The ma Blog Team LOVES to share our favorite tips and tricks for building your business – especially when it comes to social media. So, every Monday, we share some of the latest tips, and the answers to our most frequently asked questions. Today we’re giving you the story on a platform you may not be familiar with yet – Instagram.
Instagram isn’t new to the social media scene, but plenty of people haven’t tried it yet. It’s growing in popularity on a daily basis, and it could be the key to gaining increased exposure for your business. So we’re answering some questions you may have to help you get to know this great social program.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media tool that allows you to apply filters to the photos on your phone. After applying filters and modifying photos, you can share them across Instagram, and even through your other social networks (like Facebook and Twitter).
How do I get it?
Instagram can be downloaded from the Apple App store or Google Play store. It’s free and easy to use!
How do I use it?
You can link your Instagram account to Twitter or Facebook to log on. Once you’ve created an account, you can upload photos you’ve already taken and apply filters to modify them. Or, you can take a quick snapshot in real time.
Once you’ve modified a photo, you can add a caption to identify your image. In the caption, you should include hashtags (like on Twitter!) to help identify your image and make it easier to find when someone is searching for pictures. This will help you increase your follower base. Instagram has no character limit, so you can add as many hashtags as you need to in order to help share your photo.
You can also choose what networks and streams you want to share it through. Additionally, you have the option to add any image to your photo map – which gives your followers a better understanding of your geography and travels!
Can I use Instagram on my laptop or non-mobile device?
While you can only modify images and add new photos via your smartphone or mobile device, you can access and share your Instagram feed on your computer. Just go to instagram.com/yourusername (with your user name inserted!) to see your feed. You can share it with friends, or log on and modify your profile and account, or even manage applications. For examples, check out Loren Ridinger’s Instagram account, and Motives.
Want to know more about Instagram? Loren’s World has five great ways you can incorporate this top tool into your marketing plan.
Stay tuned! Every Monday we’ll be sharing more of our favorite inside techniques for using social media to grow your business. You can also find out more by checking out last week’s Social Media Monday post: Join the Conversation with Twitter Search.
Want to learn more about how Instagram can be used for your business? Let us know your questions!