11 Top tips to Finding Fame on Instagram

It's one of the most popular social networking sites on the planet, with over 200 million active monthly members sharing 60 million images and 1.6 billion likes per day.

Instagram quickly outgrew its first impression as a fun app for kids and has become a serious content marketing, networking and audience building tool for individuals and brands.

Just how awesome is it?

Engagement rates for brands on most social networks are less than 0.1%, but Instagram blows them all away. The average Instagram engagement rate for brands in a 2014 Forrester study was an epic 58 times higher than on Facebook.

You can't argue with numbers like that. But that's just average. And as I advocate across all manners of online marketing, you don't want to be average!

Average isn't something we aspire to be.

It's not a dream, or a goal.

58 times greater engagement than something else sounds great, but you can do so much better than that on Instagram. Whether you're a big brand or maybe just wondering how to become Instagram famous, I don't want you to strive for average -- I want you to reach for the stars and become an Instagram unicorn. A digital unicorn is that magical, rare creature that in this case outperforms all others by orders of magnitude.

And you're going to accomplish this by working these amazing Instagram hacks into your social strategy. Check out these Instagram caption ideas and see what to post on Instagram to get way more visibility and engagement:

1.  Cross-promote your dedicated hashtag. That's nice that you created a #joesgarage hashtag for your company, but who knows to use it to share content about you? Make sure it's in your profile, but take the game offline and have it printed on your receipts, in print ads, on signage in your store and at relevant events. If you're on radio and TV, direct people to use your hashtag. Integrate with offline by ensuring it's listed on your other social profiles, on your website, and in your email blasts. Don't just hope people will find it.

2.  Get creative with hashtagging. When it comes to Instagram caption ideas, you need to look beyond the one word, obvious hashtags. Sure, you want to use those, too, but mix it up and use hashtags to tell part of your story. Be funny, ironic, or outrageous--just don't be BORING. Collaborative workspace company WeWork is great at this, and they include a fun mix of Instagram content, too.

3.  Participate in massively popular conversations. For every post, use a mix of topically relevant hashtags such as #woodconstruction for a carpentry company, for example, as well as trending, super popular hashtags wherever you can. The really specific hashtags are like longtail keywords in that they show more intent and help you find the right people, but the universally trending hashtags like #instagood, #tbt, #photooftheday or even plain old #fun get you in front of more people in general. You need both to make it on a social network as big and noisy as Instagram.

4.  Make the most of your bio URL. It's prime real estate on your Instagram profile... do you really want your bio to only link to your website homepage, now and forever? Yawn. Change it up at least bi-weekly and use that clickable link in your bio to drive traffic to your newest or most popular content.

5.  Get descriptive. A picture is worth a thousand words, but you can't skip the words entirely. National Geographic is fantastic at using storytelling alongside their Instagram photos to generate engagement and sharing. While traditional media brands have dropped like flies, NatGeo has thrived across digital and become one of the top brands on Instagram, with over 50 million followers. Like the other Instagram hacks I've included here, this is something you'll want to commit to working into your strategy over time, so don't worry if it feels weird at first. Your writing will improve as you find your Instagram voice.

6.  Go all in on influencer marketing. Visit the profiles of each person you've identified as an influencer in your space (AKA a person who influences the people you want to get in front of) and "Turn On Post Notifications" to be notified every time they share new content. You can then interact with them regularly and become one of their favorite people or brands.

7.  Remove tagged photos of you from your profile. If you only want to feature the best user generated content about you or your brand on your Instagram profile, you can. Now, you can't remove the tagged photo from the site entirely, but choosing "Edit Tags," selecting the ones you want to remove and choosing "Hide from Profile" (you may need to confirm) does the trick.

8.  Approve photo tags before the content shows on your profile. Speaking of giving you greater control over which tagged photos appear on your profile, you can change your Instagram setting so tagged photos won't show unless you approve them first. You'll find this under "Options," "Photos of You," and "Add Manually." I'm trying to think of why any company would NOT want to do this... Nope. I've got nothing. You should absolutely set this up to avoid potentially embarrassing situations.

9.  Develop your own Instagram style. It's human nature to want to fit in, but on Instagram, you want to stand out. Indian beverage brand Frooti has developed such a unique visual content style, it's instantly recognizable every time a user sees one a Frooti post in their newsfeed. Check it out:

10.  Get local. See what's going on in a specific area (say, your neighborhood, a city you're targeting in ads, or even an event in a certain location) by going to the search page and choosing the Places tab. Then, type in the name of the place to see all geotagged posts for that location.

