and five kids. (She’s a busy lady!)
Then a DIY home project led her to learn more about epoxy resin and its many uses. And when she wanted to make some epoxy coasters, that’s when she learned about resin molds. A new business idea followed pretty dang quickly.
Zero Instagram Followers to 100k Instagram Influencers
Megan researched the resin mold market and quickly learned that most were being imported from China. She created her company, Shop Resin Molds (I love how straightforward that name is!!!!) and then went to work sourcing products—even designing a few on her own and having them produced by a manufacturer.
Then she started figuring out how to sell them. She already knew the power of Instagram, and soon she’d found leading resin artists who were big influencers in a very niche market.
Naturally, not everyone responded, but a couple of amazing resin artists did. Orders came pouring in.
But using established influencers wasn’t—and isn’t—Megan’s only Instagram strategy. Because of her own experience of being featured as an artist for her painted furniture, she decided that she would make her Instagram feed all about others who are creating amazing resin pieces using the molds she sells.
She started with no Instagram followers. A few posts later, that number grew to 2,000. The number of followers kept climbing as they’d see, create, and/or share resin art stories. With her number of followers now topping six figures, she essentially has 100,000 “informal” influencers in addition to the well-known artists who promote Shop Resin Molds’ products.
100k Instagram Influencers Today…Now What’s Next?
Megan isn’t just limiting her selling opportunities to Instagram. She has a website, has products on large selling platforms, and is working with other business owners who offer related products. She’s also teaching her kids how to sell online products (kinda sounds familiar!)
But her big goal? Just to be the largest supplier of resin molds in the world. I wouldn’t be very surprised if she did just that!
Top 10 Takeaways
- Do your research
- Remember there can be “riches in the niches”
- Feature your followers
- Serve your influencers
- Consider a wide, not deep, approach with product inventory
- Get in, post, and get out of social media
- Try new selling avenues
- Look for ways to bless other businesses
- Keep setting big goals
- Teach others what you’ve learned
