Diving back into Instagram, we have already looked at the uses and best practices now let’s put some meat on the bones. Content. What all social media thrives on, good quality content that your audience wants to see. Remember what we’ve discussed before though, we don’t want a ‘box ticking’ scenario, posts just going up there for the sake of going up, always have your strategy in the back of your mind. Another interesting point to keep in mind is “how best can this add value to my audience”, in other words, what does your audience want to see? What resonates well with them.

Remember, Instagram is all about the image so make sure your pictures look great, play around with filters, stage your shots, make your post the post that stands out. Before and after images are something that we see all the time in our industry, but what about halfway pictures? A behind the scenes shot lets people peak behind the curtain and it will add not only authenticity to your business, but that all important human element. Video is a great toll to use also, Instagram allows videos of up to 60 seconds, that’s plenty of time for a quick ‘how to’ video, if your posts add value your audience will keep coming back. Keep in mind though, that Instagram is especially fast moving so droll uninviting videos or images will simply not cut it.

Stories are a great way to get your content out there, it will stay at the top of a newsfeed for 24 hours so it stands out much more. Approach your stories a little differently though, they don’t have to be crisp, clean and professional; they can afford to be a bit more bold and brash. Stories are about grabbing the attention of the audience quickly, so use boomerangs and stickers, use a crazy filter – it’ll draw people in. It only stays up there for 24 hours so feel free to experiment and find out what works.

There we have it, top quality images for the newsfeed and let your hair down in your stories.