Introduction to Instagram Ads

If you've been posting engaging content on a regular basis and have built a base of loyal followers, the time has come to start thinking about advertising on Instagram. The ability to advertise on Instagram is a unique opportunity for companies to interact with their buyer persona. Since Instagram ads are simply shown to users as additional posts in their feed, they are less noticeable and annoying compared to typical ads. They allow you to naturally encourage your target audience to find out more about your company and product.

Create an Instagram ad

You create an Instagram ad in a very similar way to a Facebook ad because Instagram ads are created with the Facebook ad manager.

In the first step, either select the Instagram post whose performance you want to improve, or you can create a new ad with the Facebook ad manager. If this is the first ad you create with Facebook, you will be prompted to set up an ad account. Also, you need to connect your Instagram business profile to your Facebook page.

To assign an Instagram account to your Facebook page, go to Business Manager. Hover over the menu on the left and select the Instagram Accounts option. Then select the option to assign an Instagram account. Enter your account details and select “Next”.

Select a campaign goal and give the campaign a name. Note that only a few of the destinations that can be selected on Facebook have the Instagram Ads option available. These include the following goals:

• Brand awareness
• Range
• traffic
• App installations
• Interactions
• Video views
• Conversions

After you have decided on a marketing goal, you need to name the ad group

If you selected the “Traffic” destination, you will be prompted to enter a traffic destination. Here you have the choice between a website and an app.

The next step is to define the target group for your ad by specifying the desired demographic and psychographic data. These include age, gender, location, language, workplace, financial status, behavioral patterns, and connections. If you have already saved user-defined target groups, you can also choose from these here.

After you have defined your target group, select the “Edit placements” option in the “Placements” section and “Instagram” as the platform. Attention! If you forget this step, your ad will only appear on Facebook. If you only want your ad to appear on Instagram, make sure none of the other platforms are selected.

The next step is to set your budget and how long you want your ad to appear. Here you can choose between “daily budget” and “runtime budget” and define the start and end date of your campaign. If you don't specify a start and end date or a budget, your ad will run permanently and the daily budget you selected applies. The “Show advanced options” drop-down menu gives you access to additional budget and schedule settings. For example, you can specify here that the display is only activated at certain times of the day. In addition, you will get results faster if you select the "Accelerated" option. This option is particularly recommended for advertisements for events that take place soon.

Next, select the content of your ad. Here you can opt for an existing post to improve its results, or you can upload a new photo with a caption to use as an advertisement. You have the following options for advertisements on Instagram: "Single picture", "Single video", "Carousel" or you can place a sponsored story ad as part of your Instagram stories. For the best result, Facebook recommends the following formats: For square ads, you should select the image size 600 × 600 pixels, for ads in landscape format 600 × 315 pixels, and for ads in portrait format 600 × 750 pixels. In addition, Facebook advises keeping the text of photo and video thumbnails short.

Once your ad has been uploaded, you can complete the job and start your first Instagram campaign.

Adequate budget for Instagram ads

How much you should spend on an ad on Instagram depends on the goal of your campaign. For example, if you want to acquire more leads, you should consider how high the costs per lead are and how these are in relation to the costs on other channels or to your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). This is different in every company and in every industry. The same goes for other goals like increasing website clicks and sales. Regardless of your goal, you should always keep an eye on the performance of your Instagram ads and take advantage of every opportunity for improvement so that you get the most out of your budget.

Conclusion

With 700 million monthly active users, there's no doubt about Instagram's reach and influence. What was once a very simple app for sharing photos now offers an attractive user experience, including the opportunity to get a comprehensive picture of a company and its brand identity.

Always keep in mind that Instagram users value high-quality content. Post photos and videos that will provide interesting information to your target audience and showcase your brand in new, unique ways. Optimize your content with entertaining captions that encourage interaction.

The idea of ​​creating and maintaining a platform on which you present your brand primarily with visual content may seem a little intimidating at first. But don't let that put you off - thanks to Instagram, this is child's play and fun too. Find your optimal Instagram marketing strategy! Just follow our tips and get inspiration from other companies.

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6 Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most out of Instagram

Now that you know the most important things about using Instagram, we would like to give you a few more tips that not everyone knows, but that will help you to fully exploit the possibilities of the platform. Since the instructions are for the latest version, we recommend that you update your version before proceeding. 

1. The perfect time to post an Instagram post

Since Instagram is an app for mobile devices, its users are active throughout the day. Still, you can increase the interaction with your content by posting content on Instagram at specific times. It is best to post content on a Monday or Thursday anytime, except between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. (your audience's local time). Experience has shown that Instagram users are more likely to interact with content on weekdays and outside of working hours.

