They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
And then there’s Instagram — home of the hipster, the meal no one wants to see, and a million half-naked girls.
All jokes aside, Instagram’s actually a pretty convenient place to gain exposure, grow a social following, and of course, hone your marketing chops.
So whatever you think you know about Instagram, check it at the door!
Instagram’s full of creative marketers you could learn a thing or two from.
Here are the best tips we collected from successful Instagramers.
#1 - Don’t cross the line
Nudity is bad, mmkay.
At least on Instagram it is.
Showing too much skin not only goes against Instagram's community guidelines, but should it be allowed, posting x-rated explicit content would be the equivalent of giving all the good stuff away for free
You want the juice to actually be worth the squeeze!
Keep your followers wanting more!
#2 - Know when to post
Don’t just post whenever you want; know when to post.
But, how do you know “WHEN” ?
The goal, of course, is to post when most of your followers are online
A social media analytics tool such as this one by Simply Measured will do wonders for you. (And thankfully, this tool is free to try.)
With an analytics tool such as this, you can:
- Measure your Instagram engagement
- Measure content and trends
- Analyze your brand across not just Instagram, but also Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Once you have that follower insight, you’ll know when that perfect time to post is.
#3 - And then post frequently
Once a week or once a day ain't gonna cut it.
There's a reason why the most popular Instagramers post several times a day.
Hint: It’s not because they're obsessed with posting -- it's just what it takes to reach insane levels of engagement!
When you take the time to curate wonderful content, you’ll have more to post, and you’ll see that more people will start to follow you.
#4 - Don't bite off more than you can chew
“Do One Thing, Do it Well And You Will Make Money” Forbes
When you focus on one social platform and do it well, your energy is concentrated.
Besides Instagram, which photo-sharing service would you guess to be the second most commonly used platform by models and marketers? Probably SnapChat.
While it may be common to have accounts on all the major social platforms, there just ain't enough time in the day to devote the required full time attention to each form of social display.
Maybe start out with one or two, and go from there.
Don’t settle onto another until you’ve mastered the first.
#5 - When criticism comes your way, embrace it
As your popularity increases, so will your haters. When that happens, let ‘em hate.
We know it’s sometimes easier said than done, but it really is in your best interest to not get sucked into arguing back. There’s really no winning against some online commenters.
Thankfully, you’ll have fans when you reach this point. Let your fans defend you!
And if your followers are just being critical — and not mean-spirited — perhaps it’s constructive criticism and something you can learn from!
#6 - Network with other users
Regardless of how popular you are, networking with other Instagramers is absolutely essential to getting more followers.
One way to do this is to reach out directly to other users in your space.
i.e., are you aware of other users who post the same kinds of pics you do?
Find them, reach out, and see if they’d like to cross-promote!
Then, mention that your followers follow said Instagrammer -- and have the other person do the same for you.
It’s a win-win!
#7 - Stick to selfies
Whether you’re the model — or it’s your girlfriend, wife, or content you’re getting permission to use and/or paying for — selfies tend to perform the best.
Other tips worthy of mentioning:
Avoid posting pictures of professional models.
But if you do, make sure you tag them AND the photographer (however, this is still not recommended).
Avoid writing “explicit.”
Avoid mentioning websites in captions or pics.
And going back to our first tip -- Avoid even partial nudity, as that’s still a huge Instagram no no.
#8 - Make things interesting for your followers
Give your followers another reason to love you!
Run contests, offer advice, or offer anything that could be of value to them
For example, the contests idea -- it could be something as simple as asking your fans to re-post one of your images and telling their own followers to follow you. And in return, one lucky person could be selected to receive something special like your private SnapChat username or private email!
We’re sure you get the idea here. The possibilities are endless!
Instagram-Savvy Marketing to live by
At the end of the day, a whole lot of takeaways can be had from Instagram’s best of the best
These marketers and models exude cleverness beyond the realm; these men and women have mastered the art of marketing themselves day in and day out through the simple act of photo-sharing — on the largest and most used photo-sharing social networking platform around.
Take note, boys and girls!
