Instagram makes marketing easy. All you need is an app, some decent photos, and a few hashtags to start connecting with customers from around the world. For many makers, Instagram is an integral part of growing their business.
But just because Instagram is easy to use, doesn’t mean it doesn’t get abused.
Check out April Bowles-Olin’s list of 7 mistakes creatives make on Instagram and cross-reference your account to make sure you aren’t unwittingly losing customers.
1. Badly Lit Photos
Even if you aren’t a photographer, Olin stresses the importance of clear, eye-catching photos. On Instagram, everything is based on images. It’s important that those images be interesting to look at.
2. Blurry Photos
Blurry photos take away from the professionalism of a business page. Olin recommends taking multiple pictures and finding the sharpest one to post on Instagram.
3. Too Many Kid Pictures
As adorable as your children are, that information should be saved for Facebook, where people who know you personally are following you. A potential customer won’t be personally invested in you and won’t be interested in seeing multiple pictures of your children.
4. Too Many Sales Pitches
Although it’s important to focus on your business, it’s equally important not to over market your services. Instead, upload pictures of your products or snap photos of your process. Introduce customers to your brand without constantly asking them to buy.
5. Posting Pictures of a Random Dinner
It’s tempting to post photos of your kids or the food you’re eating, but it doesn’t promote your brand. Olin recommends that artists save those photos for their personal Facebook pages and stay on brand on Instagram.
“That’s what it’s there for,” Olin says. “To share with your friends and your family and the people who really care about seeing your pets. They care about what you ate for dinner. They care about your kids.”
6. Repetitious Pictures: Think “Magazine Spread”
Although it’s important to have a theme running through all of your Instagram posts, the same photo over and over becomes boring. Olin recommends trying different angles if you’re showcasing similar products. Think of your Instagram feed as a magazine spread, having some close-ups and some distance shots, for instance, to add variety.
“Mix it up, keep it interesting,” Olin says. “Think about how a magazine doesn’t have the same shot where something is centered. They might have something where the person is centered and then they might have one where they’re off to the side and then they might have one from really far away and then another up close of the person’s face. That’s because it works really well together.”
7. No Links, No Calls to Action
Instagram provides limited space to convince customers to learn more about your business. It’s important to have your website links in your bio, as well as incorporating calls to action into your captions. Olin also recommends using hashtags to bring people to your page from other sections of the site.
“Only use a hashtag if it makes sense,” Olin says. “If somebody clicks on your photo thinking it relates to that thing and it doesn’t, they’re not going to follow you. They’re just going to get annoyed.
One of the best ways to get ideas is to look at other creative professionals’ Instagram accounts.
Here are a few Instagram accounts that are getting it right:
Hilary Rushford—This personal stylist has set up an Instagram account that tells a story, with each photo complementing the others perfectly.
Flora Waycott—This illustrator has more than 80,000 followers. Olin points out the way she intersperses photos of her art with images of her art being used.
A photo posted by Flora Waycott (@florawaycott) on
Peaches to Pearls—The soft, clean look of this nutritionist’s page also tells a story.
Simple Green Smoothies—In addition to food photos, this business provides useful smoothie recipes.
Bonnie Joy Marie—This social media strategist tells a story using clean, colorful images.
For more tips on getting your Instagram marketing right, check out April’s class, Double Your Followers with Creative Marketing.
