Instagram: user manual – Marie Claire, how Instagram works? The beginner’s guide in 8 steps
How Instagram works? The beginner’s guide in 8 steps
To hide unwanted advertisements, simply type on the three points in the upper right corner (once on the publications concerned) and to choose to hide ad.
Instagram: user manual
The Instagram smartphone application has just been bought by Facebook for the sum of a billion dollars. How does this application work ? Why is Instagram like it as much ? The point on the darling app of amateur photographers.
If the name of Instagram* says nothing to you, it’s time to get out of your cave ! Do not panic, this article is made for you ! With its 30 million users, the Instagram application has gradually invaded the social networks most sides of the net. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr … Impossible that your eyes have never landed on a “polaroid” type photo with vintage -style characteristic of Instagram.
Instagram: how it works ?
Instagram is a social network present on smartphone whose main goal is to share your photographs. Each user has a kind of wall, a personal Instagram page, where all of their photos taken or modified is displayed via theapplication. Other Instagram users can then leave comments or point out that they like photography. As with Facebook, it is possible to make your page accessible to all users of the application or only to your list of friends, called subscribers.
One of the main assets of this application is the possibility of retouching the photos taken by the phone. For that, nothing could be simpler, the system is always the same and is organized in three stages.
First step: Instagram first offers to take a photo with the device smartphone Or download an existing photo. It is then necessary to crop the photo in the square to give it an air of polaroid.
Second step: choose the filter. 1977, Nashville, Valencia… Nearly 20 filters are offered by the mobile application and allow you to give vintage or downright retro air to your photo. It is also possible to play on the contrast and add or remove a frame around the image.
Third step: Share the photo. In addition to displaying yourself on your Instagram page, the application invites you to share the photo via Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare or Tumblr. A good way to show it to all your contacts !
Instagram: why this application pleases so much ?
Everyone uses Instagram as they see fit. While for some, this mobile application is the dreamed tool to retouch their photos without sharing them, others on the other hand, broadcast their shots as much as possible. It all depends on the confidentiality parameters provided by the user. Large Instagram asset: ease of use as well as the filters offered.
But above all, everyone can play the big photographer with their smartphone ! Thanks to the filters and without having any particular knowledge in terms of photography, it is possible to give each of its photos a vintage and retro air, like an old poaroid. A way to give a real cachet to the most basic photos.
On the other hand, Instagram users also appreciate the variety of photos broadcast. Indeed, on Instagram, no fuss, we can post the photo of a magnificent landscape as well as that of the cupcakes that we have just cook … To believe that with a vintage filter, everything becomes prettier !
Instagram: and more ..
While everyone is still wondering about Facebook’s motivations through the purchase of Instagram, many think of the abilities of the young application. Indeed, less than two years after its creation, Instagram has already managed to attract more than 30 million users. For some, this purchase is a way for Facebook to compete with the young social network Pinterest, also specialized in sharing photographs.
But Facebook is not the only one to have felt the vein and more and more companies are already betting a lot on Instagram. Among them, the Blurb company, offering Instagram users to create a book from their favorite photos taken via the mobile application. One thing is certain, the success of Instagram is just beginning !
And you, do you use Instagram ? What use do you do with this application ? And which filter do you prefer ?
* Free application and available on the App Store and on Google Play.
How Instagram works ? The beginner’s guide in 8 steps
You want to understand the operation of Instagram ? Know how it works and how to use Instagram to your advantage ? We give you access to all the instructions for use in this article. You will know perfectly how Instagram works.
Instagram how it works ?
These days, it seems that almost everyone has heard of Instagram.
After all, there are almost a billion active users per month who share content on the application every day !
As popular as Instagram be, there are still people who do not understand that it is and how it works Instagram.
If you are an individual, a brand or an influencer who has not yet discovered how to master “Instagram art”, do not panic. We are not going to give you a donkey cap and sit in a corner.
However, we are here to tell you that it is worth learning as much as possible on Instagram. Not only is it one of the most popular social networks in the world. But Instagram images arouse a commitment about 4 times higher than that of their counterparts on Facebook.
This means that if you use IG (Instagram) correctly, you will get more subscribers, more willing to interact with you on the daily.
To know absolutely all the secrets of Instagram and how it works, discover our dedicated Instagram guide and continue reading this article.
Go to a section ✨
- The story of Instagram
- Why should we understand how Instagram works ?
- Understand the functioning of the Instagram algorithm: the interest.
- Understand the functioning of the Instagram algorithm: the speed of execution.
- Understanding the functioning of the Instagram algorithm: relationships.
- Additional factors taken into account in the operation of Instagram.
