8 Tips for Instagram
In chapter 11 of Guy Kawasaki's book,
The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users,
he gives tips to optimize different social media platforms. The platforms mentioned in this chapter include Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SlideShare, Twitter, and YouTube. I highly recommend reading the tips Guy Kawasaki gives for all of these platforms; I learned multiple new things about Google+, SlideShare, and Facebook. The set of tips that I spent the most time analyzing was for Instagram, which the social media I use most often. Below are the tips Guy Kawasaki gives and my thoughts on each.
1. Keep It Simple
"You can only share pictures on Instagram and only from mobile phones and tablets, so don't overthink what you do on it." I completely agree with keeping posts simple and not having too much going on in one picture. A simple, neat picture has a more clear focal point and no distractions. Guy also mentions creating a five-to-ten-word caption and adding two to three hashtags. I've had several people tell me that a caption can really give a post that special something it needs to be great; this is something that I also believe can make or break a post. What I don't agree with is his two to three hashtag tip; when scrolling through Instagram and looking at accounts that promote products or a brand, I see up to 15+ hashtags. Many of these accounts are successful, so tthat makes me questions if more hashtags are better?
2. Piggyback On Popular Hashtags
This tip tells the readers to add two to three relevant hashtags to each post; Guy also list several resources to find the most popular hashtags. I agree with Guy Kawasaki on using relevant hastags; hashtags are pointless if they have no meaning or are not relevant.
3. Finesse the Filters
Instagram is known for their filters, but I never use filters unless it is Black & White. I agree with Guy when he says the #NoFilter hashtag is on the rise in popularity. I would rather this tip mention using Instagram editing features such as adjusting the contrast, highlights, shadows, or adding a tilt shift; these are more useful and increase the quality of the picture better than filters in my opinion.
4. Don't Show Off
"The universe can tolerate only a limited number of selfies and food and travel photos, so avoid making your Instagram account into a bragfest...Use your photos to tell visual stories, and don't oversell yourself." (110% agree)
5. Share Your Instagram Photos on Twitter & 6. Add an Instagram Widget to Your Blog or Website
I also recommend sharing your Instagram posts on Twitter and your other social media platforms because of past experiences; when I do share posts on my different accounts I get a substantial amount of more likes than normal and I've also gotten more followers. Both, sharing your Instagram posts on different platforms and adding a widget to your blog promote your Instagram account. These are both great strategies to get your account well known and create a large following.
7. Create Photo Collages
I agree, but then I don't agree with this tip. If a collage is not put together correctly, I feel it can look more tacky and I am less likely to look/like it. I like the simplicity of one picture rather than multiple, that can be harder to see because of the different sizes of pictures from the collage. In my opinion, your profile looks more neat and professional with posts of one picture instead of a mix including collages. Maybe my mind will be changed one day on this topic, but for now I'm not a huge fan of collages on Instagram. (just post multiple times)
The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users,
1. Keep It Simple
"You can only share pictures on Instagram and only from mobile phones and tablets, so don't overthink what you do on it." I completely agree with keeping posts simple and not having too much going on in one picture. A simple, neat picture has a more clear focal point and no distractions. Guy also mentions creating a five-to-ten-word caption and adding two to three hashtags. I've had several people tell me that a caption can really give a post that special something it needs to be great; this is something that I also believe can make or break a post. What I don't agree with is his two to three hashtag tip; when scrolling through Instagram and looking at accounts that promote products or a brand, I see up to 15+ hashtags. Many of these accounts are successful, so tthat makes me questions if more hashtags are better?
2. Piggyback On Popular Hashtags
This tip tells the readers to add two to three relevant hashtags to each post; Guy also list several resources to find the most popular hashtags. I agree with Guy Kawasaki on using relevant hastags; hashtags are pointless if they have no meaning or are not relevant.
3. Finesse the Filters
Instagram is known for their filters, but I never use filters unless it is Black & White. I agree with Guy when he says the #NoFilter hashtag is on the rise in popularity. I would rather this tip mention using Instagram editing features such as adjusting the contrast, highlights, shadows, or adding a tilt shift; these are more useful and increase the quality of the picture better than filters in my opinion.
4. Don't Show Off
"The universe can tolerate only a limited number of selfies and food and travel photos, so avoid making your Instagram account into a bragfest...Use your photos to tell visual stories, and don't oversell yourself." (110% agree)
5. Share Your Instagram Photos on Twitter & 6. Add an Instagram Widget to Your Blog or Website
I also recommend sharing your Instagram posts on Twitter and your other social media platforms because of past experiences; when I do share posts on my different accounts I get a substantial amount of more likes than normal and I've also gotten more followers. Both, sharing your Instagram posts on different platforms and adding a widget to your blog promote your Instagram account. These are both great strategies to get your account well known and create a large following.
7. Create Photo Collages
I agree, but then I don't agree with this tip. If a collage is not put together correctly, I feel it can look more tacky and I am less likely to look/like it. I like the simplicity of one picture rather than multiple, that can be harder to see because of the different sizes of pictures from the collage. In my opinion, your profile looks more neat and professional with posts of one picture instead of a mix including collages. Maybe my mind will be changed one day on this topic, but for now I'm not a huge fan of collages on Instagram. (just post multiple times)
Comments
Post a Comment