Instagram Marketing: The Ultimate Guide - HubSpot

Instagram's Business Tools feature makes it easy for users to contact you, provides you with in-depth insights, and allows you to promote your content. Logo-Full(Color)   InstagramMarketing HowtoCreateCaptivatingVisuals,GrowYourFollowing,andDriveEngagementonInstagram CloseDialog Watchthefullvideo InstagramisthesecondmostaccessednetworkbehindFacebook.Thepopularvisual-firstsocialmediumseesoveronebillionactivemonthlyusersand500milliondailyInstagramStories. Everyoneandtheirdog(literally)isonthesocialmediaplatform. “Everyone”includesindividuals,pets,and,youguessedit,businesses. Theincreaseinbrandswho'vedevelopedapresenceontheplatformhasskyrocketed.Oberloestimatesthat71%ofUSbusinessesuseInstagram.Butisitworththeirtime,andshouldyourbusinessalsobeontheplatform?Theanswerisyes,andhere’swhy: Instagramseesoveronebillionactivemonthlyusersand500milliondailyInstagramStories. Thereare140millionInstagramusersintheU.S. InstagramisthesecondmostaccessednetworkbehindFacebook.Usersbrowseforanaverageof53minutesperday. About71%ofUSbusinessesuseInstagram. Nearly45%ofInstagram’susersarebetweentheagesof18and44. About 90% ofInstagramusersfollowatleastonebusiness Therearemorethan 1B activemonthlyInstagramusers Morethan 83% ofInstagramusershavediscoveredanewproductorserviceontheplatform It’sclearthatInstagramisn’tjustforpersonaluseanymore.It’snowaglobalplatformthatallowsbrandstohumanizetheircontent,recruitnewtalent,showcaseproducts,andinspiretheiraudience. Moreover,Instagramusersaren’tjustactive—they’reengaged.About59%oftheplatform’sactiveusersvisitthesitedaily,andspendatleast7hoursperweekbrowsingcontentandinteractingwithfriendsandbrands. Instagramcanalsohelpyougrowyourbrandawarenessandintroducenewproducts.Everymonth,130millionInstagramusersengagewithshoppingcontent.Instagramallowsyoutopromoteyourbrandandproductinafriendly,authenticwaywithouthardsellingtoyourcustomers. EvenwithalltheseInstagramstatistics,youmaystillbeunsureofhowtogetstarted.Weknowtheplatformcanbealittleintimidatingatfirst,andthat’swhywe’vecreatedthisguide. WhymarketonInstagram? BuildYourInstagramMarketingStrategy HowtoCreateanInstagramBusinessAccount TypesofInstagramPosts InstagramHacks&BestPractices InstagramAnalytics WhyMarketonInstagram? Instagram’sprimaryadvantageoverothersocialmediaplatformsisitsvisualnature.Ifyouhaveabusinessthatbenefitsfromthedesignofyourproductorifyouhaveaservicethathasavisiblynoticeableendresult,Instagramisthebestplatformtoshowcasethatcontent. Video,imagery,andillustrationareallgreatcontentfitsforthissocialmediaplatform,butyourmarketingstrategywillultimatelydeterminewhattypeofcontenttopublishandhowoftentopostit.Establishingastrategybeforedivingrightintoanewsocialmediaplatform,nomatterhowwellitworksforeveryoneelse’sbusiness,willkeepyoufocusedonyourgoalsand—mostimportantly—youraudience. BuildYourInstagramMarketingStrategy SetyourgoalsforInstagram DetermineyourInstagramtargetaudience. Conductacompetitiveanalysis. Configureaneditorialcalendar BuildaconsistentbrandonInstagram GrowyourInstagramfollowerbase. Manybusinessesfeelpressuredtobepresentoneverysocialmediaplatform…andtheyforgetaboutstrategy.Don’tmakethismistake. SinceInstagramisverydifferentfromotherpopularsocialsites,itrequiresadistinctmarketingstrategy.Startheretodevelopyourbrand’sownuniquestyle. 1.SetyourgoalsforInstagram. BeforeyoustartpostingonInstagram,askyourself(oryourteam)onething:WhyareyouonInstagram?Aspopularastheplatformis,youranswershouldn'tbe,"...becauseeveryoneelseis."TobesuccessfulonInstagraminthelong-run,youmusthaveasetpurposeandgoalssoyoucanjustifyyourtime,energy,andmonetaryinvestment. There'snorightanswerhere.Maybeyou'dliketouseyourInstagramfeedtopostandsellyourproductstocustomers,likeAnthropologie.(ManyecommerceandphysicalproductsbusinessesareonInstagramforthisreason.) Maybeyou'releveragingInstagramtoshareportfoliocontentsofollowerscanseeyourproduct(orservice)inaction,likemyesthetician,TheWickedWaxer. Perhapsyou'reonInstagramtosimplybuildbrandawarenessbypostingmotivationalquotesandfunvisuals,likeoneofmyfavoriteorganizations,TheBlurtFoundation. Maybeyou'dliketouseInstagramtoshareuser-generatedcontentsothatfollowerscanseerealpeopleusingyourproductorserviceasOrangetheorydoes.(Manyworldwidebusinessesorbusinesseswithfranchisesdothis,too.) Whateverthereason,besuretodefineyourInstagramgoalsfirstthing.And,guesswhat?YourInstagramcanhavemultiplegoals—youcanpostproductimageswhilealsosharinguser-generatedcontent(UGC).It'slessaboutthetypeofpostsyoushareandmoreaboutwhyyou'resharingthem.Ifyouknowthewhy,youcanknowhowtomeasureyourperformanceanduseInstagramAnalyticstools. 2.DetermineyourInstagramtargetaudience. DeterminetheaudienceyouwanttoreachbeforeyoubeginmarketingonInstagram.Ifyouhaveothermarketingstrategiesinplace,drawfromthosetokeepyoureffortsconsistent.Don’tforgettoconsiderfactorslikeage,location,gender,income,interests,motivations,andpainpoints. Don’tknowwheretostart?Monitorpopulareventsandinteresthashtagsrelatedtoyourbusiness.Seewho’susingandengagingwiththesehashtagsandcheckouttheirprofiles.Youcanalsotakealookatyourcompetitor’sfollowers.Instagrammakesiteasytodefineyouraudience. 3.Conductacompetitiveanalysis. AfteryoudetermineyourInstagramaudience,doacompetitiveanalysistoseewhatothermarketersinyourfieldareposting. Ifyoualreadyknowyourtopcompetitors,startbyreviewingtheirInstagramprofiles.Ifnot,searchfortermsrelatedtoyourbusinessandindustrytofindsimilaraccounts. Conductaquickauditofrelatedaccountstoseewhatpostsaregettingthehighestengagement,whatpopularhashtagsthey’reusing,whattheircaptionsare,howoftentheypost,andhowquicklythey’regrowing.Thisinformationcanserveasabenchmarkasyoustartgrowingyourownaccount. Whileauditingyourcompetitors’content,takenoteofanyopportunitiestheymight’vemissed.Addinguniquecontentintothemixwillhelpyourbusinesstostandoutfromtherest. 4.Configureaneditorialcalendar. CreatinganeditorialcalendarcanhelpyousavetimeandmanageyourInstagrampresence.FillinyourcalendarwithsomeInstagramposttypesandplanyourcaptions,hashtags,andpostingtimesinadvance. YoureditorialcalendarisalsoagreatplacetorecordanykeyeventstohighlightonyourInstagramaccount,suchasnewproductlaunchesorspecialoffers.Withaneditorialcalendar,youcankeepaneyeoutforreal-timeopportunitiesinsteadofscramblingforlast-minuteposts. ManageandplanyourInstagramcontentwithourfreecalendarguideandtemplate. 