- Why the Instagram algorithm is not as bad as it seems.
- Instagram works – Now, make your strategy also work.
The story of Instagram
To answer the question “how Instagram” works “, We must first immerse ourselves in the history of the application.
What is Instagram for ? What is Instagram ?
It is an application of Photo sharing For your smartphone. It combines the social network and amateur photography. The objective is to allow anyone to share photos or videos with other social network members.
With filters and stickers, anyone can create an amazing image in no time.
When you know how difficult it was to share attractive photos before Instagram, it is easy to understand why the tool was so successful.
Only 6 months after its release on the iPhone, Instagram had already won 5 million users. As IG launched on Android, the new application had already won 1 million Instagram profile from the first day.
Over time the social network has evolved from version to version and today offers thousands of possibilities, you can:
- See the post of one person who lives on the other side of the world
- Share stories or real to vary the media
- Use a hashtag to publicize your last video
- Gather thousands of followers
- Start an advertisement to improve your commitment
And all this from a screen that holds in your pocket.
Why should we understand how Instagram works ?
People who wonder “how it works Instagram” generally do not want to have an overview of the code and operating mechanisms of the application. If you came here for that, we apologize.
Instead, most people try to Discover how Instagram works, How he classifies the posts, and why helps some Instagram accounts to gain popularity.
If you understand the operation of Instagram, you can more easily win subscribers. You can be more easily noticed on the social network.
Like most social networks, Instagram has something called “algorithm”. A set of rules he uses to dictate which user should see what content, and when. And this applies to a photo, a video, an advertisement, a story, research results and even the real.
Like most social networks, IG algorithm constantly changes, which makes it more difficult for marketing specialists to master the model.
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In 2016, Instagram changed his algorithm so radically that he sparked a petition from people who used the application to return to normal.
In March 2018, Instagram began to focus more on time as an essential characteristic of algorithm, but this is not the only consideration that users must take into account.
The change has removed Instagram from a standard “chronological” flow, to give more priority to specific types of content. The problem was that people did not understand what they had to do to put themselves on the right side of Instagram.
In front of the large number of marketing and influencers who wondered how Insta worked. The company decided to organize a press conference where it revealed The main factors to take into account to organize the Instagram news wire. These factors are as follows:
- Relations
- Interests
- Timeliness
Instagram also announced that Frequency, use and followers may also have a role to play in their algorithm (to a lesser extent).
Understand the functioning of the Instagram algorithm: the interest.
The “interest” is a measure that Instagram uses to determine the probability that you are interested in a particular position.
When IG announced his new algorithmic, he explained that he would put the content which, according to him, would interest his users above the other types of content.
SO, How does Instagram know what you like ?
Well, an option is to look at the type of post with which you already interact. For example, if you are still love and comment on photos of puppies, then Instagram knows that you must first show you photos with the hashtag #puppy.
For people who want to excel on the platform and know perfectly how to use Instagram, that means only one thing, You should know what your followers are looking for and make your content relevant to them. It’s as simple as that.
Understand the functioning of the Instagram algorithm: the speed of execution.
The second main ingredient of the Instagram algorithm is The degree of “punctuality” of your bubbles.
For example, if someone connects to Instagram at 9 a.m. and you have shared your photo at 8:45 a.m., it is more likely that it appears on its news feed, than a photo shared by someone others at 10:30 p.m. the day before.
Instagram wants his users benefit from the most recent and most relevant content.
This means that even the photos with more commitment and interactions will not necessarily appear before the posts which appeared recently on Instagram.
For brands and influencers, this means that you should determine When your target market is online in order to be able to publish content at the right time.
Publishing stories at 4 a.m. will not bring you the same results as posting it at 6 p.m. Your commitment will be much lower.
The good news ? It’s easy to do with the Instagram statistical page on a pro account. You can see automatically when your subscribers are online, and even collect some additional details on their demographic data while you are there.
Read this article to find out more about when posting on Instagram.
Understanding the functioning of the Instagram algorithm: relationships.
We now arrive at the last major metric of the Instagram algorithm: relations.
In an announcement concerning the new classification algorithm in 2016, Instagram said that, regardless of the number of accounts that user follows on IG, he will always see the photos and videos of his friends and family first.
At the end of the day, IG wants you to see the content of the people who are dear to you above all.
It’s logical, wouldn’t you prefer to see a photo of your mother’s dog rather than a brand photo that you have already loved ?