2. Link your Instagram profile to your Facebook page

One of the special features of Instagram is that the app allows users to seamlessly share content on other social platforms as well. Even if it may seem sensible to automatically link your other social media profiles (Facebook or Twitter), we still advise against it. Because content that brings good results on Instagram does not necessarily do so on other platforms. It is important that you tailor your content specifically to the individual platforms. Still, of course, your posts will get more attention if you link your Instagram profile to your other social media accounts, such as your Facebook page. Note: If you have set up a business profile on Instagram, your Facebook page is already linked to this.  

If you decide to link your Instagram profile and Facebook page, all you have to do is follow a few simple steps: open your Instagram profile and tap the gear in the top right corner. In the Options menu, scroll down to Settings and look for Linked Accounts. If you haven't already signed in to Facebook on your mobile device, you will be prompted to do so now. Then select the Facebook company page to be linked. You will then be directed to the “Share Settings”. If the Facebook logo is blue, content sharing on Facebook is activated.

3. View posts marked with "Like"

Instagram offers the option of bundling all posts that you have previously marked with "Like". To do this, open the "Options" menu of your profile. Tap on the gear icon and select "Posts you like". Here you can You will now search through all the tagged photos and videos.

4. Rearrange Instagram filters

So that you can upload photos faster in the future, Instagram offers the option of placing your most frequently used filters at the top of the filter selection. To rearrange the filters or hide certain filters, open a post to edit it. When the filters appear, scroll to the far right and tap the gear icon under Manage. Place your finger on the three gray lines to the left of a filter and drag it up or down to where you want it. If you want to hide a filter, simply remove the checkmark to the right of the filter.

5. Insert line breaks in captions

You may also have noticed that when you are writing a caption on Instagram, the Enter key or Enter key on the keyboard is suddenly missing. You can easily show them again by tapping the 123 buttons. Before you insert a line break, however, you should bear in mind that users will only see the first three lines of the caption and first have to tap “More” to read all of the text. So use line breaks sparingly.

6. Hide posts in which you have been tagged

You can view posts in which you have been tagged by tapping the person icon in the lower right corner of your profile. To remove such a post, tap on the three dots in the upper right corner and then on "Hide photos". Select the photos you want to remove and tap Hide Photos again. Please note that this will only remove the posts from your profile. They persist on Instagram.

If you want to bypass this step, you can also choose to only show flags in your profile if you have consented to this. To do this, tap again on the three dots and then on "Marking options". Select the option "Add manually" here. Now you will be informed every time you have been tagged in a post. To view the post on your profile, tap the photo, then tap Show on My Profile.

Instagram analytics

Unlike Facebook, Instagram does not yet offer the option of performing detailed analyzes within the app. After switching to a business profile, however, there are some simple analysis functions available to you. You can get statistics on the number of followers and impressions, the reach of posts, and interactions. To do this, tap on “Show Insights” under your uploaded photo or video. You can also use Facebook's ad manager to keep track of the number of impressions and interactions and the cost of ad campaigns. These statistics do provide some useful information. However, since they only ever refer to a specific post or campaign, they do not provide a comprehensive overview.

However, there are some third-party apps that can help you analyze your Instagram content in more detail. With Iconosquare and Simply Measured you can track further metrics such as the growth in followers and the increase in interactions over time, you can determine the ideal time for the publication of content based on the performance of previous posts and measure yourself against selected competitors. Both apps are chargeable. However, you can first download a test version to check whether the respective app meets your analysis requirements.

Which Instagram metrics are important to you always depends on your individual goals. But every company should keep an eye on a few basic metrics. This includes interactions ("likes" and comments) and the growth in followers over time. If you post content that adds value to your target group, you will automatically gain more and more followers and receive more "likes", comments and video views with future posts. Even if you don't really need more detailed insights or you don't have enough budget for better analytics tools, you should still track these basic metrics. Because this is the only way to ensure

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Gain more Instagram Followers

 

Your content has been created and suitable hashtags have been selected. But how do you get more Instagram users to follow you? Gaining more followers is a complex undertaking for any company - regardless of whether it is an established company with thousands of followers or a company that has just been founded. Don't be fooled into taking the easy route and buying followers. Because these followers do not interact with your content. This means that later on, you will miss the interactions that would ensure your posts show up in users' feeds. Instead, follow the tips below to get more followers in a sustainable way.

First of all, you should have chosen a username that recognizes the user and is easy to find. If you are not found, you cannot be followed ... Next, optimize your profile. Remember that the wanted poster is the last thing users read before deciding whether to follow you. So be sure to state who you are and what you offer.

As soon as your profile is ready, you can publish your first contributions. It's a good idea to get a few posts (15 or more) in place before you begin actively seeking more interactions and more followers. Because if people want to look at your profile but can't find any content there, they are more likely to not follow you. Since you only have a few posts at the beginning, you should definitely pay attention to the highest quality. Because while Facebook or Twitter followers forgive one or the other misstep, Instagram followers are much more strict here. One bad photo can have far-reaching consequences.

