How To Use Instagram – The Ultimate Guide To Using Instagram

Instagram is a super popular social media platform with billions of users. With so many people active on the platform, wondering how to use Instagram is not a rare occurrence.

It sounds pretty straightforward but there are many ways to make the most of Instagram if you’re a marketer. 

We will discuss how to how to work Instagram, mostly from the perspective of marketers. Using Instagram in your social media campaigns is highly suggested.

In this guide to Instagram, you will get answers to the most basic questions as well as more sophisticated queries. So, if you’ve ever wondered ‘What is the point of getting an Instagram account?’, we’ve got many reasons to share with you!

So, without further ado, let’s learn ‘how to Instagram like a boss’ and how understanding Instagram will help your brand.

What Is Instagram and How Does It Work?

We will start with one of the Instagram basics- what is Instagram and how do you use it? It can be quite a discussion to answer ‘How does Instagram work?’ because there is a lot on offer from this platform.

Most plainly put, Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social media network. It was launched in October 2010 and quickly rose in popularity.

Two years later, Facebook purchased the app that became beloved thanks to unique features such as filters and interesting hashtags.

Instagram has grown and changed quite a bit but remains one of the top visual-sharing apps in the world. With that said, Instagram, for beginners, can seem daunting. But if you follow our Instagram instructions and Instagram ‘how to’s’, you will find it isn’t that complicated.

You can share Instagram Stories in addition to photos (that can be edited to look more attractive) and videos. There are also Facebook and Instagram Shops that allows businesses to trade on the social media platform.

If you want to learn how to utilise Instagram, you need to know as much about it as possible. That way, you can ‘exploit’ all of the social network’s features. Knowing enough Instagram ‘how to’ is especially important for marketers.

This is where our beginners guide for Instagram comes in. We want you to know all the basic features of Instagram you need so you can use Instagram effectively.

What Is The Main Purpose of Instagram?

Instagram is made to help people connect with others and share interesting photos and video. It is used to share experiences and build connections.

These days, instagram is also a top marketing tool that helps customers connect with brands and companies.

If you are curious about ‘how to Instagram’ for business purposes, we will be looking at that throughout this guide as well. Instagram marketing is very very effective and comes highly recommended by social media marketers.

But don’t fret, we will make sure that no complicated terms or words are used – we want to keep things easy for beginners to understand and master. Once you have finished reading our Instagram guide, you’ll know a lot more about ‘how to Instagram’ like your audience.

What is the Difference Between Instagram and Facebook?

Many people have questions about the differences and similarities between two of the world’s most popular platforms. If you want to know how you can use Instagram, it might be good to know about these similarities and differences.

While both Facebook and Instagram are social media sites, there are differences between the two. Of course, they look different and that’s probably the most noticeable difference.

Instagram is more focused on visual content such as stunning photos and interesting videos.

Facebook is broader and allows users to do just about anything. They can create and share content and groups, create events and more.

Is Instagram Safer Than Facebook?

There’s no way to determine which social media platform is the safest. It’s also not really possible to know which ones are safer. Many people feel that Instagram is safer than Facebook though.

For the most part, you can use Instagram without fear of something bad happening to your information. If you want to know more about how to operate Instagram safely, Instagram shares privacy and safety tips with users on their official website.

Can My Facebook Friends See My Instagram?

Since Facebook owns Instagram, it is possible to link the two apps. If your Facebook and Instagram accounts are connected, it is possible for the apps to know who your friends on either are. Your Facebook friends may be notified that you now use Instagram and that way they’ll be able to find and follow you.

If you want to use Instagram in the most effective ways, we suggest that you make sure that your Facebook friends and followers know about your Instagram account. That way they can connect with you on both platforms.

How Do I Get Started with Instagram?

If you want to know how to create your own Instagram profile (or one for your brand), we’ll show you the way in this Instagram guide. Understanding Instagram will help you when it comes to using the platform for business and to create better brand awareness.

Sign Up To Instagram

Learning how to use Instagram will see you start by signing up for the instagram app. Since it was initially made for mobile devices, you might want to use it on your phone.