The question is how it works for IG users who have no personal link with all their subscribers ? It’s simple, you have to start improving your relational skills. That means :
- Interact with people and their publications through “Like” and comments
- Respond to messages, comments, stories and direct questions
- Make sure you appear in good research using #hashtags
Summary of the 3 pillars of Instagram algorithm:
In summary, here is how Instagram works:
- It shows content that interreses the user according to what he likes.
- He highlights the most recent publications to ensure permanent novelty.
- It shows you the content of the people you interact the most.
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Additional factors taken into account in the operation of Instagram.
As we mentioned above, in addition to interest, speed of execution and relationships, there are some other elements that Instagram could take into account when it decides where to place your content.
As part of his announcement of public relations on the new thread of the new algorithmic, Instagram also revealed that he is looking at:
- Frequency: the frequency to which someone opens Instagram. If you open Instagram once a day, then you will only see the best publications of the day according to the IG algorithm.
If you are continuously navigating in Instagram because of a #igaddiction, Instagram will try to show you content that you have not seen before.
- Your subscriptions: if you follow thousands of different accounts on IG, then the algorithm has more information to sort when it decides what it should show you. This means that users who follow many people could see less content from individual accounts.
- Use: whether you prefer to navigate in Instagram by short gusts when you need something to do, or you do follies in the application like Netflix, this will also dictate the type of information that Instagram will display.
Why the Instagram algorithm is not as bad as it seems.
Even if the IG algorithm has let countless companies ask and forced a few people to launch a petition against him, this new algorithm is not only bad.
As we have seen this year, The number of Instagram users continues to increase, Which means that there is more Instagram publication to sort every day.
The followers who are tired of trying to find content that interests them will not even bother to visit places like the #Explore page, or to type in the search bar, because they will know that it will be is a waste of time.
Instagram study has also shown that users are missing about 70% of publication on their home page before the algorithm changes.
Instagram algorithm means that as long as you actively create engaging contents, timely and relevant to your audience, You will have views of your posts and your Instagram profile will be highlighted.
Whether you share a post, a story, real or video your publications will be highlighted on the flow of your followers, hashtags and in search results.
Conversely if your publications do not please anyone, Instagram will mask them.
Know that this is what matters in the world of social media. This should be one of your goals when you use Instagram.
Without the algorithm, the only thing you could do would be to post endlessly, all day, one thing with which even the best brands and influences would be losing.
Instagram works – Now, make your strategy also work.
Instagram is an incredible platform. And if you are still wondering what is an instile ?
Note that more than a billion users are on the platform each month, 71 % of which are under 35 years old, which makes this platform mature for brand strategy and the creation of a young audience that will be delighted to Your products or services.
But so that Instagram “works” for you, you must know how to use it and you are able to design and implement an effective strategy on the platform.
It is essential to know what to show, when to show it and how to present your content in order to engage and to Establish a real link with your audience. In general, you must understand how it works Instagram.
But for many budding and established entrepreneurs, IG is still a hat trick that they must learn to master, and for which they may not even have time. This is the bad news.
The good news is that with Instaboss, you don’t have to take up this challenge on its own. If you are confused and overwhelmed by Instagram, and you want to develop your profile faster, there is a quick and easy solution. The question of how Instagram works, will soon be only a distant memory.
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31 Instagram tips essential to use the app well in 2023
Use these publication models in standard format or stories to renew the design of your posts.
Reading time: 26 min
In recent years, Instagram has quickly become an essential social network, not only for adolescents. A October 2020 study shows that 71 % of users worldwide are under 35 years old.
In addition to being numerous (more than a billion people connect each month), Instagram users are active: more than half of them connect to the network at least once a day and they go there on average 53 minutes.
For a large number of users, however, the operation of Instagram remains a mystery; Some even go so far as to use bots. The possibilities are numerous and the mastery of the different options can make all the difference between a company that reaches its objectives on the network and another which waste time. It is therefore essential to know the most practical and effective Instagram tips to gain visibility, generate commitment and acquire leads.
How Instagram works ?
On the Instagram social network, users scroll through their news feed in order to view photo or video content. This content is defined by the application algorithm according to centers of interest or user contacts.
When a user posts content on Instagram, the publication becomes visible on his personal page in the form of a miniature overview. Click on this overview allows you to view the content in its real format.
These are the basic features of Instagram, but the platform includes many subtleties. Here are 31 Instagram tips to optimally use the application features.
Instagram features
- Follow your favorite publications.
- Remove research history.
- Personalize your notifications.
- Avoid loving a publication by mistake.
- Manage photos or videos identifications.
- Validate the publications identified before their online.
- Classify publications by location.
- Hide publications for a person.
- Hide inappropriate advertisements.
- Archive a publication without deleting it.
- Return to a recently deleted file.
- Use the professional dashboard.
