Starting an Instagram Account

• Download the Instagram account to your device (smartphone or tablet) 
• Sign up using your email address or Facebook login 
• Set up your profile by adding a picture – your logo is a great image to use 
• Add your “bio”. There is a limit of 150 characters to use so develop a nice, tight, punchy description about who you are and what you do. Relevant emojis are absolutely encouraged! 
• Add the URL to your webstore or website so people can easily click through to your work 
• If you are wanting to use a “business” account you MUST have a business Facebook page already set up, so you might need to do this first 
• To switch to a business account you click on the top right icon on your profile page, then scroll to where it says “switch to business” (you can change back to personal at any time)  Add extra info such as location, email, phone number (only if you want to) and choose a category like “local business” or “retailer” or whatever fits your work 
• Start snapping photos or upload from your camera roll  Play around with filters and different editing settings to develop a “style” for your account 
• You can add multiple images to one post by clicking on the bottom far right icon on the upload screen. This feature is great for showing different angles of a piece of work; showing the different colours a piece may come in; or progress shots of how it’s been made.
• Write a clever caption about what it is you are showing your audience. A good trick is to make it more than two lines long so the viewer must click on “read more”, which is how your increase engagement and get your posts seen by more sets of eyes 
• Add relevant hashtags to your photo (the format is #plusthewordorwords ). Think about how people might search for this particular photo; add your business name so people can also use it to engage with you; add tags that may appeal to customers and peers alike to build your following. There is a limit of 30 hashtags per post and it looks a little neater if you pop them in the first comment, rather than under your caption.
• You can choose to share your post automatically to other platforms like Facebook and Twitter by clicking these options on the “posting” screen when you are finished getting your photo ready  Instagram is a SOCIAL media app, so the best way to increase your following and engagement is to get involved! Spend time finding accounts that you like, that fit your demographic, that are your peers or potential customers and start commenting and liking their photos.
• Make yourself seen by as many people as you can and start building your tribe. It takes time and effort to build your Insta-fam but it is WORTH it! 
• Post regularly, and always acknowledge any comments about your work by clicking the heart “like” button beside the comment OR reply to the comment with a quick thank you  It is fine to use or “regram” other people’s photos in your feed so long as your CREDIT them by tagging their account in the comments, eg: “image cred @craftvictoria”.
• Use Insta-stories video to show behind the scenes. They disappear after 24 hours and are FUN! To upload or shoot, click on the camera top left on IG home screen.
  

Ten Tips To Help You Use Instagram Like A Pro

1. For a great looking bio that has line breaks, type out your copy in the “notes” section of your phone and then paste it into the Instagram field
2. ONLY use well lit, in focus and edited images for your account
3. Think about how the top 9-12 tiles of your profile page look at all times. This takes effort and planning but is important because this is the FIRST impression someone will get of you and your work when they come across your profile
4. Have a “style” to your feed by grouping photos. For example use colours, shapes, strategically placed memes or inspiration images
5. Change the website URL whenever you want to direct people to a particular area of your website or store. Make it easy for people to head to your call to action, eg. To register for your newsletter put the correct link to the sign up page, rather than just to your landing page
6. In the options section of your profile (top right, round icon) you can invite your Facebook friends to follow your new account, link multiple platforms to your IG account and add all of your Instagram accounts. This is handy if you have a private and business account/s because you can toggle between them without constantly logging in and out
7. Spend time looking at your analytics/insights by clicking on the graph bars at the top of your profile page (business accounts only). This will help you to see which posts are getting the most engagement and reach, who your demographic are and what the best times to post each day are, to grow all of these areas
8. Have your regular hashtags saved to the notes section of your phone so you can easily copy and paste them into each post, rather than re-type them every time 9/- Use a scheduling program such as GRUM that you download to your PC. For a nominal cost per month, you can spend an hour or two a week getting all your posts ready and then just set and forget so you can do more making! This type of planning saves loads of time
9. If you have a particular product or event to promote, considering doing a TARGETED “Sponsored” post, where you pay for an Instagram advert to increase your audience.
10. You can specify a geographic area, age group and various other demographic markers to strategically get your message to the people you want to see it. Clever!

1. Prepared by Anthea Abell www.fulltiltnanna.com © Craft Victoria 2017 Some insights to consider...