8 Instagram Photo Tips

Instagram can be tricky.

Not like explaining to your spouse why you would rather eat out tricky…but awkwardly close.

You have to grab attention, keep the attention, promote your business or brand AND relate to your followers.

The list seems endless—and daunting. The common denominator?

Your photos.

Your photos are the most important part, but can also cause the most over-analyzing aggravation for some people.

Here are a few tricks and tips to make the most of your business Instagram.

1.    Know the Rules

Like any playing field, there are rules. Instagram is no exception.

The biggest one? Instagram loves squares!

Your profile is set up in a grid formation with square previews.

The feed is made up of square previews.

This means your photos should be…you guessed it…squares as well.

While there are a few accounts that get away with classic rectangle photos (we don’t follow those people), unless your business revolves around wide-angle shots of mountain ridgelines, keep it square.

2.    Finding Your Voice

If your business were a person, who would you want to hang with you?

What “personality” does your brand have? What kind of person does your brand attract? Even a person (as in ‘not a business’) is still a brand in of themselves.

Your photos will begin to take on a persona—and that persona should be who you are and appeal to those that you are trying to attract.

Sounds pretty basic but you would be surprised how many people just put up random photos.

3.    Do What Works for You

Your Instagram needs to represent your brand.

What works for some businesses, may not work for yours.

For example, many breweries have the ability to play around with their photos, testing the limits of fun. Pet shops get to do the same thing.

If you are an architecture firm, lawyer’s office or a more serious business, this may not work for you.

In these instances, your posts should build up your followers’ trust and highlight what you bring to the table.

Then again…rules are meant to be broken aren’t they?

4.    Consistency

While individual photos are important, your entire profile also needs to form a coherent message.

The easiest way to do this—keep you colors, filters and esthetics consistent.

Have specific logo colors; try to use those in every photo.

Find that you enjoy the grey tones over bright colors, use those.

If you are looking for inspiration or an example, check out Coca-Cola Argentina.

By using their signature red color, followers and viewers instantly know whose profile they are on and it pays off in long-term branding.

5.    Keep it Interesting

No one wants to look at the same photos everyday.

We have seen the sunsets.

We have seen the ridgeline views.

And we have seen you post the same photo, but from a different angle.

We have also seen the ‘unfollow’ button.

Keep it interesting!

Find new photos from around the office.

Find different products to advertise. Find new places to take a picture.

At a loss? Get your employees in on it. Nine times out of ten, they have a different perspective than you do.

6.    Transparency

Let your followers get to know the real you, not just the edited, “Take 20” version.

While photos of your products and your business in put together situations are important, the fun behind-the-scene photos are just as important.

People want to buy from people they trust, so you have to let them get to know you.

Having a party at the office, take a snap!

7.    Quality over Quantity

It’s a classic saying for a reason and it’s easier than ever to execute.

You don’t need the newest Canon camera to be great at Instagram, in fact most users (including photographers) are turning to their smartphones.

With new editing apps coming out everyday and cameras becoming better and better, quality is at your fingertips.

8.    Keep Up with the Times

Trending hashtags are the name of the game. And they are great when you aren’t sure what to post about next.

With an easy Google search, you can find the newest trending hashtags and your newest post idea.

Not sure where to start?

#tbt (throwbackthursday) and #sundayfunday are a great way to start, as well as give you a boost of transparency and fun.

Instagram doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have to work for you.

Play around with it. Have some fun. Keep snapping.