Of all the social media channels today the one sole example of a social network that is not fueled by a toxic environment, or populated with truly mindless content, is Instagram.
Whereas the likes of Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat are seemingly locations for conspiracy theorists or dance crazed teens Instagram still offers a service that is not only mentally rewarding but also hugely useful.
While other social networks have somewhat lost their way, Instagram offers pretty much the same product it did when it first went live, back in 2010. It’s the home of strong visual content that delivers precisely what you’d wish it to.
For users it’s a place to share visual illustrations of their daily lives, from the small and commonplace, such as your favorite meal, to the large, scenic landscapes from your latest holiday.
Instagram is of course the original home of the internet influencer, a place where a style guru can opine about their latest fashions or brag about just how much bling is in their lives.
From a business perspective it’s also an ideal location to push product and from this perspective the conversion potential from Instagram is definitely keeping up with the likes of their owners, Facebook.
How to Upload an Image or Photo
Now when it comes to uploading content to your Instagram account it’s a fairly painless and intuitive process.
Once you have successfully signed in simply click on the (+) icon at the foot of your screen and you’ll then be able to select an image from your library or take an image specifically for the purpose of posting, at this stage.
You can choose to crop or edit the photo or pic now, while also making good use of the many filters Instagram offers, all to help jazz up your imagery. Don’t be afraid to play around at this point, all of this will help garner the attention and exposure of your followers and the Instagram world as a whole.
Type in a caption and be sure to use a number of relevant hashtags to help expand the reach of your post. Tagging relevant accounts at this point can also help to spread the post widely.
Then when you are happy you can post the pic and stand well back and wait for the reactions to come pouring in.
Uploading Videos
Now if you want to post a video the process is pretty much the same and depends greatly on whether you wish to post a video you already have in your library or a fresh one you are shooting right now. In each instance you follow the same process as above.
When it comes to posting YouTube videos to Instagram the process is a little different, but also very simple.
First you’ll need to download the video from YouTube to your device and then you’ll need to use an editing platform to cut the video to size. Instagram works best with content of around 30 seconds, as above this will be cut.
Save the edited version to your device and then you can upload it to Instagram, but it’s a good idea to make sure the quality of the recording is as good as it can be.
Gaining Exposure
It’s one thing knowing how to share a post on Instagram but it’s an entirely different proposition when it comes to getting a sizable, relevant, audience to view your photos and videos.
As with all social network channels the key is patience and quality. When you are looking to secure a large following you have to be aware of your niche and your spot in the content marketplace.
Post regularly but sparingly. By this we mean, don’t publish content for the sake of it. Make a plan of action, try to keep posts to regular time slots and always look to engage with users who leave comments.
Interact with relevant stakeholders, so this means following other relevant accounts and interacting with them (not just for the purpose of pushing your ‘brand’ but also to get yourself known).
Keep an eye on those accounts you follow, and who follow you, make sure they are ‘genuine’ accounts and not just bots fueled by ‘paid’ likes and follows or those simply looking to brazenly monetize.
Be Real
Try to run your Instagram account, regardless of whether you are an individual or representing a brand or company, in as real a way as possible. This may sound obvious but far too many users try too hard to present an image that doesn’t reflect them or is either overly aggressive with their marketing or too sedate.
Any interaction you make, or post you submit, should be completed in an honest fashion as social media users can smell desperation from a mile away and are very well versed in the art of being ‘sold’ a service.
A successful influencer is an individual who is genuinely inspired by the subject matter they are working within.
Likewise a company or brand who makes best use of Instagram is one that knows what they are selling, or promoting, is of real value and therefore in many ways doesn’t have to oversell themselves.