How to guide for instagram
Instagram Guides: Everything You Need to Know
Instagram Tips & Resources
By Jessica Worb
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Updated on November 15, 2022
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6 minute read
The underrated Instagram feature you’re probably not using 👀
Published November 15, 2022
Instagram Guides are the perfect tool for sharing curated, scrollable content with your community.
They give users a simple way to consume a collection of Instagram posts, products, or places in an easy-to-digest format.
Despite all this though, Guides are still relatively underused — which makes them a great opportunity to set your brand apart on Instagram.
What is a Guide on Instagram?Instagram Guides are like a miniature blog right on Instagram. They let users scroll through a curated flow of content with commentary — similar to a blog post.
They can be used to curate gift guides, product highlights, content roundups, FAQ guides, travel recommendations, restaurant reviews, and so much more.
They’re unlike any other Instagram feature because you can curate feed posts, products, or locations from across Instagram, bringing it all together with your commentary.
Plus, Guides live in one, dedicated place on your profile: the Instagram Guides tab.
When a user clicks on an individual feed post in a Guide, they’re directed back to the original post — making them great for giving old content a new lease of life.
Hello, evergreen content!
FYI: Later is a social media management tool trusted by over 4M businesses, creators, and social media managers. Plan and publish your Instagram posts with Later — sign up for free today:
How to Make a Guide on InstagramTo create your first Guide, tap the plus icon on the top-right of your profile page and select “Guide.”
From here, you can choose from three different formats: Places, Products, and Posts.
Select the type of Guide you want to create, and choose the posts you'd like to feature in your Guide.
From here you can re-arrange the blocks, “Add a Title” and “Change Cover Photo,” as well as add titles and commentary (optional) for each content block.
When you’re happy with your curated Guide, select “Next” in the top-right corner of the screen and then “Share.”
Published Guides are not shared to your main profile feed (yet). Instead, they are housed on a dedicated Guides tab on your profile.
Guides are also surfaced in your followers’ Home feeds in the immediate hours and days after publishing.
The first Instagram Guide format is a collection of places. These Guides are great for city guides, restaurant roundups, and travel recommendations.
You can search locations from Instagram's library, or choose from past locations you've tagged or saved in feed posts.
When you choose a place, you can pick an image that has been tagged with that location to feature in your Guide.
The next type of Instagram Guide you can curate is a Product Guide. This Guide is perfect for product releases, product recommendations, or gift guides.
You can attach and link any product listed on Instagram.
TIP: If you want to include a product from a brand's Instagram Shop, you can either search for it or select from your Wishlist.
#3: Instagram Post GuidesThe next type of Instagram Guide you can share is a roundup of Instagram feed posts.
You can collect Instagram posts that you’ve created or saved (even if you're not the original author of a post).
Post Guides are great for curating lists of resources — whether it's sharing educational content or reflecting on current news or events.
Where to Find Instagram GuidesTo access an Instagram Guide, visit a user’s profile page and select the Guides icon at the top of their profile feed:
If you can’t see this icon, it’s because that user does not have any published Guides.
Ready to create the best Guides for your brand? Here are four tips to keep in mind:
Think About What Your Audience Wants
Share Instagram Guides in Stories
Highlight Your Community
Build Strategic Relationships
Using the Instagram Guide feature is a great way to curate and organize content for your followers — the creative opportunities are endless.
Think about what content your audience engages with the most, and use this information to influence your Guides content.
For example, at Later, our audience is full of small business owners, creators, and social media managers who are on the lookout for social media tips.
Knowing that, we created a Guide highlighting five of our favorite social media podcasts.
And when in doubt, ask your audience. Share an Instagram Stories question or poll sticker and ask your followers what type of Guides they'd be most interested in.
Since Instagram Guides aren’t shared on a user’s main profile feed, you may want to give them an extra boost on Instagram Stories.
Luckily, you can easily share Instagram Guides to Instagram Stories.
Here’s how to share Instagram Guides in Stories:
Open your Instagram Guide
Tap the paper airplane icon in the bottom-left corner
Select “Add guide to your story”
It's that simple!
If you’re a brand, this is a great way to show your products out in the world and provide valuable context.
Think about creating a guide that showcases your customers wearing or using your products like @tjswim:
You can find user-generated content (UGC) by manually scrolling through your tagged photos and branded hashtag page.
Or you can make the UGC search process a breeze by using Later's Content Creation Tools:
Later’s Search by Hashtag
Collect media from mentions
Easily find and collect media from tagged photos
Easily find and curate UGC for your Instagram feed with Later's tools now:
Tip #4: Use Guides to Build Strategic RelationshipsGuides are a great way to shine a spotlight on brands, creators, or peers in your network — which can be huge for profile building.
If you’re a creator or brand in a specific niche, you could create a Guide that highlights 10 accounts that create content dedicated to your subject matter.
This can grab their attention, start a conversation, and even lead to a future partnership or collaboration!
And there you have it — all of the reasons you should experiment with Instagram Guides.
It's an underrated curation feature that opens up huge opportunities for storytelling and e-commerce on the app. We can't wait to see yours.
ICYMI: With Later, you can plan and schedule your Instagram posts in advance, track engagement, and more. Create an account today:
About the Author
Jessica Worb
Jessica is a creative content writer and marketer. She lives and works remotely from Winnipeg, a city smack dab in the middle of Canada. Follow along at @jessicaworb.
Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.
