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WHAT IS INSTAGRAM AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Instagram is a social media of sharing photos and videos which has revolutionized the way of communicating.

In fact, Instagram has taught us that a picture is worth a thousand words.

But let's take a step back.

Launched on October 6, 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram was born as an exclusively photographic social network.

Within a few years the catchment area grows to the point of becoming attractive in the eyes of the good Mark Zuckerberg, the father of Facebook, who in 2012 decides to buy Instagram for the modest sum of about 1 billion dollars.

What distinguishes Instagram from the other most famous social networks?

The difference is that Instagram is purely visual and it does not give the possibility to share textual statuses - or rather - you can do it, but only if you post a photo or a video.

So, fans of photos and selfies, get in touch: Instagram is the social network for you!

THE FEATURES OF INSTAGRAM

Instagram is constantly evolving and integrating more and more features.

SHARING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

I just downloaded the application: what can I do with Instagram?

Share photos and videos first!

Instagram offers users the ability to:

  • post photos, preferably in square format (better still 1080 x 1080 px)
  • post videos to the feed of up to 60 seconds
  • write the caption, i.e. the text of the post. I recommend, the caption must be short enough, otherwise the text will be brutally truncated in the feed.
  • edit photos and videos, applying filters (well there are 23!), cropping or combining various photos through predefined layouts
  • to tag users
  • add the geolocation of posts
  • And (at the end) share photos or videos also on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr

Nothing new so far, but there is a small observation to make.

On Instagram, naturalness and spontaneity wins: on this social network you will not find the bordellume (if you don't know me, with "bordellume" I mean casino) of memes, cartoons, comics and photoshopped photos typical of Facebook.

Instagram, with its content, captures a real life instant.

Better not forget it when carrying out marketing campaigns using this social network.

THE FAMOUS STORIES OF INSTAGRAM

Instagram makes way (not at all! very wide) use of stories, inherited from Snapchat.

The stories ("stories" in Italian) are gods temporary statuses (photos, videos, direct or text phrases) that users share with their followers and which have a duration of 24 hours.

Even when sharing stories you can apply filters and use native apps to edit videos by creating GIFs, boomerangs or inserting masks.

THE NEW IGTV

Since June 20, Instagram has made another powerful revolution: IGTV arrives, that is, Instagram TV!

But what is IGTV?

It is the new platform within Instagram for sharing videos in full screen, just as if you were watching a mini TV from your smartphone or tablet.

Once inside IGTV you will find videos of the profiles you follow: the maximum duration is usually 10 minutes, while for influencers the videos can last up to 60 minutes.

The #HASHTAG

Instagram is the realm of #hashtags. The more there are, the better!

The hashtag serves a label a keyword, in order to improve user research.

Let's take an example.

I am an animal lover and would like to search for animal photos.

How can I do?

I use a hashtag to help me search!

Then, in the search bar I will type #loveanimals, eg.

And poof! All results associated with the hashtag appear #loveanimals!

Not only that: the hashtag also has a 'strategic importance not to underestimate.

We can use the most popular ones to gain visibility.

But beware: the hashtag can become a double-edged sword. If you use hashtags disproportionately, your profile will be inconsistent.

THE FOLLOW, THE FOLLOWER AND THE INFLUENCER

It almost seems like the beginning of a fairy tale: once upon a time there was the follow, the followers and the influencer…?

But let's start with a fundamental question: how does the follow - follower interaction work?

Unlike Facebook, on Instagram there is no concept of "asking for friendship", but of the "follow", that is follow a profile.

If you are particularly interested in a person or a page, just click on the "Follow" button to see its contents. By doing so you become a follower of the profile.

There is - however - an unwritten rule to keep in mind: the follow must (or should) be reciprocal.

If a profile starts following you, it would be a good and right thing to follow back. I say this because many times a denied follow can cause dislike.

But now let's get to the point: Who are these influencers?

I'll explain it to you better with a list (I want to be a precision, sorry!)

The influencer

  • owns a profile of thousands or even millions of followers
  • creates content that can generate a lot interactions
  • knows how to use the right #hashtags to increase his own visibility
  • it is considered credible and reliable to such an extent that to influence followers

Many brands rely on influencers who are sometimes certainly more skilled in speaking to the mass.

Even if influencers are like mushrooms (they grow everywhere) they should not be underestimated - and here I break a lance in their favor -.

To get to where they are, they studied the world of Instagram and know this social network better than their pockets; in addition, they have put in place the right strategies to increase their popularity.