A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Post a Photo to Your Instagram Feed

Now that you have your Instagram Business page all set up, you're going to need some pictures to fill your profile up! It's important to showcase your best work on Instagram, and make sure they're relevant to your brand. There are several blogs and articles explaining how to make a cohesive Instagram Theme, and we even have an article teaching the difference between posting on your Instagram Story versus your Instagram Feed. But we're not going to get too much into that today. Today we want to go back to basics. Here is how to post a photo to your Instagram Feed:

1. Take a photo: It's a simple process! Whether it be with your own external camera, or with the camera in Instagram, you've got to take a picture before you can post it!

2. Upload your photo: Once in Instagram, you'll see a menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Right in the middle should be a little plus sign inside a box. Tap on that and it'll bring you into Instagram's camera. You can either take the picture right then and there and move on to the next step. 

Tap on that and it'll bring you into Instagram's camera. You can either take the picture right then and there and move on to the next step, or you can choose a photo from your camera roll by clicking "Library" in the bottom left of the screen.

Just click the next button and voila, you're on your way to posting your picture!

3. Edit your photo: From there you can now start editing your photo so it's consistent with your branding and style. Instagram has a selection of filters you can add on to your picture to make it look that much better!

Not a fan of any of the built in filters? No need to worry, they also have manual tools so you can adjust and fiddle with brightness, sharpness, highlights/shadows (and more), until it's just the way you like! Take a minute to edit the photo the way you want it to be.

4. Add the finishing touches: You're almost done! From here you can write your caption, tag people, tag locations, and choose which other social media platforms you want to post your picture to. 

5. Share your photo: The final step is pretty easy! All you have to do is click "Share" in the top right hand corner, and you have officially posted your photo on Instagram!

It's an incredibly simple and user friendly process, and you'll be Insta-famous in no time (not guaranteed)! What was/will be the very first picture you post/ed on Instagram? Let us know in the comments!

How To Create An Instagram Account For Your Business

So you want to start an Instagram account for your business. Whether you're a brand new business or an established institution, you're making a smart decision in deciding to use Instagram. As of December 2017, the social media platform boasted over 800 million monthly users, and it's only growing. That's a lot of potential customers depending on the industry you're in.

In this blog post, we're going to lay out exactly how to set up an Instagram Business profile, step-by-step:

1. Choosing a username: It can be fun to come up with creative usernames but make sure you don't get too crazy. You want to be easy to find, so using your business's name (or as close to it as possible) will ensure that people can always find you and that they will always know it's you posting. For example, if your business name is Happy Days Dog Care then you want your username to be @happydaysdogcare. If the name of your restaurant is The Best Salads then your username should be @thebestsalads.

What do you do if someone has the username you were planning on using? This is possible since fewer businesses and accounts have original usernames. If you want your username to be @sarasyummybakedtreats but it's already taken, don't add numbers such as @sarasyummybakedtreats101. Try adding spaces between words such as @saras_yummy_baked_treats.

It makes everything less confusing for the consumer and makes them more likely to check your business out. The last thing you want is a confused consumer who really wants to buy one of your products but can't recognize your username.

2. Making your account a business profile: Head over to your own profile page and tap the gear (iPhone) or vertical ellipsis (Android) icon in the top right corner. Once you're in your settings scroll until you see an option called "Switch to business profile." Click on it and it'll take you through an orientation slideshow. Once you've clicked through the slideshow, it'll prompt you to connect your business's Facebook page, if you have one. If your Facebook page isn't showing up make sure you're listed as an admin on the page. If you don't have a Facebook page for your business you can skip right past that and choose a category and subcategory for your business (e.g. Category: Brands & Products, Subcategory: Clothing (Brand)). It will then have you fill in the email, phone number, and address for your business. And voila, you have an Instagram business profile!

3. Creating the perfect bio: Your bio is absolutely crucial to your profile. It's the first thing people see when they click on your profile, and it should tell them everything they need to know about your business. No one wants to read a novel in the bio, so make sure it's concise, but informational. A good template is to state your business's mission statement, then add around 3-5 relevant hashtags. Hashtags are awesome to put in your bio because they'll show your profile when someone searches that hashtag.

4. Choosing a profile picture: This is an area where we've seen many people struggle. Many people will do pictures of themselves, or a picture of their product. The best thing to put as your profile picture is your logo. Think of how important logos are to a brand. You see a swoosh you know it's Nike. You see the interlocking, back-to-back C's, you know it's Chanel. Having that visual aid will help people to alway know it's you, and if ever they see it out and about, or even see something similar it will automatically bring their mind to your brand.

It's incredibly important now more than ever to have a strong social media presence for your brand. Take your time and really make your profile exactly the way you want, because it will open so many avenues for your growth.

Now that you have your Instagram all set up for business, what should you be posting? Check out our blog, "Posting on Your Instagram Story vs. Your Instagram Feed" for everything you need to know!