Now that you've posted some posts yourself, it's time to start following other users who interest you and are related to your business. Think of Instagram as a community. Network with other companies in your area or influencers who may be interested in your product/service. If you decide to follow a user, you will be interacting with their content immediately afterward. This is a great way to get attention to your own profile without being intrusive. If you interact with another user's content or decide to follow the profile, that user will receive a notification to that effect. Hopefully, this will prompt the user to be sure to show your followers that you value them. You do this by responding to their comments and interacting with their content.

Invite other Instagram users to share your content. Ask your brand ambassadors to recommend your profile or partner with similar companies. For example, a small shop could work with a well-known stylist to jointly draw attention to the current trends of the season.

Don't forget to promote your Instagram profile on other channels. Enable your website visitors to share content on Instagram or encourage your followers on other social networks to follow you on Instagram too. Sometimes the quickest way to get new followers is to simply ask.

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Develop Instagram Marketing Strategy

Perhaps you are like many others: you know how important it is to be present on Instagram, you want to be active on the platform, but you don't know how best to do it. Many companies feel compelled to promote their brand on every social network and don't take the time to devise an elaborate strategy. Since Instagram is very different from all other social networks, this platform requires a very individual marketing strategy. The tips below will help you find your own personal style for your Instagram presence.

Determine your Instagram target audience

As with any other platform, the first thing you should do is determine which target group you want to address. If you already have other marketing strategies in place, you can use these as a foundation. Then narrow down your Instagram target audience by determining the following factors: age, location, gender, income, interests, goals, and typical challenges.

but how does it continue? Keep an eye on popular hashtags on events and topics relevant to your business. Find out who is using and interacting with these hashtags and check out these Instagram users' profiles. You can also just take a closer look at a competitor's followers. Sometimes it is actually easier than you think to target your audience.

Conduct a competitive analysis

Now that you've determined your Instagram audience, it's a good idea to conduct a competitive analysis to find out what content your competitors are posting on Instagram. If you already know who your main competitors are, check out their Instagram profiles. If not, you can find the profiles of similar companies by entering search terms that are relevant to your company or industry. Then check which posts are getting the most attention from your competitors, which popular hashtags are used, how the captions are designed, how often posts are published, and how successful the companies are. This information will then help you design and optimize your own Instagram profile.

If, when analyzing the content of your competitors, you notice that they have ignored a certain opportunity, be sure to make a note of it. Because with new content you can stand out from the crowd.

Set up an editorial calendar

An average of six photos per week posted by companies, which means more than 300 pictures a year. With this amount, it is not easy to keep track of which content has already been published and which articles should be posted, and when. An editorial calendar will help you here, with which you can also significantly reduce the administrative burden of your Instagram account. In this calendar, you can sort your posts by post type (see above), design your captions and hashtags, and create a schedule for the publication of the individual posts. The editorial calendar is also very suitable for recording important events that you would like to draw attention to on Instagram - such as the launch of a new product or a discount campaign. Without an editorial calendar, You can find yourself so busy searching for content ideas that you don't have time to look for current opportunities.

Make sure you have a uniform brand identity

If you post content randomly and your posts don't match, you will confuse your target audience and likely lose followers quickly. It is therefore important that you find a clear line and pay attention to a uniform brand image. It helps to think about your brand personality. What are your brand values? Would you like to present them in a cheeky, playful, direct, or bold way?

The lifestyle and interior design experts at Apartment Therapy, for example, have applied the popular #foodporn concept (the appealing presentation of delicious dishes) to apartments. The brand stands for bright, flawless, well-structured interior design concepts and this is exactly what Apartment Therapy’s Instagram presence reflects. Ideally, a user will know at a glance that a photo in their feed is from you.

Another excellent example of a successful, uniform presentation of the brand personality is Taco Bell. The company has adapted its feed to the more blunt style and on-the-go lifestyle of Millennials, its target audience, and focuses on fun photo posts to get users to interact.

Once you have defined your brand personality, you can start aligning your content with it. This can even affect the color choices for photos.

Also, align your posts with the story you want to tell with your brand. If you describe interesting experiences in captions, this promotes the development of a personal relationship between you and your target group. A good example of successful storytelling is the Red Bull feed, which contains countless photos and videos of challenging sporting situations.

Convert Instagram followers to customers

Once you've built a solid base of followers, you can take initial steps to convert those paying customers. The following options are available to you for this:

1. Promotions: Offers, discounts, "two for the price of one" promotions, and similar promotions are great for getting Instagram users to buy for the first time. Be sure to be very clear about the terms of the offer and indicate the end date of the promotion to convey a sense of urgency. 