11.  Remember your calls to action! Instagram, like other social networks, is a conversation, not a broadcasting platform. What action do you want people to take on your post? If you don't know that, start over and figure it out. Staples is great at generating engagement by letting people know exactly what they expect them to do with their posts (bonus points if you make it sound fun). Often, that call to action cleverly gets people to share or virally spread Staples' content.

Do you have a favorite Instagram hack or trick to share? Leave yours in the comments below!

8 Tips For Getting Active Instagram Followers

Instagram is one of the most rapidly growing social networks, having over 100 million of active users currently. Whether you simply wish to impress your friends, possess some Internet influence or make your business widely-known, you may need real Instagram followers. Below I have highlighted some useful tips to help you get them rather quickly. Though my tips can be used to get followers for almost any social network, I will focus on Instagram mainly, as it's not overwhelmed with spammers and has a visual interface that can help you get additional exposure.

1. Make your account public. The need for authorization can turn away many users, who just putter around and not interested in anything particular. Many people will follow you simply because they liked some random photo of yours, and if it's hidden they won't simply see it. 

2. Follow other users. If you want to get people follow you, you have to do the same thing for them. The best idea is to follow users with less followers, since they tend to follow you back much more often.

3. Be unique. The photos you provide have to stand out from the crowd. First of all, think about their value to your followers (truly useful pictures will get you followed much more than a look-at-me photo). Next, your photos have to be of the best quality, so be selective. The other important thing is uploading photos within one niche: this will make you look professional and not spreading your efforts on everything. Also, try to include call-to-actions below your photos like “Witty comment here”. This will make users engaged and get you more exposure.

4. Post photos on right time. The Instagram image usually lives for about three hours and then goes away. So, the best time to post it is 1-2 hours before most users will connect, and it's about 5-6 p.m. (of your audience local time, of course). Posting on right time will get you maximum exposure and attention.

5. Use hashtags. Hashtags are used to organize photos and help users find them easily. The best way is to find what hashtags are popular today and act accordingly. Even if the tag is totally irrelevant, but your photo is attractive, you most likely will be followed or at least liked for it. You can also use geotag to tag your images. People are usually more interested in photos from their location.

6. Use Instagram filters. One of the main features of Instagram are filters. Using them will make your photos much more attractive and will get you followed. Filters are also great in personalization, so you photos will look exceptional and make users come back for more. Edit your photos a lot - it seems like a trend out there.   

7. Be honest. Don't try to post anything if you are not a fan or not interested. If somebody figures the thing it will cost you many followers.

8. Like relevant photos. Try to like images, that are of your niche. Common interests will get you the exact type of followers you need. The good idea is to like many photos of one user, this will get his attention, and the chances are good that he will follow you.

Getting followers can be a very challenging task, since it needs a lot of time and attention. Just remember to be polite and active, as this creates an image of a friendly person. If you are using Instagram to promote your business, this is even more important, since these followers are your prospective clients, and your company’s image will have a direct influence on sales. Have something to add? Please leave your comments below.

10 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR INSTAGRAM

1. Take Photos on a Camera and transfer to your smartphone

So you want to improve your instagram. Ever wondered why your photos don’t have the same quality as those drool-worthy photographers’ galleries? Many photographers and instagram enthusiasts use a digital camera to capture their moments and later transfer those to their iphone to upload. For the more speccy shots of nature, landscapes and special moments I want to capture as best as possible, I’ll use my Olympus Pen E-PL7. For the quick uploads on the go, an iPhone is my preferred weapon of choice.

2. Shoot outside of the instagram app

If you do opt for the quick and easy iphone upload, be sure to perfect your craft outside of the instagram app itself. At least while you’re learning about framing, lighting and conceptualising ideas, this is a great idea to get that one perfect shot. Don’t be afraid to take 10 (or 20) shots before you get it right… it’s true what they say: practice makes perfect!

3. Good photos require planning

Just as important as practicing and perfecting your craft is another ‘P’ word to throw into the mix – planning! A great way to source inspiration for your photos is to follow people who inspire you and let their work influence you. A great read that will encourage you to source inspiration from others is ‘Steal Like an Artist’, an impressive read that discusses the line between inspiration and stealing ideas… or more or less debugs the myth. When you find inspiration through a number of sources and turn these ideas into your own, you inevitably create something unique and bring something new to the table. Plan your approach, find a niche, and create something new!

4. Link your website to your profile

A simple step to take but one that will make a huge difference (especially for step 9) is to link to your other work. If you don’t have a website, link to another social channel you use frequently – be it twitter, snapchat or youtube. Its important to show your followers that you’re active elsewhere and encourage them to follow your work on other platforms – the more you have to offer, the better!

