Here is the newest installment in our Instagram Tips series. Things change quickly on social media so there’s always something new to report. I recently wrote an article on growing your Instagram following over at the Beauty Directory Australia (BDA) website. But since not all of you guys can access BDA, I thought I’d share an updated version of that article right here on SoNailicious.
As I mentioned in my previous post I want you all have compelling and successful Instagram accounts and some of you have already been growing A LOT! So let’s take it to the next level with these 14 easy DO’s and DON’Ts:
- DO: engage with you community, respond to every comment and be polite.
- DON’T become serial commenter cutting & pasting “Pretty!” on hundreds of photos or even worse “F4F”, “Like my photo!”, “Follow me please!”. It may seem like a good idea but it’s actually not.
- DO: use relevant hashtags that can help your target audience to discover your photos. For instance, use nail and beauty related hashtags for nail photos, fashion related hashtags for your outfits, etc.
- DON’T: use a random mix of unrelated hashtags or hashtags that are trending just to get some extra likes. You won’t get any. For instance, don’t use #justinebieber for a photo of your lunch, you might insult Justin’s fans.
- DO: use multiple hashtags but no more than 20. Keep 1-3 of the most important hashtags for the caption and add the rest into your first/second comment.
- DON’T: don’t put a bunch of hashtags directly in your caption, or instead of the caption.
- DO: post bright, clear images. I just can’t stress how important this is. Instagram is all about beautiful visual content. Whatever it is your taking photo of, find a spot with maximum light or use a photo editing app to brighten up your image.
- DON’T: post dull and blurry images. Also avoid stretched, madly Photoshopped and pixelated images.
- DO: re-gram and share other relevant content on your Instagram. It’s the best way to make friends, get new followers and draw attention to your Instagram.
- DON’T: use photos that belong to someone else without giving them direct credit in the caption. ALWAYS, always give credit, you’ll earn credibility and respect. Not sure who to credit? Say exactly that in the caption, surely someone may know the owner of the photo.
- DO: run occasional giveaways to thank your followers for their support. Whether you have 100 or 10,000 it’s always nice to give back to the community.
- DON’T: enter all the giveaways you can possibly find in Instagramland and post their photos on your feed. It makes your account look suspiciously like spam.
- DO: analyse, spot trends, learn and improve. Everything you need to know about your Instagram account is already there, you just need to learn how to see it. Look at your photos – take notes what photos get more likes and what’s the best time for posting. What kinds of posts get the most comments, what kind of posts are not that popular? If it’s easier, write your discoveries down.
- DON’T: expect overnight success. Take your time to experiment and find your own voice. Behind every single successful Instagram account there are years of hard work. Things don’t just happen, it’s knowledge, plus talent, plus persistence.
Finally, approach Instagram not as a tool to promote your blog or nail art skills, but as an online space where you can connect with talented and like-minded people. You can share your knowledge, inspire others and get inspired. Follow these tips and you’ll see your following grow exponentially in no time! Of course, if you have any questions about Instagram, you know where to find me ;)
Happy Instagramming!
– Maria xx @So_Nailicious
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