The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 2

GUEST POST BY NABEHA LATIF

Instagram has seen dramatic development in recent years, from roughly a million clients in 2010 to more than one billion. One could contend that Instagram is an online media network like no other. Rather than words, the stage is constructed on the whole around sharing pictures and recordings. This visual contort is the reason Instagram is the social stalwart it is today — “Instagramming” is authoritatively an action word now.

Assuming you are keen on getting an Instagram account or just made one but are not sure how to utilize it, you are in the right place – Here, we will cover every one of the fundamentals, so you can see why Instagram is the top online media stage for commitment today.

To assist you with the beginning, we will stroll through the basics with your Instagram account.

Why Instagram?

Instagram is an online media stage that underlines photograph and video sharing through its portable application. You can take, alter, and distribute visual content for your followers and build a lasting relationship. With roughly two billion monthly active users, Instagram belongs to the most popular social networks worldwide.

It’s hard to remember a time before Instagram. “Do it for the ‘gram” has turned into a typical saying, which implies, basically, “Accomplish something so we can snap a photo and post it to Instagram.”

72% of users report making purchase decisions based on something they saw on Instagram. It makes Instagram a must-have for brands/businesses for building brand image via visuals. Also, it’s an amazing stage for staying connected to the target audience. Remember the trends are changing so quickly nowadays that if you have to keep an eye on social media in real time! (or hire a social media marketer to do it for you!)

Before you get started, connect with your social media and networking purpose again. Remember what you would like to achieve with social media and being connected with more people, grow a following or an audience, and what your one-sentence mission statement is. If you are in one of our programs or work with Angie Weinberger as a coach you probably already know that you need to make a few strategic decisions before you start. You should have clarity on your personal brand, your three labels, your main mission statement, your color scheme, and discussion themes, and decide about your filter already. You don’t just randomly add photos to Instagram, you do this with a purpose and mission in mind.

How To Get Started

To get on Instagram, you should simply download the Instagram application on your phone and get started on your new account by tapping “Join” Instagram is designed to be used via your smartphone only. You can access the platform via a desktop, but you won’t be able to upload content. You can decide to join through Facebook, email, or telephone number. Then, you have to pick a username (short, witty, and relatable to your brand)  and password. After that, you’re ready to get started! 

Once you are done setting up the profile, follow the steps below:

1. Download the application via App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).

1. To sign up, click “Sign in with Facebook” if you wish to link the two together, or fill in the usual details such as phone number or email, name, username, and secret key. Then, at that point, click “Join.”

1. On Android, click “Join With Email or Phone Number.” On an iPhone, select “Make New Account.”

1. Enter your email address and phone number, then click “Next.” You can also join Facebook to reduce the time and effort to log in.

1. Whenever you’ve finished setting up your username and password, you will be told to complete your profile information. When you have, tap “Done.”

1. Remember your Short bio is crucial to reflect your brand’s personality. It should include a brief self-description, contact information, emojis, hashtags, and more. 

Bad  Example: 

A Coach, Author, and Keynote Speaker.

Good example:

Redefining success ✨

💡 Successful but stuck? I got you covered.

Global Mobility Lecturer * Author * Keynote Speaker

 🛋️ #HireMeExpress #RockMeRetreat 👩🏻‍💻

👩🏻‍🏫 #CareerStrategist

The Basics

At its core, Instagram is a friendly and casual platform, with most of the talking done through the visual content being posted. Each time you open the application, you’ll see the fundamental feed of ongoing posts from the accounts (people) you follow. A menu bar is available everywhere in the application at the base.

The Instagram menu bar, or the hub, has five buttons at the lower part of the application screen. Each has a unique function and will be the easiest way to navigate the platform. This is what each button does, from left to right:

• Home Button (Little House): Your fundamental feed where you can look through photographs and recordings posted by the people you follow.

• Explore (Magnifying Glass): The magnifying glass symbol takes you to the Explore page, where you can look at and peruse content from accounts you don’t follow yet may find interesting.