5.BuildaconsistentbrandonInstagram. Randomordisjointedcontentconfusesyouraudienceandcancauseyoutolosefollowers.Topreventthis,maintainaconsistentbrandaestheticonyourInstagramaccount. Determinewhatthislookslikebythinkingaboutyourbrandpersonality.Whatareyourbrandvalues?Howwouldyourcustomersandemployeesdefineyourbrand?Areyoubold,playful,gritty,oradventurous? ApartmentTherapy'sbrandpersonalityisbright,clean,andorganized,anditsaccountreflectsallthreeofthosetraits.Ideally,brandaesthetichelpsyourbrandbecomerecognizable,meaningsomeonecouldseeyourpictureintheirfeedandinstantlyknowit’syours…withoutseeingthename. TacoBellisanothergreatexampleofbrandaesthetic.Itsfeedfocusesonthebold,on-the-golifestyleofitsmillennialaudienceandfeaturesfunimagestodriveengagement. Onceyoudetermineyourbrandpersonality,refineyourcontenttomatch.Thiscanevenapplytothecolorpaletteusedinyourphotos. Brandaestheticdoesn’tjustapplytovisuals.Aimtopostimageswithyourbrandnarrativeinmind,too.Includingcompellingstoriesinyourcaptionscanmakeyourbrandmorerelatable. Forexample,RedBull’sfeedfeaturesplentyofhigh-energyimagesandvideosthataddtoitsbrand’sstory. 6.GrowyourInstagramfollowerbase. Growingyourfollowingtakesserioustimeandenergy.Youmaybetemptedtotaketheeasywayoutandbuyfollowers…don’tdothis!Purchasingfollowerswon’tactuallydriveengagement,whichisreallywhatyouneedtoensureyourpostsarebeingseen.(Also,Instagram'srecentAPIchangeswillautomaticallydeletethosefollowers!) Here’swhatyoucanfocusontobuildafollowingtherightway. Makesureyourusernameisrecognizableandsearchable.Ifpeoplecan’tfindyou,theycan’tfollowyou!Filloutyourbio.It’sthelastthingsomeoneseesbeforetheymakethedecisiontofollowyousobesuretoincludewhoyouareandwhatyoudo. Onceyourprofileisoptimized(whichwetalkedaboutinthissection),startposting.It’sagoodideatopopulateyourfeedwithtento15high-qualitypostsbeforeyoureallystartengagingpeople.Ifusersvisityourprofileandfinditempty,theyprobablywon’tfollowyou. Then,startfollowingaccountsthatinterestyouandrelatetoyourbusiness.ThinkofInstagramlikeacommunityandlookforotherbusinessesinyourareaorinfluencerswhomightenjoyyourproductorservice.Asyoufollowaccounts,Instagramwillsuggestrelatedonesthatyoucanfollow,too. Afteryoufollowanaccount,interactwiththeircontent.ThisisthemostnaturalwaytodrawattentiontoyourownInstagramaccountwithoutbeingspammy.Whenyoufolloworinteractwithanaccount,theaccountownerwillgetanotification.Thiscouldpromptthemtocheckoutyouraccountandstartfollowingyou.Alwaysappreciateyourfollowersbyrespondingtotheircommentsandengagingwiththeircontent. Encourageotherstoshareyourcontent.Invitebrandambassadorstoshareyouraccountorcollaboratewithsimilaraccounts. ForacomprehensiveguidetogettingmorefollowersforyourbusinessonInstagram,checkoutourblogposthere. PromoteYourBusinessonInstagram Onceyouestablishadedicatedfollowerbase,youcanstartconvertingthosefollowersintopayingcustomers.Herearesomestrategies. Promotions:Deals,discounts,BOGOs,andotherofferingsareagreatwaytodrivefirst-timesaleswithyourInstagramaudience.Besuretoincludewhatyourfollowersneedtodotoreceivetheoffer,andmentionadeadlinetocreateasenseofurgency. Contests:Whatbetterwaytomakesomeoneacustomerthanbylettingthemtryyourproduct?Runconteststhatrequiresomeonetofollowyouraccountorpostwithahashtagtoenter. Charity:81%ofmillennialsexpectcompaniestomakeapubliccommitmenttocharity.Doingsocanbuildaffinityforyourbrandandhelpturnfollowersintocustomers.Forexample,GappartneredwithTheGlobalFundtohelpfightAIDSinAfrica.Since2006,ithashelpedraiseover$130million. Teasers:Instagramisagreatplatformtoshowyouraudienceglimpsesofnewproductsbeforethey’reavailable.Whileyoudon’twanttospamyourfollowers’feedswithonlyproductphotos,afewimagescanbuildexcitement. Livelaunches:ConsidershowcasinganewproductorserviceusingInstagramLive.Then,driveuserstopurchasebyincludingapurchaselinkinyourbio. Also,don'tforgettoleveragethelinkinyourInstagrambioaswellasyourInstagramStoryHighlightsasthesecanconnectfollowerstoyourwebsite,blog,andproductpages. Lastly,besuretopromoteyourInstagramonotherchannels.IncludeanInstagramsocialsharebuttononyourwebsiteandshareyourInstagramonothersocialplatforms.Sometimesthefastestwaytogainmorefollowersistosimplyaskforthem! HowtoPresent&ProveSocialROI GettheGuide HowtoCreateanInstagramBusinessAccount Beforewebegin,it’simportanttonotethatInstagramisintendedforin-the-momentcontent.Tostayrelevantamongyouraudience,you’llneedtoinvesttheresourcesrequiredtopostregularly. ThebestwaytokeepyourfollowersengagedistokeepyourInstagramprofileup-to-date.Below,we’lldiveintohowtobuildandmaintainasuccessfulInstagramprofile. Ifyoudon’thaveitalready,downloadtheInstagramappfromtheAppStoreorGooglePlayStore.YoucanviewcontentonInstagram’swebsite,butyoucan’tuploaditviayourdesktop.You’llneedtheappforthat. Step1:OpentheInstagramappandclickSignUpWithiPhoneorEmail WhenyouopentheInstagramapp,you’llhavetwochoicesforcreatinganInstagramaccountforyourbusiness—LogInWithFacebookorSignUpWithPhoneorEmail.BesuretosignupwithabusinessemailsoyourInstagramprofileisn’tlinkedtoyourpersonalFacebookaccount.(Trustus,youdon’twanttodothat!) Step2:Enteryouraccountdetails. UnderFullName,enteryouractualbusinessnamesoyourprofileisrecognizabletovisitors.Thisnameiswhat’sdisplayedonyourprofile;itisn’tyouraccountusername(orhandle,forthoseTwitterfolks). Step3:Pickausername. TheUsernameisanameuniquetoyourprofileandallowsotheraccountstoengagewithyourbrand.HubSpot’susernameis@HubSpot. Pickausernamethatisrecognizableandeasytofind.Ifyourbusinessnameistaken,trytokeepthefirstpartofyourbusinessnameinyourusername.Note:Youcanupdateyourusernamelaterinyouraccountsettings,sodon’tworryifyouwanttochangeitinthefuture. OptimizingYourInstagramAccount Afteryou’vesetupthebasicsofyourInstagramaccount,it’stimetooptimizeit.Followthesestepstocreateaprofilepeoplewillwanttoseeontheirnewsfeedeveryday. Step4:Chooseaprofilepicture.  Yourprofilepictureisyourfirstimpressiononnewvisitors.Forthisreason,keepyourimageconsistentwithyourbrandingandvisualmarkers. Considerusingyourlogooranotherfamiliarimage.Instagramprofilepicturesareautomaticallycroppedintoacircle,soleaveroomaroundthecornersofyourimage. Step5:Nextup—yourInstagrambio.  