Starting an account on Instagram? If so, congratulations!
Instagram affords you many opportunities. You can use it to socialize. You can use it to become an influencer. And – you can use it to enhance your brand image!
If you’re new to Instagram then you’re probably looking for a straightforward guide to help you get started. And that’s what we’ve got for you today.
Check it out, and start your journey!
Starting Of.
Creating an account is free and required if you’re planning on using the app. When signing up you’ll be asked for an email and a username that is no longer than 30 characters. You can also create an account by signing in via Facebook. One of the advantages of signing up using your Facebook account is that you will get suggestions on who to follow on Instagram based off your friends on Facebook. This isn’t mandatory. So feel free to skip this step, and come back to it later!
Your Profile.
The next thing you will want to do is customization your profile. You can do so by adding your photo, name, short biography – and maybe a “website/blog link,” if you’ve got any. From there, you can start following people. Since you’ve completed your profile users will be able to identify who you are and will likely give you a follow back.
Your next step is making your first Instagram post. Instagram is a social sharing network that almost exclusively focuses on “visual information.” So keep that in mind when posting anything on Instagram. Your main priority should be finding the best visual stimuli. People want the best images, GIFs’ and short videos. That’s what entertains people, and it’s what gets you, new followers.
How to Follow.
As you’ll notice, every profile has a follow count. This represents the level of popularity for any Instagram profile.
There are two types of follow counts on each profile. The first is “followers,” which shows you someone’s popularity. The other is “following,” which shows you who that person follows.
Each profile has a button which you tap for following. Some users may have marked their profile as being private in their privacy settings. In this case, you’ll need their permission to follow them first before being able to see what they’ve posted. If your account’s privacy is set to public – anyone can find and see your profile. This includes all your videos and photos.
Beyond that, you have the option to interact too.
You can like posts and add comments. And you can even share a post with someone on direct messaging! Also, you can add more friends and accounts using the search tab (its icon looks like a magnifier glass). You can use it to browse by entering hashtags or keywords!
Posting, Editing, and Filtering.
Instagram launched in 2010. Since then, the platform has gone through many upgrades. Basically, when Instagram was new, all you could do was post photos without filters or editing. Also, you couldn’t post directly from a device.
Today, the app is different and Instagram now support a wide variety of content.
- Instagram feed: All photos and videos you upload will be displayed on your account and in your followers Instagram feeds. Users can save Instagram videos and images that you’ve published so don’t share anything you don’t want the world to see.
- Live Instagram video: This post format allows you to engage with your users in real time. Your followers can join the live video where they can see you and communicate with you.
- Stories: Instagram stories display at the top of the feed and are photos and videos that are viewable for a 24 hour period. Once the 24 hour period has passed the content gets removed from Instagram.
- IGTV: Instagram TV is for longer lengthed content that you want to share with your followers. Think of it like Instagram stories, just these posts are permanent.
Posting itself is easy. There’s a tab in the middle, just tap it and select whether to post videos or photos (you’ll see the difference in icons). Use the app to capture the file, or you can click the preview box and pull up other captured files!
Filtering & Editing.
This platform has over 23 filters you can apply to videos and photos. Simply click the “edit” option to apply their effects. It looks like a wrench tool – just in case you can’t find it.
This option lets you adjust everything from contrast, brightness, to structure. You can also change highlights, saturation, tilt, sharpness, and shadows! It’s an excellent way to add finishing touches to an image/video. And with the right edits, you can perfect your posts!
Sharing is Caring.
Edits don’t stop with filters and some adjustments. After all, you can still add captions and tags to your content! This happens right after the edits and on a separate tab. There, you can tag to a geographical location, while linking out to some of your social networks.
And voila! You can then publish a post.
After that, don’t forget to share. You won’t need to market heavily though since your posts show up in your follower feeds. Plus, you can edit your Instagram options to post to Twitter, FB, Flickr, and Tumblr too!
Doing so garners many followers. And it ensures your content spreads well!
Conclusion.
If you’re into visual content and like the idea of a “microblog” then Instagram is for you. It’s a fun place to discover new content and communicate with like-minded people. Follow the information we outlined above and you’ll be an Instagram pro in no time.