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How to Use Instagram: A Beginner's Guide
Over the past few years, Instagram has seen exponential growth — from one million users at its inception to over one billion in 2022.
If you're interested in getting an Instagram account, or just created one but aren't sure how to use it, you're in luck. Here, we're going to cover all the basics, so you can learn why Instagram is the top social media platform for engagement today.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media platform that emphasizes photo and video sharing via its mobile app. You can take, edit, and publish visual content for both followers and non-followers, as long as your account is public. Users can interact with your content via likes, comments, shares, and saves.
It's hard to remember a time before Instagram. At one time, "Do it for the 'gram" was a common saying, which meant, essentially, "Do something so we can take a picture and post it to Instagram."
Since then, Instagram has placed a larger and heavier emphasis on video. So you no longer hear the phrase “Do it for the ‘gram.” I bet, though, that a second version of the phrase will soon follow. (Maybe “Do it for reel?”)
If you're not part of the one billion users on Instagram, you might want to reconsider. The app is a great chance to engage with top brands and stay a part of friends' lives. When I want to see how my college friends are doing, I don't check Facebook, I check Instagram.
Plus, you can follow your favorite celebrities or political figures to see candid photos of their everyday lives.
Additionally, it's a phenomenal platform for investigating what other brands are doing — for instance, Nike uses the Instagram Stories' feature to promote inspirational athlete stories you won't find anywhere else.
How to Sign Up for Instagram
To sign up for Instagram, all you need to do is download the Instagram app on your phone and click the 'Sign up' button. You can choose to sign up through Facebook or use your email or phone number. After you choose a username and password, you’re ready to build your profile.
If you're ready to sign up for Instagram, follow these steps below:
- Go to the Instagram site on your desktop, or download the Instagram app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
- If you're on desktop, click "Log in with Facebook", or fill in the form with your mobile number or email, name, username, and password.
Then click "Sign up". - On Android, click "Sign Up With Email or Phone Number".
- On iPhone, select "Sign Up".
- Enter your email address or phone number, then click "Next". Alternatively, you can sign up with your Facebook account.
- Once you've filled out your username and password, you will be instructed to fill out your profile info. Then, tap "Done".
- If you register with Facebook, you'll need to log into your Facebook account if you're currently logged out.
How Do Instagram Notifications Work?
When your account is created, you'll want to adjust your notifications so you only receive the information you want. For instance, you can choose to receive notifications when you get likes from everyone — but, alternatively, you might decide to only receive notifications when you get a like from someone you follow. Or, you might turn off notifications for likes altogether.
You can adjust notifications to "Off", "From People I Follow", or "From Everyone", for the following categories — Comments, Comment Likes, Likes and Comments on Photos of You, Follower Requests, Accepted Follow Requests, Friends on Instagram, Instagram Direct, Photos of You, Reminders, First Posts and Stories, Product Announcements, View Counts, Support Requests, Live Videos, Mentions in Bio, IGTV Video Updates, and Video Chats.
If you're overwhelmed by that list, I get it — I am, too. If you're unsure what notifications you want to receive, you might start with your notifications on "From Everyone", and if certain notifications begin to annoy you, you can turn them off later.
Free Resource
Instagram for Business Templates & Guide
Fill out this form to access the Instagram for Business Kit.
To customize which notifications you receive, follow these steps:
1. Open up the Instagram app on your phone.
First up, open up the Instagram app on your mobile device.
You can also access Instagram on desktop if you prefer. Then, head to your profile by clicking the image of your profile picture on the bottom right.
2. Access “Settings.”
After you arrive at your profile, click the hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner.
A popup menu will appear. Tap “Settings.”
3. Tap “Notifications.”
On the next screen, click "Notifications."
There, you’ll be able to change the notification settings depending on category. These categories include:
- Posts, Stories, and Comments
- Following and Followers
- Direct Messages and Calls
- Live and Video
- Fundraisers
- From Instagram
- Email and SMS
- Shopping
You also have the ability to pause all notifications by toggling the Pause All option up top.
4.
Check off the notifications you want to receive.Access each category individually and choose the notifications you want to receive. Here are the options, for example, for “Posts, Stories, and Comments”:
The options will vary depending on category.
And that's it! Next, let's explore how to connect your other social media accounts to your Instagram, so when you post an image to Instagram, you can share it with your other online audiences, as well.
Can you connect to Instagram to other social accounts?
Yes, you can connect Instagram to Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, but it’s no longer done through Settings, as it used to be.
Now, you do it on a per-post basis.
If you want to share a post to other platforms, you navigate to the actual post you want to cross-publish on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, and then manually share it that way.
Here’s how:
1. Open up the Instagram app.
2. Navigate to your profile.
3. Tap on the post you’d like to cross-post.
4. Click the three dots on the top right-hand corner of the post.
5. On the pop-up menu, click “Share.”
Note: Don’t click “Share to,” which will give you an option to AirDrop or share the post to your contacts.
6. Toggle the accounts you’d like to share the post to. If you’re not already signed in, you’ll need to do so right within the Instagram app.
Once you’ve connected your accounts for one post, you can then toggle the sharing options for any new posts without needing to sign in again.
If you connect Instagram to Facebook, you can share your Stories across both accounts. We talk more about how to do that below.
How to Connect Instagram to Facebook
Since Instagram and Facebook are owned by the same company, Meta, you can connect the two accounts for a more seamless experience. Connecting your Instagram and Facebook accounts allows you to:
- Share Stories across both Instagram and Facebook
- Login with Facebook into Instagram
- Sync your profile name and picture across both profiles
- Use Facebook Pay on both platforms
- Access your shopping activity on both accounts
If you’re a frequent Facebook user, then connecting your account to your new Instagram profile is highly recommended.