5. Take a lot of photos but only put your best foot forward 

Its easy to fall into the trap of taking too many photos (not a bad thing), but its just as easy to fall into the trap of sharing everything and anything you capture. Be sure to take plenty of photos, but only post those that you believe are your best work. Whether you’re capturing a moment or feeling, be sure to tell a story with your instagram gallery whilst never oversharing.

6. Hold Steady

As simple as it may sound, holding the camera steady can make a world of difference to your photos. Be sure to also consider framing and cropping your photos, as well as considering editing within the instagram app.

7. Have you heard of golden hour?

Even with instagram, golden hour still applies. Its that part of the day where the sun is glistening and beams through your photos to create some of the most impressive captures. Be sure to experiment with light and learn how to use it to your advantage, it’s the best (non)filter you can get!

8. Experiment with editing apps 

Whether you’re shooting your photos on a camera or your smart phone, sometimes its fun to play around with colours and see what you can create by using third party editing apps. Some of my favourites include Mextures (would seriously recommend) and slow shutter if you like to experiment with moving objects.

9. Create a community 

Once you’ve started to create great photos and share them with your followers, it’s a great idea to consider how you interact and engage with your community. A community often comes about when you offer your followers quality content and you soon realise that yourself and your followers have the same passion in common. Be it travel, fashion, healthy eating or anything and everything in between… its great to create a community within the instagram community and spread the love!

10. Don’t forget to have fun with it!

As helpful as I hope these tips are, the biggest and best piece of advice for improving your instagram is just to have fun with it! Instagram can be such a fun community to be a part of when you just be yourself, show people the things you love in a way you believe showcases it best. As your number of followers grow, so to does the amount of feedback – both good and bad – but so long as you’re always having fun with it, you can’t go wrong!

Over to you – whats your best tip to share with other readers!?

Gain more insatgram followers

do you want more followers?
1: comment your instagram user name
2:follow everyone who comments their user name
3:unfollow whoever doesn't follow back
4: share the link to help people finad you

how to increase followers instagram

If you’re just starting out on Instagram, posting photos can be pretty depressing. When all your excitement and hard work are met by nothing more than few likes from a handful of followers, it’s easy to get discouraged, even if you know the benefits of social media marketing, which are waiting if you can find success with your initiative.

This article will help by giving you 50 ideas for increasing your followers and getting them to interact with your posts. You’ll notice that many of the ideas below are focused on increasing engagement (likes and comments), and here’s why: lasting engagement naturally leads to followers.
As you implement the strategies below, keep in mind that there’s no substitute for regularly posting engaging, creative and relevant images that your audience loves. Use the tips below liberally; just don’t forget that engagement should always be your underlying goal.


1. Use hashtags that are known to help increase followers: #FF (Follow Friday), #instafollow, #l4l (Like for like), #tagforlikes and #followback.

2. Like hundreds of random pictures from people in your target audience. Neil Patel has used this strategy and found that for every 100 likes he did of random pictures, he received 6.1 more followers.

3. Hold a contest on Instagram. One of the easiest ways to do this is to post an image promoting the contest and then ask people to like it in order to enter.

4. Promote your Instagram account on your other social media accounts and profiles. Tell people what they can expect once they’re following you (e.g., behind-the-scenes photos, sneak peeks, coupons, etc.)

5. Like and comment on other users’ photos. This is the most natural way to gain new followers.

6. Use popular hashtags so your images get found in search. Some of the most popular ones are #love, #instagood, #tbt and #photooftheday.

7. Post photos at 2am or 5pm. Research shows that these are the most effective times to post.

8. Search for and follow people who are using popular hashtags like #followme and #likeforlike. Many will follow you back!

9. Remember that quality beats quantity. Edit your account to leave only the best images. No one wants to follow someone with thousands of pointless images of food or other random shots.

10. Use the Mayfair filter. According to Track Maven’s Fortune 500 Instagram Report, it’s the single most effective filter for marketers.

11. Make sure your bio is complete. Include relevant keywords and hashtags, and a link back to your site. Above all, don’t be spammy; this is a guarantee that no one who reads your profile will follow you!

12. Ask questions in the captions of your photos. This is a great way to increase engagement.

13. Post on Sundays: Sundays see the fewest images posted, so posting then may get your images more visibility.

How to increase views on instagram

I totally agree that content is the king here. 
But also relevant hashtags are very important, also writing descriptions which introduce to photograph.
You can also use some tools as instagram widgets on your webiste / blog. 
Promote your account on special fb groups or forums.
Put link to your account in your bios in other sm.
And finally, you can buy an advert in Instagram to promote your profile.