Sometimes it feels like Instagram is the modern day grown-up playground. While some lark about, others take their photography and social exposure extremely seriously. But they ALL want to know how to skip faster, score more goals and make the most engaging of ‘mates’.
And so ensues the fascination with our followings… and the ongoing greed for this inst-image-fame? Insta-feed-fever has never been so high. But it isn’t all about the wide-spread contamination of FOMO nor house/fashion/boyfriend/juicing envy. Instead, there is an under current serge of massive brand engagement (much more than on Facebook and Twitter) as more and more of us drop brand/consumer barriers making comments and seriously liking those corporates. Plus there’s the Insta-lust as we admire some real photography or perfectly edited imagery.
Either way, here are my pointers for anyone either new to the club or keen to get a little more involved with the image crowd:
- firstly, stop number obsessing. Don’t post motivated by who might LIKE. It’s dangerous territory. YOU are the only person who needs to like your images.
- Share – and I mean properly share – something about yourself or your brand that you think we might want to know. And don’t forget to use the power of the picture caption to tell us why.
- Add hashtags wisely – too many looks ludicrous and only a few of them are worth their weight in LIKES.
- Research your hashtags before you use them. And then again after posting to comment on posts of the same vein… this way you’ll often strike common ground with a like-minded user.
- Image quality needs to be high – a bad image is even worse than a bad brand image.
- Cross-posting is multitasking but also does remind your Facebook and Twitter friends that you are busy over on Instagram.
- Consumer plus product is better than product solo. I’m a lover of flat plan photography but I’d also love to see it worn.
- Remember to LIKE and COMMENT on feeds you genuinely admire. Don’t just stare and move on… that’s rude.
- Show us your face. Seeing the team (curiously) makes us buy into your brand message.
The list goes on and on. Sundays are better than Wednesdays and blue is more likeable than red but really it all comes back to posting those images you like.
But please do remember to play nicely in the playground of Instagram. Otherwise the teachers will have you doing selfie lines…
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