Instagram Best Practices

General Guidelines Keep content consistent

o Posts should align with the brand – any changes to your style should be gradual

Use the right hashtagso Add relevant hashtags (including branded ones) – take a cue from popular

accounts Learn the basics of photography

o Pay attention to composition, perspective, lighting, angles, colour, etc. Look at your data

o Learn from your past posts and analyze your audience using an online tool (Good options include SimplyMeasured, Iconosquare, FollowersPlus)

Content Creation & Curation Define your aesthetic / voice, write it out, then use it as a guide for all

postso Try to stick to similar colours, filters, style and tone in all your posts

(consistency is key) Spend the time & effort to get the perfect shot

o It’s okay to rearrange things or pose people to get the a beautiful, “effortless” photo

o Composition is key: learn tips & tricks in this helpful videoo Take lots of photos, then pick your favorite to post (don’t delete the others

right away) Edit your posts!

o Always edit your posts within the app – play with contrast, structure, saturation

o When it comes to filters, never use them at more than 50% strength (it will look fake)

o Consider using external apps (Over, Aviary) to edit pics or create graphics using Canva

Keep a bank of images o When taking photos, take multiple shots & repurpose unused ones later (e.g.

events)

Madeline Hait | 20161

Instagram Best Practices

o Upload images to a shared space the whole team has access to (e.g. Dropbox folder)

Use free stock images (as needed)o If you need a free, high-res image quickly, search on sites like Pexels or

StockSnap Fill in the gaps with sourced content

o Share images from followers, clients, influencers & brands that complement your own(always give credit to the original source, either in the caption or tagging the photo)

Writing Captions Define your voice (Professional or playful? Funny or informative?)

o Your posts should sound like they are written by a real person – be consistent!

Keep it relatively short (1 paragraph, max 2)o Most people are on Instagram for the visuals, don’t expect them to read at

length Tag other accounts in your caption when applicable

o They’ll notice your post & might comment/share (you should also tag them in the pic)

Step up your hashtag gameo Include multiple (10+) relevant hashtags as the first comment after you

post (see below)

Madeline Hait | 20162

Instagram Best Practices

Instagram Stories – post daily photo / video updates (similar to SnapChat)

Share what you’re up to more frequently & informally by posting to your story (guide)

o Going to an event? Something funny / cool happen at work? Post it to your story!

Aim to have at least 1 photo / video in your story at all times

Grow Your Audience – how to increase your post reach / following Steal your competitor’s audience

o Check who recently followed them, then like/comment on posts from targeted followers – they may then engage with your content and follow you

Curate user generated contento See what your followers / partners are posting and share their content on

your channels

Madeline Hait | 20163

Instagram Best Practices

Use @ mentions in your captionso Tagging other accounts (especially popular ones) is a great way to increase

post reach Be persistent

o Believe in your message and experiment with the details - it takes time to get results!

Inspirational Accounts – take cues from accounts that are killing it on Instagram

^ Account type: business (B2C) - wearable consumer products Strengths: featuring real people (staff, bloggers, fans), variety of lifestyle images, bright & fun

Madeline Hait | 20164

Instagram Best Practices

^ Account type: business (B2C) - consumer lifestyle products Strengths: featuring user-generated content (sourced via brand hashtag), lifestyle images (+brand)

^ Account type: promotional / blogger - main purpose it to feature other accounts/businesses

Madeline Hait | 20165

Instagram Best Practices

Strengths: Beautiful, high-quality images; content is relevant/helpful to followers (high engagement)

^ Account type: services (B2B) – advertising agency Strengths: Giving a fun, behind-the-scenes look at what they’re up to (makes you want to hire them)

Madeline Hait | 20166

Instagram Best Practices

^ Account type: retailer / small business (B2C) – local, independent fashion storeStrengths: Consistent visuals & branding; great at engaging with followers; sharing updates

Madeline Hait | 20167