University of Advancing Technology's Official Technology Blog

Navigating Instagram in the 21st century with all of the rinstas, finstas, flop accounts, "models" and crazy comments can be tough. But Instagram can be an incredibly helpful tool when building your personal brand, growing your business or job hunting.

Instagram started out in 2010, it was released on October 6th. Back when Instagram was first created, people would upload blurry, dark or random objects with no rhyme or reason. The captions were terrible, and of course, filled with a bunch of hashtags. Those days are long gone. If you are caught using Instagram like we were in 2010, you’d probably be banned. Just kidding, but seriously.

In 2019, Instagram is basically like a Linkedin, but for the arts and photography. Instagram is a creative marketing way to get attention from brands and build your fan base. Lots of Instagramers have professional pages, where they make money for just posting a picture of themselves looking good, hence the “Instagram model.” The Instagram model is a girl or boy who regularly posts beautiful pictures of themselves. Most Instagram models will also state in their bio that they’re an Instagram model. It may sound ridiculous, but it’s a thing. Companies and brands that sell luxury hotel rooms to designer shoes and purses pay Instagram models to help them sell their products or services. It can be very lucrative for the model.

Instagram Model @lisamarie_schiffner

Then, you have your Instagram Youtubers. Instagram Youtubers are very popular on Instagram, which is usually every Youtubers favorite app. Some Youtubers even use Instagram to kick off their careers. Some Youtubers killing it on Instagram include Casey Neistat, Lilly Singh and Grayson Dolan.

To order to gain any traction on Instagram, you must have the perfect bio and the perfect feed. Your bio should include all your skills or titles, such as model, photographer, youtuber, etc. And don’t forget to link to your website! Your feed should be the same color grade, and your pictures should all be your best photos. Be sure to post often to get the best engagement on your profile. According to ExpertVoice, some of the best times to post on Instagram to maximize engagement include Sunday at 5 p.m., Monday at 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 a.m. and Saturday at 12 a.m.

Ready to revamp your Instagram? Archive any pictures that you don’t like or want anyone to see. For example, if you posted a bad selfie or didn't quite figure out the color grade, you can simply archive old posts to hide them from your feed. Now, post three blank white or any three solid color pictures on your feed. This is how you start a new “Insta theme.” Once you’ve posted your blank transition pictures, find your preset. A preset is a set or adjust—a value that controls the operation of a device—in advance of its use. Your new feed needs to match, so you want to pick your favorite preset to use on all your pictures. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to post the best pictures of yourself, or better yet, go take a photoshoot with your best friend and get some new Instagram model worthy pictures.

Lastly, were going to get serious. You can really grow a brand for yourself through Instagram. Using the right hashtags—but not too many!—following the right people and gaining followers can really help you in your journey. "Comments are rivaling Instagram feeds and Stories for importance," UAT Social Media Manager Ashley Murry said. "You can use the comments section to ask questions that spark engagement, make customers feel special or add authenticity to your brand voice," Ashley added.

If you haven't started using Instagram Stories, you should get on that ASAP. More than 300 million people watch Instagram Stories every day! They have become so popular that they blew snapchat out of the race. Many young people, including myself, have ditched Snapchat and went straight for Instagram Stories. Instagram stories are a great way to reach and engage with your followers. Interactive influencers create the best engagement because they’re giving their followers what they want, recognition!

Companies look for influencers every day to showcase their new products, but they’re specifically looking for influencers with high amounts of followers and engagement. Using the correct hashtags and gaining followers can get you there. One way to find the right hashtags is to simply search what hashtag is trending at the moment.

Now you are all set to launch your new Instagram like a professional Instagrammer. Most importantly, have fun with it and get those brand deals, girl!

Want to learn how to produce high-quality, professional photos and videos for social media like me? Check out UAT's Digital Video degree program today!