- Limit comments to user groups.
- Maximize the scope of publications with hashtags.
- Determine the right time to publish on Instagram.
- Use Instagram stories.
- Publish GIF on Instagram.
- Publish from a computer.
- Direct traffic to an external site.
- Use Instagram Reels.
- Save publications.
- Make a live Instagram.
- Program an Instagram publication.
- Send photos in private mode.
- Use remixes on reels.
- Publish longer video content.
- Add a link in a story for all of the accounts.
- Modify a publication.
- Reorganize Instagram photo filters.
- Touch up the photos without publishing them.
- Use Hyperlapse for Instagram.
31 little -known tips and features of Instagram to discover
This compilation of 31 little -known Instagram tips aims to help beginner users and confirmed to familiarize themselves with the platform. Indeed, succeeding on Instagram means knowing the relevant features.
Everyone will find useful features in this list, from the recruiter wanting to promote the culture of his business, to the e-commerce marketer wishing to develop the image of a brand, including the individual user wishing to develop his presence on this network.
Noticed : Before you start, make sure to use the latest version of the application for an optimal Instagram operation. It is also important to be able to follow to publish on Instagram.
How to create an Instagram strategy in 2023?
Download this free Instagram report and use it to define your 2023 strategy.
Instagram settings for settings and preferences
First of all, to make the best use of Instagram features, it is necessary to know the different settings of network settings and preferences.
1 – See the photos we liked
One of the simplest, but also the most useful Instagram tips is to see all the loved publications over time on the same screen by a user account. This, by accessing the account profile (user icon in the lower right corner of the screen), then typing on “options” (icon with three bars at the top right), then on “parameters”, on “account” And by clicking on “Publications you love”. To no longer love some of the publications on this page, simply select them, then type on the heart icon. Note that the user will not be informed of the withdrawal of your like.
2 – Remove research history
- Access the “user profile”.
- Click on “Options” (the three bars at the top right).
- Select “Settings”.
- Click on “Security”.
- Scroll through the page to “erase the history of research”.
- Select the searches to be deleted.
3 – Customize your notifications
In order not to miss a single publication of specific contacts, the operation of Instagram provides for the possibility of receiving a notification each time a specific user publishes a new photo.
- To do this, simply activate the notifications for a desired user by accessing their profile, typing on the bell icon at the top right of the screen. It is then possible to choose which notification to subscribe: publications,
- stories,
- IGTV
- Live videos.
Despite everything, it may happen that notifications are not displayed. In this case, it is necessary to verify that the push notifications for Instagram have been activated on the device used. The procedure is as follows:
- To activate notifications on an iOS device: access “settings”, then “notifications”. Click on Instagram and activate “allow notifications”.
- To activate notifications on an Android device: access “parameters”, then “applications” and Instagram, and select the desired option to display notifications.
4 – Avoid loving a publication by mistake
On Instagram, a unfortunate “I like” quickly happened. Fortunately, because there are Instagram tips for everything, it is possible to consult the publications of a user without fear of “like”. To do this, simply use the application while the device is in “plane mode”. Without internet connection, it is impossible to love photos, even by clicking twice on it by mistake.
Nevertheless, the photos will not be loaded if the session on Instagram is started in this mode. It is therefore necessary to access the user in question with a valid internet connection in order to load the photos, then activate the “plane mode” before looking at them in detail. Once it has reached the end of the photos available, it is necessary to deactivate the mode to load new ones, then start again.
How to activate “plane mode” on a phone ?
- To activate the “plane mode” on an iOS device, you must slide the finger from the upper right angle of the screen and type on the plane icon. The option is also accessible from settings.
- To activate the “plane mode” on an Android device, you must slide your finger from the top of the screen and type on the plane icon. Again, the option is accessible from the settings.
5 – Manage photos or videos identifications
Instagram offers the possibility of identifying a user in a photo or in a video. The publication in question is automatically added to the photos of the user profile, unless the option to validate the identifications has been activated. From there, it is possible to use two Instagram tips: to see all the publications concerned and to hide those which are not relevant.
To see the publications in which a user has been identified, he can access his profile and type on the identification icon of the person present under the “One” section.
To hide the publications in which a user has been identified, it is necessary:
- Tap on the three -point icon (upper top of the screen) by consulting the images concerned, then on parameters> Confidentiality> Publications> Identified publications> Approve identifications manually.
- Click on “Modify” then select the photos intended to be deleted from the profile.
- Type on “hide” or “delete” to hide or delete identification.
- Confirm by tapping on “masking profile” or “delete profile”.