2. Contests: One of the most effective ways to attract new customers is to provide a trial version of your product. As part of the competition, ask users to follow you on Instagram or tag a post with a specific hashtag.

3. Social engagement: According to a recent survey, 81% of millennials expect companies to make a public commitment to social engagement. This means that with social engagement you can increase your brand sympathy and your chances of converting followers to customers. One example of this is the fashion label Gap, which supports the organization The Global Fund in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Gap has helped raise more than $ 130 million since 2006.

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Create a caption for an Instagram post

 A picture can say more than a thousand words, but it does not provide any additional context. The caption fulfills this - not to be underestimated - purpose.

However, creating good Instagram captions is not easy. We have therefore put together a few tips for you to help you create meaningful, concise captions.

First of all, you should allow yourself sufficient time for this task. Create different variants and ask friends or colleagues for their opinion. Of course, you should post your content as soon as possible, but more importantly, it's engaging. This is also supported by the fact that Instagram has changed its algorithm so that users can now see the content in their feeds that they are most likely to find interesting. So the reach of your posts depends on how many "likes" and comments they get. It is therefore worth taking the time to create content that will actually appeal to and inspire your customers. 

The length of the caption is also crucial. A maximum of 2,200 characters per caption is available on Instagram. Compared to the 140 characters Twitter gives you, this is quite long. Note, however, that users will only see the first three to four lines at first and will have to actively display the rest by tapping “More”. So, mention the most important things first to make sure that it definitely shows. Apart from that, you can easily make full use of the available space. Captions are a great opportunity to provide background information about the photo posted. For example, Humans of New York uses captions to quote the people they photograph.

You can also include a call-to-action in your caption to encourage your target audience to like your photo, comment on it, or share it with friends. You can also direct them to the link mentioned above in your profile so that they click it and look at your new product or read a new blog post. Make sure to include the correct link (to your latest post). A tip: use shortened tracking URLs so that you can keep track of how your Instagram activities are increasing your traffic.

Also, don't forget to include a geo-tag. This is because the interaction rate for posts with a location tag is 79% higher than for posts without a geo-tag. By adding a location to your post, you provide another way for users to find your content. And the more users look at your content, the more it is interacted with.

Another crucial factor in choosing the right style and tone of voice for your Instagram appearance. This may surprise you, but the truth is, a different tone of voice is common and appropriate on every social platform. This means that a formulation can be perfect for Twitter but unsuitable for Instagram at the same time. The best results are usually achieved with posts that sound casual and authentic. Experiment a little with emojis and similar tools to give your Instagram presence a very individual touch. Don't get disheartened if you don't get it accurate the first time. It can take a while to find the right voice for your brand.

When in doubt, keep your captions short. There is hardly any correlation between the length of the caption and the interaction rate, but short captions increase the expressiveness of your content.

Use hashtags on Instagram

Everyone knows them and most of them also use them: hashtags. The tags originally developed for Twitter have now become an integral part of any social network. A hashtag consists of one or more keywords that are strung together without space and preceded by a hash (#). They are used to assign contributions to specific subject areas such as specific events and conferences or general topics such as pop culture and entertainment etc. They are a great way to increase the reach of your posts.

This is how hashtags are used on Instagram

Just like all other social media feeds, Instagram feeds are always changing. When you consider that over 95 million photos are shared on the platform every day, this is not surprising either. For you personally, this huge amount of content means that you have to come up with something to stand out from the crowd. And that's where hashtags come in.

Hashtags are used to bundle posts from Instagram users that would otherwise be unrelated to one another in a single feed. If your account is public, your post will be shown to anyone who searches for a hashtag that you used in this post.

Instagram's hashtag feeds are kept quite simple and are intended to make it as easy as possible for users to find similar content quickly. Each feed is divided into three areas: "Cutting-edge", "Current" and "Similar". The “Cutting Edge” section is at the top of a popular hashtag or location feed and includes the nine posts that are currently being most interacted with. Under "Current" you will find a live stream of all posts that have been marked with the selected hashtag, whereby the most recent post is always displayed first. If you choose a hashtag that is currently very popular and widely used, your post will move down the feed very quickly. The Similar section is a great resource for finding more hashtags that other users are using in the context of this topic.

Using and creating hashtags is very easy. Simply choose any sequence of characters or numbers or even emojis and add up to 30 hashtags to your caption or comment. And don't forget to make your account public so your posts will also show up in the hashtag feeds.

Choosing the right Instagram hashtag

As you can see, hashtags are very important to your Instagram success. The only question left is how to choose the most suitable hashtags for a post. The best way to find suitable keywords and current trends is directly on Instagram. If you still have no clues, you should first look around on the "Search" tab. Tap currently popular posts and see which hashtags have been used.