Here’s how:
1. Open up your Instagram app.
2. Click on your profile picture on the bottom right-hand corner.
3. Click the hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner.
4. Tap “Settings.”
5. Under the Meta logo, tap “Accounts Center.”
6. Tap “Set up Accounts Center.”
7. Follow the prompts to log in into Facebook.
Done! Your two accounts are now connected. Here's how it'll look like once you're finished:
In the next section, I'll show you when a linked account comes in handy.
Upload, Edit, and Post an Image
Now, for the most important part of Instagram — how to upload and post an image.
Instagram is an entirely visual platform. Unlike Facebook, which relies on both text and pictures, or Twitter, which relies on text alone, Instagram's sole purpose is to enable users to share images or videos with their audience.
On Facebook, you might choose to post 100 photos on an album. On Instagram, you need to be choosier about which photos you post. There are a few reasons for this — first, you don't want to post more than once a day (typically). And you don't want to post too many similar photos.
For instance, it would be odd for you to post fifty photos from the same beach vacation on your Instagram profile. Instead, you might choose five or six, and place them all within the same post.
(These are called carousel posts, and they allow you to share multiple photos in one post only. Carousel posts are awesome for posting similar pictures in one package while keeping your overall profile aesthetic diverse.)
Curious about creating an aesthetic? To learn more about Instagram account themes and get inspiration, take a look at these Instagram themes. Additionally, if you want to embark on a deep-dive, you can take HubSpot's Instagram Marketing Course.
Now that we've covered that, let's explore how to upload, edit, and post an image.
1. Click the "+" icon at the top-right hand corner.
When you tap the “+” icon, you’ll be prompted to choose the type of post you want to share. Since we want to publish a post directly on our profile feed, tap “Post.”
2. Choose your media file.
Here, you have three options. You can look through your Photos library on your phone, you can take a new picture from right within Instagram, or you can take a new video. For our purposes, I looked through my Photos library and found a picture of Boston I wanted to use. Then, I clicked "Next" in the top right.
3. Add filters if desired.
There are two categories you can use to edit your image — "Filter" and "Edit". Instagram automatically shows you filters first. You can scroll through the carousel and click any of the filters to apply it to your image.
Additionally, if you want to use a filter but you want to tone it down, double tap the filter and move the cursor to the left to lessen the intensity of the filter.
4. Edit your image if desired.
Next, click "Edit". Here, you can adjust contrast, brightness, structure, warmth, and more. When you're happy with your edited image, or if you don't want to edit it at all, click "Next" in the top right.
5. Write a caption and toggle sharing settings.
Now, you can add a caption, tag people (you can only tag someone if they also have an Instagram account), and add a location. Additionally, click the button beside Facebook or another linked social media account to share your image on that platform, as well. When you're ready to publish, click "Share" in the top right.
If you don’t want to use your app to post on Instagram, you can also do so from your computer. Learn how to post to Instagram from a Mac or PC here.
Upload an Image or Video to Your Stories
Instagram Stories is a feature that allows you to post videos or images that disappear after 24-hours. Instagram's Stories feature is similar to Snapchat in terms of content — users often post more casual and candid videos and images, offering glimpses into their every day lives.
For instance, on your normal feed, you might post a heavily-edited picture of yourself and friends at a baseball game. But you might post a more candid video to your Story of the stadium singing "Sweet Caroline".
To learn how to upload an image or video to your Stories, follow these steps:
1. Tap your profile picture in the upper left-hand corner.
Alternatively, swipe right on your feed or tap the “+” button in the top navigation bar.
2. Capture or add your media.
Once you're within the Stories feature, you can take a picture or video right from within the app. Alternatively, if you have an image saved to your phone that you'd like to use, you can choose it from your media library.
3. Add stickers or filters.
On the left-hand side, you have a few different editing features.
The “Create” button lets you add a location, hashtag, time, date, and other fun images or emojis to your picture.
The “Boomerang” option allows you to create a looping video.
And the "Aa" icon is your text button. Once you click "Aa", you have the option to change your font.
If you click the smiley face icon, you'll see the following screen. Simply click on one of the icons to add them to your image. If you don't like it, drag it to the bottom, and a trash can will appear so you can delete it.
For instance, I clicked the smiley face icon to add a poll to my image. You can also swipe to the left or right to add filters to your photo or video.
4. Publish your Story.
Once you're happy with your content, you can either click the white arrow icon in the bottom right, which allows you to share your Story with everyone who follows you, or select “Close Friends” first, so that only your close friends see it.
Then you’re done! Your Story is immediately live.
How to Follow on Instagram
It's incredibly easy to find and follow users. Using Instagram's search feature, you can find celebrities, brands, and friends. Additionally, you can search "Tags" or "Places".
"Tags" is particularly useful if you know what type of content you want to find, but you're not sure who posts about it.
For instance, you might search "#familyrecipes" under tags — your results will include any images with that hashtag. As you peruse, you might find someone who posts content you really like, and you can choose to follow them so their content appears on your feed.
To follow someone, follow these three easy steps.
1. Click on the search icon at the bottom of your screen.
It looks like a magnifying glass and will be right next to the “Home” button.
2. Next, type in a person, topic, or brand.
For this example, I searched "architecture.”