The photos are not deleted from Instagram, but they are no longer displayed in the user’s profile identified. Contacts can no longer access it.
6 – Validate the publications identified before their online putting
By default, when a user identifies another user in a photo or video published on Instagram, it is automatically added to the profile concerned.
Among the Instagram tips relating to these publications, it is a particularly useful: that which allows the identified person to validate the photos and videos concerned before they are put online, so as to choose those that will appear ( or not) on his profile.
To do this, it is necessary to access the user profile and go to the “options”, then in “Settings”. Then press “confidentiality”, then on “publications”. In the section “Identified publications”, type on “Approve identifications manually”, then slide the notch next to the option “Approve the identifications manually” to activate this mode.
When this option is activated, the user receives a notification as soon as a publication identifies it, even before being put online. Then just, for each publication, to type on the photo concerned, then on the name of the user, and to select the option “keep” in “Photos and videos of you”.
7 – Classify publications by location
Instagram offers a fun possibility: that of looking at the photos taken in a specific location or near a given location. This option is appreciable when the user visits particularly charming places or looking for photos taken during a specific event, for example. What is the procedure to take advantage of this Instagram tip ?
To find photos taken in a specific place, it is possible to:
- Finding a place in the Instagram search bar, typing the icon in the shape of a magnifying glass at the bottom of the home page. By typing on the search bar, a list of four tabs appears: you must choose “location” then enter a place name. The application displays the most recent and most relevant publications.
- Tap the geotag of a photo taken in the desired place. Instagram also displays publications in chronological order and by relevance.
To consult the photos taken from a specific location at a given moment:
- Tap on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the home page to access the main research screen. By typing on the search bar, four tabs appear. You have to choose “location”, then “nearby places”.
- Choose the desired geotag in the options that appear. For example, to consult photos identified with the geotag hubspot, simply type on the geotag in question to display the most relevant and recent publications.
8 – Hide publications for a person
Facebook allows you to select authorized users to see the publications of a specific account. But on Instagram, it is not possible to hide a publication for a particular person. It is allowed, on the other hand, to play with the types of profiles to authorize or not some people to see all the publications of an account:
- In “private” mode, publications of an account can only be seen by subscribers.
- In “public” mode, publications of an account can be seen by all users, even if they are not subscribed to the account in question.
In short, to hide publications in the eyes of a specific person, it is enough to ensure that this person is not subscribed to the account (or, if this is the case, delete it from the subscribers’ list) , and put the profile in “private” mode.
Please note: a publication defined as private on Instagram, but broadcast on another application as Twitter can be seen by the latter users.
On the other hand, Instagram authorizes to hide a story for a specific person. For that it is necessary :
- Access the user profile.
- Go to Settings> Confidentiality> Story.
- Hit “hide the story for. »»
- Select the person who should not see the story, then validate.
The same manipulation can be done directly from the story concerned by going to “publication options” (the icon with three points) and choosing “hide the story for. “, Then indicating the name of the desired profile.
9 – Hide inappropriate advertisements
Like Facebook, his parent company, Instagram aims to show its users relevant and interesting advertisements. Relevant advertising may concern subjects appreciated by the user, information indicated on Facebook (for example, its interests), or the external sites and applications recently consulted.
What to do when sponsored announcements are displayed which do not meet this requirement of relevance ? The operation of Instagram makes it possible to inform the application in order to correctly correct the algorithm so that it takes into account what the user wishes or not. Some Instagram tips on this subject:
To hide unwanted advertisements, simply type on the three points in the upper right corner (once on the publications concerned) and to choose to hide ad.
Instagram then requests details on the reason for this choice.
To hide all targeted advertisements according to the sites and applications consulted outside of Facebook and Instagram, you must access the telephone settings (on iOS), go to the “Confidentiality” menu, then in the submenu ” Advertising “, and finally activate the” limited advertising follow -up “option. On an Android device, you must go to “Google Settings”, then in “Ads”, and choose the “Disable Ads” option “. Activating this option does not prevent seeing advertisements chosen according to the activity on these two networks.
10 – Archive a publication without deleting it
To archive an Instagram photo, just open it and press the three small points located at the top right. This menu gives access to the “archive” option and this handling works with all publications (photos and videos). Archived content is no longer visible on the user profile or accessible from the search.
However, it is always possible to restore an Instagram photo previously archived. To do this, you have to recover the photo by clicking the clock -shaped button in the profile, choose the photo to restore, open the menu thanks to the three small points at the top right of the photo and finally click on “Show” show on the profile “.