If you already know which hashtag you'd like to use, you can use the Search section to find popular similar hashtags. To do this, tap on the magnifying glass in the menu bar at the bottom and then enter the hashtag you want in the search field at the top. On the "Tags" tab you can check how many posts have been tagged with your hashtag or similar hashtags.

To make sure your post is as long-lasting as possible, choose a mix of general, popular, and specific hashtags. In some cases, it is also advisable to create a brand-specific hashtag. For example, some companies have created a new, dedicated hashtag for marketing a new product, an Instagram campaign, an event, or the like. In this case, however, make sure that your hashtag does not actually exist and encourage your target audience to use your hashtag.

Position Instagram hashtags correctly

Now that you've found the perfect combination of hashtags for your new post, it's time to decide where to put the hashtags in your content. Again, it is important not to overdo it. Hashtags should fit naturally into your caption. A study that looked at 100 of the most successful brands on Instagram showed that they used an average of just 2.5 hashtags per post. We recommend limiting yourself to one to four hashtags per post so as not to overwhelm your target group.

If you're struggling to incorporate the hashtags you've chosen into your caption, just put them at the end of your text or in the first comment. The position of hashtags does not affect how they work. So you don't have to incorporate them into the text at all costs.

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Instagram Marketing: The different types of posts on Instagram

Now that you've created your account, it's time to take action and post engaging content. Various options such as photos, videos, and stories are available to you. So how about we investigate the various sorts of posts you can post on Instagram and how best to get your intended interest group to communicate.

Photos

The most common photos are shared on Instagram. It is important here that you post a colorful mix of different images. Select photos that show your corporate culture and make sure not only to post lifestyle photos but also to take a look behind the scenes and repost other users' contributions. Also, you shouldn't share too many product photos. Instagram users value authentic posts from companies - but obvious advertisements are less likely to value them. For example, take a look at Nike's Instagram account. You can also find photos of Nike products here, but mainly images of athletes and concerts, as well as other content that expresses the brand's personality.

Then, as you dig deeper into the app, you will find that Instagram offers tons of photo post options. Here you can let your creativity run free! We encourage you to take notes right away as you explore the app if you discover a type of photo that you think fits your brand very well. To help you get started a little bit, we've rounded up the most successful types of Instagram photo posts below:

1. A look behind the scenes

Posts of this kind are intended to give your followers insights into areas of your company that are usually not available to the public. Authenticity is the top priority here. So make absolutely sure that your photos do not appear posed. A good example of this type of post is the Aeronaut Brewing Company photo below, which shows some employees at work.

2. Share contributions from employees

Sometimes you can find the best content in the profiles of your own employees. If you find matching photos there, share them. This is a very good way to get authentic content and to communicate with your target group on a personal level. Content like this not only encourages your target audience to interact with your brand but also encourages building a personal relationship with your employees. For example, on the Fenway Park baseball stadium profile, photos are regularly shared showing employees how to fix the stadium before the game. Just don't forget to point out who originally published the post.

3. Informative posts

The purpose of these types of posts is to give users a concise explanation of how to achieve a specific goal. These explanations take the form of photos or videos and are usually very easy to understand. Buzzfeed's popular “Tasty” cooking video series is a great example of how posts can be informative and entertaining at the same time.

4. Influencer Posts

In the case of influencer posts, the awareness of a star or a VIP is used to draw attention to a brand. Here a star is usually shown how he uses a product or how he interacts with it. One of the advantages of this type of post is that you reach a new audience.

The following article by Goal Zero shows, for example, the well-known climber and photographer Alex Honnold, who is currently using a solar-powered charger from the brand on a tour. With this photo, Goal Zero not only gets the attention of its own target group but also that of Honnold's more than 499,000 Instagram followers.

5. Inspirational contributions

Posts of this type usually consist of simple graphics with a motivating slogan or quote in the foreground and a meaningful caption. These posts are great for inspiring your target audience and strengthening your brand values. They are extremely efficient but should be used with caution as they can quickly become too sentimental. Apps like Quipio and Typic make it easy to add text to photos and also ensure that the posts meet your branding guidelines.

6. Share other users' posts

Just like your employees' posts, your fans' and followers' posts are a great source of authentic content. Regularly review the posts that tag you or use your hashtag. If you discover posts there that accurately reflect the values ​​of your brand, you can share them on your profile. Not only is this a compliment to the user who originally posted the post, but it is also a show that you really care about your customers. Just don't forget to @Mention the original author in the caption. To share someone else's post, you can either take a screenshot and crop it, or use a dedicated app likeRepost for Instagram.

WeWork runs a #DogsOfWeWork campaign every year. The most successful dog photos that were posted with this hashtag are selected and added to a calendar. Although the WeWork team does not share every photo of its employees via its Instagram profile, the campaign is so well known that it significantly increases the reach of its posts and significantly increases the interaction rate.