Instagram allows you to either search all posts that contain the word “architecture,” or “See all results” and see tags and places.
3. Tap the account you’re interested in following.
Once you're on someone else's account, you'll see a blue "Follow" button at the top.
For public profiles, you can click and immediately begin following that account. However, if the profile is private, you may need to wait for them to accept you first.
And that's it! You're on your way to becoming a pro. To take your account to the next level, plan out your next posts using an array of content ideas and templates.
Using Instagram is Key for Growing Your Personal Brand
If you want to grow both professionally and personally, then using Instagram is more important than ever. You can start by observing first, then begin posting as you learn your way around the user interface. With over one billion users, Instagram is an extremely worthwhile social media platform to join — and it’s only set to keep growing as time goes on.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
How to run Instagram the right way: making your account successful
Instagram has evolved from a social network where people share news and photos of food to a blogging platform.
The audience is used to quality content, and the competition is high: you compete with users from all over the world, because photos do not care about language or geographic location, and professional models, photographers, makeup artists and artists also actively use the social network. Of course, many do not know how to manage Instagram so that it develops and generates income. nine0003
But everyone has a chance to find their audience. Both schoolgirls from small towns and big brands with interesting content are becoming popular on Instagram. We figure out how to come up with a concept, take photos, write posts and maintain an Instagram account so as not to sink to the bottom of the algorithmic feed, but to find subscribers.
How to Instagram
Instagram is not just your page on a social network. Of course, no one will forbid sharing news with friends, we are talking about blogging on Instagram for a person or business, which will be of interest not only to your loved ones, but also to strangers.
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Look at the pages of stars: they rarely combine photos with each other and generally bother with content, but fans are interested in any news from the life of idols. If you do not have a couple of million fans, you will not be forgiven for low-quality and uninteresting photos.
Start with an idea. Even if it’s hard to decide, and “taking pictures of everything that surrounds me” seems like the best way out, focus on a specific topic. Culinary blogs, profiles about proper nutrition, about dancing, about clothes, make-up - yes, Instagram already has it all. But you will do it your way. And people don't collect a list of subscriptions based on the principle "I already subscribed to a food blog, so I don't need another one." nine0003
Of course, if your idea is interesting and relatively new, it will be easier to move forward. But if you don't find one, don't give up. Maintaining Instagram is constant experimentation and finding a balance in content and interaction with the audience.
How to be in business? You need a concept too. Remember the character of the brand, decide on the tone of voice. Create value for subscribers: talk about topics related to your product. Consider that SMM from 2010, when beauty salons could post "10 hairstyle ideas" and get thousands of likes, is in the past. People won't subscribe to something they can google. Create authoring content: create a branded character or choose your storytelling style and list of topics you can cover. nine0003
Instagram profile design
At first glance, your account should be clear what it is about. Briefly formulate the topic of the blog in the bio and tell us about yourself. Typically, users enter their first name, age, and city.
How to get a business account to start Instagram?
The company account must contain contacts, information about the work of offline points and detailed conditions for ordering or recording. If you are unable to fit all the necessary information in your bio, you can use the multilink service.
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Use emoji to highlight different information blocks in your bio. It is not necessary to choose bright and intrusive ones: dots, arrows, squares will look neat, but everyone will visually separate the text (name and topic of the blog) in meaning.
How beautiful it is to have Instagram
There is an unspoken rule: profile photos must match. Open the pages of bloggers again: you will surely notice that the pictures standing next to each other were taken in the same tone or overlapped with each other in vivid detail. nine0003
A Facebook study showed that users spend 0.2 seconds per post on the mobile feed. Therefore, your posts should be visually cool and catchy at first sight. Let's figure out how to manage Instagram to be qualitatively different from others.
Photos must be of high quality, interesting and well processed. Instagram has its own trends - just try to bring photos processed in the Retrica app to your audience.
Follow Audience Members to find the visual style for your profile. See what content they post, what profiles they follow. nine0003
It is not necessary to use professional equipment, but you will definitely have to learn how to photograph and process images. See the photos you like, save them, don't be afraid to repeat, you're unlikely to be seen through, but you'll get your hands on it.
Layouts - a separate big topic. Think this is a joke? Try to create something similar yourself. You will find that you don't have many items that match. And those that exist cannot be organically placed in the frame. nine0003
To make high-quality layouts, bloggers buy accessories (candles, sparkles, postcards, fruits, garlands, frames, flowers) and spend a lot of time on them.
How to blog on Instagram
In 2017, a new trend appeared on the social network: users are interested not only in photos, but also in texts. Thematic blogs have appeared that talk about proper nutrition, makeup, motivation, parenting, or just about your life.
And judging by the number of subscribers on such accounts and interactions under publications, users are ready to consume not only visual content in contact, but also read texts, even long ones. nine0003
Therefore, the desire to create and maintain an Instagram blog may be a good idea. But first, how to lead it? As with the concept of an account, a blog also needs one. Define a list of topics you write about, designate them in the profile header.
Follow the pages of users whose content you like. Pay attention to how often they publish posts, at what time they do it. How the audience is asked questions in posts, and what topics the audience is discussing more actively.
nine0002 Instagram post contains up to 2200 characters. If your text does not fit in this size, move the part to the first comment, this is a common practice among bloggers. The problem will arise if there are too many discussions: then users will have to get to the first comment in the topic for a long time.