11 – Take up a recently deleted file
Instagram makes available to the user a new “recently deleted” file in which he finds his publications (photo, video, real, IGTV) deleted in the last 30 days and the stories of the last 24 hours. In the case of accidental deletion, the user can then recover his publication. To find this feature, you have to go to “parameters”, “account”, “recently deleted”.
12 – Use the professional dashboard
Instagram allows you to use a professional dashboard that offers several features, in particular to follow your performance. The user can also take advantage of shortcuts to tools to develop their business and consult the monetization status and eligibility. He can also call on the educational resource center. This table is for professionals and creators.
13 – Limit comments to user groups
“Limits” functionality combines cyberbullying by temporarily blocking comments spaces to groups of individuals. It is still in the test phase and is not available for everyone. Some Instagram users therefore find “limits” functionality in their privacy settings. Two options are offered by default. The user can block the comments of people who do not follow him, or block the comments of the people who have recently followed him. Instagram may also recommend groups of accounts to limit according to the activities detected.
The user also chooses the duration of the limitation. Today, it is not possible to set up these restrictions over an indefinite period. Published comments will therefore be automatically masked. It is however possible to consult them and make them appear by validating them in a manual way.
Tips for Instagram publications
On Instagram, there are multiple tips to increase the visibility and scope of its publications. Some of them are detailed below.
14 – Maximize the scope of publications with hashtags
It is essential to use hashtags to increase the visibility of publications on Instagram. These hashtags are placed in the legends of photos or videos, or in biographies. They must be relevant with regard to the type of publication. There are four categories:
- Popular hashtags, widely used by the community and, for this reason, likely to increase the scope of publications. For example: #Love, #Fashion, #happy, #Family, #Travel, #Nofilter, or simply #instagram.
- Precise hashtags, specific to an activity (#Travel, #Food, #Videogames), a community (#Agentsimmobiliers, #Geeks) or niche hearings (#Mangerbio, #PassionVoyage, #Monchat).
- Brand hashtags that take up the names of companies or brands (#nike, #LG), or even a slogan (#haveabreak for Kitkat).
- Prohibited hashtags, which designate the terms banned by Instagram and whose use may negatively impact the visibility of a publication. For example: #kissing or #babe.
15 – Determine the right time to publish on Instagram
One of the keys to succeed on Instagram from a marketing perspective is to determine the best time to put publications online. The right time allows you to gain visibility and to initiate a greater number of subscribers, which contributes to improving the positioning of a publication in the wire and to reach the fixed commercial objective (redirect audiences to a website , increase the conversion rate for example).
The functioning of Instagram is indeed based on an algorithm which disseminates publications according to the interest they arouse and the commitment they generate. The more a publication is seen, the more likely it is to appear in the wire of subscribers. Chronological order is no longer a priority criterion, but the most “costs” content are also those that make users react.
There is a consensus as to the best moments to publish on Instagram in order to optimize the efficiency of the content, namely:
- Monday and Thursday.
- From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Be careful, because these generic indications do not take into account the particularities of each company. The right time to publish on Instagram depends on the activity and the type of targeted audience. To determine it, it is essential to lead a test battery. Without forgetting to offer quality content, relevant to subscribers.
16 – Use Instagram stories
On Instagram, there are “classic” publications and Instagram stories, narrative and interactive tools that have a limited lifespan (24 hours). Many professionals use these stories to increase their visibility and increase engagement. But succeeding on Instagram through this tool implies mastering some good practices:
- Use the many Instagram options to improve the quality and visibility of stories (hashtags, location stickers, animated GIFs, textual effects, among others).
- Create stories around interactive supports (such as quizs or surveys) to generate more commitment.
- Meet specific needs using stories in the form of concise tutorials.
- Integrate Instagram shopping into an e-commerce site to illustrate stories with tags referring to specific products.
17 – Publish gif on Instagram
GIFs are fun and viral content capable of optimizing the scope of a publication. They take the form of very short videos (a few seconds at most) aimed at illustrating an emotion, an idea or a point. One of the most popular Instagram tips is to integrate animated GIFs into publications to increase their visibility and user engagement.
To publish a GIF on Instagram, you must first get your hands on the one who expresses the idea, the emotion or the desired subject. Three possibilities:
- Create a GIF from scratch thanks to a dedicated application like IMGPLAY or GIF MAKER.
- Recover an existing GIF on one of the many search engines available, like Giphy or Tenor.
- Create a GIF via the Instagram boomerang application from photos or videos taken with the device.
To publish a GIF from Giphy, nothing could be simpler: the platform displays a sharing button on Instagram, to the right of the chosen GIF. A text can be added before publication.