7. Newsjacking

Nowadays there seems to be a "holiday" for almost every occasion. Events like Sibling's Day or National Ice Cream Day get a significant amount of attention on social media. Take advantage of this and join local, national, and global trends of this kind. This type of post is used to post humorous content about events that are basically insignificant.

An example of this is the following post from the US restaurant chain Cava Mezze Grill on the occasion of the first baseball game of the season. Here the team from Cava Mezze Grill cleverly used the Americans' enthusiasm for baseball.

Recommended sizes for Instagram photos

Compared to the layouts of other social media profiles, that of an Instagram profile is kept quite simple. This inevitably puts the focus on the content posted. While this promotes interaction, it also means that quality deficits are noticed immediately. So make sure you only share high-resolution photos through your Instagram profile. In general, we recommend the format 1080 × 1080 pixels - i.e. a square. The app now also supports landscape format or an aspect ratio of 1.91: 1. However, users will only see the photo in this format when they tap the thumbnail. In the feed, the photo will still be displayed as a square and will be cropped accordingly. Portrait photos with an aspect ratio of 4: 5 are also supported.

Take beautiful photos with your smartphone

If you are wondering whether you can actually take beautiful, high-quality photos without a professional camera: Yes, it is entirely possible. The technology of smartphone cameras is now so advanced that it can compete with expensive, professional cameras. Nowadays you don't have to be a photographer to take professional photos. And you already have the means to do so. The following tips will help you get more followers and encourage users to engage more with your brand:

Keep the "rule of thirds"

In order to be able to align your camera optimally, you should activate the grid view. Then make sure that your object is in a place where a vertical and a horizontal line across. This method is known as the Rule of Thirds and was originally used by painters and illustrators. But it also applies to photos. Placing the subject of a photo a little off-center creates an imbalance that makes the photo look more interesting. On an iPhone, activate the grid view as follows: Open the settings, select "Photos & cameras" and activate the grid.

Focus on a single object

It is sometimes said that it is a photographer's job to find harmony even in chaos. If you shoot different objects at the same time and choose an overcrowded background, this distracts from the actual subject of your photo and may even confuse your target audience. It is better to choose only one object per photo and remove any distractions by cutting them out later or using a plain background when taking the photo.

Use the negative space to your advantage

The unused area around the object of a photo is called negative space. It is important because it ensures that the photo does not appear overcrowded and that the viewer's eye is drawn to the object.

Choose interesting perspectives

Often we are only used to one perspective in everyday life - that of our eye level. As a result, National Geographic photographers often choose unusual perspectives to make their photos look interesting and unusual. For example, take photos from high above from a bird's eye view - or from the very bottom, from the perspective of a worm. Try to show familiar objects from a new perspective by trying new angles.

Symmetry

Our eyes perceive symmetrical shapes and objects as pleasant and harmonious. In the case of symmetrical images, it is usually advisable to ignore the rule of thirds and to position your object so that both halves of the photo are symmetrical. For an even more interesting photo, you can use leading lines that draw the viewer's eye to the object. 

Template

In addition to symmetrical shapes, we also find patterns appealing. This can be a tiled floor or a pattern created by nature such as the individual leaves of a flower or vine on a wall. If you then break this pattern with an object, you get a photo that immediately captivates the viewer.

Choose natural light

Electric light from above can create harsh shadows and make individual areas of the photo appear undesirably dark or light. Avoid this by always choosing soft natural light whenever possible. For example, take photos near a window that allows diffuse light to enter the room. When shooting outdoors, we recommend 30 minutes before and after sunrise and sunset. During this time, the sun, which is just above the horizon, ensures impressive lighting conditions.

Add filters and edit your photos

Some photos look great simply because they have been edited. And you can do it too: Instagram has tools and filters that make it easy to edit photos and improve their quality significantly in just a few minutes. Just follow the tips below and your self-prepared lunch will look like a culinary masterpiece. And this is how an amateur photo can be turned into a professional photo in just a few steps:

First of all, you should only use good recordings. Unhappily positioned objects or poor lighting conditions cannot be eradicated even with the greatest processing effort. You can also edit your photos with other apps. Snapseed, for example, is a free, first-class photo editing app that lets you optimize color contrast, apply effects such as the HDR effect, and adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation in specific areas of the photo. VSCO is another popular photo editing app with tons of free filters that mimick popular types of film reels.

When you upload an edited photo to Instagram, the app automatically squares the photo. However, you can easily return to the original size by tapping the icon with the two expansion arrows in the lower-left corner of the photo.

After uploading, you can now also apply Instagram filters to the externally edited photo. Just be careful not to overdo it. Because every filter fundamentally changes the image and gives it its very own character.