Therefore, it is better to shorten the texts or split the story into several posts, publishing them under one hashtag. How to broadcast on Instagram
Anyone can broadcast on Instagram. After the end, it will be available, like stories, 24 hours. nine0003
To start the broadcast, go to the news feed, click on your profile picture (just like when creating Stories). Select the option "Live" in the horizontal menu below. Now by clicking "Start" you will be able to broadcast live on Instagram.
How to attract an audience to a live broadcast?
Warn your subscribers about the broadcast in advance: make an announcement in a post or story. Pick a time when your audience is online. To do this, analyze the social network account in Popsters. On the chart "Activity / Days of the week" and "Activity / Time of day" you will find the most successful days and times for live broadcasts. nine0003
Wait for a larger audience, don't jump straight into the main topic of the broadcast.
But at the same time, you can’t lose the audience who have already arrived: figure out in advance what will take the waiting time. Tell stories about the topic of the broadcast or arrange an interactive one: answer subscribers' questions or, conversely, ask them about something.
How to start Instagram?
Keep step-by-step instructions for maintaining an Instagram account:
- Decide on a topic if you're blogging. nine0086
- Find a photo style and processing style that you will follow.
- Follow competitor accounts and profiles you want to be like.
- Fill out your profile: choose a bright avatar, write in the "Bio" section about yourself and the topic of your blog.
- Make several publications in the new concept. In order for new visitors to be able to get an idea about the account, 6-8 posts are enough.
Useful related articles:
- 10 advanced Instagram tools;
- Effective Advertising in Instagram Stories: Actionable Tips;
- Guidelines for creating an Instagram profile description;
- How to correctly set up and run ads on Instagram.
A complete guide from A to Z
Are you going to publish your first post and tell the Instagram world about yourself, but don't know how? Or maybe you already have a blog, but are not satisfied with it? What about earnings? Is your profile bringing in enough customers or would you like more? nine0003
You are reading a complete guide on how to start blogging on Instagram. In this article I talk about what points to pay close attention to in maintaining an account. Consider everything:
- niche selection,
- target audience,
- competitor analysis,
- account registration,
- useful applications in maintaining a profile,
- writing posts and publishing stories,
- free and paid promotion methods forbidden topics. nine0086
In almost every block you will find links to more detailed articles. I recommend reading each, in them I tried to answer all possible questions.
In this article you will learn:
What do you need to do before starting an Instagram account?
Look, there are hundreds of happy wives, needlewomen, fitonies and knitters, knitters, photographers, trainers on Instagram.
If you write about the same things they write about, then you will simply drown in a mass of similar blogs.
You need your own chip, and instagram doesn't need another blog .
Start managing your account the right way with Lecture "The Content Engine" .
As a result of the lecture, you will receive a scheme that will help you sell more on Instagram without constantly posting stories.
Bonus - ready-made content plan for an expert for a month!
Read more
Start with market analysis
Before you learn how to manage Instagram, you need to start with market analysis . I'm not talking about serious marketing analysis, you just don't have the resources and experience to do it. I encourage you to see what people are searching for in your niche with:
- Yandex Wordstat,
- Google Trends,
- Comments on forums and competitor accounts.
Before the advent of the iPad, there were PDAs (personal pocket computers) on the market. However, they were not popular with people: it was expensive, incomprehensible, ugly. And in 2010, Apple presents its first iPad, which combines the functions of a laptop and a smartphone. nine0003
saw the potential of the niche, responded to 's expectations and people's requests, and released the product.
To properly start from scratch - answer the question “ What do people need? »
For example:
Beginning confectioner Masha saw in Yandex.Wordstat a demand for birthday cakes for boys and girls. Based on this, Masha decided to make two main products: a birthday cake in the form of superheroes for boys and a birthday cake in the form of princesses for girls. nine0003
Use Yandex.Wordstat and Google Trends to find your niche.
Make an analysis of the target audience
It has already been said and retold about the target audience, but still I meet a bunch of comments in the style: "I don't know who my target audience is.
"
Target audience is a group of people united by some sign. This includes not only existing customers, but also potential ones.
Through the analysis of the target audience, you know:
- What a potential buyer watches, reads, listens to . When developing texts and advertising, you take into account their slang, traditions, religious or political beliefs, ways of obtaining information, etc. All this increases the effect of advertising.
- Audience Needs : What does your client need? what problems he faced and what he can offer her. This will allow you to make the most targeted offer. As one cliché says: An offer you can't refuse .
- What the audience breathes . You also know the people they listen to. This is especially true when buying ads from bloggers.
4 steps to define your target audience
A little reminder for those who don't know or have forgotten how to define their target audience.
To do this:
- Draw a general portrait of TA . Here, describe gender, age, geography, income level, possible professions, marital status (if it is important). nine0086
- Divide the overall portrait into segments . If you develop a profile on Instagram, then we reduce the age of our target audience. According to official data, the average age of Instagram visitors is 18-34 years old . Agree, at 18 and at 34 there may be different needs, and this is important - this is point number 3.
- Explore the needs of the target audience . To do this, go to Google, rummage through forums, VK groups, competitor profiles and write out your assumptions in a mind map.
- Refine product or positioning . Remember, you cannot change the habits and pains of your target audience. But you can change your product to solve the pains of the target audience.
It's like in the story about Vasya and Petya:
Vasya first made a product, and then he didn't know who to sell 1000 units of his product to.
Petya found out what people needed, made a product that solves their pain and sold everything without a trace.
Be like Petya.
