Five Ways To Get Your Instagram To Shine

 

One of the great things I like about what I do is work doesn’t seem like work at all. I get to do things I enjoy. I think there is a saying that goes something like: “If you find a job you enjoy doing, it really isn’t work at all”.

One of those things I enjoy is to lose myself in Instagram. I spend way to much time exploring Instagram gazing at these beautiful shots.

It is a powerful tool and when used correctly it can really help develop your brand. Here, I will share five of my top Insta-tips with you to help with your Insta-success.

 

1. Post only your best work. If you are not feeling like its a great image to post and that it is “ah, well it will do” then really it will do more harm than good. People visit Instagram for the photos so why show something that is mediocre? A photo should be well lit with natural lighting if at all possible, no shadows, free of blurriness and sharp. Items should be staged with other items to enhance a lifestyle. Take pride in showing your best work. Keep it neat by hash-tagging in the comment box as opposed to under your gorgeous photo.

2. Captions. Follow up your post with a really good story. I like to think of it as a micro blog. You can really capitalize on showing the personality behind the picture. Tell a story. Share an experience relating to the picture. For example: you have a great post of a gorgeous new necklace. The caption can go something like “ Is there anything more depressing than a rainy Monday morning? At least after my morning coffee I do feel better, knowing I get to wear my own little piece of spring around my neck and I know that hope is not lost. Isn’t it amazing how such a small thing can lift one’s spirits. And I do love it, hope you do too!!” You have invited the reader into a little glimpse of your world AND you have invited them to leave a comment which leads me to the next point—
3. Engage . Be active, comment on other posts, answer comments left for you, like and explore. Instagram is organic, as in it is manipulated by what you do. The content you see is ever changing based on what you view and how much time you send on each post. So the more you engage and explore, the better algorithm you have (which means the better visibility your account has). And do explore Instagram. There is a world of amazing content out there for you to discover so look at different hashtags. So have fun, be creative and leave a comment with substance, the more words the better. Build up those relationships and you may make new friends.
4. Be consistent. This is probably the most challenging as most people complain that it is too time consuming to post good content on a daily basis. And it is work and it takes time to plan out six quality content postings a week (you can have a day off–everyone deserves a break!). Think of it as your chance to speak to your community, your followers on a daily basis. Seeing your posts becomes a routine and your followers count on seeing you. It helps build your community and familiarity. And again (there’s that word) algorithms are rewarded when the user is consistent is putting content you there. And no, you cannot do six posts one day and leave it to the next week. So take an hour at the start of the week and plan out your posts for the week.
5. Hash-tagging. If you don’t use hashtags then the posts only go to your followers. There is no visibility for your posts so no growth. You are doing this for growth. So look and experiment with the hashtags you use. It is a science. I tell people to explore, see how your favourite accounts use hashtags. Test what comes up with your hashtags. For example, I tested #baby and 106,127,767 pictures came up and five out of the top nine where not even relevant—not a babe in sight. So I typed in #mumlife and I had a fraction of the pictures but all very relevant. Think of hashtags not only as keywords to a product you sell, but a lifestyle. Play around with them and see what works. And please, do not cut and paste the same hashtags with each post. Copy the ones you need to (like your brand name) but switch it out. You can use up to thirty hashtags a post. It will broaden your visibility and Instagram wants you to think about what you put out there. It’s all a process.

Now you got the tips so grab a coffee and sit with your phone. Have a look how these practices are used on Instagram and how you can take them into play. Remember though to enjoy, it is a social media forum so have fun and be social. And you can call it working at the same time!