Don’t fret though, It is possible to use Instagram on a desktop as well.

Begin by downloading the app on you Android or iPhone and register to create a new account. You can also log in to Instagram with your Facebook account if you already have one.

Once you have signed up, you can choose a profile picture that will best suit your profile. For a business, a clear logo is usually the best way to go.

When you have finished with that step, you can start to edit your information. You should include a summary of your company and add a link to your official website.

As an individual, you can have a lot of fun with the summary and don’t need to link anywhere. However, for a brand, this is important.

Linking to your page is a good way to show that you are legit. And the summary is like an introduction to your audience – it must make a good impression. 

As you create content, your aim will be to get verified on the platform. When you’re verified, you will be trusted and seen as a legit brand or figure.

Go here to learn how to get verified on Instagram.

Navigating Instagram

Throughout our Instagram guide, you will be learning about Instagram and how to operate Instagram with few issues and lots of benefits and good results. One of the most important tips is navigating the app.

When you load Instagram, you will be taken to your news feed automatically. This is where you will find videos and photos that are shared by other people that you follow.

You’ll find the menu bar along the bottom of the app and the top will show your inbox (if you’re using an Android device). Your inbox is where you will find direct messages.

There is also a link to IGTV as well as the menu bar which is where you will find the Home, Search, Camera, Activity and Profile options.

Home will let you return to your news feed, Search will help you find and discover people and trending images. 

Camera is what allows you to edit and post your own content and Activity shows you all the notifications you’ve missed.

Profile is where you will be able to edit your profile and change any of your settings. These settings include an option to follow your Facebook friends on Instagram. You can be using Instagram privately if you prefer. Simply make your profile private. In that case, users that you allow see the posts you’ve liked and more.

Instagram Engagement

The popular platform allows you to engage with your followers and other users in three main ways.

You can like content by double-tapping on it, use the chat icon to leave comments and send direct messages.

There is also the ability to tag people in your photos, reply to comments and add hashtags. Engagement is very important when using Instagram. It helps to show Instagram that you’re not a bot and increases brand awareness. Your Instagram use will often be influenced by how much engagement your content will get.

Posting On Instagram

If you want to share a photo or a video on Instagram, you can easily do so. You can use the Camera tab and select either Gallery/Library, Video or Photo.

Should you have content ready on your camera roll, you can simply click on Gallery to access it. The other options will let you take photos or videos which can be edited and posted on your account.

Once you’ve selected or started to create a photo or video, you can edit it with filters to make it look fabulous.

Also if you have old posts on Instagram that need a refresh, edit, or caption change, it’s easy to edit a post on Instagram after it’s already posted.

Sharing Content

To share your photos or other content, you can select to share it with all your followers or a specific follower.

You can also add captions, tag people and your location. Also, Instagram gives you the option to share the post on other social media platforms.

It is easy to integrate Instagram with Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and Tumblr. 

Instagram Stories

With Instagram’s Stories feature, you are able to share multiple photos or videos that will appear in a slideshow. It is very similar to what Snapchat Stories are. The main thing about the Stories is that they will disappear after 24 hours.

You can also watch Stories created by other people on the platform. If you need a more in-depth guide on how to use Stories, Instagram’s help area can help you.

Instagram Stories is just like Snapchat’s Stories feature.

How to Correctly Use Hashtags on Instagram

On Instagram, hashtags are a combination of numbers, letters and sometimes emojis which are preceded by the #. There are millions of hashtags out there, for example, #BlackLivesMatter, #YOLO and #Summer4Ever.

In this Instagram guide, we will share with you the basic ‘how to’ so you can have creative freedom when it comes to hashtags. They can be lots of fun and effective in marketing.

Instagram hashtags are clickable and when you do click them, you will basically do a search of all content that have them added. So every post that has a specific hashtag tagged will show up in the ‘search result’.

For marketers, hashtags are a brilliant way to reach a wider audience. When you create your content and add a popular or trending hashtag, more people will see it. People can even follow hashtags and see all posts related to it.

