Here’s our quick run down of what it is, why we love it and how to make the most of it…….
So what is Instagram?
Instagram is the leading social media platform for sharing images. When it launched back in 2010 it had 1 million followers in its first month alone, so it’s no surprise that it’s become so very, very popular. Anyone can set up an account. Simply download the @instagram app onto your phone, register with your user name (for example we are @blackcatcruises) and voila…you are ready to go.
Why use it?
We love using it to showcase our akaroa wildlife, peninsula scenery and behind the scene pics, however it’s also a great platform to view amazing photography and images. Whatever your interest, hobby or passion Instagram most likely has a # for it!
Tips and Tricks?
Recently the team at Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism (@christchurchnz) held a networking event where they invited expert instagrammer Lauren Bath (@laurenpbath) to share her Instagram tips and tricks. With 443,000 followers Lauren sure knows a thing or two about taking great pics and making instagram work for you….here are her top tips…
1) Content
The quality of your content will directly affect the traffic to your Instagram
page. Attempt to post only the highest quality photo or video that you are
capable of producing and use editing tools to polish them, even if they’re just mobile applications like “Snapseed”. At the very least most images should be cropped square, straightened and colour adjustments made.
2) Consistency
Be very consistent with your Instagram habits. Be consistent with the quality
of your posts. Main points to consider regarding consistency
* How many times you post per day (I recommend 2-4 but separate each post by at least 3 hours)
* How much you engage when you are on the platform, give back!
* Keep the quality and style of your content consistent
3) Personality
Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Write interesting captions that share a little of your personality and story.
4) Use Hashtags
Use a relevant group of hashtags and I recommend using between 20-30 per post. Very important : Don’t use these hashtags in your caption. Create a note of hashtags and paste these into a comment box BELOW your caption. Keep on top of the hashtags that are relevant to you and popular, resist using hashtags like #follow4follow. I use a combination of popular travel tags, feature account tags and image specific tags.
5) Engage!
Engagement is right up there with content. The more you engage with other
Instagram users the more you will see engagement come back to you. Be social, social media is a two way street! Network, like, comment,fFollow relevant accounts.
6) Bio
Make sure you have a strong profile photo and some relevant information in your bio along with a contact if you want to be easily contactable.
7) Have fun
Try to enjoy the platform and the experience. If you only use Instagram to gain followers the interactions you have aren’t organic and genuine. Share your story, share a bit of yourself and enjoy.
Black Cat Recommends
One of the most followed accounts on instagram is National Geographic with 34.9 million followers. Find them via thier hashtage @natgeo.(first image by @arni_coraldo via @natgeo)….and a few of their photgraphers @cristinamittermeier (second image below) and @paulnicklen (bottom image)