Get to know your competitors for a successful start
For some reason, many people associate working with competitors with struggle, conflicts or even war. Let's agree, from now on, to consider our competitors as colleagues from whom you can learn something or build up against their background. It seems to me that this point of view is more suitable for constructive affairs.
Why analyze competitors:
- in order to understand the differences between your own assortment and that of a competitor,
- to see its strengths and weaknesses ,
- understand how they sell and where their customers come from,
- adjust their own development strategy .
Competitor analysis is also a great way to find out the client's pains .
Go to the comments under a useful post and see what questions people are asking.
Competitors are:
Key - companies whose actions can significantly affect sales (both upward and downward). nine0003
Direct - companies that sell a similar product in a similar market and work with your target audience.
Indirect - companies that sell a product with different characteristics or a completely different product, but work with your target audience. ⠀
“But how is it, Zarina. Does that mean you have to keep an eye on everyone? And when to work?
Of course, you don't have to keep track of everyone, you won't physically have time to do it. Therefore, remember the algorithm of actions:
- Make a list of possible competitors on Instagram.
- Divide this list into direct, key and indirect.
- Analyze the profiles of direct competitors: profile header, avatar, content, what they offer, how much it costs, the number of subscribers, profile activity.
- Think about where you can offer the best conditions, how you can distinguish yourself, and what ideas you can borrow.
How to start Instagram
After you have figured out the niche, target audience and competitors, you can move on to the account itself. In order for readers to notice your profile, it is important to format it correctly. This means that you need to make a header, think over the visual, write a content plan and start promoting your profile. nine0003
Decide on the type and theme of your blog
Decide on the type of blog to start blogging. On Instagram, it is customary to divide any accounts into 3 large groups: a business account, a personal blog, and an expert blog.
Business account
You will get a business account if you want to create a shop, studio or salon page. Such profiles are monetized by selling their services and products.
In terms of content, everything is simple: selling and informational posts (for example, about the benefits of your product) + rare entertaining posts or videos for engagement.
There can be no personal content in the feed of a business account. nine0003 An example of running a business account (shop, salon, studio)
Personal blog
A personal blog is any profile whose author maintains Instagram and does not provide any services. The authors of such blogs often shoot funny and not so funny videos, comment on world events, express their opinion on topical issues in posts and stories. They also broadcast their life, relationships, sports results, nutrition, hobbies. They earn, as a rule, by selling advertising integrations.
Personal blog example (humor, travel, food, fashion)Expert blog
Expert blogs are ideal for promoting your services. For example, if you are a makeup artist, copywriter or photographer. It is important for the authors of such blogs to work with the loyalty of the audience, increase their expertise, and engage them with interesting and useful content.
Expert blogs are monetized by selling services and training (courses, marathons, master classes).
Absolutely any field can be a topic for a blog. If you don't know what blog to start, here are two tips for choosing an account theme:
- Blog about topics that are close to you and that you understand. If you have no idea what to write about skiing, don't write about skiing.
- Niche and find your audience.
Let me explain the second advice. Let's say you're a psychologist. Yes, you can write about everything and a little, this area is limitless in terms of ideas for posts. But it would be much better to choose a narrower direction and better reveal each topic. This will increase your expertise and average check. For example, you can write about problems with children, relationships, or emotional burnout (the latter is a direct scourge of the 21st century, which I also faced). nine0003
Think about visual design
An example of a good profile visual: high-quality photos with different angles. On the left ribbon is my profile in warm colors, on the right - a profile in cold colors.
If text is used, then it is readable, and the font is the same everywhere. Instagram is a social network where the main content will always be photos and videos. Your useful publications will remain unread if the profile or post does not attract attention.
An example of what not to do: stock images, different font on the photo, it is unreadable on some photos, there is no single direction in color design. In the left tape on none of the 9there is no photo of the author, but this is an expert blog.Visual design includes a profile header, an avatar and a photo of posts in the feed. Trends are constantly changing and what was relevant in 2020 has already gone out of fashion in 2023. Therefore, I will not tell you about visual trends, but I will suggest general principles that you can follow.
- Look at the description of the target audience . Your visual should be close to those we want to attract. For example, if you sell an expensive service and are looking for solvent people, then you will never attract them if you publish a photo against the backdrop of a Soviet carpet.
nine0086 - Post quality photos . And now I’m not only talking about professional photo shoots, although they are also needed for the blog. Choose clothes, accessories and surroundings to take good photos.
- Watch the balance of light and darkness . The photo should not have highlights or, conversely, too dark fragments.
- Choose different angles . Do not post only selfies or only portrait photos. Make sure that different angles alternate in your feed: details, medium, long-range and ultra-long shot. nine0086
- Process photos . You can use presets for Lightroom or edit images in other photo apps.
YouTube is full of video guides on mobile photography and editing. Look at them, it will make it easier for you to create photo content.
Design features
Each type of blog has its own design features.
Which image answers the question "What does the profile sell" faster? The best solution for avatar business account will be the product photo.
You can put a store logo on the avatar only if you are Nike, Adidas or the logo contains an image of what you are selling. In other cases, with a 99% chance, your logo will be almost impossible to make out, and you will lose your avatar as an advantage.
- Write the addresses of your stores/studios, current discounts, calls to action and a link to the site/taplink in the header.
- Alternate product photos from different angles and plans. nine0086
- Avoid foreign objects in the photo, unless they "enhance" your product.
The author of personal blog must be recognized, so we put 100% of our face on the ava in close-up, maximum to the waist.
- In the profile header, write what you can interest the audience, why it is worth subscribing to you.