• Upload (The “+” sign): Select the photo (or video) you wish to post from your device’s library or tap the camera icon to take a new image with your smartphone camera. This is where you get creative and share engaging content!

• Activity/Notifications (The heart sign): The heart symbol takes you to a page that showcases likes and comments on your posts.

• Profile (Your own picture!): Clicking your own image takes you to your account wherein you can see your posts, edit your profile settings as well as view your posts insights. Posts insights are crucial in understanding the type of posts which are attracting relevant audience. 

How To Post

To share a photograph or video on Instagram, tap the “+” button on the bottom middle of the screen, where you can choose photographs or recordings from your phone’s camera app to post. Instagram permits you to choose up to 10 photographs and recordings to post immediately.

• Decide your Instagram Theme. Decide a theme that you want to follow – which helps in giving your brand a familiar look. You can decide to apply a filter for each post, which, contingent upon who you ask, is vital for the Instagram experience. Filters make it simple to alter shots with various visual preset overlays. 

• Add Suitable Captions. Captions are dependably a smart thought. You can utilize words, emoticons, or hash tags. Very much like in remarks, you can likewise “tag” followers and friends by putting “@” before their username. Remember, you can alter inscriptions whenever — or erase them if it becomes necessary later on.

• Consider Tagging Contacts. Instagram permits you to “tag” somebody in your photographs. When you label somebody, they’ll get a notification in their news feed. Feel free to tag brands/businesses as they will love the promotion done. However, It’s best to ask permission prior to adding tags of people you don’t know. 
• Add Your Location. Location labels let others know where your photograph was taken. Tapping on an area label carries you to its related  area feed, where you can examine other public posts.
• Post to other Social Accounts. Instagram likewise enables you to simultaneously publish a post to other social records. You can cross-post to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr by connecting accounts.

Explore These Great Features

As you would expect, Instagram carries out new highlights consistently. From a new substance to a continually growing arrangement of inventive devices, Instagram offers a lot of chances for self-articulation and inventiveness. Here are the best-in-class Instagram highlights.

• Instagram (IG) Stories

Many individuals use Instagram solely to make and survey Stories, which are adjustable posts that remain on your feed for 24 hours. These posts, which could be a blend of photographs and short-structure recordings, are introduced in a slideshow design and available through the highest point of the home feed.

• Instagram (IG) Live

Instagram Live is an element that lets you “Livestream” — as such, broadcast live video from your gadget to any individual who needs to watch. Viewers can send you messages and hearts while you stream, making this an extraordinary method for conversing live with audience and doing Q&A sessions in real time!

• IGTV

IGTV is Instagram’s committed video stage, allowing clients to transfer recordings as long as 15 minutes long (or an hour in the event that you utilize the work area variant). IGTV has its own application for iPhone and Android, yet you can likewise find it inside the customary Instagram application.

• Instagram Shopping

Given Instagram’s ubiquity, it’s nothing unexpected that brands are doing all they can to transform Instagram users into clients. As indicated by Instagram, a great many individuals shop on Instagram consistently.

• Instagram Reels

Worked as an adversary to TikTok, Instagram Reels allows you to record and transfer brief recordings as long as 15 seconds in length. When you record a video, you can alter it and add music, text, and enhancements.

Different followers can like or remark on your Reels recordings, which can be a pleasant method for getting more followers.

I know it can be overwhelming in the start so I always recommend to set attainable short term goals and work towards them. Don’t expect to go viral overnight, but stay consistent with postings. Use the right hashtags and engage! You can also run ad campaigns to attract relevant audience but your content needs to be compelling enough that it stands out and keep your audience engaged. 

Request:

Please follow Angie Weinberger on Instagram. You find her as angie_weinberger.

About the Author

Nabeha Latif is a Digital Media/Branding Consultant specializing in leveraging online marketing channels to achieve desired goals. Since her majors in digital marketing, she has collaborated with names like UN, Ali Baba Inc, Uber, UNESCO, UNDP, etc., to name just a few. She is also actively involved in providing business development services related to marketing. Drop her an email at nabehalatif21@gmail.com for any queries