Instagram Marketing: It’s All About Keeping It Beautiful

A social media strategist has to be on-point at all times. Need some direction for Facebook? I can help. Have a question about using hashtags on Twitter? I’ve got an answer. The nature of the business demands that you’re current on new features and that you know each platform inside and out. But, from time to time, one pops up that becomes your favorite. Instagram has been my favorite for a few years now. There’s something about its simplicity and the ability to tell a story with just a single photo. Sure, it has all the features that any self-respecting platform offers these days, but at its core, it’s still all about a photo. Here’s what I know and why when it comes to Instagram marketing, it’s all about keeping it beautiful.

Frame the conversation

Resist the urge to share a group shot or whatever is likely to pop up on your Facebook. Composition matters here and those rules of photography you learned in high school still apply. I love this website that explains how to use the rule of thirds, negative space, textures and symmetry in photos. What you’re looking for is the “ah-ha” photo, that one angle or perspective that makes you take a second look. There are some statistics to back up the importance of a well-planned photo. Posts with more negative space in the frame received 29 percent more engagement than those with less. The University of San Francisco is one of my favorite accounts because they do a great job with photo composition. Take a look at some of these examples.

Rule of thirds

Here in the #BestCityEver, there’s always a spot with a view! That is, unless @karlthefog pays us a visit…

A post shared by University of San Francisco (@usfca) on Jan 7, 2017 at 11:43am PST

Frame within a frame

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney

A post shared by University of San Francisco (@usfca) on Feb 26, 2017 at 2:33pm PST

Leading lines

Campus lights up at night!

A post shared by University of San Francisco (@usfca) on Apr 3, 2017 at 5:27pm PDT

Tell a story

I’m not referring to its Snapchat-like Stories feature. There’s a place for it, but I like to think of that as a supporting player. For the newsfeed, try to tell a story with a single photo.

Though it’s a highly visual platform, I believe brands can still get away with longer copy, if it’s engaging. Have the photo set up the scene and pique interest, then elaborate in the body copy. Here’s a great example from National Geographic. This photo is simple, without a lot happening in the frame, but you know there’s a much bigger story. National Geographic does a great job of capturing interest then elaborating later. As I mentioned earlier, they use the Stories feature to continue the conversation and provide even more details on the topic. They could have uploaded a video, but would you have been as emotionally involved? According to Locowise, photos generate 31 percent more engagement than videos, despite the big video push from Instagram.

Photo by @amivitale | For the last 18 years I’ve been working to cover under-reported issues primarily about women, poverty, health and security. I didn’t realize it when I began but all of these issues are really about our resources and water in particular. I’ve seen firsthand how women in developing countries bear the greatest burden. Women are the primary providers of water, and often spend hours each day hauling water from distant sources. In the photo above from the village of Dambas, in northern Kenya, women are forced to get water from a polluted water hole after years of severe drought. Though the rains came and turned the land green, the problems facing the pastoralists still persist after years of drought that resulted in severe livelihood stress, food insecurity, livestock deaths and high rates of malnutrition. Check out today’s Instagram Story to see more of my work covering the water crisis across the world. – Sponsored by @StellaArtois. Water is a fundamental human need, yet 663 million people around the world today live without access to safe water. Find out how to purchase a Stella Artois limited-edition Chalice and help end the global water crisis at natgeo.com/StellaArtois. Join Stella Artois and @water to learn more about how you can help be the generation to end the global water crisis. #1Chalice5Years

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Mar 29, 2017 at 6:33am PDT

Draw a crowd

Despite sharing jaw-dropping photos, you may find it difficult to build an audience without a little publicity. I always tell people that engagement numbers are a better sign of success than followers numbers, but there are three primary ways to accomplish both.

Instagram is really the only social media platform where you can get away with loading up on hashtags. Studies have shown that they’re not that effective on Facebook, and on Twitter you should use up to three, but for Instagram, the more the merrier in most cases. When you’re choosing your hashtags, find one that’s specific to your brand, then pair it with more generalized ones, like #MondayMotivation, #Instagood or #WednesdayWisdom. Hashtags are meant to categorize content and to keep followers flowing through accounts, so if you’re only using one, it’s only unique to your brand and you use them inconsistently, you likely won’t get much new traffic. Here are some examples of how we include hashtags into our Instagram posts:

Love doing this AND helping area businesses reach the peak of success? We’re hiring a Director of Business Development for our Boulder office. If you’re energetic, driven, creative and active in the Boulder community, let’s talk! Visit pyxl.staging.wpengine.com/careers or click our link in profile. #ThinkPyxl. . . . #marketing #scottsdale #boulder #nashville #knoxville #digitalmarketing #outdoors #instagood #advertising

A post shared by Pyxl, Inc. (@thinkpyxl) on Mar 30, 2017 at 3:38pm PDT

While our East Coast offices are shoveling snow and setting back their clocks, here in Scottsdale, we’re just soaking in the sun . . . #ThinkPyxl #scottsdale #arizona #Instagram #springforward #daylightsavings

A post shared by Pyxl, Inc. (@thinkpyxl) on Mar 13, 2017 at 1:45pm PDT

Morning, rain. #ThinkPyxl #rainyday . . . . #boulder #scottsdale #nashville #knoxville #digitalmarketing #rain #instagood #instagram #advertising

A post shared by Pyxl, Inc. (@thinkpyxl) on Mar 29, 2017 at 7:08am PDT

Before you jump in with the colorful cartoons, take some time and do your research on what each one means. Because of their widespread usage, they’re beginning to take on a language of sorts, so misuse could result in big misfire when it comes to working them into your posts.

Sponsored ads are another great way to get your content in front of more people. According to Instagram, 60 percent of people say they’ve discovered a new product through the platform. And over 500,000 businesses have set up a business account to promote their brand. With an Instagram Business account, there are a ton of useful metrics for posts, such as impressions, reach and actions taken by a user. A strong strategic plan for Instagram includes balancing organic with boosted posts.

Instagram has done a tremendous job of attracting new users while still remaining faithful to their original premise. With a beautiful photo taking centerstage, I encourage brands to explore their new features and find ways to tell a great story with each one. If you’re looking for some creative direction for your Instagram account, don’t hesitate to reach out to us, we’d love to help.

Updated: Apr 13, 2022