Just about everyone is on social media these days. The various social media platforms available each have their unique way of letting your contacts know what you’re up to. Some allow you to share content, others get you to post your current status in the span of a few characters, and then there’s Instagram.
What makes Instagram different from other social networking platforms is that it focuses on the uploading and sharing of photos. If it really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then an active Instagram account can well be considered a novel.
How exactly do you get started on using Instagram? It’s quite simple: Just perform the following steps:
Download the application. It would be best to do this on a device that is already equipped with a camera, such as a smartphone or a tablet. To find the Instagram app, access either the Apple app store or the Google Play store (depending on your device) and type in “Instagram” into the search box. Once you find the app, click on it and then press the “Install” button.
Wait for the application to finish downloading, and then launch the app by tapping its icon on the device’s home screen (The Instagram icon looks like a camera lens with a rainbow emanating from it.).
Sign up for an account.
- Scroll down to the bottom of your device’s screen and tap the “Sign up” button.
- Key in your email address, along with a username and password of your choice. You can also upload a photo for your profile if you wish.
- Provide a brief description about yourself in the “About” section. This is where you can also allow your followers to visit any websites you might be promoting.
Once you have signed up, you can import your contacts from other social media applications so that you can follow them on Instagram (if they happen to have an account). Following someone on Instagram means you will be able to see their photo uploads on your daily newsfeed:
- If you choose to import your contacts from one of your social media platforms, simply hit the “follow” button once you are prompted and then click next.
- You can also search for people on Instagram using their names and their email addresses
- Instagram also allows you to follow people whom you may not necessarily know personally.
- The Instagram app may come up with suggestions for other users that you may want to follow. If you wish to do so, simply tap the “Follow” button that appears next to their name. Hit “done,” and then proceed to your account.
Start sharing photos using the Instagram Direct feature. Select the photo you wish to share, type in a caption, and use hashtags if you like, and then select which of your followers can view your post through the “Direct” feature. This step is especially useful if you don’t want a certain photo to appear on your public feed.
Learn more about our DIY “Instagram Marketing 101” training program.