Instagrambioshavea150-charactermaximum,soyourgoalhereisadirect,concisesummaryofwhoyouareandwhypeopleshouldfollowyou.Tellyouraudienceaboutyourbusinessusingahintofpersonality.Instagrambiosaren’tsearchable,sodon’tworryaboutkeywordsorhashtags(whichwecovermorebelow). Inyourbio,youcanencourageuserstotakeaspecificaction,suchasusingacertainhashtagorvisitingyourwebsite.YourbioistheonlyplacewhereyoucanfeatureaclickableURLanddrivetraffictoanexternalsite. Forthisreason,it’scommonforbusinessestoupdatetheirfeaturedURLtoalignwiththeirmostrecentpost.Ifyoudecidetoaddalink,besuretousealinkshortenerlikeHubSpot'sTrackingURLbuilderoratoollikeBitly,Goo.gl,orLinktr.eetokeepyourprofilefromlookingcluttered.TrackedURLsalsohelpyoubetterunderstandtheamountoftrafficInstagramisdrivingtoyourwebsite. Protip:Forfutureedits,clickontheEditProfilebuttononyourprofiletochangeyourphoto,name,username,bio,andURL. ManagingYourInstagramSettings Lastly,let’sreviewyouraccountsettings.Inthissection,you’llbeabletoupdatecontactinformation,privacysettings,andmore. Step6:Adjustyoursettings. Clickonthethreestackedlinesintheupperright-handcornerofyourprofile,thenclickonSettingsatthebottomofthewindow.(Underyourusername,you’llseeafewlinksthatwe’llcoverbelow.) Withinyoursettings,you’llbeabletodothingslikechangeyourpassword,seepostsyou’veliked,enablenotifications,andmuchmore.Hereareafewthingsyoushouldcheckoutrightaway. Manageyourstorysettings—whereyoucanmanagewhocanseeandreplytoyourInstagramStories(whichwediscussbelow).WerecommendallowingallyourfollowerstoseeandreplytoyourStoriestoincreasebrandengagement.Fromyoursettings,clickPrivacy>StorytoaccessyourStoryControls.(Youcanalsoaccessthisbyclickingthegeariconinthetopleftcornerwhenpostingastory.) Switchtoaprofessionalaccount—Thisallowsyoutoidentifyyourprofileasabusinessprofile.Instagram’sBusinessToolsfeaturemakesiteasyforuserstocontactyou,providesyouwithin-depthinsights,andallowsyoutopromoteyourcontent.YourbusinessmusthaveaFacebookbusinesspagetoswitchtoanInstagrambusinessprofile.Fromyoursettings,clickAccount>SwitchtoProfessionalAccounttoaccessthesefeatures. Switchtoabusinessorcreatoraccount—Choosethissetting,logintoFacebook,andallowInstagramtomanageyourPages.SelectaFacebookPagetoconnecttoyourInstagramprofile.(YoumustbeaFacebookpageadmintoconnectthetwoplatforms.) InstagramwillautomaticallyimportrelevantinformationfromyourFacebookpageforyoutoedit.YounowhaveanInstagrambusinessprofile.Don’tforgettousethefeaturesthatcomewiththistypeofaccountlikeprofileinsights. PrivateAccount—Hereyoucanchangeyourprofilefrompublictoprivate.Instagramwillautomaticallysetyourprofiletopublic—wedon’trecommendchangingit!Asabusiness,you’llwantuserstoseeyourpostsandfollowyourbusinesswithoutanyobstacles.Fromyoursettings,clickPrivacy>AccountPrivacy,andmakesurethat'sturnedoff. Comments—Thissettingallowsyoutohidecommentswithcertainkeywordsorphrases.Todothis,youmustenterthespecificwordsandphrasesintoyourInstagramsettingsandturnonthefeature.Receivingcommentsisexcitingandencouraging,butcertaincommentsmaygoagainstbrandvaluesoroffendyouraudience.Fromyoursettings,clickPrivacy>Commentstoupdatethese. AddingAdditionalInstagramAccounts—Adduptofiveaccountsandswitchbetweenthemwithoutlogginginandout.Thisfeaturealsoallowsyoutohavemultiplepeopleloggedintoanaccountatonetime.Toaddanaccount,clickAddAccountatthebottomofyoursettings.Entertheusernameandpasswordoftheaccountyou’dliketoadd.Toswitchbetweenaccounts,gotoyourprofileandtapyourusernameatthetopofthescreen.Choosetheaccountyou’dliketoswitchto. TheBeginner'sGuidetoVideoMarketing ViewNow TypesofInstagramPosts Nowthatyou’vecreatedandoptimizedyourInstagramaccount,it’stimetostartpostingawesomecontent.Instagramallowsyoutopostseveraltypesofcontent,includingphotos,videos,andStories. Let’stalkaboutthedifferentInstagramposttypesandsomebestpracticesforencouragingengagement. Images ThemostcommonpostonInstagramisanimagepost.Whenpostingimages,shareavarietyofphotos.Varietywillshowyourbrandisdiverseandengageyourfollowersindifferentways. It’salsoimportanttorememberthatInstagramusersarelookingforgenuinepostsfrombrands—notblatantadvertisements.Trytocaptureyourcompanyculturewithlifestyleshotsandbehind-the-sceneslooks.Avoidpostingtoomanyphotosofyourproduct. Example:Nike’sInstagramincludesproductphotos,butthemajorityshowrealathletes,concerts,andothertypesofcontentthatpromotetheNikebrandpersonalityasawhole. Asyoustarttoexploretheplatform,you’llseetherearecountlesskindsofimagesyoucanposttoyouraccount.Getcreative!Takenoteofanyconceptsorstylesyouthinkwouldworkwellforyourbrand. Togetyoustarted,we’vecompiledalistofsomesuccessfulInstagramimagetypes. Behind-the-ScenesPosts Thesepostsofferaglimpseintothepartofyourbusinessthatpeopledon’tnormallysee.It’simportantthattheydon’tlookstaged—authenticityiskey! Example:AeronautBrewingCompanyprovidedaninsidelookatitscompanyculturebyshowcasingitsemployeesatwork.. RepostsFromEmployees Greatcontentcanberightinfrontofyou…onyouremployees’Instagrams.(Justbesuretotagorcredittheoriginalposter.)Repostingphotosfromyouremployeesisaneasywaytocurateauthenticcontentandhumanizeyourbusiness.Notonlywillyouraudienceengagewithyourbrand,butthey’llalsostartto“bond”withyouremployees. Example:FenwayParkoftenrepostsimagessharedbythegroundscrewastheypreparethestadium. EducationalPosts Educationalpostsoffersnackabletipsonhowtodoormakesomething.Thephotosorvideosusuallypresenttheinstructionsinawaythatisquickandeasytofollow. Example:ThepopularTastyrecipevideoseriesfromBuzzfeediseducationalyetveryentertainingandeasytoreplicate. InfluencerPosts Influencerpostsusethefameofacelebrityorwell-knownpublicfiguretopromoteyourbrand.Thesepostsoftenincludeavisualoftheinfluencerusingorinteractingwithyourproduct.Oneofthemainbenefitsofinfluencerpostsisgainingtheattentionofanotheraudience. Example:GoalZeroshowsrenownedrockclimberandphotographerAlexHonnoldusingoneofitssolarpowerchargingstations.NotonlyisGoalZeroreachingitsownaudience,butit'salsoreachingAlex’s500,000-plusInstagramfollowerbase. MotivationalPosts Amotivationalpostcombinesasimplevisualwithanoverlaidquoteorupliftingtext.Thesepostsencourageyouraudienceandamplifyyourbrandvalues.Whileeffective,trytopostthesesparinglytoavoidlookingcheesy.AppslikeQuipioandTypiccanhelpyouaddtexttophotosinawaythat’sconsistentwithyourbrandguidelines. Example:Foundroftensharesmotivationalpoststoencourageitsfollowerbaseofentrepreneurs,smallbusinessowners,andmarketers.Thepostsalsoalignwiththeirmissionasabusinessmediacompany. User-GeneratedContent Similartoemployeereposts,user-generatedcontent(UGC)iscuratedcontentfromyourfansandfollowers.YourtaggedpostsandpostswithyourbrandhashtagareagreatsourceforUGC. Sharingyourfans’andfollowers’photosnotonlymaketheoriginalposterfeelgood,butitalsoshowsthatyoutrulycareaboutyourcustomers.Justbesuretocredittheoriginalpostwithatagorinthecaption.Torepostuser-generatedcontent,screenshotandcroptheoriginalpostorusearepostingapplikeRepostforInstagram. Example:WeWorkconductsanannual#DogsOfWeWorkcampaignandcompilesthebestsubmissionstogetherintoayearlycalendar.AlthoughWeWorkdoesn’treposteverytaggedimage,theircampaignhelpscreateinvaluablereachandengagement. Newsjacking(TrendingHolidayPosts) Itseemslikethere’sa“holiday”foreverythingthesedays.EventslikeNationalSiblingDayandNationalIceCreamDaygenerateatonofengagementonsocialmedia.Joininthefunbyparticipatinginalocal,national,orworldtrend.Anewsjackingpostisagreatwaytoposthumorouscontentthatrelatestolight-heartedevents. Example:CorridorBrewingcelebratedtheCubs'OpeningDay.Throughthispost,theAmericanrestaurantchaintappedintoapopularAmericanpastime. 