There are many different kinds of hashtags and they all come with their own benefits. Product or service hashtags are great for describing what you’re offering. For example, #boots or #paint

Location hashtags can be used to let people know where you’re situated and where they can find your service or product. Example – #londonart or #wineinparis

Niche hashtags are more specific and can be used to target your audience more directly. Hashtags like that would be something along the lines of #travelblogger or #knittedtoys.

Acronym hashtags are probably the most popular and are great to add more weight to your posts. #TGIF and #TBT are famous examples. This is one of the best tips for Instagram as you want to do what your audience is doing. If they’re sharing posts with a certain #, you may want to follow suit.

For more information about hashtag types, check out this article by The Preview App.

Just make sure that you don’t use banned hashtags. Instagram may decide to ban a hashtag if it is associated with inappropriate content. Although banned hashtags can still be used, it isn’t recommended.

They will normally not show up in anyone’s feed and only top posts will be visible.

How To Use @ on Instagram

Instagram makes it easy to find people and brands with the use of the @ symbol, also known as nametags. By using @ on Instagram you can search for specific profiles and follow them or reach out if you want to.

Nametags are like Snapchat’s snapcodes and are made to be scanned really fast. This allows people to go to your profile quickly. It is a great marketing tool and allows you to reach even more people easier.

Users can simply scan your Instagram nametag to quickly follow you.

Can I Browse Instagram without an Account?

Many people don’t know how to operate Instagram if they don’t have their own official account. Fortunately. it is possible to browse Instagram if you don’t have an account. You can just visit the platform’s official website. Use the search option to find any accounts you want to see. You can also see content from the mobile browser but you can’t do so from the mobile app.

Note: that you can only see content that has been posted on public profiles.

How to Make Money with Instagram

One of the most popular topics in any Instagram user guide is always the ones that relate to making money. And it makes sense – money makes the world turn. Why not start using Instagram to earn some well-deserved cash?

Many beginners don’t know how to make the most of Instagram or how to make money on the platform. 

Your Instagram profile can be about more than cute kittens and funny babies. You can use Instagram to make serious money if approached right. Instagram business marketing is a booming market. 

That’s why Instagram added Shops to their app and made things even easier for sellers and buyers.

Here are our top Instagram tips how to use your Instagram account to build a lucrative entrepreneurial career.

Become An Influencer

If you can build a strong following, they can help you earn money by posting with the help of sponsors.

With the status that a successful influencer has, they are able to work with big brands and do promotions.

People like American media personality Kylie Jenner and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the biggest influencers right now. They are often sharing posts that promote brands like Nike and Gucci.

You can build yourself a name and also get paid to share posts showing off expensive clothes and jewellery. It will take time and dedication, but for most people, it is worth all the effort.

Affiliate Marketing

As you will learn in this Instagram user guide, this platform is amazing for marketing.

Instagram business marketing has been happening for yours and you can join the club. It’s possible to become an affiliate and earn money by selling other people’s products for them.

You will receive a cut of the sales and many brands are making use of this strategy. As long as you have a decent following, you can start selling many awesome products.

Affiliates are different from influencers in the sense that they work for commission through sales. Influencers are more about creating awareness and excitement for a certain brand or product.

Sell Visual Products

Instagram is focused on visual content and selling photogenic products is a brilliant idea on the app.

You can sell drawings, paintings, animations, photos and more to your followers. Any visual content will sell well.

If you’re a good photographer, you can earn money on Instagram. It’s also a great way to build a portfolio to show possible clients who are one of your followers.

Sell Physical Products

Many creative folks use the Instagram business marketing side to sell their handmade art and products. You can too, even if you’re not creative – you can buy from suppliers and sell on the platform.

It may take some monetary investment, but this goes to show that an Instagram account is good for many awesome things.

How to Download Instagram Photos

When you have been able to properly use Instagram for a while, you will notice that saving the content that users share isn’t as easy as on other platforms. Learning about Instagram includes learning about ways around the few obstacles on the app.

Fortunately, there are other ways to save the images or photos you want, though it requires the use of third-party apps.

