Back in the day when I started instagram, it was because my best friend who has told me to start everything from my blog to twitter and every other thing online told me to try instagram. The same way I hopped onto those things, I just posted a picture and began. But instagram has evolved into a place where people want to use instagram accounts for things like businesses or information sharing and people often reach out to me through my social channels about these things so I thought I would compile what I share with them here just in case you are also starting an instagram account with a purpose and need a little direction too.
What is the goal of your instagram account
I live in a world of loosely organized chaos but I firmly believe that before you start anything you need to be honest about your goal. You don’t have to publicly tell anyone but you need to know it in your heart. Do you want to share the knowledge you have about making gardens or taking photos or places to see red pandas all around the world? Do you want to inspire people with quotes that you curate or beautiful pictures you’ve taken on trips. Do you want to one day become famous and this is your in? Do you have a business you want to grow? Unless your instagram account is purely a personal one then (and even then I’d argue) you always need a goal. I usually set my goals at the beginning of the year so that I know if I meet them by the end of the year and I’ve noticed that when I write them I usually make them happen. And I don’t have a private account because nothing you post online is ever private.
Choose your instagram name
It is easy if you already have a brand to pick an instagram name because you can just try and use that name for Instagram. I wish that I thought about using my name when Instagram came out because I started out with Cheeseterumi because Helloterumi was my twitter name and Instagram was a photo-sharing app. I never even thought that my name still be available. I ended up switching to helloterumi on instagram too because I kept getting followers that were into cheese which I like but not enough to make an account solely devoted to cheese. (I do have “Terumi” as my account name on Pinterest and I’m really proud of this.). Make sure you like the name you choose for your instagram account because this is the name other people in real life that you meet through this platform will also know even more than your real name sometimes too.
Will your instagram account have a specific aesthetic?
What story are you telling with your instagram account? And how will your content show that story? Many accounts do this by creating a specific aesthetic like always using the same filter on their photos, or having a pattern in their feed where they share quotes and graphics for two squares and then one of their personal life for the third. Some focus on products only and some are more personal depending on the brand. One way to find out what kind of aesthetic you like is by going through the platform and noting instagram accounts that you are drawn to and ones that you are not. You can find accounts by looking at hashtags that relate to your brand and finding accounts that post within these hashtags. If I was creating an account for Scout my yorkie poo, I would look for yorkie poo accounts under the hashtag #yorkiepoo or #yorkiepoolife or even #smalldogsofinstagram to see what accounts are already out there that are focused on yorkie poos like Scout. And then I would look at the accounts I was drawn too to see what about them interested me and if I wanted to apply that aesthetic to my own account and how I could stand out as a unique voice in that space. The more accounts you find that you enjoy, the more you will probably enjoy your time interacting in the instagram space.
What do you offer the Instagram community
Many people message me about growing their instagram account. I don’t know how to ‘grow’ an account in sheer numbers and I think this kind of thing does not happen overnight. I think you first create a community with the content you create and how you engage with others. Everyone is on this platform for a purpose and they are here because they want something too. It is more like being at a party or a social networking event than a place where you plant seeds and water them and expect a certain kind of plant. In order to think about “growing an instagram account” I think you can look at the content you create, the community you have and ask yourself what you could offer others as well. I think it’s also really importnant to follow and interact with others in order to create your community and network as well.
These are just a few things you might want to consider when you create an instagram account. But most importantly it’s a social account and I found it’s really important to be honest and real every time you interact on this platform. Every instagram account represents another human being and I’ve been so thankful for all the human beings I’ve met along my instagram journey and how they’ve helped shape my life in some way.
Are you on Instagram? I’d love to check out your account if you leave it in the comments below.
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)