Instagram is heating up.  

Actually  it's been pretty hot for it's loyal band of followers since its inception in 2010.

Maybe Instagram is on full power because Facebook acquired it, or maybe marketeers are waking up to the fact that...

Social media platforms are finding niches to differentiate themselves from each other. 
 
Businesses are seeing the potential of Instagram as the, lets face it, classy platform and they are  jumping onto the #Instawagon fast.
 
Instagram boasts the highest level of engagement but with only a tiny percentage of the social media marketing cake it is still small.   

But it's growing and that makes it exciting. 

If you were an early adopter and you got it right you really stand out now.

We can't be early adopters but we can get in there before it gets saturated like Facebook. 


So what is Instagram. and what makes it #Instaspecial?
 

• social media platform or is it?  
  
• app based (limited use from your desktop) so real on-the-move photography
• image based
• square format (there are ways around this, I explain later)
• good in-app filters
• owned by Facebook who claim they want to maintain it's unique niche 
• can't copy images (or can you?) great for copyright protection
• ways to sell off the site
• it's an experience

Instagram is an experience


'Instagram provides a space for people to showcase their artwork 
and get instant exposure'

That is powerful

• Photo feeds get lost on Facebook
  
• Twitter images are a jumbled patchwork
  
• Tumblr, well it's not bad, but...

Instagram has simplicity on it's side.  It's well designed and as I said, classy.

Of course everyone wants to break the rules.  

• apps for you to place a rectangular image into the Instagram square
  
• software to download images and 
• the resolution doesn't compete with SLR's ... yet

But the aesthetic quality you an create with just a phone and some clever software is pretty darn amazing.

Instagram is the key to open the door to the professional world of photography. 

There are #Instagrammers out there who make a 6 figure sum. Yep, there are.


  Want to get started read this...

Download the app to your phone, it's a mobile tool and has very limited use on a desktop.

Now that you're all set up you can start posting images.
  
There are two ways to do this:

1. Directly from the app, click the centre icon and choose between photo, or video or gallery
   
2. This takes you to your smart phones gallery you can upload a shot from here.  Note it will be cropped square.   Update!  Instagram introduces landscape and portrait photos to site.  No cropping to fit a square anymore         

There's lots to play with:

• ready made filters
• fine tuning including colour saturation, fading, vignetting, colour changing, straightening and cropping etc

Caption your image 

• give as much relevant information as you can.  
  
• keep your captions similar in style
• Hashtag your image with keywords and popular, relevant hashtags from Instagram.  This is important this is how people find you.  

But wait
. 
If you also want to share your post on Facebook then you have a quandary.
  

• Facebook users typically don't support hashtags and they will make your Facebook feed look messy.  
  
• Twitter users prefer between 2-3 hashtags
  

If you don't hashtag on Instagram you will never be noticed

So do this

• Hashtag a couple of times in the caption  
  
• Post the image, in the comment box add your list of extra hashtags
  
• When you share your post to other sites a couple of hashtags appear with the url of your post but not the full list

• Post by clicking the tick at the top right hand side
  
• Choose to send the image to a specific follower-direct, or to everyone-your followers
• Post 2-3 times a day, at different times

So you want to save your final photo, the one with the fancy filters, to use somewhere else and 
Instagram doesn't offer this option 

Here's what to do:

• Follow all the steps above until the step before you post, then do this
  
• Switch your phone to airplane mode then,
  
• Hit post.  Instagram will say your upload failed - stay on that screen
  
• Switch airplane mode off
  
• Click the retry button on Instagram.  
  
• Your photo will upload and you will also save your final image in your gallery
  

There is also software out there which enables you to download your feed to your desktop.

But images are copyright protected, that means that unless owners say so, or you buy them
it is illegal to use them.  

Just because stuff is on the internet it does not mean it's free.

• Follow people and businesses that you engage with on a lifestyle and emotional level
• Use the search facility to find them
  
• Find people you are interested in look at their followers or who they follow and see if they interest you too
  
• Follow business you connect with direct from their web site
  
• Don't chase followers and don't ever buy followers.  A few loyal customers are valuable, passers by are not.

 

• Develop a strong hashtag strategy, spend time researching hashtags
  
• Identify the essence of your brand, your message
• Identify key customer groups and use similar hashtags
• Use the same hashtags as your competitors

• Check out Instagram a few times a day and hit the like button for images you genuinely like, 
  
• Comment on their work, people love great feedback and it helps to connect like-minded individuals
• Thank people for their comments or start up a dialogue
• Mention other Instagrammers in your comments by using the @ followed by their Instagram handle..

You know how, get started now!

©Lynn Keddie

Next time  

How to sell products on Instagram

Pinterest is growing fast.  Still think it's just a pin board for cupcakes and crochet patterns?  Not any more.  Businesses are waking up to it's
potential. 

Why should you be using Pinterest as part of your marketing profile?

• Create and update your own beautifully crafted boards
  
• Showcase your products the way you want to
  
• Create a vibe that matches your business so people instantly understand you
  
• Sell your products right from the app
  
• Pinterest users have the highest spending power
  

And it's growing...

FAST

Can you afford not to be there?  

Here's how you get the best out of Pinterest for your business.

Sign up to Pinterest as a business not an individual and fill in all the information asked like:

• Your business category
  
• Your business name
  
• Your website - Pinterest will check this out and verify it
  
• What notifications you want to receive
  
• What other social platforms you want to link to
  

Create some boards (you can make them private until you're ready to share).

• Give your board a meaningful name so that when people search they will find it
  
• Put it in a Pinterest category
• Describe your board using relevant keywords
  
• Give it a good front cover-colours work well here
  
• When you're ready make it public
  

Why not give it a go?

And don't forget to follow me here!