Why Instagram?

Over the years Social media has become one of the primary ways that people consume and share content. From its early beginnings with sites like Six Degrees created in 1997 and MySpace created in 2003, to today’s social media giants like Facebook and Twitter, the social media landscape has changed tremendously. You may or may not be aware of it but there's a wide variety of social media platforms that one can choose from. You have Polyvore, Reddit, Anchor, Soundcloud, Musically, Tumblr and Pinterest, just to name a few. Many of these can be linked to allow cross-posting. This creates an environment where users can reach the maximum number of people without sacrificing the intimacy of person-to-person communication. With all the social media choices that we have today, it poses the question, is one better than the rest? For me, the answer is yes. I’m currently a member of Imgur, Vimeo, Snapchat, Tumbler, Twitter, Anchor, Flickr, Reddit, Facebook, Vero and Instagram and Instagram reigns supreme. Now I know a lot of the platforms that I just mentioned do some of the same things and some are practically identical but none do it better than Instagram. If you haven't used Instagram and aren't sure if you should or if you have Instagram and still haven't gotten the hang of it, then you are in the right place because I’m gonna explain the benefits of Instagram. Let's get started. 1. First, you need to download the Instagram app from the App Store for iOS or the Google Play Store for Android. Once the app is installed, tap to open it.

2. Tap Sign Up With Email or Phone Number, then enter your email address or phone number which will require a confirmation code and tap Next.

3. You can also tap Login with Facebook to sign up with your Facebook account.

4. If you register with your email or phone number, create a username and password, fill out your profile info and then tap Done.

5. If you register with Facebook, you'll be prompted to log into your Facebook account if you're currently logged out.

Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone. Similar to Facebook or Twitter, everyone who creates an Instagram account has a profile and a news feed. When you post content on Instagram, it will be displayed on your profile. Users who follow you will see your posts in their own feed. You'll also see posts from other users whom you follow. You can interact with other users on Instagram by following them, being followed by them, commenting, liking, tagging and direct messaging.

Instagram is a great social networking site that is perfect for just that, networking. You are able to reach so many people and demographics without having to exhaust your resources. People who would have never had the chance to meet you or see your work whether you are an artist or musician or photographer, you are now able to do just that and that in itself is priceless. You now have the ability to market yourself in a way that wasn't possible before. Instagram also offers Business Tools to help companies better understand their followers and grow their businesses. To convert to a Business Profile: 1. Go to your profile and tap the settings icon.

2. Tap Switch to Business Profile and select the Page you'd like to associate with your Business Profile on Instagram with.

3. Make sure you set your profile to Public. Private accounts can't switch to Business Accounts.

4.On the Set Up Your Business Profile page, review your business's contact information, make any changes and tap Done.

With these tools, companies of any size can be recognized with a business profile, get insights about followers and posts, and promote posts to drive business objective, all within the Instagram mobile app. Customers can see valuable information in your profile, and you can get actionable information about which posts perform best, which days of the week and times are best to post and the demographic breakdown of your followers. You can also promote any posts you’ve shared, and include a button like Learn More, to reach new customers in your target audience. With all the tools at your disposal, Instagram is by far a superior social networking platform. It offers an experience that many other platforms try to mimic but in many cases fall short. If you find yourself considering a platform whether you’re an artist, a musician, a photographer, a small business or just someone looking for a way to keep in touch with friends, remember that Instagram is the way to go.