- Keep the design of the ribbon natural. Fill it with bright "live" images. Avoid the same type and fuzzy photos. Photos should convey emotions and attract to the reading of the post.
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For the blog of the expert, it is appropriate to use both a personal photo and a photo of the result of your service. A copywriter, for example, cannot show a photo of his service, just like a psychologist. Therefore, for such experts, a personal photo is the best option. Again, close-up or to the waist. A photographer can post a personal photo with a camera, a confectioner can post mouth-watering buns or cakes.
- The header should hook a person from the first words, so place the most important things in it: the key phrase in the name, USP and call to action. nine0086
- The visual should be combined with each other both in color and in content.
- To make it easier to navigate your blog, you can place post titles on photos. This will allow the person to immediately understand what the post is about, or find the right one in your feed.
Install applications
This item may seem strange, they say, why install applications when there is an insta.
The built-in tools are not enough to schedule the tape, do the necessary processing, and even more so glue the video. I have compiled key Instagram apps that make it easy for me to work with content. nine0003
The Preview application
Preview allows you to schedule a tape and get the same profile "in the same style." For basic tasks, the free version will be enough for you.
The app has a clean interface, photo editing tools and a font pack that you can use in your posts or bio. With Preview, you can create a grid layout, rearrange photos, and get the best version of your feed.
The app also has a post planner and analytics tools, but I don't use them. Internal analytics from Instagram is enough for me, and if necessary, I schedule posts for free through delayed posting on the Facebook website. nine0003
Photo editors
I'll tell you how to process photos easily and simply, what editors to use to get beautiful photos and likes:
Lightroom is a cool visual photo editor.
You can find many presets that make works of art from ordinary photos. Here you can change the saturation, brightness and hue separately for each color. It is convenient to crop the photo and change the contrast. The free version is enough to work.
Snapseed is the basic editor. It differs, perhaps, in speed. Very fast loading, exporting images. Suitable for removing unwanted objects in the photo, quick color correction and cropping. The application is also free, with an intuitive interface.
Available tools in SnapseedPS Express - where without it. Photoshop is the father of all photo editors. Also free. In it I use only the “Restore” tool to delete objects. Photoshop does it best, I recommend it. nine0003 My favorite tool in PS Express
Video editors
Some blogs consist entirely of video posts. And now that Instagram has rolled out Reels, you absolutely need a video editor to keep up. I use it myself:
InShot is an excellent mobile editor, many people know it by its watermark.
In it, you can glue a clip from several videos, trim where necessary, add music, text, change the speed of the video. All basic tools are free to use, but your videos will be watermarked. You can get rid of it by purchasing a subscription for 349₽/month, 1150 ₽/year or for 3290 ₽ forever. I take an annual subscription, because. videos are not the main content type in my account.
Videoleap is also a video editor, but I keep it only because of one useful difference. Here you can work with several tracks, as in a full-fledged editor. InShot loses in this regard, there is only one track and you cannot overlay one layer on another. nine0003 You can overlay both images and audio tracks.
iOS Basic Video Editor - 360-degree video rotation is now available after the latest update. It helps a lot if you suddenly took something at the wrong angle.
Free, available by clicking the "Edit" button in the upper right corner.
Start writing posts
You figured out the type of blog and theme, installed everything you need, filled out the header, what's next? Tell the audience who you are and how you can be useful, write a post-acquaintance. nine0003
Maximum post length 2200 characters , but Instagrammers have long learned to bypass this limitation. There are two ways to publish something that does not fit in the post:
1. Text on the photo in the carousel . In addition to the first photo, you have 9 more slides in the carousel, where you can write what did not fit in the post. Do not forget to write in the post that the continuation can be read in the carousel.
Make an entry in a text or photo editor, save it, add it to the carousel to the post. nine0002 2. Comment under post . Fewer people use this method, but it is still alive, so I will write about it.
Each comment can contain up to 1000 characters, and if not less than this figure, write a comment. Don't forget to pin it so it's right below the post so people don't have to look for a sequel. To pin a comment, you'll have to post it as a different account. For each type of publication, you can come up with and find a lot of topics for posts. Depending on the content and purpose, posts are distinguished:
Sellers . The purpose of such posts is to sell a product, product, service. These are posts where you directly encourage readers to buy something from you.
Informational . Delivering information to the audience. This may be an up-to-date price list, information about a change of address or the opening of a new branch. We also include useful posts on the topic of the account.
Involving . Such posts are aimed at engaging existing subscribers to leave comments and communicate with you. Here you can discuss procedures and products, hold competitions.
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Entertainment . Posts of good mood and increasing loyalty. Humor brings you closer to your readers. Entertainment content includes funny memes and videos, curiosities and polls.
Of course, in one post you can't reveal the topic of blog copywriting. Therefore, I give 7 rules for a good post for Instagram:
- Write for your target audience . Use the same words, terms and slang. If you write for moms, then greet them: “Hello, mufflers!” at least indecent. nine0086
- Make text of different lengths . Write both short posts and long ones. There is no universal recipe here, test it.
- Write the way you speak . Some people, sitting down to the text, for some reason, begin to fence complex constructions.
- Follow logic . First, Anna Karenina fell in love and only then threw herself under the train. Not vice versa. ⠀
- Follow the structure .
Attract attention with a headline (if you practice captions on pictures) or the beginning. Then talk about the benefits of the product and end with a call to action. nine0086 - Divide text into paragraphs, spice it up with emoji .
