The Secret Guide to Social Media: Instagram
How to Utilize Your Social Media Platforms:
Welcome to a deep dive into the world of social media, where trends shift as quickly as the next viral video. As a Gen Z Social Media Coordinator, I’m happy to share my tips and tricks for succeeding in this dynamic landscape. If social media seems daunting to you, don’t worry. You’ve come to the right place.
This week, we will be focusing on Instagram. I will start by breaking down the social platform and exploring what all businesses can utilize it for.
Instagram is, by far, my favorite social media platform. Like many others, I enjoy photography and graphic design, so Instagram is the perfect space to share. With recent updates, Instagram no longer shares posts in chronological order and instead uses its algorithm that prioritizes content based on factors such as engagement or relevance. This information is crucial to utilize your content to reach your consumers. Some important things to keep in mind when posting to Instagram are:
Choose your primary and secondary photos wisely. If you share multiple images at once (or, as I like to call it, a “photo dump”), you should be cautious about what photos you choose to include first and second. Instagram often shows the secondary image first to users if the data behind your post shows people aren’t swiping through the carousel.
Tag everything and everyone! The more people/places/businesses you tag, the better. You want as many people to see your post as possible, so why not get their attention by directly tagging them in your photos? Raw engagement is fueled by how well a post is doing due to the algorithm of this platform, so sharing directly is a great way to get that jump-started.
Aesthetic. I can’t preach this enough. Instagram is not just individual posts; it’s how your profile looks as a whole. Each post you share should somehow coordinate with every other post you have done in the past. This could be done by using the same filter on each photo or having graphics laid out evenly on your grid. There are plenty of software that can help you visualize your feed layout to better plan ahead.
Know your audience. While Instagram initially gained popularity among younger users, especially teenagers and those in their 20s to 30s, it has since diversified its audience. Each account offers a unique audience and following, so it is essential to understand who you are attracting with your content.
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