of the app) you will find:


• Home - See all the pictures posted by those you follow. Double click pictures to like them, or add a comment. When commenting, tag the original poster by using the “@” symbol before their name to make sure they see the message.


• Explore - View suggested pictures based on your liking and commenting behavior. You can also search for users by name or by hashtags.


• Camera - Use this feature to post pictures. We’ll go into more detail on this in a moment.


• Newsfeed - Everything relating


to your photos. See who liked or commented on pictures, or who just started following you. It’s a good idea to “follow back” those people in your target demographic.


• Your Account - See your profile, statistics and pictures. Check this out from time to time to see what your photo stream looks like. You don’t want to post the same images all the time.


Taking your first picture Taking pictures in Instagram is simple.


Just click the camera button and snap away. But this is not the way to ensure you use the best picture. My favorite method is to take the shot in my phone’s camera app (don’t forget to take the picture in square or 1:1 format). Then go to the Instagram app and simply click the thumbnail to the left of Instagram’s shutter button to be taken to your camera’s photo folder where you can select the best image.


Filters can salvage any picture - but don’t overdo it!


Instragram can turn any average photograph into a decent shot with the use of filters and various other tools. Simply click through to find a filter that makes the picture look awesome. Double click the filter icon and you can change how aggressive the filter should be. If you click the wrench icon you are taken to a sub menu when you can fine tune your adjustments.


Spark the conversation


Now it’s time to begin the conversation. It may start off slow and that’s natural. So start with people you know. You should have already discovered some people


you know when you first signed up to Instagram. Ask your clients to follow your Instagram account in your next newsletter or website. The more followers you start off with, the easier it is to grow your following.


One of the nice things about Instagram


is the ability to search by hashtags to dial into your niche. The three easiest ways to connect with your clients through hashtags are:


• Location-based hashtags, i.e.


hashtags that denote the city, state or country you are in. If your business caters to local clients, this will be your most important tool. Take a few moments to search Instagram for pictures tagged in your area. Try a few different hashtag combinations until you find the most popular one. For example, for Naples you cannot simply use #Naples because the photos focus on Naples, Italy. So our local pictures need to be tagged #NaplesFL or #NaplesFlorida to be successful.


• Niche based hashtags, i.e. words that describe your niche. If you’re a lawyer, use #lawyer - if you promote a restaurant, use #restaurant. To find


appropriate hashtags for your niche, just do a simple search for a broad hashtag in the Explore section and poke around a bit to see how others with similar businesses tag their pictures.


• Interest based hashtags, i.e. things your target audience might be interested in. If you sell swimsuits, have a look at all the things your customers might be into, like #pool #swimming #beach or #boating pictures.


What kind of pictures should I post? It really depends on what business you


are in. But in general, remember not to post anything rude, illegal, or against the Instagram terms of service.


In broad terms, 4 main categories of photos do extremely well on Instagram:


1. Customer Centric - Post a picture of your customers enjoying or using your product. Not only will those pictures act as social proof of how great your offerings are, but the subject of your pictures are very likely to share their picture with their own followers.


2. Product Centric - Taking pictures of your products in interesting situations.


VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.NAPLESCHAMBER.ORG I BUSINESS CURRENTS™ I NOVEMBER 2014 9


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