On your Android, you can use DownloadGram to collect what you want. When you find a photo that you like, you can click on the icon above it and select ‘Copy Link’. Then, visit the site and paste the link in the provided text box.

All you have to do then is select the Download options and voila! – you have your saved content.

To save photos from the Instagram app on your iPhone, you should copy the URL of the image you like.

Then you use Safari and paste the link. Long press on the photos you want and click on ‘copy’.

Next, go to the Notes app and create a new note where you paste the pictures. Once that is done, select the ‘Share’ option and save the image. 

You should now have the image you wanted in your camera roll.

Saving Videos

If you found an interesting video, you can save it too, by following these steps:

Head over to Elmedia Player and download the free app. Then open it and copy the URL of the video you want to download.

Open the app’s browser mode and paste the URL. Select the download option and that is all there is to it.

Elmedia Player is useful in downloading videos from other platforms as well, such as YouTube and Facebook.

Just make sure that you’re not breaking any copyright laws when you download the content.

How to Repost on Instagram

Understanding Instagram is also about understanding its many features. One of the top tips for Instagram is knowing more about every single feature that you can use for Instagram business marketing. Reposting is one such feature.

Reposting the cool posts of other users can prove to be a little tricky on Instagram. But, there are ways and we will share them with you in this Instagram ‘how to’.

Before you post anything created by someone else, though, get permission from the owner before you do. You can send a direct message or ask in the comments section.

When you have permission, there are a few ways you can go about doing the actual repost.

Repost for Instagram

You can download Repost for Instagram – this app makes it much easier than you’d expect. It integrates with Instagram and allows you to share content from other users on your phone.

You simply find the photo or video that you want to repost, and tap on it to see it in full view.

Then, copy the post’s share URL by clicking on the upper-right corner and choosing ‘Copy Share URL’.

The open the Repost for Instagram app and the post will be on the app’s homepage automatically. You can edit the post’s caption and share it.

That’s it!

InstaRepost

You can also use InstaRepost – an app available for Android as well as iOS. It allows you to use your phone to share content.

You will have to give the app access to your Instagram account and give it permission to access your photos, friends and other content related to your account.

It will show you only a small section of your feed but you can search for the name of the person whose content you want to repost. Simply type in the name of the person and browse through their content.

When you’ve found the post you want, you can tap on the arrow that you’ll find in the low right-hand corner. You can then click on ‘Repost’ to share the post. It will first be saved to your device and then you can retrieve it on Instagram.

From there, you can post it on your account after you have added your filter and chosen the caption you want.

Screenshots

When you learn to use Instagram without an Instagram ‘how to’ guide, you may realise that taking screenshots is a possibility. People are often using screenshots to save conversations on communication apps.

So, if you don’t want to use any apps or websites, you can settle for taking screenshots instead. However, you won’t be able to save videos with this method. 

Find the post that you want to share and take screenshots with your phone or software like Lightshot on your PC.

Remember that when you take a screenshot, everything on your screen will be captured, not only the post you want to share.

Be sure to hide away anything that could serve as an embarrassment or reveal private information before you take that screenshot.

Edit and add filters to the image and then post it the way you would post any other content. You can also add any caption that you want. We suggest that you do not forget to add the name of the original poster to your post.

And remember that you must have permission or you could get into a lot of unwanted trouble over copyright.

Followers – To Buy Or Not To Buy

There is a big debate over whether or not buying followers is ethical or even works in the long run. In this Instagram user guide, we’ll look at this marketing trick. Is it really worth your money?

It seems like everyone is doing it and it might be harmless for the most part,  but Instagram certainly doesn’t like the idea.

Back in 2019, a list of celebs was revealed to have fake followers and it was quite shocking 

So, should you buy followers or not?

That’s a decision best left up to you to make. We’ll look at why you shouldn’t and then we’ll tell you how if you still want to.

We will also discuss how you can grow your followers in a more natural way.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy Followers

Instagram Might Suspend Your Instagram Account

As we mentioned above, Instagram isn’t too fond of the idea that people are buying fake followers.

The point of the app is to connect real people to each other that have real interactions. The app has started to take serious steps to reduce the purchase of fake followers.