30DaysofInstagram[FreePlan&Templates] Downloadnow CapturingandEditingInstagramPhotos Nowthatwe’veexploredwhatyoucanpostonInstagram,let’sreviewsomewaystomakesureyourcontentissuccessful.Unlikeothersocialmediaplatforms,Instagram’ssimpleprofilelayoutforcesyoutofocusonthequalityofcontent…notthequantity. Whilethisisgreatforengagement,italsomeansthatyoucan’thidemediocrecontent.Doyourverybesttousehigh-resolutionimagesonyourInstagramfeed. Squareimagesshouldbe1080x1080px.Landscapeimagesshouldbe1080x566px,andprofileimagesshouldbe1350x1080px.Regardlessofwhatsizeyouupload,everyimagewillbeshownasasquareinyourprofilefeed. HowtoTakeaGreatPhotoWithYourSmartphone YoumightbethinkingHowamIsupposedtocapturetheperfect,high-qualityshotwithoutahigh-qualitycamera?Noworries!Phonecameratechnologyhasbecomesoadvancedthatitnowrivalsthousand-dollarcameras. Amazingphotographyisnolongerlimitedtothosewithprofessionalcameras.You(yes,you!)cantakeeye-catchingphotosyouraudiencewillloveusingatoolyoualreadyhaveinyourhands.HerearesometipstodrivefollowergrowthandInstagramengagement. 1.Followtheruleofthirds. Toinstantlyimproveyourphotocomposition,turnonyourcameragridlines.Aimtoplaceyoursubjectattheintersectionofonesetofverticalandhorizontallines.Thistechnique,knownastheruleofthirds,ispopularamongpainters,illustrators,andphotographers. Placingyoursubjectoff-centercreatesaslightimbalancethatcatchesyourviewer’seye.Toturnonyourgridlines(onaniPhone),gotoSettings>Photos&CameraandswitchGridtoon. 2.Focusonasinglesubject. Toinstantlyimproveyourphotocomposition,turnonyourcameragridlines.Aimtoplaceyoursubjectattheintersectionofonesetofverticalandhorizontallines.Thistechnique,knownastheruleofthirds,ispopularamongpainters,illustrators,andphotographers. Placingyoursubjectoff-centercreatesaslightimbalancethatcatchesyourviewer’seye.Toturnonyourgridlines(onaniPhone),gotoSettings>Photos&CameraandswitchGridtoon. 3.Takeadvantageofnegativespace. Negativespaceistheemptyspacearoundyoursubject.Leavingnegativespacearoundyoursubjectwilldrawattentiontothedesiredfocusofyourimageandpreventitfromlookingcrowded. 4.Lookforinterestingperspectives. Peopleareusedtoseeingtheworldfromeyelevel.Tocreateinterestingandfreshphotos,useshotsfromdifferentperspectives.Changeupyourshootingperspectivetocaptureabird’seyevieworworm’seyeview.Experimentwithdifferentanglestofindnewperspectivesoncommonsights. 5.Leveragesymmetryandpatterns. Thehumaneyeisnaturallydrawntosymmetricalshapesandobjects.Sometimes,it’sbesttobreaktheruleofthirdsandcenterthesceneinyourframe.Leadinglinesareanothermorespecificformofsymmetrythatpullstheeyeintothephoto.Peoplearealsodrawntopatterns.Apatterncouldbeman-made,suchasatiledfloor,ornatural,suchaspetalsonaflowerorvinesonawall.Tomakethingsreallyinteresting,breakupthepatternwithyoursubject. 6.Usenaturallight. Standardoverheadlightingcreatesharshshadowsandhighlightsthatcreateunwanteddarkandlightareasinyourphotos.Topreventthisfromhappening,usesoftnaturallightwhereverpossible.Trytakingphotosnexttoawindow,andforoutdoorshots,thehalf-hourjustbeforesunsetandaftersunriseoftenoffersthemoststrikinglightingasthesunislowonthehorizon. HowtoAddFiltersandEditPhotos Everwonderwhysomephotosjustlooksogood?Itprobablyhastodowithhowit’sedited.Editingphotosonlytakesafewminutesandcanmassivelyimpactthequality.ThankstoInstagram’sbuilt-intoolsandfilters,editingphotosisverysimple.Followthesetipstomakethatphotoofyourhomemadelunchlooklikeaculinarymasterpiece. First,startwithagreatphoto(usingourtipsabove).Noamountofeditingcanfixphotosiftheyhavepoorcompositionorlighting. Considerusingotherappstoedityourphoto.Facetune 2isafreeeditingappthatallowsyoutoapplyeffectslikeHDRandtonalcontrastaswellasadjustbrightness,contrast,andsaturation.VSCOisalsoanotherpopulareditingappwithnumerousfreefiltersthatresemblepopularfilmstocks. Step1:Uploadyourphotoandchooseafilter. WhenyouuploadyoureditedphototoInstagram,it’llautomaticallycropyourphotointoasquare.Tochangeitbacktotheoriginalwidth,presstheiconwiththetwooutward-facingarrows.Atthisstage,youcanaddadditionalInstagramfilters—butdon’tgotoocrazy.EachInstagramfilterhasitsownpersonalitythatcandrasticallychangeaphoto. Step2:Next,tryadjustingyourphotolux. AccordingtoInstagram,“Luxbalancestheexposureandprovidesmuch-neededbrightness”tophotos.Luxmakecanmakeyourimagemorevibrantandbringoutdetails.Todothis,pressthewandiconatthetopofthescreenandadjustthelevel. Step3:MakeanyfinaltweaksusingInstagram’seditingtools. PressEdittoadjustyourphoto’salignment,brightness,contrast,structure,andmore.PressNextwhenyou’redonetoaddfinaldetailsandpublish. Videos Instagramalsoletsyouuploadvideos—aslongasthey’reaminuteorlessinlength. Youcandownloadprofessionallyeditedvideosfromyourcomputerorvideosyou’veeditedinamobileapp.Spliceisafreeeditingtool(fromthesameguysthatmadeGoPro)thatallowsyoutocuttogethermultipleclipsandaddtransitions,titles,andmusic. Instagramvideosdefaulttoplayingwithoutsound.Becauseofthis,makesureatleastthefirstfewsecondsofyourvideosdon’tneedsoundtobeunderstood.Youcanuseyourcaptionorpromptviewerstoturnonthesound. Boomerangs OpenyourInstagramandtapthecameraiconinthetopleft-handcornerofthehomescreen.Thisisthein-appcamera.Youcanalsoaccessthisbyswipingrightonthescreen. Noticethesettingsonthebottom.TheNormalsetting,towhichthecameradefaults,takesstillphotos.You’llseethatthefirstsettingtotherightisBoomerang,whichtakesthree-second,loopingvideosthatplayforwardandbackward.