The Wonderful World Of Instagram.

Instagram has been knocking around for 11 years and it’s safe to say it is still the No.1 used social media platform out there. Available in 32 different languages it’s no wonder everyone and their Granny wants to keep up with the social world. Being realised 6 years after Facebook, Instagram brought a new wave of social media connection with an array of different features that allowed users to express and vent about their daily lives.

Throughout this blog, I am going to highlight Instagram’s top features available today and how they can benefit your social media presence.

POSTS:

Let’s start with the OG of all features on Instagram… the infamous square posts. With this feature you can share photos and videos (under 60 seconds) to your feed. With this content you want your followers to stop halfway through their newsfeeds and to jump right to your page. The best way to know if your followers are loyal is by checking out the number of ‘saves’ on each post. Followers usually do this to check back in on posts later. By saving and liking posts, followers algorithm will stay tailored to them.

Tip: Tagging people and places will notify the accounts you tag, boosting your engagement levels.

REELS:

Reels are a fun and creative way for sharing quick and engaging videos with your followers. With the in-app editing service, Instagram offers, make sure you take advantage of this feature. Reels can last up to 30 seconds long, so make sure you keep up with trends to keep your followers around for the short time!

Tip: Entering trend challenges and using the right hashtags can boost your account engagement!

STORIES:

Instagram stories are a great way to show BTS (behind the scene) footage of either your business or personal life to your followers. This feature is the best way to update everyone frequently without spamming your follower’s news feed.

Tip: Encourage your followers to interact with your stories by using the poll/questions feature on the app.

On special event days/months such as June, Pride Month, Instagram will bring out stickers that you can customise your stories with, so make sure to use these to show you are keeping up with the world of trends and lifestyles.

LIVES:

Finally, I want to highlight one of the newest features that Instagram has to offer and that is ‘Going Live’. This gives business/influencers a chance to show they are the real face behind an account. The comment section available on the live allows followers to ask questions and interact with the live video. This feature is one of the strongest ones to form true and trustworthy connections with your followers.

Tip: Use the other features above such as stories to promote to your followers when you plan on going live so they will never miss a chance to connect!

Head of creative

Social Directions Agency

Carla Andreucetti