Instagram is Making People Instafamous and InstaCRAZY

A long time ago, when things were simple, we would post a picture on Instagram of our daily lives. Real life. Like a pictures from your birthday at the restaurant, or pics of you with a group at an event, or just some exciting news you wanted to share. Our Instagrams were “slices” of life – a post when we felt the need to share –  kinda like a Facebook status update but with a picture.

I posted QR codes, quotes, screen shots from TV shows, tons of pics of my daughter and dog – I was all over the place. Seems like I posted everything but the weather forecasts. People used to call me “Instagram Pam” because I posted so much. I started IG on March 14 2012.  My first post was an author client, Stacy Hawkins Adams. I  was holding her book – a little cheesy. (last box above – me in purple) 
Remember when it was cool to put yourself have an “Instagram frame” and take a picture and post on Instagram? 😆   Below are some of my Instagrams – I was getting like 10 or 20 likes. If I have 50 likes I was like … “Wow.”  At the time I had about 1,000 followers – now I have about 6,000.  I also have a couple of business pages – which means I can run ads, look at analytics and do real business on IG. I also use Linktr.ee when I want to display more than one link in my profile.

The Instagram game has changed. And folks are “instaFamous” because they’ve learned to leverage the “eye candy” game. Not only does your individual picture have to be “instagram worthy” – meaning the aesthetics of a magazine – but your PAGE of your Instagram must have a pattern and look good at first glance.  It can’t be a quote one day, a picture of your pet, picture of you speaking and maybe a group shoot (save those for your Instagram stories). Today, to get traction, your Instagram Page must look organized and have a rhythm or pattern to it, like below:

So, do you have to look like a high-fashion model? No, do you have to pose like one? It would help.  Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) is the social media flavor of the month. Don’t sleep on it.  People are raking up big dollars by creating a lot of noise on Instagram.  I don’t have to tell you that folks are being discovered as models and actors on Instagram.  Books and programs are doing six-figure launches. And people are promoting their podcasts and publications on Instagram – which grows their email lists. IGTV is the new rave!
Below is an Instagram post that promoted her podcast guests. This was done by a professional graphic designer – see the pics of everyone  – all professional shots. Yes, photo shoots are pretty much a regular thing for everybody!  Get with the program and start doing Instagram LIVEs, boomerangs, using cool filters and geo tagging – and don’t forget you can do multiple pics in one post. (That’s better than flooding folks timelines with multiple posts… that’s a good way to get UNfollowed) People hate when you post too much – save that for twitter. On IG and you have to leave time for each post to breathe between posts. That’s how you get noticed. The IG algorithm way today. If you get 50K followers, you may get sought out to be a “brand ambassador” by a major corporation. Think Kardashians. No real talent – they just know how to “break the internet” – by posting stuff that goes viral.

Before you start feeling like you’re falling behind, don’t get instaCrazy. Here are some tips to level up your Instagram game: 
• Always use hashtags. Remember to include your list of hashtags in each and every post. See mine: #prcoach and #brandingaccelerator
• Include a link back to your website when appropriate.
• Be consistent. Most brands post on average 1.5 times per day. More (or fewer) might work for you, but consistency is the key.
• Know your stats. Which hashtags produce the most response? What posting times get the most likes and comments?
• Stay on brand. Ask yourself each time you post, “Is that consistent with my brand?” If it’s not, either revise or don’t post it at all.
Now, has my “likes” gone up? Yes.  And the traffic to my website has increased and I’m talking to more people who know what PamPerryPR.com can do for them.  Are buying ads worth it? It depends. We’ll discuss that in another post – from one of our team members who specializes in FB and IG ads.
Click this  link ==> and get our Instagram Marketing Planner by pam perry    This is just one of the tools we give to those in our Mentoring and Accelerator programs.

What do you love or hate about Instagram?

What’s your Instagram handle? Drop it below and let me check it out. 

P.S. When the scene is right – sometimes you just have to post it on IG.  Here’s me from a recent trip to Jamaica. Couldn’t help myself. #nofilter #vacay