In the past few years Instagram has worked its way into our culture.
It has become a form of advertising, sharing videos, connecting with friends and most importantly, establishing amateur photography skills. While Instagram has been crucial in sharing artsy pictures and providing a way for people to make their lives look as fantastic as possible, some users just take it too far. Here are some helpful tips to be the “best” Instagrammer you can be:
Post as many times a day as possible.
IG Every Moment from The State Press on Vimeo.
Seeing one person's username on an Instagram feed five times in a six-hour period is never a bad thing, particularly if they are just pictures of a lazy day, a trip to the store or some other anticlimactic life event.
Selfies are always a good idea.
Rule the Selfie from The State Press on Vimeo.
Followers can be forgetful. Make sure they never forget what you look like and post a selfie every time you think about it. This way, your face can always be fresh in the minds of your followers.
If there are #hashtags #that #can #be #used, #do #it.
Nothing is better than having a paragraph worth of hashtags. The ones that are the least related to the picture make things more entertaining. What better way to earn followers? The more hashtags you add, the greater chance you have of getting more people to see your pictures. Don’t forget to let your followers know if you are wearing #nomakeup or have #nofilter on your photo.
If someone is at 79, 89 or 99 likes, help them out.
Let’s face it, Instagram photo likes are equivalent to self-esteem boosts. Think about how you feel after getting lots of likes on a photo. Now think about when you see one of your friends with 79 likes on their latest post. Would it look better to have a number in the 70s or would it look better to give them 80 likes? Use Instagram etiquette people.
Definitely share your pictures to every social media platform.
If I just scrolled past your photo on Instagram, I would definitely like to see it on Facebook and Twitter as well. You just might draw in more followers or likes for your latest picture if your Facebook friends see what you posted and feel obliged to check out your account, if they didn't already follow you.
If you didn’t Instagram your meal, did you even really eat it?
If you're out at a fancy restaurant, it is the perfect time to secretly snap a picture of your steak, lobster tail or other artfully presented dish. There is no better way to evoke food-envy from your followers. It is the duty of Instagram users to make sure people know what kinds of delicious foods they are missing out on and convince them that they need to try them.
Don't stop with the filters and effects until you're satisfied.
The best pictures have some artificially added bokeh light blurs, text overlay, overly saturated filters and perhaps even a decorative frame. The further you get from the photo's original state, the better.
Every picture needs an unrelated, inspirational quote.
#PUG from The State Press on Vimeo.
If you are going to post a selfie or some kind of obscure scene in your latest Instagram, do not explain it: Just add a quote for the caption. Not just any quote; make sure it's inspirational. Maybe find a quote about enjoying life and not getting stuck on the past. Or mention how strong you are and, if you’re feeling adventurous, get a quote calling yourself beautiful. These quotes are an easy way to add meaning to any photo that would otherwise be lacking.
Always participate in Man Crush Monday, Transformation Tuesday, Woman Crush Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Flashback Friday and of course Selfie Sunday.
#TBT from The State Press on Vimeo.
If you have a significant other, make sure to post pictures of them every Monday or Wednesday to remind the Insta-world how much you love each other.
Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday are musts, especially if you are throwing or flashing back to just a few weeks — or even days — prior. Followers eat those up. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see your younger, more-exciting self in some old photos?
Finally, there’s Selfie Sunday. Definitely take advantage of an opportunity to post your third selfie of the week. The only explanation needed is #selfiesunday.
By following these easy steps you'll be on your way to Instagram fame in no time, or just annoying all of your followers until you have none left.
Reach the writer at Samantha.Stull@asu.edu or follow her on Instagram @samstull
