5 Things You Didn’t Know About Instagram
There’s always something new to learn about Instagram.
Whether it’s for your business or for your clients, it always helps to brush up your knowledge. To help, we’ve broken down some simple tips and tricks that could really help your social game in the long run. Have a read and let us know what you think! Is there any that we’ve missed? Let us know!
Captions can be 2200 characters long.
So use them!
Whilst short captions might be quick and easy, Instagram rates your post on how long users spend on them.
The new trend? Micro-blogging! Include an in-depth caption with quality content and you’re onto a winner. Like, ahem, this one.
The name field is what Instagram uses to identify your account.
What’s in a name? Plenty according to Instagram!
Your name field is searchable, so use the chance to optimise it as much as possible. Think keywords (just like SEO) so if you’re a tattoo artist named Michael in Manchester, use a term like “Michael, Tattoo Artist Manchester” in your name field. This means that anyone typing in “tattoo artist manchester” has a higher chance of finding your profile.
New business through search? Yes please.
Using location hashtags can push your content to new followers.
It’s a no brainer.
Use your location hashtag in your stories for the chance to appear in Instagram’s “Explore” platform. This leapfrogs the algorithm by showing your content to accounts that you wouldn’t be served to normally.
Don’t want to display the hashtag in every story? Make it as small as it can be and just hide behind a sticker or GIF. You can thank us later.
Saves are the new likes.
Move over likes, there’s a new metric in town.
Instagram is slowly taking away the like count on each post, which is now being tested in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. With that in mind, saves are becoming more and more weighted in the algorithm. This is when a user hits the bookmark element on your post.
The best way to muscle in on this new trend? Think infographics, checklists, calendars and inspirational quotes (always a winner).
You can add ALT text to Instagram posts.
Yay to accessibility!
It’s important to think of users with different abilities when creating your content. For users who are blind or partially sighted, ALT text on images make a big difference.
Often mis-used, the ALT text should describe what’s in the image. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated (calm down, Tarantino) but a simple description is all you need. For example, the Mona Lisa would be: A portrait of sullen looking woman known as the Mona Lisa. See? It’s as easy as that.
You can add your ALT text by clicking on “Advanced settings” and then select “Accessibility” when adding your caption. You’ll then have the option to “Write ALT text”.
Sorted.