To integrate a GIF into a story, simply type on the dedicated icon when creating a “story”, then choosing one in the proposed list or looking for relevant keywords. The selected gif can then be moved to the story to the desired location.
18 – Publish from a computer
Instagram is a first -time platform for mobile use. To publish on Instagram from a computer, it is necessary to go through specific handling and to use browser options to “imitate” a mobile device.
With Google Chrome:
- Open the Instagram site.
- Access the browser options by clicking on the icon made up of three small points, at the top right of the page.
- Go to more tools> Development tools (PC), or in display> Tools for developers> Development tools, then click on Toggle Device Toolbar (Mac).
- Choose a phone model from the “Responsive” menu, so as to reveal the “Publier” button.
- Select an image and use the different Instagram features and tricks before publishing.
- Open the Instagram site.
- Go to development> User agent> iPhone to display the Publier button.
- Choose an image and use Instagram options before publishing.
Another solution to take advantage of the operation of Instagram from a computer means using a dedicated tool: a partner manager of the platform (Agorapulse or Buffer, among others) or a global management solution for the Inbound strategy (Marketing software HubSpot or Marketo, for example). These tools of course allow you to publish images and stories, but also, more broadly, to succeed on Instagram.
19 – Direct traffic to an external site
Succeed on Instagram, when you are a company, means using the application to generate traffic, then convert visitors to leads. However, Instagram does not allow clickable URLs in publications, except in the “Website” part of the biography.
A URL inserted in the legend of a photo appears as a standard text, which forces users to copy/paste it in a browser. Under these conditions, how to redirect traffic to the company’s website ? It’s simple: by encouraging users to go to the profile, the only place where a clickable URL is authorized.
The Instagram tip used by companies is to insert a mention for this purpose in legends, as in the example below.
The legend has a text of call-to-action encouraging to go to the user profile in order to type on the link linked to the publication.
Of course, it is important to update this URL regularly to direct Instagram users to a recent blog article, a new YouTube video, a product or an offer.
20 – Use Instagram Reels
Reels is an Instagram feature allowing you to make videos made up of small clips put end to end, all does not have to exceed 90 seconds. Reels is by far the best -efficient format on the platform in 2023, it is therefore recommended to favor this format to optimize your exhibition.
To use Reels, you must go to the Instagram home page and select the ” +” icon located at the top right next to the mention “Like”.
Scroll at the bottom of the screen to go from “direct” to “story”, then to “real” and, finally, press “start”.
To start the video, it is necessary to press the “real” button in the middle, a clap in the colors of Instagram flanked by the “play” symbol in the center. To finish the sequence, just touch the “Reels” button again.
It is possible to add options available on the left bar of the screen to customize these videos such as adding music or accelerate clips.
Once the video is finished, just select the symbol of the arrow that points to the right (at the bottom of the screen) to visualize the preview of the full video, then on “Share”.
21 – Save publications
Instagram offers a publication recording option. To do this, nothing could be simpler, just press the flag -shaped logo in the photo or video to record. It is also possible to record a publication in a collection. You have to keep the pennant supported, then select a collection already created or press the ” +” to create a new one.
22 – Make a live Instagram
Instagram offers the possibility of broadcast live videos from a user account, a particularly useful function to bring together a maximum of subscribers at the same time. To do this, click on the ” +” icon also used for the creation of stories and reels, then select the “Direct” option, available all left in the bar at the bottom of the screen.
Then press the middle button in Instagram colors and the live is launched. Once live, it is possible to interact with the participants by consulting their comments and inviting new contacts to join the Live. By pressing the “Back” button, then “finish” the video, the live ends.
23 – Program an Instagram publication
It is quite possible to plan Instagram publications, either via a social media management tool, or via Facebook “Creator Studio”. It allows you to crop images, to add a legend and to define the date and time of online launch. The approach is as follows:
- Connect the Instagram account to “Creator Studio”.
- Choose the content to be planned, from the computer or directly from the Facebook page.
- Refer.
- Include an Instagram legend and add the location.
- Select “Plan” by clicking on the arrow to the right of the Publier button.
- Choose the date and time of publication.
Instagram publication is posted on the user profile on the selected date and time, without the need for any other action.
24 – Send photos in private mode
On Instagram, it is possible to share publications in public mode (they are then visible by all users) or only with subscribers. But it is also possible to broadcast photos or videos from specific users or groups, in the same way that through a private message on Facebook.
To send a new photo in private mode, you must:
- Click on the ” +” icon and take or load a photo
- Customize the photo as for a story.
- Then click on the “Send” button located at the bottom right.
- Select the person (s) to which this image is intended for and click on the blue button “Send”.
