Top 5 Content Creators on Instagram this Month (and what are they doing right)

Instagram is the hub of content creators in 2021. From bakers to travellers, fitness enthusiasts to marketing geeks - everyone is leveraging Instagram to build their community. 

Instagram is estimated to have 1.074 billion users worldwide in 2021 (eMarketer, 2020). This is 73.5 million more than its number of users in 2020, when it crossed the one-billion mark for the very first time.

What creators love about the platform is that it offers a variety of ways to create content - images, long-form video, short-form video, copy . Posts, reels, stories, IGTV, guides, and highlights. 

In this blog, we will share some of the top content creators on Instagram this month. Let’s find out what they are doing right and why people love their content.

Be Catchy and Determined like David Allen/ totouchanemu

The first on our list for the month has to be David Allen (the drone guy) whose 15-second video brought him viral fame across Instagram and TikTok.

Allen, a 32-year-old Texas native, is a wedding photographer and video creator. Like many other creators, Allen started posting during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.

Slowly but surely, his videos started going viral.

In trying to dissect what he thinks made his recent videos so legendary, Allen credited “research” from other creators, which is taking inspiration from others and building on it to create a trend.

Followers: 441k

Niche: Comedy

What makes him unique: Creativity to combine content ideas

Deliver Value like Kevin Parry/ kevinbparry

Kevi Parry is a stop-motion animator and visual effects artist who specializes in mind-blowing illusions and mesmerizing stop-motion.

During each month of 2020, Kevin Parry made videos based on one emoji. Famous for his incredible visual effects, Parry has worked on animated movies The Boxtrolls, and now showcases his talent all over social media. If you need inspiration, Parry reveals behind-the-scenes tricks in his tutorial videos.

People love him for his art and for his tutorials. He delivers value in a way that’s engaging and interesting.

Followers: 1.3 million

Niche: Animation/ video effects

What makes him unique: Practical, useful content

Curate Content Passionately like Jean Lee/ jeaniuseats

Jean Lee is a food and travel blogger based out of New York City. She is also the NYC Tourism Ambassador. 

As a native of New York City, Jean Lee grew up appreciating the tastes and flavors of this urban, multicultural, and vibrant city.

With more than 35 countries under her belt, she has dined at some of the finest restaurants around the world, cultivating her palate and knowledge of food and wine.

Jean believes we can all connect by eating and “breaking bread” with others, as food creates a universal bond.

People love the way Jean shares her passion and knowledge about the diverse dining culture in New York City.

Followers: 115k

Niche: Food & Travel Blogging

What makes her unique: Excellent curation and passion for food & travel

Be Unique & Artistic like Devon Rodriquez/ devonrodriguezart

Devon Rodriguez, or the subway artist, is an American artist and painter from the South Bronx, New York City. He is famous for his series of realistic painted portraits of riders on the New York City Subway system.

Since 2011, artist Devon has been “capturing humanity” on the city’s subway network. 

Nine years later, amid the pandemic, his work started to bring him a lot of social media recognition. 

Rodriguez, 24, has been painstakingly making black and white sketches of fellow commuters in masks, after observing and studying their body language. 

“I’m curious about people, how they operate, what they wear, how they interact with the world around them. Even when I’m not drawing, I’m watching people and thinking about their nuances, and the different mannerisms that they adopt.”, said Devon in an interview with the Indian Express.

Devon has partnered with big brands like Chipotle, Ford and Cheetos, and recently signed with UTA.

Followers: 2.4 million

Niche: Artist

What makes him unique: Excellent at his craft, combined with an unexpected setting

Go Geeky and Aesthetic like Emma Hoareau/ emmahoareau

Beauty blogger and photographer Emma Hoareau is an industry leader when it comes to knowledge about skincare. 

Born and raised in Paris and now living in London, she is a Glamour Award winning ‘skinfluencer’, sharing with her audience digestible and helpful skincare tips via her Instagram and blog ‘Lolita Says So’.

She is known for her ‘Sunday School’ series on her Instagram Highlights where she discusses a different topic every week, breaking down certain ingredients and products and teaching her audience how to use them.

Emma also uses her platform to promote certain skincare brands.

Followers: 82.1k

Niche: Skincare

What makes her unique: Geeky skincare tips and AMAs on skincare

These are some of our favorite content creators for the month.

We love how they curate content and add value to their audience. Also a shout out to offbeat creators like Jake Goodman (@jakegoodmanmd), who’s a doctor and Zoe Roe (@zozoroe), the ‘YEAH’ girl who prove that anyone can be a creator, if they want it.

So, the million dollar question - how to be a successful creator?

These content creators show us that consistency, relatability, and uniqueness are some of the biggest factors in being a successful creator. 

Moreover, finding your niche is very important. You can’t really target everyone out there. That way, you will never be able to create content that’s relatable or be able to build a community.

Another tip to be successful is adding value to your audience. Adding value doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to learn from you. You can add value in many ways. Like pepping up your audience - if you can evoke an emotion, you have won them.

Test test test. If you’re getting great engagement on your posts, does it mean you shouldn't do reels? Or IGTV? No! Instagram rewards those who create a variety of content. Always use a mix of reels, guides, IGTV, posts, and stories. This will also keep your audience engaged.

Finally, it’s worth repeating - be consistent. If you want to see growth on Instagram and stay top of mind with your followers, it is vital to be consistent. Never give up!

Worth reading : 19 thoughts on “The ultimate guide to becoming an Instagram influencer (and getting paid!)” by Elise Darma

Are you ready?

We hope this inspired you to begin your content creation journey - be it as a business or an individual. And as always, we are here to help with top freelance creators in every field and amazing tools to get you going.