- Write every day . Regularity is the key to success in copywriting.
Post Stories and Reels
Stories examples: lifestyle, questions, pollsIn Stories tell us about yourself, personal insights, how your work day went, share achievements. Emotional content brings the blogger closer to the audience. It is very important to publish stories daily so as not to get lost from the feed of subscribers. nine0003
business accounts can post current promotions, new products, arrange interactive questions and answers about products or services. This will increase coverage and find out what is interesting to the target audience.
I advise the owners of personal blog to conduct more live communication: polls, voting, situations from everyday life, breaking news.
Blogger-expert can share the results of work or achievements of students in stories. Show subscribers customer reviews, tool or product reviews. Arrange an interactive with a vote or a request to evaluate the result in a before / after style. Don't forget to show the personal on the blog, it has a good effect on the reach. nine0003 Reels video examples: they can be both entertaining and useful videos
Reels is a new feature from Instagram and it is also an attempt to move TikTok. It appeared in the world in August 2020, and in Russia it was launched only at the end of June 2021. It is a short video for 15-60 seconds. They are displayed on a special tab and do not disappear after 24 hours, like stories. The main difference between rils and stories is that they are shown not only to your subscribers, but also to random people in the feed. nine0003
Track statistics
Statistics are needed to understand what the audience is interested in and to properly promote your blog.
I'll note right away that statistics are available only for business accounts and author profiles. To transfer an account to a business account, you need to connect statistics to Instagram. In it, you can see the age of the audience, their gender, location, periods of greatest activity by day of the week and hour.
Pay attention to posts, stories and Reels that have received more reach, a lot of comments and likes. Analyze them and make similar content. Over time, you will find your recipe for fasting that will “get in”. nine0003
How to start promoting on Instagram
We have come to the final step in order to start attracting an audience on Instagram. Even the steepest profile will bend without advancing. So let's see what options we have.
Free promotion
The social network annually cuts this direction and it becomes more and more difficult to gain followers on Instagram for free.
Geotags . Indicate in the posts the places where your target audience is.
For example, if you photograph newborns, you can use the geo-tags of antenatal clinics, perinatal centers, maternity hospitals. nine0003
Barter or Mutual PR (VP) . You advertise a blogger for free, he advertises you. Be sure to analyze the account with which you want to conduct the VP. Ask for statistics on stories, take a look at the percentage of likes and comments from the total number of subscriptions, it should be at least 6-10%. This method of promotion is appropriate if your blog has at least 1-2 thousand subscribers.
Hashtags . It's good, but you need to know how to use it. Don't even try to post high frequency hashtags like #fit , #girl , #work . They will only work if you are a Kardashian with a billion followers who will bring your post to the TOP of the recommended with their likes. For young blogs, there is a chance to get into the recommended ones only with low-frequency hashtags.
For example, #website text or #weight loss workout .
This list used to have geo tags and hashtags for stories, but in 2021, Insta turned them off as well. Stories by geo-tagging are no longer available, which means that they cannot be used for promotion.
massliking and massfollowing never go away, but I have always been against this method. You can do it manually better than with the help of services, albeit longer. nine0003
But remember - there is always a risk of getting banned for using MF and ML, so think a thousand times whether you are ready to lose what you have been gaining.
Paid promotion
In the vastness of the network, you can still find articles in which there is the cherished phrase “... although Instagram does not have ads …”. Right now, you can buy placements in Posts, Stories, Reels, and IGTV only in Facebook Ads. In addition, you can always buy ads from bloggers, bypassing the official advertising tools. nine0003
Targeted advertising
Examples of advertisements in the target: 2 ads in stories and 2 posts in the feedTarget is a one-love for me. You can choose the goal of promotion: more visits to the profile, site or increase in the number of comments. Customize the audience: specify gender, age, location. Target will show your posts or stories exactly to those who could potentially become your client. Or it will remind people about you who have already visited your profile, saved posts, but for some reason did not subscribe. nine0003
Advertising with bloggers
A great way to increase the audience of your blog is to buy ads from bloggers.
Choose to start microblogs with a small number of subscribers. The audience of such accounts is quite involved, and you can get more return on advertising in such a profile.
You can use popular exchanges like Sociate, but I recommend always looking for handles and contacting blog owners directly for advertising.
In addition, you can buy advertising in the public. But here you need to analyze well and choose sites. See to it that the audience is alive and active. nine0003
What is forbidden to post on Instagram?
It is forbidden to post nude photos, posts that incite conflicts on religious, political or social topics on Instagram. Plagiarism is not allowed - the social network is against content theft. For spamming in Direct and spamming comments, you may be subject to a permanent account ban.
Also, the service may consider publication of several posts on the same day as doubtful:
- New profiles 2-4 weeks old can publish no more than 3 posts per day .
- Profiles older than 6 months can post up to up to 25 posts per day .
Instagram reacts sharply to any mass action. Numerous identical hashtags, comments and direct messages are perceived as spam. Endless likes, subscriptions, unsubscribes make the page activity suspicious. For various violations, insta can ban you for several hours, days, months, and even forever. nine0003
Conclusion
Now you know everything to start blogging on Instagram. This social network is a goldmine for business and self-expression. I hope you understand the algorithm of actions and this article will really help you in maintaining a profile.
And do not forget that in order to develop an account, it is not enough to read some information. The main thing is to put it into practice.
Questions?
Questions and answers
How to manage a group on Instagram?
Group - this is the same blog that is dedicated to a specific topic.