Not only are these fakes regularly purged from Instagram, but you could be punished as well.

If you’re making use of a third-party app that helps you gain followers unnaturally, you could very well be suspended.

Is it worth the risk? You decide.

No Engagement

While a rise in followers looks good on paper, they don’t do anything else to actually improve your status on Instagram.

They won’t like your posts, share them or comment on them. Your engagement levels will not go up. Engagement is actually important, especially for brands.

There are engagement pods that are supposed to help with this but it doesn’t work as well as you’d hope. Don’t try it.

Brands Won’t Work With You

For marketers and individuals alike, Instagram is a great place to work with many different brands.

However, if they know that you’ve got fake followers, you can forget it. A simple audit tool will show that your ‘fans’ are not real.

This will result in brands blacklisting you and you might just never recover from the blow.

Obviously Fake

People can tell when a following is fake – you just have to compare normal interactions to the following count to know that.

And when looking at the accounts of the fake followers is also a clear indication. They have very few posts and almost never share Instagram Stories.

How To Buy Instagram Followers

If you’ve decided that you don’t care how bad it looks and still want to buy followers, we’ll briefly go over the steps.

Should you want to grow your following in a more natural and real way, simply skip this part.

You might not think so, but buying Instagram followers is not as straightforward as expected. Since the app cracked down on the practices that are against their terms of service, things are more difficult.

Third-party tools have become very popular and mediocre ones have popped up like mushrooms.

Some of the reputable suppliers have already stopped operating because of all the attention it got from Instagram.

There are two services that you might still be able to make use of – Mr Insta and StormLikes.

When you use Instagram with these services, you will have to decide if you want your following immediately and in bulk or over a period of time.

You don’t have to give your account details to the service provider, just give them your Instagram handle.

There are different options and they come at various prices. You can pay anything between $13 and $36 for 1 000 followers.

Once you’ve made your purchase, you’ll get a receipt that might state something vague like ‘Online Shopping’.

Waiting for followers to start coming in should be rather short and could happen within the hour.  The number of followers you’ve bought should be reached before the end of a week.

Remember that you’re going against Instagram’s terms of service when using these services…

How To Grow Your Instagram Following Organically

It is far more recommended that you put in the work and earn your following on Instagram. It may take more work than buying them but is much more satisfying.

And you won’t get into trouble.

Here’s how you can go about getting more followers in a natural and organic manner.

Plan Your Content

You need a clear idea of what you’ll be sharing on your Instagram account. An organised marketing strategy will reap more rewards than a chaotic one.

There are different types of content on Instagram and they all work for their own reasons. You should make use of visuals, text and videos.

Don’t share random content because you’ll attract random users that way. You want a loyal Instagram following that appreciates your brand. 

To get the right people to follow you, you need to share content that they can care about.

Consistency Is Key

We love to tell our readers that consistency is super important, and it really is.

If your Instagram profile is known for sharing good content consistently, it will become trustworthy.

Accounts that often share high-quality content have a higher following. For the best results, you should post at least once a day. 

That’s the very least and you can post even more if you have enough good content to share. 

More posts will see you getting more likes and better engagement rates.

Also, with the Instagram algorithm, consistency will help get your posts in front of more eyes. If you’re getting more likes and engagement, you might also have your posts at the top of the feeds of your followers.

How To Go Live On Instagram

The ability to go live on Instagram is considered one of its best features. It’s similar to streaming on Twitter and Facebook. 

Streaming is a fantastic way to connect with your audience in real-time. It gives them the chance to feel much closer to your brand.

It may sound like a complicated process, but going live is actually relatively easy. Here’s what you have to do:

We assume you’ve already logged in. If you haven’t, go ahead and log in to your account.

From your home page, click on the Camera icon or just swipe right from anywhere in your Instagram feed.

Now, you select the ‘Live’ option from your camera options and you can start going live.

You will have to do a quick connection test to make sure that you are connected but that will happen automatically.

Instagram will then send your followers a notification so they can tune in to your livestream. You are now live and whatever you do or say will be shared with your audience in real-time.

