Instagram is without a doubt one of the most successful and popular social media platforms in the world with over 500 million daily active users. Instagram is a visual app where users can share video and image content to their followers and if you are a business or a brand, you can even sell your products on the app.
Compared to other social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, Instagram allows you to build your brand using a wide variety of visuals. Social media has come a long way and in a short period of time, it has managed to disrupt a lot of industries.
Many brands and businesses use Instagram and the platform has become a new way for people to sell online and make money through the app. It all starts by knowing how the platform works so read on for a quick breakdown.
Visuals
Instagram is a visual platform and the app works with photos, photo carousels as well as videos. Instagram also gives users the option of using filters when they are editing pictures on the app for their feed, as well as when they are using Instagram stories.
Filters are a pre-set that you can add to your images to change the look and feel of the picture and some filters use augmented reality (AR) that you can layer onto your images and videos. Your entire feed should have a similar aesthetic meaning that you should avoid using too many different filters and instead stick to just one. This will make your feed look more cohesive which will help your audience experience your brand a certain way.
Time to use hashtags
Hashtags are a word that begins with the “#” symbol and you usually add relevant hashtags to your Instagram captions as a way to increase your visibility, become discoverable as well as categorize your content based on the topic or theme.
Hashtags are a part of every social media platform and platforms use them to categorize content and make it easier for other users to find your profile and your posts. There are other ways to make sure people can find you for example Thunderclap.it sells real Instagram followers and having a larger number of followers ensures that you will be much more visible to other users.
Hashtags are also sometimes used for branding and helping execute digital marketing campaigns. An example would be the hashtag #ShareaCoke by Coca Cola which is an example of a branded hashtag which is a hashtag that is uniquely created by a business or a brand.
When using hashtags on your posts, avoid using too many instead limit your hashtags to between 5-9 per post, using more will come across as spammy. Using hashtags will increase your visibility, generate more engagement, and welcome new potential followers.
You must interact
Engagement is an important part of your social media experience. Engagement is your interactions with other users on the platform and it can be in many forms including:
- Likes
- Comments
- Replies
- Shares
- Direct messages
Engaging with other users allows you to drive conversations and generate more engagement and this will benefit you by broadening your brand awareness, building a relationship with your followers as well as welcoming new followers.
Stories
Instagram has a variety of features and the most prominent and popular is Stories which allows you to post images and videos up to 15 seconds per video that will automatically be removed after 24 hours.
You also have the option to attach music to your Instagram Story and a variety of stickers such as polls and questionnaires which benefits you by boosting your engagement and helps you get to know your followers as well as them getting to know you through a sticker that allows them to ask you questions which you can answer in your Stories.
Profile
It is important to have an optimized profile on Instagram meaning that your profile needs to be complete and attractive. Your profile is the key to credibility as well as authenticity so you should place a lot of importance here. Your profile should include a good-quality headshot or a business logo using DesignEvo Logo Maker
You should also have an informative bio that tells users about you, your brand, or your business. Also, include links to your website and store. An optimized profile is good because your profile is what encourages people to follow you.
Marziano is a seasoned tech expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and multiple certifications, including CompTIA A+, Network+, and Cisco’s CCNA, he has a well-rounded and robust understanding of various aspects of technology.