(We’llcovertheothersettingslaterinthisguide.) Boomerangsallowyoutoputaquirkyspinontraditionalvideo.Boomerangscreatedusingaburstofphotosandstitchingthemtogetherforashort,repetitivevideo.Thesekindsofpostsarefunforcircumstanceslikejumping,toastingglasses,orhigh-fiving. YoucanalsodownloadInstagram’sBoomerangapptohaveaseparateplacetocaptureboomerangvideos. Hyperlapse Doyouhaveavideothat’stoolongforInstagram?CheckoutHyperlapsefromInstagram,whichallowsyoutocondenselengthyvideosintoshorter,post-ablecontent. Itcreatessmooth,time-lapsevideoswithbuilt-instabilization.TocreateyourownHyperlapsevideos,downloadtheappandgiveittoaccessyourcamera.Tapthecircleoncetostopandstartyourrecordings.Onceyou’redonerecording,youcanchooseaplaybackspeedbetween1xand12x.SavethefinalHyperlapsevideotoyourcamerarolltouploadlater. InstagramReels AdirectcompetitoroftheviralsensationTikTok,ReelsisoneofthenewestInstagramfeatures.Userscancreatefun,captivating15or30-secondloopsofcontentfornearlyanypurpose.Quicktutorials,dancechallenges,andinformationalvideosallfindaplaceinReels. Reelshavetheirownexplorepagefilledwithcontentcreatedusingthisfeature.Regularvideos,images,stories,andIGTVpostswon’tshowuphere,soyourbusinesscouldhaveagreatopportunitytoseeengagementfromyouraudiencewiththiscontenttype. HowtoPosttoInstagramReels Step1:OpentheReelsFeature. Taptheplusiconatthetopofthehomescreen.Then,tapReelsatthebottomrightofthescreen.   Step2:Adjustyoursettings.  TherearefivecustomizablesettingsyoucanconfigurebeforerecordingyourReel. Timing Selecteithera15or30-secondReel. Music Choosemusicfromyourfavoriteartistsandgenresbysearchingthesongorcomposerinthesearchbar. Speed Createaslow-moorsped-upversionofyourReelbyselectingaslowerorfasterpacefortherecording. Effects ApplyanyfiltersoreffectstoyourReelrecording. Timer Setatimertoself-recordaReel.Thefeaturewillgiveathreeorten-secondcountdownbeforetheReelrecordingbegins.      Step3:RecordyourReel.  RecordyourfirstclipoftheReelbytappingtheclapperboardiconinthemiddleofthescreen.Youonlyneedtotapthisbuttononceforthecameratobeginrecording.Tapthebuttonagaintopausetherecordingandswitchtoanewscene.ToviewhowmuchtimeisleftavailabletorecordintheReel,checktheprogressbaratthetopofthescreen. Step4.FinalizetheReel.  TaptherightarrowontherightsideoftheclapperboardicontoreviewyourReel.Afterreviewingit,youcangobacktoedititbyselectingthearrowinthetopleftcorner.Ifyou’resatisfiedwithyourReel,selectShareToatthebottomrightofthescreen. Step5:ShareyourReel. CreateacaptionforyourReelanddecidewheretoshareit.Thesharingoptionsinclude: SharetoReels SharetoFeed   SharetoReels. Here,yourReelwillappearpubliclyonthededicatedReelspage.YoucanalsotoggletheAlsoSharetoFeedbuttonontosharetheReeltoyourfeed.Tagpeople,croptheprofileimagefortheReel,orincludeabusinesspartnerwithadditionalsettings.Ifyou’renotreadytoposttheReelyet,saveitasadrafttopublishlater.   SharetoStories.  Here,youcanshareyourReeldirectlytoyourstory,yourclosefriends,orindividualpeopleyoufollow.   InstagramStories InstagramStoriesallowuserstopostatahigherfrequencywithoutoverpostingandclogginguptheirmainfeed.Storiesusuallyfeatureless-polished,moreorganicimagesandvideos.LikeSnapchatStories,yourInstagramStorydisappearsafter24hours. Storiesareallaboutauthenticity.WhileyourInstagramfeedshouldfeaturepolishedphotos,Storiescanbealittlemoreexperimental.Usethefeaturetogiveabehind-the-sceneslookatyourbrandorshowcaseyourcompanyculture.Doyouhaveadog-friendlyoffice?SharephotosandvideosofthedogsinyourStory.Storiesarealsoahelpfultooltoshowcaseliveeventsyourbusinesshostsorattends,asthisfeatureismuchmoretime-sensitive. HowtoPosttoYourInstagramStory InstagramoffersthreeoptionsforpostingtoyourStory.Youcantapthecameraintheupperleftcorner,tapYourStoryaboveyourfeed,orjustswiperighttoaccessthecamera. YourcamerawilldefaulttoNormal,butlet’sreviewtheothercamerasettingsthatwedidn’tcoverabove. Type:Createsatextpost Music:Pairsamusicclipofyourchoicetoanimageorvideo Live:CapturesandpublisheslivecontenttoyourInstagramforyourfollowerstowatch Superzoom:Addsananimatedzoomtoavideo Focus:Focusesonasubjectandblursthebackground Hands-Free:Thisallowsyoutocapturevideowithouthavingtoholdtherecordbutton Likeyourtypicalphonecamera,thethunderbolticoncontrolstheflashandthearrowiconswitchesthecameraviewbetweenfrontandforward-facing.Instagramhasrecentlyaddedfilters(likeonSnapchat)thatyoucanaccessbytappingthesmilingfacenexttothearrowicon. Step1:Uploadyourphotoandaddafilter. Storiesmakeiteasytoaddpersonalitytoyourcontent!Swipetotheleftorrighttoaccessthefilters.Selectthepenicontochooseacolorandaddadoodle. Step2:PresstheAaicontoaddtextwithyourkeyboard. Thesmileiconallowsyoutoaddalocation,GIF,music,poll,andmanymorefunfeatures. InstagramalsoallowsyoutotaganotheraccountinyourStory,whichisagreatwaytoconnectwithotherbusinessesandyourfollowers.Totagsomeone,typethe@symbolfollowedbytheusernameyou’dliketomention.Thismakesthetagclickablesothatviewerscanvisitthetaggingprofile.You’llreceiveanotificationifyou’vebeenmentionedinsomeone’sstory. Step3:Publishyourstory. Whenyou’rereadytopublish,presstheYourStoryiconorsaveittoyourcamerarolltopublishlater.YoucanalsotapSendTotoaddtoyourStoryaswellassenddirectlytootherusers.StoriesappearatthetopoftheInstagramfeedandthroughyourprofilepicture.Toseewhoviewedyourcontent,swipeupwhenviewingyourStory. InstagramStoriesareverysimilartoSnapchat—yes,SnapchathasfacialrecognitionandLenses(orfilters).But,Instagram’sactiveuserbasecombinedwithitssearchcapabilitiesprovideagreatopportunityforbusinessestobediscovered.Soifyou’rewonderingifyourbusinessshoulduseStories,theansweris“yes”. HowtoAddInstagramStoryHighlights InstagramStoryHighlightsareInstagramStoriesthathavebeenpreservedpasttheir24-hourlimitandpostedtoanInstagramprofile.YoucanfindtheminthesmallcirclesunderanInstagrambio.StoryHighlightsareafantasticwaytoshowcaseyourbeststoriesandpostthemsemi-permanentlytoyouraccountforyourfollowerstosee.They'realsousefulwaystoshowcaseproducts,services,promotions,andmoreasyourHighlightscanincludelinkstoexternalsites. InstagramStoryHighlightscanalsoserveasamenuofsorts.ManyInstagrambusinessesuseStoryHighlightstoposttheirbusinesshours,currentpromotionsorsales,teammemberorshoplocationinformation,behind-the-scenesvideo,andmore.BecauseStoryHighlightsarelocatedatthetopofanInstagramprofile,they'realmostanextensionofyourbio.InstagramalsoallowsyoutoaddHighlightCovers(at2000x2000pxandanaspectratioof1:1)toillustrateyourStoryHighlightsandkeepyourprofileon-brand. TherearemultiplewaystoaddInstagramStoryHighlights.It'simportanttonote,however,thatyoucan'taddimagesorvideodirectlytoyourStoryHighlights.YourStoryHighlightsneedtobeapreviouslyposted(orcurrentlylive)orInstagramStorybeforeyoucanpinittoaHighlight(orcreateanewHighlight). Onewaytocreateand/orposttoaStoryHighlightiswithacurrentInstagramStory. AddanInstagramHighlightfromStory Step1:OpenyourcurrentInstagramStoryandclickthehearticonlabeledHighlight. Atthispoint,InstagramwillaskyouwhichHighlightyou'dliketopintheStoryto,oritwillaskyoutocreateaHighlightifyoudon'thaveanyyet. Step2:EdittheHighlight. OnceyouaddtheStorytoanexistingHighlight(oruseittocreateanewone),you'llseetheHighlightshowuponyourInstagramprofile,belowyourInstagrambio.Onceposted,StoryHighlightscanbeeditedtochangethecoverimage,pickanewname,removeposts,orevenaddnewonesfromyourStoryArchive(whichwe'lltalkaboutnext).ToeditaHighlight,clickthethreedotsatthebottomofaStoryHighlightandtapEditHighlight.   