You will be able to see the number of viewers at the bottom of your screen. You’ll also see comments.

You can add your own comments and pin them to the top of the screen. If you don’t feel like seeing comments, you can switch them off. You can add filters to your livestream if you want to.

When you’re done, you can simply select ‘End’ which you’ll find in the upper-right corner of your screen.

You can then choose to share the stream to IGTV, delete it or save it to your camera roll.

How To Add Swipe Up Link On Instagram

Since Instagram has become more user-friendly for e-commerce, running an Instagram business account has also become easier.

The ‘swipe up’ feature allows you to direct followers to your website and become customers.

By adding the feature to your Instagram Stories, you’ll see great growth in sales and website traffic.

Here is how you can do so:

Note that there are a couple of basic requirements that need to be met before you can add the ‘swipe up’ feature to your Stories.

Important: Your account MUST be a business one and you have to be followed by at least 10 000 people.

Once that is achieved, you can start using this feature on your account.

First, you select the image that you want to add the ‘swipe up’ feature to. Select the link button that you’ll find at the top. Then, enter the link of the page that you want to direct users to.

It really is that easy. You can also encourage your followers to ‘swipe up’ and support your business.

How To Make Your Account Private On Instagram

We do not recommend that a business account should be private on Instagram. You want transparency and an open relationship with your audience.

However, individuals may want to keep things private for many reasons. Doing so is really easy.

If you’re using the app on iPhone, you can just tap on your profile icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. 

Then, click on the ‘Menu’ icon and select ‘Settings’ and ‘Privacy’. You then select ‘Account Privacy’ and then choose what you want to do.

It is possible to simply make a few photos private and that option can be found in the photo menu.

As long as your account is private, only your current followers and those you approve will be able to see the content that you share.

Making your account private on an Android device requires the same steps as on an iPhone.

How To Change Password On Instagram

For security reasons, you should change your password on Instagram regularly. This is especially important for business accounts.

Changing your password on Instagram Mobile App

1. Open the app and select your profile page. If you’re running more than one account, you will have to choose the right one before continuing.

2. Click on the horizontal lines that are located at the top-right of your screen and select the ‘Settings’ menu.

3. Enter the ‘Security’ options and click on ‘Password’ and change it. You will have to enter your current password. Then you can enter your new password and save your new settings.

Changing your password on Desktop

If you want to change your password from a desktop, you will have to open Instagram’s website and follow these steps:

1. Click on the ‘Account’ icon located in the top-right of your screen and select the ‘Edit Profile’ option.

2. From there, you can choose to change your password. Type in your current password and then choose the new one. Save your settings and you’re done.

If you have forgotten your password, you can request to reset it from the Sign In page. You will have to enter your email address, user name or phone number so Instagram can send you instructions to reset your password.

Follow the instructions and make the necessary changes.

How To Get Verified On Instagram

Getting verified on Instagram is an important goal for individuals as well as brands. When you’re verified, you have a lot more authority.

Brands will be more open to working with you and people are more likely to trust you, benefits vital for a business.

To get verified, there are several important factors that are taken into account by Instagram.

These will affect if you get that much-desired badge or not.

Your content needs to be fresh and unique. You can’t recycle posts from other accounts and expect to get verified.

Content that counts towards unoriginal includes memes, rap videos etc. Keep that in mind when you repost.

Instagram wants the accounts they verify to be unique because this shows that the person behind it is who they say they are. It is just how Instagram works and no one really minds that they want honesty.

Your account should represent a well-known person, entity or brand. For that reason, the account must be featured in more than one news source. Promotional content is not seen as reliable news sources for this requirement.

Your account has to be a public one with a proper bio and profile photo. It must have one or more posts and more is better. The account should not have any links to other social media services.

Getting verified will take effort and time. As long as you show Instagram that you deserve verification, you will get it.

To get closer to verification, you should have a consistent theme, which goes a long way towards making you look authentic.

You have to ensure that you don’t share fake news and that what you post reflects your brand. 

