4 Instagram Tools That Help Grow Your Account

Instagram is one of the most powerful, engaging, and fast-growing social media platforms of the year. I’ve written before about it’s click-through rates (and how they compare to Facebook), tips on using Instagram, and a number of other IG-related topics.

But what about tools? With a few carefully selected tools, you can turn casual “brand-awareness Instagramming” into an actual Instagram marketing campaign. Here’s a list of a few Instagram tools that may be worth checking out.

#1 Hootsuite. Already using Hootsuite for scheduling Facebook posts and Tweets? Did you know you can also use it monitor your keywords and hashtags on Instagram? Check out this video and article to start monitoring Instagram activity that’s relevant to your brand. Note: Hootsuite doesn’t allow you to schedule and publish Instagram posts. At this time, there is no free tool that allows this (due, in part, to the fact that Instagram has still not yet created a third-party API to allow for this capability). See below…

#2 Latergramme. This Vancouver-based platform allows you to schedule and publish Instagram posts from your desktop or mobile device. While you can “get started for free,” you’ll have to pay in order to really get value out of this app. It’s also worth noting, Latergramme offers capabilities for agencies (and those who need to add more accounts and account managers).

#3 Iconosquare. This app (formerly known as statigr.am) is another “must” for any business or firm taking the deep dive into serious Instagram marketing. The facts speak for themselves: 87 percent of Interbrand’s top 100 brands use Iconosquare, including Coca-Cola, Gap, Starbucks, Nike, and others. With this Instagram tool, you can monitor statistics on growth and community, track and respond to comments, and more. Iconosquare even offers the option for creating promotional contests.

#4 Regram. This is an essential for any brand with a dedicated fan base. With Regram, you can quickly repost an Instagram originally posted by someone else. This opens up a wonderful opportunity for sharing content from your fans. The Chemex Instagram account serves as a solid example of how this technique can be effectively implemented.

What Instagram Tools Are a Part of Your Kit?

Are there any Instagram marketing tools you wouldn’t be able to do without? What’s your favorite Instagram tool – and why? Let’s share some ideas!

ORIGINAL POST

(Article and body image via Social Media Today | Article image via Instagram Growth/shutterstock)
Article Source http://www.socialmediopolis.com/socialtrax-blog/3004-4-instagram-tools-that-help-grow-your-account

Strategy Breakdown: Developing Your Platform Strategies

The strategy development process is by far, the most important element of the social media planning process. In fact, it may be the most important element of your social media presence in general. Without a strategy–and without regularly checking in to make sure you're staying on strategy–your social media presence will often end up as a decentralized, off-message, resource-sucking mess.

But it's not just as easy as developing an overarching strategy and calling it good. You need to take that general strategy you just developed and turn it into real, actionable guidelines. That means adapting it to each platform you hope to be on, and figuring out how your messages will best translate on all of them.

That can be a chore, but it's certainly not impossible–not when you take the right steps, at least.

Have a look below for some tips on developing your platform strategies, as well as some examples to help you get started:

Facebook

Facebook is great for images, emotion-driven content, videos, and other content that may be a little less serious than the rest of what you curate. The great thing about Facebook is that more than any other platform, you can use analytics to see very clearly who's viewing your page and interacting with you. Use this to your advantage in crafting your content, and even individual posts. Our best practices show that posting no more than twice a day is best, spread out at different times throughout the day. Blogs are good here, as are images from curated articles. Don't count on organic reach being super high, but do at least practice posting regularly and making sure you stay involved.

Example: Segment: People who want to work at SMC; potential clients vetting our SM presence. Purpose: Recruiting. Content: Videos and vlogs, photos, stories from around the office, and content that's on-message but doesn't necessarily fit our Twitter stream.

Twitter

Twitter is far and away my favorite platform, and it's also the dominant publishing source for most of our clients. On Twitter, you can post frequently and with a wide variety of content, making it an ideal stream for your efforts relating to thought leadership and brand awareness. Off-the-record, professionals tend to be more sophisticated here than they do on Facebook (Twitter is more rational in our experience), but don't fall into the trap of posting content that's only for folks in your industry. Remember: you are trying to market your business to clients, not to fans in your space.

Most, if not all, of your primary messages from your strategy will appear here, and this may very well be your most developed target market. If you're going to spend time in one place besides your blog, do it here. Count on posting anywhere from six to twenty times a day. The sweet spot is right in between.

Example: Segment: Decision influencers in marketing departments. Purpose: Thought leadership and brand awareness. Content: Psychology of marketing, sophisticated marketing content, data from our own observations, blogs, stories of culture change, branding successes, etc.

