Instagram is all about photos. It’s a running collection of shared photos and short video Stories, each edited image rectangle presented in either grid or list fashion. On Instagram a user’s Newsfeed is populated with photos and Stories from accounts they follow, as well as topical hashtags they choose. Unlike other social channels that may be used when multitasking (like while watching TV or riding in a car) Instagram tends to take a user’s full attention for longer bursts of engagement as they immerse themselves in the platform one square at a time.

Instagram has overtaken Facebook and Twitter as the network with the largest population of younger users. The majority of business profiles and advertisers on Instagram are small business owners. How can your brand represent itself through photos? That is the question to ask before using Instagram. Popular content includes food, travel, fashion, home décor, fitness, nature, and of course, celebrity posts and news. The introduction of Instagram Shopping allows businesses to add purchase links within photos to send users to specific landing pages, making mobile purchasing much easier. Since it is a channel dominated by visuals, the site is limited as to how you can distribute content through it. Instagram is all about engaging users by sight, so quality photography is a MUST to participate on this channel.

Instagram Content Best Practices:

1. Tell a story- have an overarching brand identity or theme.
2. Match the message to the medium (creative, artistic photos!).
3. Take better photos.
4. Focus on the entire post, not just the image.
5. Optimize use of #hashtags.
6. Customize your bio.
7. Embed your Instagram posts on other properties.
8. Use shortlinks.
9. Build community & identify influencers.
10. Use Search & Explore feature to discover content, and Stories feature to promote limited collections.