It goes without saying, but your content has to be interesting and entertaining. This will boost your following as well as your chances of getting verified.

You’ll easier convince Instagram you’re not a bot if your posts are engaging and colourful.

Use Instagram hashtags and reach more people and get more attention. This will increase your likeliness to get verified.

Create a profile that will stand out. Instagram has over a billion active users and although this is great for marketing, it can make it difficult for your account to stand out. 

To become prominent, you have to focus on your brand’s aesthetic. Have a style that is different, and stick to it. Make people recognise your brand whenever they see the colours you’ve chosen for your brand’s appearance. You can also use Instagram’s filters and hashtags to achieve this.

For a more in-depth discussion on getting verified on Instagram, take a look at How to Get Verified On Instagram – A Comprehensive Guide For 2020.

How To Delete Account Instagram Account

If you think you won’t benefit from using Instagram anymore, you can simply delete it. We suggest that you think long and hard because you’ll lose everything you’ve worked so hard for.

To delete your account, go to the Instagram website and log in.

IMPORTANT: You have to log in on the website because you can’t delete any accounts while using the mobile app.

Head to the account deletion page via your account settings. Once there, you will have to state your reason for deleting the account.

If the reason isn’t on the list, you can choose ‘Something Else’. When you have chosen your reason, you can choose to permanently delete your account.

Should you prefer to just disable the account for a while, you can log into your account and head to the ‘Edit Profile’ settings.

There, you select to temporarily disable your account. You’ll have to give a reason for your decision.

When you want to reactive the account, you can just log in as normal.

What Should I Post On Instagram?

There are many great ideas that will be inspiring and discussing that would take a lot of time. We’ll just briefly look at some cool ideas on what you can post to keep things interesting on your account.

Holidays

If you’ve been lucky enough to spend a holiday in a beautiful location, you can relive that experience while sharing it with your followers.

Posting holiday photos on Instagram is always a winning idea. People love seeing the lovely locations others visited.

You can share photos and videos showing your accommodation and the tourist attractions you visited.

These photos also make for a great throwback post every now and then.

Food

People snapping away at their phones before they eat is nothing new or strange anymore. You can share your breakfast or dinner with your followers and show them how to eat healthy/indulgently.

Get on a chair and take a stunning photo but we suggest you only do that when at home. Not everyone will appreciate someone standing on a chair in a restaurant for that perfect photo.

Work

If you’ve got a nice office or great view at work, share it with your followers. It could help them beat their Monday Blues a little bit.

Outfits

Instagram is so popular because people like to get glimpses into the lives of others. Why not use that and show off the fantastic wardrobe you spent so much money on?

There are many hashtags that you can use with ‘outfit posts’. Everything from your outfit for work to your favourite cocktail dress/suit is good enough if you do the right pose.

Obsessions

If you are obsessing with a new gadget, game or decorative statue – or whatever you like – you can share that with your audience.

While you’re showing the world how cool your ‘flavour of the month’ is, you might just attract brands who want you to promote their products!

Can You See Who Screenshots Your Instagram Story?

The short answer is no. There is no real way to tell who has taken screenshots of your Stories.

Instagram sends no notifications when posts, Stories or other content is recorded with screenshots.

There is one exception though – when screenshots are taken of disappearing content.

If you take a screenshot of a disappearing photo or video in a DM chat the other person will be notified. 

Instagram has, in the past, sent notifications so may do so again in the future.

How Do I Get The Best Instagram Filters?

Instagram filters are very popular and used by just about everybody on the app.

Filters use augmented reality to create effects that can be placed on photos and videos. Also, they can make photos pop with colour effects.

To find the best latest filters, you may have to do a Google search to stay updated.

If you want to add a filter, swipe left at the bottom of your screen and select your preferred effect. 

Instagram also makes it a little easier to find new filters. The Effects Gallery can help you find more filters.

Head over to Stories and swipe left to see the first available filter, then keep swiping until you reach the last one. You will then be able to discover new filters that are in the Effects Gallery.

Just remember that you won’t find branded filters here. 

There are many categories from which you choose, such as Funny, Love, Events, Fandom, Sci-fi and Fantasy, Animals and more.