Google+

Our professional opinion? Don't spend too much time developing a strategy for Google+. For most companies, replicating (yes, cross-posting, even though we don't usually recommend it) Facebook is a good strategy. Be sure to post your blogs with Google authorship. Otherwise, this is a back door to SEO, and not much more. The big exception would be tech companies, though even their presences are often underutilized. A good thing to have, but not a great platform to spend too much time on.

Example: Segment: The gods of SEO. Purpose: Paying homage to Google gods. Content: Blogs and duplicates from Facebook.

LinkedIn

Ah, LinkedIn–the professional network that's trying to be a publisher. Count on using this primarily as a recruiting tool, but don't count out its utility as a platform for showing off to potential clients who bias towards the professional side. We like to publish long-form content and job openings on Twitter. (You can use it as a publishing platform, too.) Remember, however, that LinkedIn users have a low tolerance for bullshit. If you post too often or spam conversations, you'll quickly find yourself in a race towards the bottom.

Example: Segment: People who want to work at SMC; decision influencers in marketing departments. Purpose: Recruiting, thought leadership, and brand awareness. Content: Recruiting-related posts, job openings, and long-form content that fits our overall marketing strategy.

YouTube

YouTube is a bit of a crapshoot for most businesses. If you have unique content–webinars, vlogs, event recaps, etc.–to show, then give it a shot and try updating it once a month or so. But don't just transcribe text to video and expect it to do well–videos are most effective in short, easily digestible bursts. Remember, too, not to half ass your presence. If you can't do it well, stay off. But again, if you do have the capacity for it, YouTube can be a great value add when executed correctly.

Example: Segment: Same as Facebook. Purpose: Recruiting and brand awareness. Content: Vlogs, videos of events, short content summaries, sales videos, and webinars.

Instagram

Instagram should probably not be your primary platform (unless you're a cupcake shop, maybe), but it should be used as a supplement to your broader story. Remember, pictures are very impactful, and you'd be wise to use them. Demographics are somewhere between Facebook and Twitter. Use Instagram to show your lighter side and contribute visually interesting content to the rest of the text to which you've grown so attached.

Example: Segment: People who want to work at SMC; potential clients vetting our SM presence (though not as much of a concern as elsewhere). Purpose: Recruiting, brand awareness as it relates to culture. Content: Photos that show we have personality while also showing we're professional. Everything from company outings to service events.

Blog

Count on your blog being the source whence all your thought leadership comes. Your social media pages are an opportunity for you to showcase your knowledge of your industry and your clients; your blog is your opportunity to really show your stuff and contribute your own facts and opinions to the broader picture you're painting. Ideally, you'll have a mix of content here that adds value across the board. This is the one place where all of your messaging and target audience should roll into one. Don't leave anyone out. If you can swing five posts a week, do it. Otherwise, two or three should do.

Example: Segment: Decision influencers in marketing departments. Purpose: Thought leadership and brand awareness. Content: Case studies, data and observations, article commentary, news, stories about culture change, stories of branding successes, etc.

All Others

The platforms you see above are more than enough to get started, but it never hurts to at least be aware of other platforms out there. If you're a restaurant, you'll probably want to check out Yelp. Eventbrite and company are good to be on for larger companies that put on a lot of conferences. And don't discount that up-and-coming platform, either. Stay aware of the space to make sure you're not missing anything big.

Example: None for now. Address as needed.

While your overarching strategy should inform your strategy on each social media platform, it shouldn't necessarily be the same across the board. Twitter is different than Facebook is different than the blog, and you'd be missing out if you weren't catering to the unique audiences of each. 

Developing your platform strategies and making sure all of your platforms tell different sides of the same story will make your social media presence richer, and it will also help ensure that you take full advantage of the unique opportunities presented on each platform. If you post the same things the same ways regardless of platform, your story will tire quickly and you'll lose the attention of those you're trying to get in front of.

Does each platform have to be 100% unique? No–absolutely not. But a little bit of distinction will go a long ways towards making sure you hit your targets and, above all, stay interesting and fresh in the minds of your target audience.

John's favorite platform is Twitter, by a long shot. He's Managing Editor at Social Media Contractors.
Article Source http://www.socialmediacontractors.com/category/smc-blog/how-to/

10 Tips for Mastering Instagram

I have a confession.

Yes. I love taking photos. Yes. I am a professional photographer.

But no. I do not carry my camera around with me all the time. Nor do I want to.

This is why I am absolutely in. love. with Instagram.

Available for Droid or iPhone, Instagram allows you to manipulate the photos that come from your phone, and create masterpieces.

And don’t worry – I am going to show you just how to do that.

A few general basic tips:

1. Depth: Camera phones don’t give you the ability to have the same awesome depth of field as an slur. So you have to create it with your shot itself. Use lines, repetition, and space with foregrounds and backgrounds to do this well. Focus on this, and you can use the Instagram “Tiltshift” effect to make your depth really stand out.

