Lesson Info
13. Dos And Don'ts
Lessons
Class Introduction
03:51 2Why Instagram
05:02 3First Steps: Goal Setting
04:12 4Instagram By The Numbers
04:06 5Business Profiles
08:30 6Profile Setup
13:33 7Content Best Practices
21:37 8How To Leverage Hashtags
19:27Lesson Info
Dos And Don'ts
A quick list of dos and don'ts, that really apply, regardless of what Social Media Platform you're on, not just Instagram. Give your account the attention it deserves. Like I mentioned it does take time, it doesn't happen overnight, and it takes a lot of work. Make sure your posts add value. Share quality visual content. There's a statistic that says, "Visual content is, "has 40 times more engagement than content "that doesn't have a visual element to it." So, if you're posting on Twitter, and you don't have a photo, maybe consider adding a relevant photo to make it more enticing for people to engage with. Curate a variety of content across all channels, but be consistent. So that's kind of what I was saying earlier about, you know, give people a reason to follow you on Twitter, and on Instagram, and on Facebook, and on Tumblr, or whatever platforms you decide to use. You don't have to be on all of them, but if you're using different ones, try not to be redundant across them. Decide wh...
at content is more suitable for Instagram, versus Twitter, versus Facebook, and sort of dole out your posts accordingly. Definitely promote the work of others, and things that are for the greater good. And this is easier on Twitter I think, with like re-tweets and stuff but, what I like to do is like, if there's, if some friends have cool projects or something, I might share that on my Instagram story, or like go to somebody's art show, and promote their work on my story like, it's cool to like help sort of drive traffic to people who are doing cool, interesting things. Listen, don't just speak. That's really important. You know, follow other people, engage with their posts, really build those relationships, that's key. There's um, it's not just about following the people, it's also about then, liking their photos. If you like them, engaging with them in a really genuine, honest way, and that's how those relationships are built over time. You don't want it to be a one-way street. It really is about building community. And that's how you build an audience. Be somebody that you would wanna follow. Don't, don't make it all about you. Don't overshare. I don't want 50 posts in a row on Instagram. Don't be redundant on the same network, or between networks. Don't use too many hashtags. Not more than your amount of text does. Don't tag people who aren't relevant. And don't share without interacting. Quick note about posting time, because I always get asked this. Inevitably, I get asked this. When should I post on Instagram? There's not really a good answer. In general, I would say that weekends are bad, because people are out doing the things that they then share on Social Media during the week. But I kind of find that Sunday evening is actually pretty good. Because people are kind of wrapping up, generally they're wrapping up their weekends, they're home, they're like starting to pick up their phones, and open Social Media again. But weekends are less good. Weekdays are better, commute times are even better, especially if people are in big cities they're like, on their phones on the trains and stuff like that, if they don't have to drive. The algorithm though, skews all of this right? People are seeing your image at all different times, that may or not be in line with when you actually post it. So that's, that's what makes it a little bit difficult, which is why I say, the posting time thing is kind of like, throw my hands up in the air, and I'm like, I don't really know. So do what feels good to you. The important thing to think about is time zones. So, what time zone are you in, and where do you think your audience is? Like, I feel like my audience is fairly spread throughout the world, so I can still post in the middle of the night, and get comments and likes then. But for like my Bay Area-centric photo non-profit that I work for, I try to post during times that make sense for the Bay Area, based on that time zone. Okay. Quick re-wrap up, a recap of what we've done. When you are getting started with Instagram, or any Social Media, it's important to define your goals and your strategy. Set up your account properly. Follow the right people. Create and share content using that 80/20 rule that I mentioned, where 80% should be informative, and valuable, and then 20% should be a sell. Whatever sell it is that you have. Engage with others. And then really monitor progress along the way. The last two points I wanna make before we end is that, Social Media doesn't replace the need to work hard and hustle. It is just part of the hustle. That is really important, it's not gonna, it's not the be all, end all. But it is part of what will make you successful. And that most importantly, Social Media is secondary to creating important work. If you're a photographer, get out there, create the work that makes people want to follow you. And I like to think about it as like, would I still be creating the same work, if Social Media wasn't around? Like if Instagram didn't exist, would I still be taking photos? Would I still be taking this kind of photo? And would I feel proud of the work that I'm creating, regardless of the number of people who are liking me, or following me, right? I think that's really important. That's like, I think that would be the main take-away, that I would want people to have. It's more about the work, and staying genuine to who you are, as an artist, and as a creative, and as a person, right? So thank you guys for being here. Thank you for tuning in, if you're tuning in from home. And thank you to these folks who have provided my numbers for me so, that's where I've gotten most of my information. And the last thing is, if you are interested, and aren't already doing it, you can follow me on Instagram. My username, I put right there for convenience, Pei Ketron. And I'm there, taking photos, sharing things, and hopefully adding value to your life in some way. Thank you.
Ratings and Reviews
fbuser e957a995
I thought this class was great. It was more of like a beginner's crash course into Instagram, so I would have liked more specific actionable steps as to how one could grow an audience versus an overview of what Instagram is. Yet, I would still recommend the class to people since it's a good launching pad into instagram.
Margaret Lovell
For the most part, I used Instagram in the most basic way. Because I want to promote my photography, I have to get better about how I use it. I took this class because Pei is also a photographer, and I specifically sought out her opinion on the platform. For those more intermediate and advanced users, they might not get as much value from it. However, I recommend the course to others who want to build their profile and understanding of how Instagram can be beneficial to their business.
chrissy hormann
Definitely not for "growing" your audience. Class is for absolute Instagram beginnners. Worked for me, but the title is misleading. She teaches the basics of setting up your profile, etc. I was expecting to learn some tips and tricks about photography for IG, given that she is a photographer, but it was more about administrative things, captions, connecting with your audience. All good points, just not quite what I was expecting. Glad I got this on a large discount deal. Ok at that price but I'm glad I did not pay full price for this.