AddanInstagramHighlightfromArchive YoucanalsocreateoraddtoStoryHighlightsfromyourArchive,whichiswhereyourInstagramStoriesaresavedaftertheir24-hourlimitexpires. Step1:Accessthearchive. YoucanaccessyourArchivebytappingthethreelinesinthetoprightcornerofyourprofileandclickingArchive.YourArchivealsoincludespoststhatyou'veremovedfromyourInstagramprofile;totogglebetweenPostsandStories,tapArchiveinthetopbarforthedrop-downmenu. Step2:Addthehighlight. FromyourArchive,youcanchooseoldInstagramStoriestoaddtoStoryHighlights.SimplyopenanarchivedStory,clickHighlightatthebottommenu,andchoosewhichHighlighttoadditto. Highlightsareusefulwaystoengageyouraudiencebymakingtemporarycontentpermanentonyourprofile.StoryHighlightsarealsoclosetoyourInstagrambio,makingthemnoticeablepartsofyourInstagramprofile.UseyourStoryHighlightstoengage,inform,anddelightyourInstagramaudience—muchlikeHubSpotdoes. InstagramLive Aswetalkedaboutabove,Instagramhasalivevideooptionthatallowsyoutosharecontentreal-time.Tostartalivevideostream,opentheInstagramcamera,swipetotheLivesetting,andclickthebuttontoStartLiveVideo. Onceyoustartthelivevideo,anyfollowerscurrentlyontheappwillreceiveanotificationthatyou’relive.Liveviewerscanalsocommentonthelivevideousingthebuilt-inchatfeature.Livevideoshouldbeusedsparinglytoshowcaseexciting,real-timecontentorengagingmomentslikeQ&Asorreveals. CloseDialog IGTV InstagramTV,orIGTV,isInstagram’snewestvideooffering.AvailabletowatchthroughtheInstagramapporthestandaloneIGTVapp,userscanviewlong-form,verticalvideofromInstagramcreators.Think:Cookingvideos,interviewswithcelebrities,productreviews,andtutorials...thisisthecontentyou’lltypicallyfindonIGTV. What'sthedifferencebetweenInstagramLiveandIGTV?IGTVisuploadedfootage,whichgivesuserstheopportunitytoeditandfine-tunetheirvideo.InstagramLiveisfilmedanduploadedlive. Tobeginposting,downloadtheIGTVapp,createachannel,anduploadavideobetween15secondsand10minutesinlength.Verifiedaccountscanrunvideosuptoanhourlong.Atthistime,IGTVvideoscanonlybeviewedonmobiledevicesusingtheInstagramorIGTVapp—theplatformdoesnotsupportdesktopviewing. HowtoUseInstagramforBusiness Learnhowtogetfollowers,buildyouraudience,setgoals,andmeasuresuccess. DownloadNow HowtoUseSocialMediainEveryStageoftheFunnel Usesocialmediatoattract,convert,close,anddelightyourcustomers. LearnMore HowtoAdvertiseonInstagram LearnhowtorunInstagramads,definegoals,moderateengagement,andmeasuresuccess. GettheGuide HowtoWriteInstagramCaptions Onepicturemaybeworthathousandwords,butthere’ssomethingtobesaidaboutthecontextwordsbring. Writingremarkablecaptionscanbetough,andthat’swhywe’vecomeupwithsometipstorelievesomeofthatpressure. 1.Don’trushtheprocess. Writeseveraldraftsandaskyourfriendsorco-workersfortheiropinion.Yes,yourcontentshouldbetimely,butitshouldalsobeengaging.Instagramrecentlychangeditsalgorithmtoorganizeeachuser’sfeedtoshowwhatthey’lllikelyfindengaging.Thevisibilityofeachpostwilldependonthenumberoflikesandcommentsitreceives.Takethetimetocreatecontentthatwilldelightandengageyourcustomers. 2.Considerthecaptionlength. Yourcaptionscanbeupto2,200characters.(Forcomparison,Twitterallows140.)Regardlessoflength,userscanonlyseethefirst3to4linesofeachcaption.TheyhavetoclickMore…toseetherest.Becauseofthis,placethemostimportantcontentatthebeginningofthecaptionsoit’salwaysvisible. Thatbeingsaid,don’tshyawayfromlongcaptions.Infact,Instagramcanbeagreatstorytellingmedium.Forexample,HumansofNewYorkwriteslongercaptionswithquotesfromthepeopletheyphotograph. 3.Engage,engage,andengagesomemore. Alwaysincludeacall-to-actioninyourcaption.Encourageyouraudiencetolike,commenton,andshareyourphoto. Youcanalsouseyourcaptiontodirectpeopletoyourbiolink,wheretheycancheckoutanewproductorblogpost.Justremembertochangethelinksoitcorrespondswithyourmostrecentpost.Tip:UseshortenedtrackinglinksinyourURLsoyoucanseehowmuchtrafficcamefromyourInstagramaccountoraspecificpost. Includeageotag.Addingageotaggivesusersanotherwaytofindyourcontent,whichcanleadtohigherengagement. 4.FindyourInstagramvoice. Everysocialplatformhasadistinctvoice.WhatworksTwittermaynotworkonInstagram.OnInstagram,postswithalighthearted,authentictonetendtoperformthebest.Experimentwithemojisandotherfuntoolstogiveyourbrandadistinctfeel.Don’texpecttogetitrightthefirsttime—itcantakeawhiletodevelopyourbrand’svoice. Ifyou’reeverindoubtaboutwhattowrite,keepitshort.There’slittlecorrelationbetweencaptionlengthandengagement,butshortcaptionsallowyourvisualsdothetalking. CloseDialog HowtoUseHashtagsonInstagram Hashtagshavetakenovertheinternet.Hashtagsrefertokeywordsorkeywordphrasesthatarespelledwithoutspacesandprefacedwithapound(#)sign.Theyaregenerallyusedtoreferenceevents,conferences,popculture,entertainment,orreoccurringthemesandareagreatwaytomakeyourcontentmorevisible. OriginallypopularizedbyTwitter,hashtagsarenowonmultiplesocialnetworks. UsingHashtagsonInstagram Instagramfeedsarealwayschanging,whichmakessenseconsideringthat95millionphotosaresharedeveryday.Withthatmuchcontent,itcanbedifficultforyouraccounttogetnoticed.That’swherehashtagscomeinhandy. OnInstagram,hashtagsaggregatepostsfromawidevarietyofusersintoasinglefeed…althoughonlypublicaccountscanbeshownwhensearchinghashtags. Instagrammakesitsimpleandeasyforuserstofindtaggedcontent.Whenyousearchawordorphrase,thesearchresultspageshowsyoufourparts: Top,whichdisplaysthetopInstagramaccounts,hashtags,andlocationsthatincludeyourkeyword(typicallyaccountsthatarepopularorthatyou'refollowing) Accounts,whichshowsyouthetopInstagramaccountsthatincludeyourkeyword Tags,whichsuggestspopularhashtagsthatincludeyourkeywordandhowmanyotherInstagrampostshavebeensharedwiththathashtag Places,whichdisplaysnearbylocationsthatincludeyourkeyword