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Instagram 101 guide: how to get started
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Book a free demoInstagram 101: A Beginner's Guide
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service that is rapidly growing in popularity. With over 1 billion monthly active users, it's a platform that businesses, influencers, and everyday users are using to connect with others, share their stories, and promote their products and services.
If you're new to Instagram, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. But don't worry! This beginner's guide will walk you through the basics of setting up your account, finding people to follow, and sharing your own content.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Account
To set up an Instagram account, you'll need to download the Instagram app on your smartphone or tablet. Once you've done that, you can open the app and tap the "Sign Up" button. From there, you'll be prompted to enter your email address, phone number, or your Facebook account information (if you have one) to create your account.
Step 2: Finding People to Follow
One of the best ways to find new and interesting content on Instagram is to follow other users. When you first set up your account, Instagram will suggest some popular accounts to follow, but you can also search for specific users or hashtags to find content that interests you. Choose people and businesses that might be a potential customer or follow different accounts to get inspired by.
Step 3: Sharing Your Own Content
Now that you've set up your account and found some people to follow, it's time to start sharing your own content. To do this, tap the plus icon in the top left of the screen to take a photo or video, or select one from your camera roll. Once you've captured your image, you can add a caption, tag other users, and add a location before sharing it with your followers.
So how to publish a post, story or reel via Instagram?
First click on the plus button
Then pick the format you would like to share
Or plan the post via the Willow or post a video as a Reel (stories will be added shortly in 2023)
But wait.. What’s the difference between a post, a reel and a story on instagram?
A post
A post is a permanent addition to your profile and can include a photo or video, a caption, and various other features such as location tagging and hashtags. Posts can be seen by anyone who visits your profile and can also appear in the feed of users who follow you.
A reel
A reel is a short-form video feature on Instagram, similar to TikTok. It allows users to create and share short videos set to music or other audio. Reels can be shared to the feed, in the Reels tab, or as a story.
A story
A story is a feature that allows you to share a photo or video that disappears after 24 hours. You can also add text, stickers, or drawings to your story. Stories can be seen by anyone who follows you, and they appear at the top of the Instagram feed.
In summary, posts are permanent additions to your profile, reels are short-form videos similar to TikTok, and stories are short photos or videos added on the top of the feed that disappear after 24 hours.
Step 4: Engaging with Other Users
One of the best things about Instagram is the ability to connect with other users. You can like and comment on other users' posts, send direct messages, and even share other users' posts on your own account.
Instagram is an excellent platform to connect with people, promote your business, and share your interests. With these basics, you're ready to start exploring the platform and creating your own content. Happy Instagramming!