In the next step, you can edit your photo using the Lux function. According to Instagram, this is used to optimize the exposure and brightness of photos. It's an effect that makes photos more vivid and highlights details. You apply the effect by selecting a filter, trapping the sun icon at the top of the screen, and then adjusting the slider.

Now put the finishing touches to your photo using Instagram's editing tools. To do this, select the “Edit” button and then one of the tools: Alignment, Brightness, Contrast, Structure, etc. When you are ready to publish your photo, select “Next”. Fill in the fields that appear, then share your picture.

Videos

In addition to photos, you can also post videos (max. 60 seconds) or IGTV videos on Instagram. You can either upload videos from your computer that have been edited with professional editing software. But you can also choose videos that you have edited together yourself using apps. Splice is a popular free editing tool from GoPro that lets you cut different clips together into one video and add transitions, titles, and even music.

When editing videos, keep in mind that by default they will play without sound on Instagram. So make sure that your videos can be understood even without sound. Or, in the caption, ask users to turn on the sound. The video below is a prime example of a great, entertaining video. 

Boomerangs and GIFs

When you swipe right on Instagram to take a photo, you can choose from Normal, Live, Boomerang, and Hands-Free modes. Boomerangs and Instagram GIFs can be used to loosen up the conventional video format with repetitive motion sequences and continuous loops. In Boomerang mode, many photos are taken in quick succession and then played back in a continuous loop. This type of post is great for repetitive movements: a person jumping off something, clink glasses, or a high five.

Hyperlapse

Hyperlapseis a separate app from Instagram that allows you to shorten longer videos and optimize them for Instagram. The app offers a first-class time-lapse function as well as integrated stabilization technology, thanks to which you can play videos absolutely smoothly. To create your own Hyperlapse videos, all you need to do is download the free Hyperlapse app on your mobile device. Agree to allow the app to access your camera and you're good to go. When you're ready to start recording, tap the round circle - tap it again to stop recording. You can then select the playback speed from 1 to 12 times the speed. Save the Hyperlapse video to your gallery and upload it when you get a chance.

Stories

Instagram Stories allow you to post content more often without bombarding your followers or cluttering your feed. Stories are particularly suitable for taking a look behind the scenes and the photos and videos posted here are usually not edited. Just like Snapchat Stories, Instagram Stories are also deleted after 24 hours.

Here, too, make sure that your content appears authentic. While you should post prepared photos in your profile feed, your stories can be a little less perfect. Use the function to provide exclusive insights into your brand and your corporate culture. For example, if your company has a common practice of bringing dogs to the office, Stories is a great place to post photos and videos of all of the cute dogs in your office. They are also perfect for reporting on live events hosted by your company or in which your team is attending.

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Create an Instagram story

Instagram offers three different ways to create a story. Either tap the camera icon in the top left, tap the add a story button above your feed, or just swipe right.

Briefly tap the shutter release for a photo, press and hold it for a video. As usual, switch the flash on and off using the flash symbol and use the arrows to switch between the front and rear cameras.

Give your photo a personal touch. For example, by writing on it with one of the pens. To choose a color, just place your finger on the color you want.

Tap Aa to add text or an emoji to your photo using the keyboard. You can use the smiley to choose stickers. Swipe left or right to add color filters.

You also have the option to tag another Instagram user on your story. This is a great way to strengthen relationships with other companies and marketing partners. Just type in the @ sign, then type in the username of the person or brand you want to tag. Now when a user views your story, the username of the highlighted person or brand will be underlined there. If you tap on it, you will be forwarded directly to the associated profile. If another user mentions you in their story, you will receive a notification.

To publish your story, tap the + symbol above "Your Story". Or you can save the story in your gallery to post later. After you've published a story, it will appear above your Instagram feed. Alternatively, users can tap their profile pictures to view your stories. You can also see who viewed your story. To do this, open your story and swipe upon it.

As you have probably noticed, the Stories features of Snapchat and Instagram are very similar. Snapchat does have the advantage of face recognition and various lenses (or filters). But with its broad base of active users and search functions, the Instagram app offers companies an excellent opportunity to attract attention. So don't hesitate, use the advantages of Instagram Stories for your company as well.

Instagram Live 

You can also share videos live with your target audience on Instagram. To do this, open the app and then the camera. Then select “Live” in the menu at the bottom of the screen and then “Start Live Video”. As soon as you start the live video, all followers who are currently online will be notified that they can watch your video. The integrated chat function allows viewers to comment on the live video while it is streaming. We recommend that you use this feature sparingly and reserve it for live content and live question-and-answer sessions.

