The Beginner’s Guide to Instagram
Are you a bit lost when it comes to Instagram? Are you not sure where to begin? Do not worry, you have to look no further – you have come to the right place. Below is a beginners guide to Instagram to help you understand how Instagram works and how to setup your account. If this is your first time on Instagram you will benefit from reading this article.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a visual communication platform used by more than 300 million people. More than 70 million photos and videos are shared every single day.
I, myself have my own Instagram and you are very welcome to follow me on: Dani.thifa
Setup
Instagram is an exclusive mobile platform, meaning that you have to download the app on your phone or tablet, either for Android or for IPhone. Once downloaded you need to set it up by selecting a username, password and adding an email.
- Profile picture – You need to add a headshot as your profile picture. If you set up a business account in Instagram, your company logo would be recommendable here.
- Description – As on every other social media platform it is important to take time to fill out the description. The description have a limit of 150 characters, meaning that it is important that you use every characters to its full potential.
- Link – Add a link to your website or blog. This is the only place where you can add a link on Instagram. When posting you will refer to this link, so you can drive people to go to your website or blog.
Are you a bit lost when it comes to Instagram? Are you not sure where to begin? Do not worry, you have to look no further – you have come to the right place. Below is a beginners guide to Instagram to help you understand how Instagram works and how to setup your account. If this is your first time on Instagram you will benefit from reading this article.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a visual communication platform used by more than 300 million people. More than 70 million photos and videos are shared every single day.
Setup
Instagram is an exclusive mobile platform, meaning that you have to download the app on your phone or tablet, either for Android or for IPhone. Once downloaded you need to set it up by selecting a username, password and adding an email.
- Profile picture – You need to add a headshot as your profile picture. If you set up a business account in Instagram, your company logo would be recommendable here.
- Description – As on every other social media platform it is important to take time to fill out the description. The description have a limit of 150 characters, meaning that it is important that you use every characters to its full potential.
- Link – Add a link to your website or blog. This is the only place where you can add a link on Instagram. When posting you will refer to this link, so you can drive people to go to your website or blog.
How to use Instagram?
Now your Instagram account has been set up – Congratulations! You are now a step closer to sharing your special moments with the world. Keep reading to get to know the basics and to get started posting.
- Profile – On your profile, you will see your profile picture, your description and the link to your website or blog. You will also see the amount of pictures and videos you have published, how many followers you have and how many users you are following. Below the description and the link you have all the media that you have published, with the newest content showing first.
- Camera – Do not use the Instagram camera option to take pictures. Take pictures with the camera on your phone so you always have the original picture saved in your gallery, in case you want to reuse it for another purpose someday.
- App for pictures – There are several great apps for adding graphics and colors to your pictures available in the market. Among others, I recommend Pixlr and Instagram’s Layout – both of which you can download from the App store and, the best part – they are free.
- Hashtags – Hashtags on Instagram work similar to hashtags on Twitter. You add them to your description on each photo. This is a way for people to find you when searching for a specific hashtag. I recommend you to add a minimum of 11 hashtags.
- Followers – The great thing about Instagram is that you can follow people all over the world and you need no acceptance to be able to follow them.
- Direct Message – You will find a box on the top right corner of your home/newsfeed. This is the Direct Message – tap on it and you will enter the Direct Message inbox. This works like private messages where you can send pictures, videos and text messages.
- Home – Works like the newsfeed on Facebook and Twitter. You see here the newest publications from the people you follow.
- Activity – The activity function works like notifications on Facebook. Here you can find the latest activities, such as people have liking or commenting on your pictures. On the top of the screen, you can switch between activities for your account and activities for those you follow.
- Search – Just like on Facebook and Twitter, you also have a search function on Instagram. You can search for people, pictures and hashtags. If you do not type in a search word, Instagram will automatically show you the latest pictures and the people that Instagram is suggesting you should follow. These suggestions are based on the people you are already following. Once you click in the search box, the hashtag option appears.
Now you are ready to start posting and exploring Instagram. The last advice I will give you is probably the most important advice: Have fun! Instagram is all about creativity and sharing your special moments with the world. Enjoy Instagram.
These are just a few guidelines for you to get started with Instagram. I hope that they are helpful to you.
Do you have a question, a comment or something to add, please leave me a comment.