During the month of March, we will be teaching you the ins and outs of Instagram. Today, we will begin with a simple overview of Instagram. Instagram is making a huge shift, and we want you to know everything new on Instagram. We will also be sharing how you can create a successful Instagram profile. 

 

New Features

Instagram is constantly changing, but we are here to help you keep up with new features and how they will affect your account. 

 

The first feature is not yet available to everyone, but it can be helpful to those it is available for. Instagram is now allowing some of its users to schedule and practice lives directly from their profiles. If this feature goes well, it will eventually be available to all users. 

 

Next, Instagram has added a feature that reminds its users to take a break. If you have been on Tik Tok, you have already seen this feature. Instagram will now be putting notifications on your screen to remind you to take a break and focus your time elsewhere. 

 

You might be wondering why you haven’t seen Instagram TV recently, and that is because it no longer exists. IGTV and video feed are now combined into one format called video feed. They have chosen to make this change because long videos simply do not work on the platform. People do not get on Instagram to watch hour-long videos. Rather, they choose to watch short one-minute videos. We suggest that your Instagram videos are no longer than two-minutes long. 

 

The fifth change that Instagram has made involves Hashtags. Instagram now recommends that users only use 3-5 hashtags. The app allows its users to use thirty hashtags per post. We still recommend that you use 15-20 hashtags. Hashtags are an easy way to bring traffic to your profile, and you can even see how many people each hashtag brings to your profile. 

 

Another new feature is that Instagram story links are now available to everyone. Previously, only users with a large following were able to add links to their stories; Instagram has now changed that to allow smaller pages to add links to their stories. 

 

Instagram and Facebook are now teaming up to post reels from Instagram to Facebook. This change allows Facebook to keep up with short videos becoming trendy. When you post a reel on Instagram, you can also share it on your Facebook page. 

 

Last but certainly not least, Instagram is returning to a chronological newsfeed. Previously they changed their algorithm. They faced incredible pushback from their users, so they are now returning to their original algorithm. 

 

What Do You Need for a Successful Profile? 

The first thing you need for a successful profile is a branded username. For Instagram Success, you need to have a username that is easy to find. This means that your usernames should match across all platforms and be relevant to your business. 

 

After your username is branded, you need to make sure your profile picture is also branded. Your profile picture should either be your logo or your face. If you are the face of your business, you can use your face. We use our logo because we have multiple team members and our logo is our brand. 

 

Next, for your Instagram to be successful you need a great bio. Your bio should consist of keywords, 1-2 hashtags, and it should tell viewers what you do. We make sure the phrase social media is in our bio because it is what we do. 

 

You should also consider including a call to action on your profile. Linktree and Linkcard are good options for this. We love Linkcard because it is free and personalizable. We prefer to link to our landing page on our website. It brings traffic to our website and easily sends people to our other social platforms. Our landing page is also compatible with every platform, unlike Linktree and Linkcard. 

 

Lastly, you should have story highlights on your Instagram account. Story highlights allow you to save the stories you use your time and energy to create. This way, your hard work is not wasted when your stories disappear. Story highlights are also customizable. You can brand your Instagram by creating story covers that relate to both your business and the highlight itself. Instagram highlight topic ideas include tips, quotes, inspiration, client love, humor, our team, and behind the scenes. 

 

What Should You Look Forward to This Month? 

This month keep an eye out for more information about Instagram profiles, posts, stories, reels, and captions. We are also excited to announce that we have launched a membership program to answer all of your social media-related questions. We will have helpful daily information, monthly live Q&A sessions, a freebie of the week, monthly tutorial videos, and team members ready to answer any question you have within 24 hours. If you sign up before April 2022 you will be grandfathered in for $10. In April this price will be raised. Join our membership today to learn the ins and outs of social media from social media experts!