Also, you can try filters from your friends’ Stories. For example, if one of your friends are showing off with a cute quiz you like, you can try it too. Simply click on the top-left corner of your screen on the name of the filter to give it a shot.

You can also use Lenslist to explore new filters. There is a big database on offer.

Who Uses Instagram The Most?

It is no secret that Instagram is popular with the younger generation. It is most popular in the United States of America.

About 116 million Americans use Instagram, with India having 73 million users and Brazil standing at 72 million.

Most users are between the ages of 18 and 25. It is rare for people older than 65 to be active on Instagram.

What Gender Uses Instagram The Most?

People often wonder what gender use Instagram more – is it men or women? It is rather close, according to the available information. Instagram has 52% female and 48% male users. Learning to use Instagram is also about knowing your audience.

Fortunately, the chances that your audience (based on gender) is on Instagram is high.

When you know your audience really well, add to that your Instagram ‘how to’ savvy and you’re sure to build a fantastic marketing campaign.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Instagram?

While using Instagram as a platform for business and individuals alike is successful, it does have some drawbacks.

Engagement on the app is high but sadly conversions are low in comparison. Because sharing, commenting and liking posts is so easy, it is not as easy to convert users and followers into actual paying customers.

It is easy to engage with a post but that doesn’t mean the interaction is meaningful. Marketers need to look at more than engagement to gauge the success of a marketing strategy.

For brands, it can be much easier to lose its look and feel. Very easily, a brand can suddenly find itself representing itself in a way that is not what was intended.

Intense and serious brand control is necessary. 

Because Instagram is so immensely popular, it can be very difficult to rise above the competition. For example, it would be almost impossible for a small brand to stand out against someone like Kylie Jenner.

That’s why it is really important to make sure that your content is tailored to your audience. That way, it will reach them more effectively.

This calls for a lot of dedication and hard work. But don’t be discouraged, that does not mean using Instagram to boost your business and sales is impossible. It will just take a while to get right.

If you stick to the advice shared here in our Instagram guide, you’ll do just fine. Our Instagram ‘how to’ knowledge has been earned the hard way by other successful users.

Can You Tell Who Looks At Your Instagram?

Instagram values privacy so it does not let users know when someone is viewing their profile.

If, during your Instagram use, you’re browsing through someone’s content, they’ll only know you’ve been there if you like or share something of theirs. Of course, comments are dead giveaways as well.

Although Instagram Business accounts display statistics about traffic volume, it doesn’t show detailed profile information.

However, it is possible to know who viewed your Instagram Stories. Those who watched your Stories will appear in a viewers list for a day after the Story is live.

The aim of this information is to give accounts insight into their audience. There are no (legal) third-party apps that will tell you who has looked at your profile or content.

Should I Use My Real Name On Instagram?

It is quite common for users to use aliases or creative names when they create Instagram accounts.

If you’re using the platform for personal reasons, there’s nothing wrong with that. But for a brand, it is important to use a name that will be directly associated with your company. Using Instagram in your social media marketing campaign is a good idea but should be done well. 

If you have a business but want to use your own name, that’s fine too. You are still associated with your company if customers know you own or run it. Your Instagram use will be scrutinised by your users as well as your competition.

Mentions (@user, for example) are more valuable if it can be linked to your brand. Having a normal name also looks more professional than something quirky or funny like ‘LadiesMaN325’.

Conclusion

There you have it – this Instagram user guide has concluded. You now have a better understanding of how to start using Instagram and how to make the most of this popular social media platform. You also have more than one answer for ‘Why is Instagram so popular?’.

Use everything you’ve learnt here and take our Instagram instructions to heart to create an account that truly stands out and benefits you and your brand. Our guide to Instagram is more than an ‘Instagram instructions for dummies’ because if you want to start using Instagram business marketing, you’re no dummy.

And above all, be creative with your Instagram use – users are keen on fresh new content. Getting started on Instagram to make money does take some time and dedication. But don’t give up and stay patient. Your efforts in using Instagram will pay off eventually.