To send an existing photo in private mode, you must:
- Tap on the desired photo (one of the photos published by the user, or any photo posted by another user, as soon as the latter has a public account).
- Tap on the arrow -shaped icon placed under the photo, next to the icons “like” and “comment”.
- Choose who to send this photo to the possibility of adding a message.
- Type “send”.
Direct messages are accessible at any time by typing the arrow icon displayed in the upper right corner of the home page.
25 – Use Reels Remix
With the Remix, an Instagram user can superimpose his real on that of another user who has a public account. Then the videos are attached vertically. Remixs help participate in viral challenges and react to posts.
Remix is enabled by default on all new reels published on a public account. To activate it on older reals, you must press the three -point menu and click on “Activate Remix”. In order to remix the real user’s real, you must ask him to go through the same steps. Remix can be deactivated for all reels at any time via the parameters or by the three -point menu for an individual real. After saving a remix, it is possible to control the volume of the original audio, recorded audio and add an off voice. In order to use the voiceover, it is necessary to press the microphone icon. In order to modify volume controls, you must touch the cursor icon.
26 – Publish longer video content
IGTVs allow you to publish longer videos. They can go from 1 to 60 minutes. These videos remain permanently on the user’s profile in the small TV icon or in the discovery tab. IGTV videos are quality content that is made to last. It is possible to publish an extract of 15 seconds in the feed. The subscriber is then invited to go to IGTV to see the entire video. This video format is ideal for companies wishing to present their profession and their activities.
27 – Add a link in a story for all of the accounts
Functionality long awaited by users, Instagram is now testing a sticker in stories, in order to display a clickable link for all accounts. Previously, only certified accounts or more than 10,000 subscribers could do. This new sticker being in the test phase currently, the functionality is only available on certain accounts for the moment.
Tips for retouching
The Instagram application offers you different retouching options for your publications (photos as videos).
28 – Modify a publication
Once published on Instagram, a photo or video can be changed at any time. This, in order to correct or delete legend, integrate or change a hashtag, but also to add a place, identify people or modify the alternating text.
- Find the photo or video concerned by going to the user account profile (the bust icon in the lower right corner of the screen).
- Access the “options” of the desired publication (the icon with three points, at the top right of the image).
- Type on “Modify”.
- Make the changes, then validate (the icon in the form of a comma in the upper right corner, on Android) or press “finish” (iOS).
Please note, you should know that it is not possible to touch up a photo already published. The only solution is to remove the publication and start the operation again, which only makes sense for very recent publications.
29 – Reorganize Instagram photo filters
The use of photo filters is fully part of the Instagram operation. Since there are around forty and each user necessarily has their preferences, it may be useful to reorganize them and hide those who remain unused. The procedure to succeed:
- Load a photo.
- Start retouching it as if it were a question of publishing it.
- Reorganize the filtering of filters by moving them using drag and drop. Just stay pressed on the filter and move it to put it further forward or back in the list.
30 – Retouch the photos without publishing them
Instagram filters and retouching options are very useful, but the user does not necessarily want to publish the photos on his account at the same time (if not at all). To use Instagram as retouching without publishing photos, simply publish them when the phone is in “plane” mode.
You have to start by checking that the “copy of original photos” option is activated in the settings by going to “Account”, then on “Origine Photos”.
Then, you have to launch the “plane” mode and follow the usual steps to publish a photo on Instagram: load the photo, retouch it and type on “publish”. An error message indicates the failure of the publication, but the retouched photo is recorded in the album of the phone.
Above all, do not forget to go to the “options” menu and choose to abandon the publication. Otherwise, the application will be responsible for publishing the photo automatically when the connection will be better.
31 – Use hyperlapse for Instagram
Hyperlapse is a free application that accelerates a video before publication on Instagram. It is possible to film sequences of up to 45 minutes maximum and then compress them. The speed of your movies can be accelerated up to 12 times.
To use Hyperlapse:
- Download Hyperlapse.
- Operate the application and choose the “Import an existing video” or “Save a new video” option.
- Press the red circle to the right of the screen to start filming. The initial duration of the video as well as the final duration after acceleration appear to the left of the screen.
- Press the red circle again to complete the recording.
- Then choose the speed by sliding the cursor from the left to the right. By default, the speed is set at 4 times.
- Press the notch at the top right to save the video and choose the first option to share on Instagram.
These Instagram tips can be used to increase the audience of a user account on the application, therefore to obtain more subscribers, generate traffic, and ultimately increase the conversion rate.
To go further in your Instagram strategy, download this Instagram report and discover the latest data to know to adapt your strategy.
Original publication on September 20, 2023, update on September 20, 2023