A few weeks ago we met with Dr. VanDyke to talk about social media. As we were discussing Instagram we explored a few accounts and examined what makes a good Instagram post. The class arrived at the conclusion that in general, posts that get the most interest engage users. Perhaps the photo captures and tells a story or maybe it's simply a nice shot of someones kitten, but either way it attracts and holds the attention of an audience long enough for them to hit the like button. We only scratched the surface of how to make your feed interesting, so I'd like to dig a little deeper, find some suggestions, and see how I can apply that to my own account.
1. Establish an Aesthetic
Establishing an aesthetic has many components. Some suggestions include:
Using similar colors and filters to create consistency in style.
Carefully selecting which photos will go next to each other.
Only post photos that make sense with your general theme.
2. Hashtags
Use relevant hashtags to reach your target audience. Search for hashtags relevant to your industry or the type of content you are trying to promote. This may help you network with other professionals or people in a similar field.
3. Captions
Take advantage of captions by starting a discussion. It's a great way to directly engage with your audience and start a conversation.
4. Comments
Respond to comments and comment on other people's photos. It's a great way to network and participating with people interested in your content makes you more personable and reminds users that there is actually a real person behind their screen.
As a graphic designer it's been a little tricky establishing an aesthetic because my content can be so varied. Also their is obviously more of an interest in photos than in designs. Because I style photos and like to post some personal photos to my account as well, it was very important to me to find a way to make my content mesh. The solution I came up with was to put my designs in commercial free photo mock-ups that are consistent with the other things I post. For example, I might put a website I've designed into a mock-up of a desktop in a nicely set up photo that fits with the other photos around it.
When posting designs I always make sure to use relevant hashtags such as graphic design, adobe, branding, etc. depending on the design. It's helped me accumulate followers that are in my industry and that I have the potential to network with.
I have yet to use captions to start a conversation, but it's something I'd like to try soon. I think it would be helpful to ask for feedback on a design in my caption. It would be a great way to engage with other designers, get useful commentary, and learn something from other creatives.
I am certainly no social media guru, so I'd love to hear any suggestions on how to gain more of a following or any tips to improve my content. Feel free to check out my account here.