Instagram can be a great tool for reaching a specific audience. You just have to adopt a different posting strategy.
Here’s some advice with pics to inspire you.
It’s all about the visual
Instagram wasn’t made to share news in the same way as Twitter. People expect to see aesthetically pleasing images in their feeds. So find the visual angle to whatever it is that you’re working on and post it for others to see and enjoy. Remember that people like to emphasize with images.
Be creative
Even though the CEO of Instagram is a photographer, you don’t have to be one. Just remember that you can upload any image, not just photos taken with the app. This is a creative opportunity you can’t ignore. So don’t be afraid to fill that square with graphics, photos from other users and anything that makes your idea work.
Consistency is key
Post images that are similar in the way they look. Try to develop a visual style that is yours. People will recognise you for it and will realise it’s your image before seeing your name. Look at how actress Gillian Zinser only posts soft-toned, desaturated images. It’s a trademark and people know her for it.
Don’t link
Don’t bother putting links in your posts. People can’t access them and they wouldn’t want anyway. This is why some think Instagram isn’t ready for news publishing. Instead, create a flow of visually-interesting content that relates to your work. This will get people to follow it and eventually click the website link on your profile description.
Enhance your accessibility
Lastly, make sure you use Instagram in a simple manner. The desktop version doesn’t allow for much control but there are alternatives.
Collecto is a useful service that allows you to manage you account from your PC or Mac. It allows you to see popular users or sort them by location. It’s also good for finding apropiate hashtags.
Latergram is a scheduler for Instagram posts. Don’t post all images at once, instead find out which times of the day work best for you and schedule them for then. Presently you need an iOS device for it to work.
Iconosquare gives you the analytics. It allows you to easily see which posts got the most engagement over time. Another feature is that you can see the above for other users. So have a look at what strategies successful users employ.