Forexample,ifyou’replanningontaggingyourpostwith#coffee,youmaywanttotagrelatedhashtagslike#coffeebar,#coffeeholic,or#coffeehousetobroadenyourpostreach. Usinghashtagsiseasy!Simplycreatehashtagsusingcharacters,numbers,oremojis;youcanadduptothirtytothecaption.Justremember—youraccountmustbepublicforyourpoststoappearonhashtagfeeds. ChoosinganInstagramHashtag Howdoyouchoosewhichhashtagsarebestforeachpost?Ourbestanswerisbybrainstormingrelatedkeywordsandresearchingrelevanttrends,whichisactuallyeasiestwithinInstagramitself. StartintheExploretab(themagnifyingglassicononthebottommenu).There,you’llfindpopularpostsandseewhathashtagswereused. Ifyoualreadyhaveahashtaginmind,youcanalsousethispagetofindpopular,relatedhashtags.Justtypethehashtaginthesearchbar,andfilteryourresultsbyTagstoseehowmanypostshaveusedthathashtagaswellasotherrelatedhashtags. Trytoblendgeneral,trendinghashtagsandspecifichashtagstoincreaseyourpostreachandrelevance.Also,considercreatingyourownbrandedhashtag. Manybusinessesusetheirownhashtagstorolloutanewproduct,manageanInstagramcampaign,promoteanevent,andcollectuser-generatedcontent.Ifyou’dliketodothisforyourbusiness,makesureyoursisn’tbeingusedforanotherpurpose…andthenencourageyouraudiencetouseit! FormattinganInstagramHashtag Now,let’sdiscusshowtoincorporatehashtagsinyourcontent. Firstandforemost,don’tbespammy.Hashtagsshouldbenaturalinyourcaption.Aimtouseonetofourhashtagstoavoidoverwhelmingyouraudienceandmakingyourcaptionshardtoread. Ifyourhashtagsdon’tnaturallyblendintoyourcaption,tackthemontotheendoreveninthefirstcomment.They’llworkthesamenomatterwherethey’replaced. HowtoCreateVideosforSocialMedia ViewNow InstagramHacksandBestPractices Let’sexploreafewlittle-knownInstagramhackstomakethemostoftheplatform.Werecommenddownloadingthelatestversionoftheapptofollowalong. 1.PosttoInstagramatthebesttimes. Instagramusersareactiveatalltimesoftheday.However,thereareahandfulofoptimaltimestopostonInstagram.Forpeakengagement,thebesttimestopostonInstagramacrossindustriesare1p.m,and5p.m.Thisisforthetimezoneofyourtargetaudience.Manyuserstendtoengagewithmorecontentduringoff-workhoursonweekdays. 2.LinkInstagramtoyourFacebookpage. OnethingthatmakesInstagramuniqueisthatyoucanshareyourcontentseamlesslyacrossothersocialnetworks. Wedon’trecommendautomaticallylinkingtoyourothersocialplatformslikeTwitterandFacebook;whatworksonInstagramwon’talwaysyieldthesameresultsonotherchannels,especiallyasyougetupandrunning.Forthisreason,tailoryourcontenttoeachplatform. However,linkingyourInstagramtoyourothersocialaccountslikeFacebookdoesincreasethenumberofeyesonyourposts.Remember,yourFacebookPagewillalreadybelinkedtoyourInstagramifyousetupanInstagrambusinessprofile. Ifyoudodecidetodothis,gotoyourInstagramsettingsandclickLinkedAccountsunderPrivacyandSecurity.LogintoFacebookandpicktheFacebookBusinessPagetowhichyou’dliketolink.Next,undertheShareSettingsmenu,theFacebooklogoshouldbebluetoindicatethatsharingison. 3.Seepostsyou’veliked. Youcanseeallthepostsyou’veLikedinyourInstagramsettingsmenu.(Remember,tapthethreelinesinthetoprightcornerofyourprofileandclickSettingsatthebottom.)Fromthere,clickAccountPostsYou'veLiked. 4.ReorderInstagramfilters. Tomaximizeproductivity,Instagramletsyoureorderfilterstopositiontheonesyouusemostoftenatthebeginning.Toreorderorhidefilters,opentheInstagrameditor.ScrolltothefarrightandclicktheManagegearicon.Holddownthethreegraylinestoreorderthefilters,orunchecktohideit. 5.Hidepostsyou’vebeentaggedin. Ifsomeonetagsyouinapost,it’llshowupwhenyouclickthepersoniconinthemenuunderyourInstagrambio.Yourfollowerscanseethis,too. Youcanhideataggedpostintwoways.Onewayisthrougheachindividualpicture.Openaphotoyouwanttohideandclickthethreedotsinthetoprightcorner.ClickPhotoOptions,andfromthereyoucanselectRemoveMeFromPost(removethetagandhidealtogether)orHidefromMyProfile(leavetagbuthideonprofile). Ifyoudon’twanttohavetocontinuallycheckandremovetaggedposts,youcanmanuallychoosejusttoincludetheonesyoudolike.Todothis,gotoSettingsPrivacyTagsandturnofftheAddAutomaticallyoption.Movingforward,you’llbenotifiedwhensomeonetagsyouinaphoto.Whenthathappens,taponthephotoyouweretaggedinandchooseShowonProfile. Fromthisscreen,youcanmanuallyhidemultiplephotosandvideosfromyourprofile,too. 6.Savephotosandbuildcollections. There’slotsofincrediblecontentonInstagram.Maybeyou’veseencontentbycompetitorsthatyouwanttoemulate,ormaybeyou’vefoundsomeuser-generatedcontentyou’dliketorepost.Howcanyousavethiscontenttoaccesslater?Well,Instagrammakesiteasy—throughSavedcontent. OnyourInstagramfeed,youcanlike,comment,andmessageposts.Youcanalsosavethem,usingtheribboniconintherightcorner.Whenyoutapit,you’llseeSavetoCollectionpopupalongthebottomofthepost.Iftheimageorvideoyou’vesavedfallsintoacollection,suchasUGCcontentorinspiration,youcancreateacollectionforthatcontent. AccessyourSavedcontentthroughyourprofile.Tapthethreehorizontallinesinthetopright-handcornerandclickSavedinthelist.UnderAll,you’llseeallyoursavedcontentinchronologicalorder.UnderCollections,you’llfindthatcontentorganizedintoCollections. 7.Leverageuser-generatedcontent. KeepingupwithyourInstagramcanbealotofwork,especiallyifyou'remanagingmultiplesocialnetworksatatime.AsImentionedatthebeginningofthisguide,inorderforyoutofindsuccessonInstagramyoumustbepreparedtopostcontentandengageregularly.Ifthissoundsintimidating,don'tfret;I'vefoundtheperfectsolutionforboth—user-generatedcontent. User-generatedcontent(UGC)iscontentfeaturingyourbrandorproductthatyourcustomers,users,andfollowerspostontheirnetworks.UGCisafantasticexampleofword-of-mouthmarketingandhelpsdrivebrandawarenessandconversions.Betteryet?Youcanusethatcontentforyourownnetworks. ThereareafewdifferentwaystouseUGC.Somebrandsshareabrandedhashtagandasktheircustomerstouseitwhenpostingabouttheirproducts.Thecompanythenfollowsthathashtagtodiscovernewcontentandasksthepersonpermissiontosharetheirimage.OtherbrandsrunspecificUGCcampaignsandconteststogatheralotofUGCatonceand"flood"followertimelineswithbrand-specificcontent. UGCcampaignsdon'thavetohappenonsocialmedia,either.MyfavoriteexampleofUGCbythepetproductbrand,Chewy.Weallknowhowmuchpetsloveboxes,andsodothefolksatChewy.TheyencouragecustomerstopostpicturesoftheirpetsinChewyboxes(seriously—itsaysitrightthereonthebox!),andChewysharesthemonitssocialmedia.NotonlydoesthisprovidetheChewysocialmediateamwithendlessnewcontent,butitshowspotentialcustomersrealphotosofrealcustomersandtheircutepets. Source 8.Featureguesttakeovers. Yoursocialmediamanagerormanagementteamdeservesabreaknowandthen!Considerfeaturingguest"managers"oremployeetakeoversonyourInstagram.Thisstrategyallowsyoutomixupyourcontentandprovideyourfollowerswithabehind-the-sceneslookatwhatit'sliketoworkforyourcompany.