Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks currently. Though it needs no introduction, for the ones who are unaware, Instagram is a social networking mobile app where users share their pictures and videos. Launched in 2010 by Kevin Systrom, this application became extremely popular when it was acquired by Facebook in 2012. Mark Zuckerberg indeed had a vision of its immense popularity, thus he bought Instagram for $1billion in cash and stock.
Read: How to get Instagram on Windows PC.
Instagram Tips and Tricks
Since the day, Facebook acquired this app, the user base has started increasing and has already crossed 400 million, and still counting. Instagram is more popular among the youngsters as a social media sharing platform but not all of us know that it is a very lucrative business platform too. Instagram today is the most popularly used digital screen for advertisements. So basically, it is all about your followers and their engagement in your posts. In this post, we will learn about some interesting Instagram tips and tricks which will certainly help you make more out of it.
Private, Public or Business Profile
There are three different types of profiles you can make on Instagram. First is Private Profile where only your followers can see your pictures and videos, second is Public Profile where everyone on Instagram can see your posts and third is a Business Profile which is a Public Profile but here you can see the check how your posts are performing. You can check the detailed Insights of your posts which include the number of people reached on your posts, the demographics, etc. Please make a note that having a Facebook Page is mandatory to have a Business Profile on Instagram. Also, only a Business Profile can create promotions on Instagram, so if you are running a business or working as a brand promoter/influencer on Instagram, it’s better to have a Business Profile.
Read: Threads Tips and Tricks to get the best out of it.
Disable Commenting
Instagram keeps updating and some new features come with every update. Just a few months back, Instagram made this feature available where you can disable comments on your posts. We sometimes, for some or the other reason, don’t want people to comment on our posts, so this feature can help you out. To disable commenting, just open the post and click on the three dots of settings on the top right corner and select ‘Turn Off Commenting’.
Saving Mobile Data While Using Instagram
If you are always low on your mobile data, Instagram is one of the reasons. Using continuous internet sucks your mobile data and when you are checking the pictures and videos, it drains out the data like anything. Do not worry, there is a way out. You can save your mobile data while using Instagram but it may affect your experience on Instagram which means the pictures and videos may take longer to load.
To enable less cellular data usage, go to Options and tap on Cellular Data Use, and you are done.
Proper Use Of Hashtags
If you are using your Instagram ID as a professional, you need more and more followers, genuine reach and good user engagement. The use of correct hashtags is the best option to get good reach and engagement on your posts. Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post, make sure all 30 of them are properly relevant to the post. Do not use the spam hashtags like #followme #likeme #followforfollow etc. it won’t help at all. In fact, Instagram may consider you as a spammer and may also flag your ID. Try to focus on popular but less competitive hashtags. There are some websites like gethashtags, tophashtags and much more which help you select the less competitive hashtags. In short, it is important to do a little research on your hashtags before you post them on Instagram if you want to get a good reach and user engagement on your posts.
Geotagging Is Important
Geotagging is something that users often neglect but it helps a lot to make your post visible to other users on Instagram. Adding a geotag on your posts is very simple and quick. While uploading your picture or video on Instagram, tap on the tab ‘Add Location’, search for the correct location and select it. Geotagging improves the visibility of your post on Instagram to the other users using the same location tags.
Removing Unnecessary Tags
Instagram is safe and secure but yes, anyone on Instagram can tag you on their posts and those pictures/videos appear under ‘Photos Of You’ tab. Thankfully we can easily remove those tags and also remove the picture from our Photos Of You tab too. Just open the photo you are tagged in, go to Options-> Post Options-> and uncheck Keep in Photos Of You, also click on Remove Tag to remove the tag.
Photo Posting Options
With the recent updates, Instagram got some new photo posting features like square or rectangle pic, adding a boomerang, adding a picture collage and adding an album of photos. While uploading a picture you see these four icons.
Earlier Instagram used to allow only a single photo per post but with its recent updates, a new feature was added where you can upload an album of 10 photos in one post. To upload an album, click on the Album logo in the bottom right corner of the window, select 10 pictures you want to upload, click on Next, add preferred filters and share.
Instagram Stories
Not everyone knows the importance of Instagram stories. While this is not a unique feature as Snapchat users have already been using it for long, it was recently added to Instagram. As per the algorithm of Instagram, the posts on your news feed will appear according to your interests, regardless of the time they were posted. But, the Instagram Stories appear as they are posted and an even more important aspect is that they appear on the top bar, right in front of your mind. Certainly, they draw more attention. As soon as someone posts a new story, their profile picture shows a colored ring that draws the user’s attention. Furthermore, you can tag anyone in your stories, use hashtags and also add links to your stories. Hence proved, Instagram stories work really well to draw the attention of other users and direct them to your posts. And you know what! You can post unlimited Instagram stories in a day.
Hey, wait, you know that the Instagram stories automatically disappear after 24 hours right?
Instagram On PC
Instagram is a mobile-only app but do you know that you can actually use Instagram on your PC? You can upload a picture, edit it, add filters and post it using a web browser from your computer system directly. For this, you need to download the User Agent Switcher for your browser. The tool, for now, is available only for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
Read: Snapchat Tips and Tricks for beginners
Privacy Settings On Instagram
We have talked quite a lot about the public profiles on Instagram, but then again, it is very important to understand the privacy settings here. If you are using Instagram only as your personal ID, it is better to keep it Private. Go to the Options, and tap on Private Account. When your account is private, only people you approve can see your photos, videos, and stories on Instagram. You can also select who can comment or like your pictures on Instagram. Go to Options, tap on Comments and select the preferences. There is also an option of Hiding Offensive Comments here or filtering the comments containing some specific terms or phrases.
So, this was a list of 10 Instagram Tips and Tricks. While I can go on writing with more and more of the tricks but these 10 were the best ones as per my opinion. Please leave a comment below if you feel that I have missed some important and interesting Instagram tips or tricks.
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