Coming up with great images on Instagram will require a little bit of work. There are plenty of Instagrammers out there with a lot of followers, but the best of them practice some sort of visual philosophy to build their community and achieve social recognition.
First, you got to figure out what your Instagram page is going to be about, what you’re planning to portray and how you’re going to communicate with your target audience. Whether it is daily #00tds or your daily meals, here are 7 easy steps to get you started.
1. Develop a Focus for your Instagram Page
Before you do anything, you need to figure out why you’re doing this. What are you trying to achieve with your Instagram page?
Figuring out your target audience will allow you to strategize and create a page that easily connects with your chosen audience.
2. Develop a Niche
After you figure out your target audience, developing a niche is the second step. For example, if you’re keen on photographing food and people, both wouldn’t really work equally well on the same page.
To get the best results, separate your interests with different accounts for each niche. By doing this, you can communicate with the right audience without causing confusion or showing them images they may not be interested in.
For example, someone passionate about bicycles won’t be interested in seeing pictures of a beach. They’ll just want to see cool bicycles that reflect their passion.
3. Approach Photography Like an Editor
Think of your Instagram page like a magazine editor. This means you should think of the overall layout, look and feel, and the purpose of your page when taking pictures.
By following this approach, you can avoid wasting time taking photographs that don’t fit the ethos of your page.
When taking these snaps, it’s better to take them with a standard camera that can be saved in your camera roll. This will give you more options when it comes to editing to fit the purpose of your page as mentioned in Step 1.
4. Edit your Images Like a Pro
Instagram photos need to be displayed in the 1:1 ratio and in a manner that communicates what you are all about as a brand or individual.
Now you can do this within the Instagram app or you can take advantage of third-party apps and software that are available in the market.
Photoshop CC is always going to be a sure winner, but if you want to focus all this activity on your mobile device, you can also use PS Express (available for both Android and iOS). Other apps include Over and Snapseed that are available on both Android and iOS platforms. On the web, you can explore photo editing with gravit.io.
To make your photograph fit into Instagram’s parameters, you’ll have to crop it and edit the image. We’re using this bicycle image as an example today.
Step 1: Open image in Photoshop or an alternative photo editing app/program.
Step 2: Edit the image to your liking. In this instance, I have adjusted the hue and saturation levels.
5. Take Advantage of Instagram Filters
Instagram is equipped with some cool filters that you can take advantage of, so don’t be afraid to use them. However, if you’re using image editing apps, you may not need to use any filters. So determine if the filter adds any value to the image and use it accordingly.
For this particular picture, the Mayfair filter really added value to the image by enhancing the colors and the texture of the bicycle bars.
6. Organize the Layout of your Photos
The layout on your Instagram page will look essentially like a collage, so make sure you organize in a way that makes sense while pleasing to the eye. Further, you can get more creative with apps like Instagrids which will enable you to create tiled images.
7. Use #Hashtags Appropriately
To get noticed on the social platform, you have to use hashtags to connect with your target audience. As a result, you should consider devising a strategy to stand out in the Instagram ocean.
The hashtags that you choose must be connected and should relate to your overall goals. So do some research before you start typing them in.
You can use up to 30 hashtags at a time, but that doesn’t mean you have to use that many. In fact, using about 3-4 is enough to boost your search without appearing spammy. You don’t want to appear as trying too hard right? Just keeping it simple and engaging will go a long way in retaining your followers and maintain credibility.
So that’s all the tips we have! Do you have other ones to share? Feel free to do so in the comments below!
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