WHAT BEGINNERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INSTAGRAM
Many people are starting to explore social media platform Instagram However it can be challenging for beginners to get used to the popular app and optimize the engagement on their posts. Instagram has made it easy for people to share their lives with friends and family members who are far away. It’s a great way to get them updated on your day-to-day activities. You can share your work out or even what you ate for breakfast, nothing is off limits or too small of a detail to share. There are millions of people using the app daily making it easy to get lost in a sea of content. If you are new to the app it can be difficult to get into it and even more difficult to grow your account so if you need help, here are a few tips that you should know as a beginner about Instagram.
What forms of content are there?
There are many different ways that you can post on Instagram including:
- Reels: Reels are Instagram’s latest feature. It is a short video that can comprise of multiple videos and are accompanied by music. You can post reels on your feed, in your stories or on both. The benefits of reels is that it expands your reach. Reels are new and video based which means Instagram will push it more than an image. Reels are also often featured on the discovery page so apart from expanding your reach, you have the potential to get Instagram followers. You should post reels whenever possible.
- Stories: Stories are videos or pictures that you can post onto your profile in chronological order. They are a great way to showcase your personality and engage with your followers. Stories gives your followers a glimpse into your life behind the scenes. It’s best to post stories every day.
- IGTV: Originally you could only post 60 second videos on your Instagram feed but with the introduction of IGTV you can now post a series of longer videos which is great if you want to express yourself creatively in longer videos. Videos also get more visibility than pictures so this is a great benefit that comes with posting IGTV videos. You should use them when you have to post a longer video.
- Live: IGLive allows you to go live on Instagram and connect with your followers in real time. They can interact with you by sending you comments and asking questions while you are on the live. This is a great way to connect with your followers and it strengthens the relationship that you have with your followers. You should use these whenever you want to connect with your audience in real time.
What are the different ways to engage?
Engagement is what drives Instagram so it is very important. There are many different ways that you can engage on Instagram including:
- Direct messages: When somebody sends you a personal message in your direct messages you should respond. Likewise, you should not shy away from messaging people and engaging with them. Direct messages are a good way to build bonds with people and boost engagement so definitely do it.
- Commenting: You should always respond to comments that people leave on your posts and you should also comment on peoples post. This boosts engagement and helps you build a community.
- Using stickers when posting stories: A great way to engage is through the use of stickers. You can host polls and questionnaires in your Stories to boost engagement and get to know your followers.
Remember, all forms of engagement is the best engagement.
What are hashtags and how to use them?
Hashtags are a word or a series of words followed by the “#” symbol. Using hashtags when you post makes your content discoverable and widens your reach significantly. You get to connect with different audiences and grow your following on Instagram. When using hashtags make sure to not use too many hashtags, stick to about 3-5 hashtags per post and don’t use hashtags that are too saturated, this will result in your post getting lost in a sea of other posts that have the same hashtag attached to it.
