So you want to Be #Instafamous? For the record, no one needs to be instafamous, but for those unfamiliar with the wild world of Instagram it can be an intimidating place and getting your toe in the door is often the hardest part.

In this day and age there may only be a few of you who are not familiar with the workings of this image based social platform, but understanding how it really works and how to make the most of it is something else altogether. I personally have two primary Instagram accounts; one private that I share pictures of my family on to only a select close group of friends and family and another very public one, where I feature my #photography. Go team #Nikon!

It’s all just a hobby at this stage but it’s incredible receiving feedback from literally all over the word! The reason for these two accounts is simply each one has a different purpose, understanding your purpose before you launch into a new Instagram account is essential.

Types of accounts:

Private – regardless of how many hearts you get for your kids being adorable no one needs to share their entire children’s lives publicly on a regular basis. Unfortunately for them and us, the world is just not that safe anymore, there are horrible people who do horrible things and frankly no child needs to be exposed like that. I occasionally share a hilarious #toddlerlife moment but this idea of people I don’t know following my baby is just frankly, weird.

Fun – Instagram at its core is simply awesome fun, you can connect with people from all over the world and share moments of ordinary and extraordinary life with no translation needed. You get little snapshots (literally) of how everyone is living, loving, learning, (eating) and travelling. Share your ordinary moments or your greatest adventures!

Business – Every great business worth its weight today has an Instagram account. Same deal, images translate so much better for so many people and when something is relatable, it sells. Business accounts go both ways though, it’s also a very publicly accessible platform for people to provide feedback, both good and bad, and we all know just how much social media loves a good public beating!

Top tips:

1. There are few tips and tricks when it comes to running a successful Instagram account, again it all depends on how seriously you want to take things but essentially the more people you #connect with the more you are likely to get out of it.
2. Followers  – Do it back. Follow those that follow you, only follow those that really interest you and unfollow those who unfollow. There are some external apps like ‘Unfollowers’ that make this a lot easier. Following someone means their pics will come up in your ‘feed’, finding people to follow can be as easy as searching tags for recent posts about your favourite things #mouthsofmums #babywearing #elephants #frogs or following those who follow who you follow…do you follow?
3. Bio – Get your Bio right the first time and the impression will be set, seriously this is such an underrated area!
4. Hashtags – Facebook may now #incorporate them but Instagram #birthed them and their use is pretty important, almost as important as using them correctly. “Sitting #Sipping #cocktails with the #best #friends ever, #love #life #holidays” NO! Not too sure who wrote the rules but please don’t use tags to punctuate your sentences, it’s just a thing. Instead try a brief sentence about your image (or not so brief, that’s ok) and bring on the hastags after the fact, it just ‘flows’ better.
5. More Hashtags – As this is how Instagram pretty much works, nailing your tags is essential to nailing your audience. Make them relevant but don’t be afraid to think outside the box a little, also listen to your prompts, these are whats currently trending, most used or relates best. Study accounts you follow, there are a multitude of #ig_captures or #wow_Australia tags that can generate a lot of interest!
6. Single shots – If you have five amazing shots of something, and they all differ just a little and they are all #instaworthy, please…just post one. Seriously, one is enough, unless it’s in a collage, one upload is all your followers need to see.
7. Comment – Instagrammers are a surprisingly chatty bunch, thankfully in many situations emoji’s are more than enough! Compliment photos you really find striking and always reply to comments, it’s the polite thing to do! In a world of social media where people often post first and think later, Instagram is a refreshingly respectful!
8. Don’t be shy – if it’s worth taking a picture of, it’s worth posting!
9. Think square, frame your shots with a square format in mind so you can crop down without losing too much of the shot. Alternatively rotate your device and take a screen shot of your image then post this, the result is a full sized image set back within a black or white background.
10. Have fun, most importantly enjoy yourself, if someone makes you uncomfortable, block them and stay well away from obvious follow collectors.’

Do you have any other tips and tricks to add? Please share in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com