I created this shot at a lodge where I was photographing a wedding. I deliberately shot with the footstool in the foreground and set up my frame some direction with the windows in the background.

2. Lighting: If the need to pay attention to your lighting is true for normal shots, it is crucial for your camera phone pics. The lighting will make or break your Instagram photos. Take pictures in lighting that is soft when can see detail in the highlights and the shadows. Then, once you pull your shot into instagram, you have a variety of options for your editing to bring the photo to a new level of awesomeness.

Over lunch with my friend Mish, I was in awe of the stunning light that fell through the window and onto her face. I was so obsessed with the light I couldn’t resist taking her portrait.

3. Angles: You need all the help you can get with Camera phones, so be sure to shoot from unusual angles. Shoot down. Shoot from below. Shoot with objects in the foreground to blur out. The more creative you can be with your angles, the more interesting your shot will turn out.

I was enjoying this particularly good cup of chai and reading when I looked down and saw this shot. A small moment of diversion was all it took for me to create this shot!

4. See the world in Squares: One of the most important considerations to keep on your mind when taking photos with Instagram is the crop factor. Think of the old polaroids – this is what you’ll get with Instagram. Its a sad day indeed when you take a fabulous shot and find yourself unable to work with the Instagram 1×1 crop.

During a morning run I found this shot while taking a breather at one of my favorite neighborhood ponds. It is now sitting as my phone background, reminding me of how precious these peaceful moments are in life.

5. Borders: Instagram has some really cool borders to incorporate into your shots. From paint-brushed to vintage, white to black, these borders give a lovely artistic feel to literally any shot you take.

This is another shot I took during a long roadtrip from Denver, CO to Portland OR. And once again, it is taken with the breathtaking light of dusk.

Some Specific Considerations:

6. Landscapes: Lighting is one of the most important elements of a landscape image. If you can get gorgeous highlights and shadows in a scene, the shot will take care of itself – and don’t forget to throw some “tiltshift” for artistic affect.

After a little weekend excursion, I was riding back home with a friend when I looked out the window and saw this dusk light. We didn’t stop driving. I just clicked my camera through the window. And it is one of my favorite landscapes.

7. Portraits: So… Portraits?!? With Instagram? Yes. In fact, you can create some gorgeous portraits with Instagram worthy of a living room wall. Once again, finding a soft and even quality of light will be your surefire way of a cool portrait.

Last week I was working at my studio, about to grab a snack when I saw this light flooding my kitchen. I knew that this was the kind of breathtaking light that good portraits are made of. Inspired, I took a few minutes to capture this self pic – and I do have to say, I really like it.

8. Details: I have been incredibly impressed with how lovely detail shots can turn out using Instagram. Even if you have to crop in a bit, use good light and good composition to get a really sweet shot.

I actually captured this while driving with a bride to our portrait location. It was one shot, one kill, and the bride and I both love how it turned out.

9. Moments: One of the things I love most about Instagram is the freedom to take beautiful pictures without making a big affair of each shot or loosing the artistic expression that makes your shots unique. Every day moments that have vibrant colors, interesting textures, and sweet stories can become art.

Sitting at a little coffee shop editing, I was mesmerized by this man who sat next to me. He came in to very simply read the newspaper with a good cup of coffee. I took his picture in his natural environment and am so pleased with its’ story.”

10. Capturing beauty: Instagram is for anyone, and everyone. In a day and age where we always carry our phones, there is nothing more lovely than having the ability to see and capture art wherever we go. On a walk. While working. Over coffee. On a roadtrip.

Instagram will enable you to make art too.

Article Source http://digital-photography-school.com/10-tips-for-mastering-instagram/

Christina N Dickson 

6 Backstage Social Media Platforms Every Marketer Should Be Using

By now, most marketers understand the importance of social media marketing; not only is it an inexpensive way to build a following and promote your brand’s content, but participation in social media could also become a major factor in the ranking algorithm for search engines like Google. If you’re like most marketers, you’ve focused on the “big three”: Facebook for the biggest audience, Twitter for the fastest updates and public profiles, and LinkedIn for the B2B business professionals.

In addition to the big three, there are a number of other social platforms that have gotten attention: YouTube is the biggest and most popular platform for any video-based marketing, and Google+ is used often because—let’s face it—it’s a Google product, and they reward its users with better rankings according to correlation studies by Moz and SearchMetrics. But there are countless platforms beyond the most popular options, with hundreds of millions of users between them, that most marketers aren’t taking advantage of yet.