(Or,ifyoufeaturecustomers,whatit'sliketobuyfromyourcompany.) TheHubSpotLifeInstagramdoesthiswithHubSpotemployeesaroundtheworld.Eachemployeetakesoverforadayandshowcasestheirworkspace,hobbies,andotherpartsoftheirlife. Source 9.MakeyourInstagramaninteractivespace. WhilelikesandcommentsareimportantpartsofInstagramengagement,thereareotherwaystoturnyourInstagramfeedintoaspacetointeractwithyourfollowers.Considerthesetips: Conductaweeklyormonthly"askmeanything"(AMA)withemployeesorexecutiveswherefollowerscanleavequestionsinthecomments. Postadailycountdowntoaproductreleaseorevent(likeINBOUND). Runacontestthatasksfollowerstocommentand/orshareyourpostsintheirInstagramStoriesasentrymethods. Postinformationaboutyourproductsandaskforfeedbackandreviewsinthecomments. TheseareallstrategiesformakingyourInstagramamoreinteractive,conversationalspace. CloseDialog InstagramAnalytics Instagramdoesn'thaveabuilt-in,in-depthanalyticsplatformlikeFacebook…yet. WhenyouswitchtoaBusinessAccount,youdogainaccesstosomelimitedanalytics,suchasfollowergrowth,impressions,reach,andengagement.AccessthesebyclickingontheViewInsightsoptionbelowyouruploadedimagesandvideos. YoucanalsotrackInstagramimpressions,spend,andengagementonadcampaignsthroughFacebook’sAdManager.Whilehelpful,thesemetricsarelimitedtoindividualpostsandcampaigns. Youcanaccessmorein-depthInstagrammetricsusingthird-partyapps.IconosquareandSproutSocialallowyoutotrackadditionalmetricssuchasfollowersandengagementovertime,optimalposttimebasedonpreviousposts,andperformancecomparedtoselectedcompetitors.Althoughbothplatformsrequireyoutopaytousethem,youcanstartwithafreetrialtoseeiftheiranalyticsofferingsarerightforyou. TheindividualmetricsyoutrackonInstagramwillvarydependingonyourgoals,butyoushouldalwayskeepaneyeonengagement(likesandcomments)andyournumberoffollowersovertime.Ifyou’repostingvaluablecontent,youraccountwillsteadilygainfollowersandengagement. Whetherornotyouhavethebudgetformorein-depthanalyticstools,trackthesebasicmetricstomakesureyouraccountisgrowingandperformingwell. ForafulllistoffreeInstagramanalyticstools,checkoutourblogposthere. SocialMediaStrategyKit DownloadNow GettingStartedWithInstagramAdvertising Let’sdiscussInstagramadvertising.Instagramadvertisingoffersauniqueopportunityforbrandstoengagewiththeiraudience.SinceInstagramadsappearinfeedslikeanyotherpost,theyaren’tasobviousordisruptiveastypicalads.Theyprovideanaturalwaytoencourageuserstolearnmoreaboutyourbusinessorproduct. HowCreateanInstagramAd Ifyou’veeversetupaFacebookad,youknowthedrill—settingupInstagramadsisdonethroughFacebook’sadplatform. Tocreateyourad,selectacurrentInstagrampostyou’dliketoboostorcreateanewoneinFacebookAdManager.Ifyouhaven’trunadsthroughFacebookbefore,you’llfirstneedtosetupanaccount.You’llalsoneedtoclaimyourInstagramBusinessaccounttolinkittoyourFacebookpage. ToclaimyourInstagramaccount,gotoyourBusinessManagerand,ontheleftsideofthepage,hoveroverthemenutoclickInstagramAccounts.ThenclickonClaimInstagramAccount.AddyouraccountinformationandclickNext. Pickanobjectiveandnameyourcampaign.WhileFacebookoffersmanydifferentchoices,onlyafewincludeInstagramadvertisingasanoption.Toensureyou’reontherighttrack,pickfromanyofthefollowingoptions: BrandAwareness Reach Traffic AppInstalls Engagement VideoViews Conversions Onceyou’veselectedyourobjective,you’llbepromptedtonameyouradset. IfyouselecttheTrafficoption,you’llbepromptedtoselectadestinationforyourtraffic.Facebookletsyoupickbetweenawebsiteandanapplication. Next,targetyouradwithdemographicandpsychographicfactors,suchasage,gender,location,language,work,financialstatus,behaviors,andconnections.Youcanalsoloadpreviously-usedcustomaudiences. SelectEditPlacementsundertheplacementsoptionsandselectInstagramundertheavailableplatforms.Don’tforgetthisstep!Otherwise,youradwillonlyshowuponFacebook.IfyouonlywanttorunyouradonInstagram,makesurethatnootherplacementsareselected. AfteryouselectInstagramasyourplacement,you’llbeaskedtosetthebudgetandscheduleforyourad.Setadailyspendbudgetoralifetimebudgetfortheadandindicatestartandenddatesforyourcampaign. Ifyoudon’tsetdatesoralifetimebudget,youradwillrunindefinitelyonthedailybudgetyouallocate.YoucanfindmorebudgetandschedulingoptionsundertheAdvancedOptionsmenu,whichallowsyoutoscheduleyouradtorunduringcertainhoursofthedayorsetyouradtogenerateresultsasquicklyaspossibleusingthe“Accelerated”deliverytype.Thisoptionisusefulforadsfocusedaroundtimelyevents. Next,setupyouradcontent.Youcanboostanexistingpostoruploadnewcontenttorunasyourad.InstagramallowsyoutocreateSingleImageorVideoAds,CarouselAds,andStoryAds. Tomaximizeaddelivery,Facebookrecommendsusingimagesthatare1,200x628fornewsfeedadsand1,080x1920forstoryads.Facebookalsorecommendslimitingyourtextontheimageorvideothumbnail. Onceyouradcreativeisuploaded,placeyourorderandstartrunningyourfirstInstagramadcampaign! HowmuchshouldyouspendonInstagramads? HowmuchyouinvestinInstagramadvertisingcampaignsshouldbetiedtoyourcampaigngoal. Ifyou’retryingtogathermoreleads,considerthecost-per-leadandhowthatcomparestootherchannelsandyourcustomerlifetimevalue(CLV).(Forexample,ifyourCLVis$3000,thenitmightbeworthspending$500onacampaign.Thesearejustarbitrarynumbers,butyougetthegist.) Thisisdifferentforeverybusinessandindustry.Italsoappliestoothergoalslikeincreasedwebsiteclicksandsales. Nomatteryourgoal,it’simportanttomonitorandoptimizeyourInstagramadstomakethemostofyourbudget. InstagramMarketingHelpsYouGrowBetter Withonebillionmonthlyactiveusers,there’snodenyingInstagram’spowerandreach.Whatwasonceasimplephoto-sharingapphastransformedintoanimmersivesocialexperiencethatallowsuserstoexploreacompany’svisualidentity. Instagramusersvaluehigh-qualitycontent.Createvisualsthatprovideyouraudiencewithinterestinginformationorshowcaseyourbrandinanew,uniqueway.Optimizeyourcontentbywritingentertainingcaptionsthatengage. Creatingandmaintainingaplatformthatcapturesyourbrand’svisualidentitymayseemintimidating,butInstagrammakesitfunandeasy.FollowourguideandgetinspiredtomakethemostoutofyourInstagrammarketingstrategy. Editor'snote:ThispostwasoriginallypublishedinApril2017andhasbeenupdatedforcomprehensiveness. CreatedBy AllieDecker ContentStrategy@HubSpot ReadMoreAboutInstagramMarketingonHubSpot'sBlog