Instagram is a platform used to “pretty-fy” your brand. You browse through a wall and there are lovely photos, inspiring visuals and snapshots of an artist or brand’s life. What a great visual tool to tell your story! It is excellent for interacting with loyal followers, its visual platform draws mass amount of attention and it does not have a character limit, allowing users to expand upon captions.
However, like with all social media platforms, it is important for artists and brands to know exactly what to avoid doing when posting content on Instagram.
Here are some things to avoid when using Instagram #smartist style!
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Tagging friends in posts that are not relevant to them.
I get it, you want to promote your event, but there is a classier way to raise awareness. Each of your followers possess different social media needs and interests. You want to target followers who are interested in what it is you are trying to promote. A personal message is the best way to do this. Followers feel appreciated when they know a message is directly addressed to them and that they are not just part of a mass tagging.
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Low quality, blurry photos
You have a beautiful Instagram feed with great quality photos. Then you ruin it with a blurry pic of an event you went to. You know, that photo you took at a conference while you were indoors and there was an ugly fluorescent lighting situation going on. Phone cameras suck, especially in indoor settings. Our favourite time to shoot is at sunrise or sunset/ “Golden Hour”. However we know you can’t control the lighting situation all the time. Get to know your phone camera and play around with your manual settings to get the best picture possible. My favourite photo editing apps are VSCO, Snapseed and A Colour Story. They each have options where you can manually adjust brightness, contrast, exposure etc. and some great filters – go give them a try!
[Tweet “Get to know your phone camera and play around with your manual settings to get the best picture possible.”]
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Instagram isn’t for everyone
For companies who don’t have time to spend on Instagram, it is important to consider why you have an Instagram account at all? It’s hard to have an epic feed if you aren’t promoting something visual. Certain service industries such as software or finance have difficulties with this. If you can relate and don’t enjoy using Instagram, shut it down. However, if you are an accountant who is gong-ho about Instagram, it is still possible to rock it! Take a look at these service based companies who are rocking it on Insta: Headspace, FedEx, and Freshbooks. You just need a creative strategy and focus on the social media accounts you can manage as not to overwhelm yourself with too many social media accounts.
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Mystery Instagram feed
What are you promoting? Some Instagram accounts are random to the point where you have no idea what they are selling. Followers want to learn and engage with your product or service. Since Instagram is a visual platform, it is not only simple, it is also essential to share photos of exactly what it is your followers can experience from your business. This creates buzz and eliminates confusion.
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ARTISTS: Showcase your art and talent!
It’s such a shame when people who have undeniable talents decide not to post their skills! I want to see your amazing paintings, your stunning photography and vids of you singing. The best way for artists to cut through social media clutter is to demonstrate what makes them stand out from the rest.
[Tweet “The best way for artists to cut through social media clutter is to demonstrate what makes you stand out from the rest”]
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Selfies and only selfies.
Yes, I see that you have a pretty face but when that’s all I see – I’m not invested in your story. It is nice to put a friendly face to a business, so a few selfies here and there are no problem. However, the purpose of your Instagram is to promote your business, not to show the world how “on fleek” your eyeliner is.
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Bios that aren’t filled out.
Bios are the only way to lead to a website or sales page on Instagram. Social media is meant to direct followers to where they can interact with and purchase your product or service. If your audience doesn’t know how to contact you, your social media accounts are not fulfilling a key element. In addition, followers want to know about your business. A short description orients your audience to exactly what it is they are experiencing.
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Click bait-y content
Followers do not feel inclined to interact with your brand if they feel you are just after them for your clicks. If your bio or photo caption displays a mystery link with the words ‘click here’ with no context as to what it leads to, your audience will definitely feel uneasy. Make sure your links are clearly marked so your followers know exactly what they are getting into.
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Too many hashtags
Hashtags are a great tool and Instagram’s unlimited character makes it possible to write for days. But too many hashtags can be distracting and look messy. Keep your hashtags relevant to your business and cap it at 20 hashtags per post….MAX.
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Leaving vague and impersonal comments on other Instagram accounts
Of course it is important to interact with your network. However, your audience knows when they are an afterthought. Writing things like “rad!’” “that’s awesome!” or simply leaving a heart emoji under someone else’s Instagram photo is impersonal and a turn off. Writing something more personal such as “Hi @artist25! I love your work, especially the painting of the blue flower! Keep it up!” is much more effective and genuine.
What are your thoughts on these pet peeves? Do you have any Instagram Pet Peeves of your own? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!
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