Here we are in the Digital Era where social media rules the world, well not exactly but it does play a massive part in society. Today I’m taking the leap and blogging for the first time, sure everyone’s got to start somewhere. I decided instead of telling you about myself (which will come in my following posts) that I’d give you some helpful tips to keep those likes rolling in on your Instagram. There’s more to it than just uploading a post, there’s an art to posting and I’m going to share with you the four key factors.
- Prime Time
If you are into ‘Likes’ and getting as many as possible, well then I hope you already know this one. But if not let me tell you a bit about prime time. It’s probably the most important thing for getting likes. Knowing when to post not even what to post. Although, this does change from time to time. At the moment prime time is on Thursdays, both around 3pm and 9pm. Whether it’s the day when everyone’s got fed up at work or if it’s a night that people decide to sit in and chill either way people are checking their feeds that bit more.
It’s simple the more people that see your posts the more chances of getting likes you have.
- Golden Hour
If you’re in the selfie mood make sure you don’t miss golden hour. Lucky enough depending on the day there can be two golden hours. For those who don’t know this is the hour shortly after sunrise and just before sunset. Although, we can’t take all our photos at golden hour when the natural lighting is actually good it’s important to make sure the alternative lighting is actually working for you. Get moving, check all angles, try flash on and flash off until you find the perfect spot and lighting.
Lighting in photos is key, you don’t want to be using too many filters. However, if you need to use a filter, be smart about it. Make sure it improves the image as a whole not just cover the fact your face looks a bit red or makes that spot less obvious.
Oh, and be aware it doesn’t always last an hour. So get snapping when you can!
- Think Square
The most annoying thing about Instagram, well apart from the fact you can’t add to your highlights without having to add the picture to your story, is the fact that most of your images don’t fit in the box that Instagram provides. Leaving most people having to put silly boarders around their photos. To be honest, I’m always this annoying person. You know yourself that on nights out it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when taking a photo.
Tips to avoid needing a boarder are to take the photos from far away so that when the Instagram box crops them they’re only cutting out the unnecessary parts of the image. Another trick is to take your photos using the square setting on IPhone’s. Sorry, I’m not quite sure if this is called on other phones. If you’re really stuck try taking the photo directly on Instagram.
- Captions
Captions can make or break a post. It’s easy just to choose a smiley face and post, but that’s not the best thing to do. There’s an art to writing a good caption.
Take your time thinking. Show your personality. Use your humour. Don’t be too formal or serious. If you make people laugh or smile then your post is giving off a positive impression and that’s what you ultimately want. Trust me it can be harder than you think. If you’re unsure keep it brief, no one goes on Instagram to read an essay unless you’re an influencer.
Personally, I tend to avoid going for too many emoji’s. The same goes for hashtags as I only use a personal Instagram and have it on private. However, if you are using these make sure they’re relevant and you only use a few, 3 or 4 max. Plus, check your spelling (and grammar) as this will be one of the first things people notice and trust me people will be cringing for you.
Remember a good caption encourages engagement.
By following the four hacks I’ve suggested to you above you can increase your engagement, likes and followers. A final tip I can give to you is to post often and frequently, keep those followers updated. I’m hoping these tips get you them much wanted likes and spruce up your Instagram. Fingers crossed I start to pay more attention to them on my own page and get rid of all those boarders.
Claire Loughran is a final year Bsc Communication Management and Public Relations student at Ulster University. She can be found on Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-loughran-959871169/