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Instagram Marketing: Create a Business Profile on Instagram

Create a business profile on Instagram

First of all, it's important to understand that Instagram is meant to allow others to be part of an experience in real-time; H. Share photos and videos on-site. It is also crucial that you regularly post photos and videos on Instagram, otherwise, you will be quickly forgotten. If you don't keep your profile up to date, you will lose followers and fewer users will interact with your content. Avoid this from happening and just follow our tips on getting the most out of Instagram.

1. Download the Instagram app

We recommend that you use the app as Instagram does not currently offer a desktop version that includes all of the app's functions. Although you can view content on the Instagram website, it is only possible to a limited extent to upload content with the desktop version. The app is available free of charge in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

2. Create an Instagram account

After you've downloaded the app, the next step is to create your account. When you open the app, you will be offered two options: you can either link your Facebook account or you can log in with your phone number or email address. Do not choose your Facebook account here. This would result in your Instagram account being linked to your personal Facebook profile and that should be avoided! Instead, log in with your work email address. Alternatively, you can also create an Instagram creator account.

Then enter your details. The name you enter in the “Full Name” field does not correspond to your user name or your alias, but to the name that is displayed in your profile. So select the name of your company here so that users can also assign you later.

3. Choose a username

In the next step, enter your user name. Username is the name of your profile that other Instagram users will use when interacting with your brand. Choose a name that users will recognize and that is easy to find. If your company name is already taken, just add something to the name so that the first part of your username is definitely the company name. Note: You can always change the username later in the account settings.

4. Select a suitable profile picture

Your profile picture is one of the first things a user who searches for your business on Instagram sees and views your profile. It should therefore absolutely fit your brand and comply with the guidelines for your company's image. A good example would be your logo or similar image that users are familiar with. Note that the profile picture on Instagram is round and the app automatically crops the photo. So leave enough space at the corners.

5. Write an appealing description/biography

Before you can publish your first contributions, you must first write your description/biography. Since you have a maximum of 150 characters available here, you should formulate it as precisely and briefly as possible. Explain to your target group on a personal level what your company produces and what your brand stands for. You can leave out keywords and hashtags here, as the description/biography is not relevant for them.

You can also use your description/biography to ask users to take a certain action - like using a specific hashtag or visiting your website. On Instagram, you only have one option to include a clickable URL and direct users to an external website, and that is in your description/bio. Many companies adjust this URL again and again so that their latest post is always linked. We recommend that you shorten and track this link with a tool such as getresponse Tracking URL Creator or Bitly or Goo.gl so that your description/biography does not appear confusing and you can get an idea of ​​the extent to which you are doing the Increase traffic to your website or campaigns with social media posts.

 

To edit your profile picture, your profile or user name, your description/biography, or the inserted link, select the "Edit profile" button.

6. Adjust your settings

The menu for adjusting the settings can be opened via the small gear wheel (on Android devices the three vertical dots) at the top right of your profile. You can use this menu to change your password, activate notifications, and view all posts that you have marked with "Like". We recommend that you check the following settings immediately:

Story settings: Here you can specify who your Instagram Stories are shown to and who can comment on them. In order to increase the interaction with your brand as effectively as possible, it is advisable to share your stories with all followers and to allow all followers to add comments.

Switch to business profile: Instagram introduced new business tools in 2016. These enable companies to present themselves as such directly so that users can more easily get in touch with them. Business profiles also provide more detailed insights into the performance of content and make it easier to optimize. Note: In order to convert your profile into a business profile, you must have a company page on Facebook.

You can switch to a business profile as follows: Open your profile and select the gear icon in the top right to display the settings.

Scroll down and select "Convert to Business Profile".

Log in with Facebook and give Instagram administrative access to your pages.

Select the Facebook page that you want to link to your Instagram profile. Note: To be able to link the two profiles, you must be the administrator of the Facebook page.

Instagram will now import all relevant data from your Facebook page. Review them and make changes if necessary.

You now have a business profile on Instagram. Don't forget to check your profile and account settings.

Private account: Instagram automatically sets up your profile as a public profile. Don't change this! After all, as a business owner, it is in your best interest that your posts are automatically displayed to users and they can easily follow you.

Comments: Most of the comments on your content will be interesting and motivating. But every now and then it can happen that a comment violates the values ​​your brand stands for or that it offends your target audience. In the comment settings you can choose to automatically hide comments that contain certain keywords or phrases - for example, comments that contain offensive swear words. To do this, activate the corresponding function and enter the relevant terms and formulations.

Add more Instagram accounts: If you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can connect them to switch from one to the other without having to log out and log in. You can add up to five additional accounts. Also, multiple users can easily log into the same account at the same time. In this case, however, you should make sure to keep your editorial calendar up to date so that everyone knows exactly when to post which content. To add an account, open the settings via the gear icon in the upper right corner. Scroll down and select “Add Account”. Enter the username and password for the account you want to add. To switch to a different account, open your profile and tap your username at the top. You can then choose between any other added accounts.

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