Let’s take a look at some of the powerful social media platforms you can use for your brand beyond the major players:

 1.Pinterest. As I wrote in The Top 7 Social Media Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2014, the popularity of image-based platforms is on the rise, and Pinterest is one of the best and most popular image-based platforms around. Pinterest’s format allows viral content to spread quickly, since its share feature “re-pinning” encourages fast travel from user to user, and there are no signs of the social powerhouse’s momentum slowing down anytime soon.

If your business has products that can be shown off with well-taken photos, Pinterest is perfect for you. Create boards revolving around your main product categories and promote your material in new, creative, or artistic ways. You can also create infographics or share pictures of your company if you don’t have tangible products in your business model. No matter what you do, keep your brand voice consistent andwork Pinterest into a rhythm with your other social media profiles by cross-posting your images. The more consistent you are and the more visually appealing your images are, the better you’ll fare.

2. Instagram. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms around, with 200 million active users and an average of 60 million photos shared every day. Since Instagram is mostly populated with individual users sharing photos with their close friends and family, marketers have overlooked it as a viable social media option. However, the sheer number of users alone makes it worth exploring.

Create an Instagram account for your business and connect it to your company’s Facebook and/or Twitter account. Instead of using the Pinterest strategy of showcasing highlights of your products and services, use Instagram to demonstrate the personal side of your brand. Take pictures of your office and coworkers, and of any events you are attending. Use hashtags wherever it’s appropriate (just don’t overdo it) and engage with other users on a regular basis by commenting on their photos and responding to their comments on yours.

3. Tumblr. With over 130 million blogs, Tumblr is a blogging powerhouse, yet it’s still overlooked by most marketers. Tumblr used to be a semi-underground refuge for teens and young adults looking for a new way to express themselves, but since Yahoo purchased the platform for $1.1 billion in 2003, its “hotness” factor has started to wane.

That doesn’t mean it’s no longer useful. Think of Tumblr as a social version of a traditional blog. It’s a new outlet for you to publish and distribute your content, and since other users can connect to your blog with ease, it’s easier to build long-term connections. The best way to use Tumblr is as a niche division of your brand—for example, Target uses Tumblr to advertise and promote different fashions associated with the brand. Tumblr users do tend to prefer images and videos over written content, but it’s a good idea to use both if you want to attract the largest possible audience.

4. Sulia. Sulia is a relatively new platform that’s attempting to segment and filter the endless stream of content that social media users tolerate. Twitter feeds and Facebook feeds in particular tend to be filled with unnecessary updates and pooled results, forcing users to embark on a hunt to find the content that’s relevant to them. Twitter lists attempt to control this by allowing users to segment who they follow, but Sulia is an entire platform dedicated to a more refined experience.

Sulia is a content platform like a communal blog, but it allows users to categorize their content and search based on user-tailored “suggested posts” and posts that are trending within the community. With Sulia, you can write to a focused section of your audience and build a more relevant readership. You might get fewer readers with Sulia compared to a mainstream publisher, but the types of readers you get will be more relevant for your brand and therefore, will be more likely to convert.

5. Bubblews. If nothing else, Bubblews is a great business idea. Instead of posting all its own content or relying on its users to generate free content it can leverage, Bubblews shares all its ad revenue with its contributors. Right now, there aren’t that many people using Bubblews, so the revenue being shared is miniscule and the readership is limited. However, as it grows, there is a key opportunity for brand promotion.

Think of Bubblews as a guest blogging platform that can generate a separate stream of revenue. Write, post, and syndicate your content regularly on Bubblews and you’ll get the benefits of greater visibility and more possibilities for links and external brand mentions. Plus, if your content is catchy and starts to become popular, you’ll receive a share of all the ad revenue it helps to generate. Again, right now you can’t count on much revenue to come in, but over time, Bubblews could evolve to become a formidable platform in the social media world.

6. Snapchat. Snapchat started back in 2011, but because it’s been used mostly for personal exchanges, it’s slipped by the eyes of most marketers. However, as I mentioned in my article Your Guide to Using Snapchat for Marketing, about 400 million snaps are sent each day by about 26 million users in the United States. Pictures and videos sent via this app are self-destructing as a privacy measure. That means your target audience will only have a few seconds to read and remember your message. In a way, that’s advantageous considering the painfully low attention span of your average user—it’s a way of almost guaranteeing their attention for those few seconds. But at the same time, you need to compress your messaging to ensure it is memorable.

Compared to other image-based apps, Snapchat is somewhat less efficient. It takes more time to follow and get to know your potential users, and it takes significant effort to create an image or message that will only last for a few seconds. Still, it’s worth considering as part of your broader strategy.

You certainly don’t need a presence on every one of these platforms in order to run a successful social media campaign, but if you want the most relevant audience and the best potential results, it’s important to think outside the “Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn” box.

ArticleSource  http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/26/6-backstage-social-media-platforms-every-marketer-should-be-using/