It’s now been around for a good few years with it now being most people’s new favourite obsession…… With huge Facebook changes many are now looking at the platform and some we know have no idea where they should be starting…….
Are you not using Instagram yet?
At Smash Social, we wanted to give you a step by step introduction……
Instagram is a great app for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone…..Many of you may not yet be on Instagram but this is becoming more popular now with over 10 million daily users!!!!!
When you post a photo or video on Instagram, it is then displayed on your profile so users who follow you will then see your posts in their own feed. Likewise, you will see posts from other users whom you choose to follow. Instagram is available for free on iOS and android devices and can also be accessed on the web from a computer but note that users can only upload and share photos or videos from their devices.
Before you can start using the App, you need to create your free account, making sure that your #bio tells them everything you want them to know so they can follow you and start getting value.
Instagram is all about visual sharing, so everybody’s intention is to share and find the best photos and videos.
Every user profile has a button you can tap to follow them BUT if a user has their profile set to private, they will need to approve your request first.
Remember when your profile is created and set to public, anyone can then find and view your profile and see all of your photos and videos. Setting to private will mean only your followers will be able o see the post.
Interacting on posts is fun and very very easy. You can just tap any post to “like” it or add a comment below even being able to click the arrow button to then share it with someone in a direct message!!!!
If you are looking to find friends or even more interesting account that may offer something of value, then you can simply use the search tool bar to search for users and hashtags and also EVEN places!!!!!
Filters and Editing
Instagram has come a long way since its early days when it comes to posting. Launched in 2010 when users could only post photos through the app and add filters without any extra editing features. However, today you can post both through the app or from existing photos/videos on your handset/computer. Now you can post photos but also videos up to a minute in length along with a whole new range of extra filter options where you are able to tweek and edit away!!!!
Instagram now has up to 23 filters to choose for photos and videos. By tapping Edit at the bottom of the photo, you can now apply editing effects that allow you to edit brightness, contrast and structure. For videos you can even trim them down and apply a cover frame. If you want to edit your photo or video in the Instagram app, just tap a wrench icon and choose a feature from the bottom menu. You can even adjust the contrast, warmth, shadows, highlights and sharpness.
Sharing Instagram Posts
After you have applied an optional filter and made some edits then you’ll be taken to a tab where you can fill out a caption, tag users , mention a location and even post it to some of your other social platforms.
Once published, your followers are then able to see it and start interacting with it in their feeds. ** NOTE ** you can always delete your posts or edit their details after you publish them by tapping the three dots at the top right-hand corner of the screen. 
You can even configure your Instagram account to have your photos posted on FB, Twitter or Flickr. To stop this, just ensure your tabs are switched to off before you post!!! #easy
Instagram Stories
Instagram only recently introduced its new Stories feature, this is a secondary feed that appears at the very very top of your main feed. You can see it marked by little photo bubbles of the users you follow.
Just lightly tap any one of the circle bubbles to see that user’s story/stories that they published over the last 24 hours. If you’re familiar with Snapchat then this will be very easy to understand!!!!!
To publish your story, tap your own photo bubble from the main feed or swipe to the right on any tab to access the stories camera tab.
We could go on about every detail of Instagram, but this is a great platform for personal use but extremely powerful for businesses that are branding themselves online and want to reach out to their target audience!!!!
Check out our other Instagram blogs on our website where we discuss features and changes in far more detail!!!!! Now you have the basics you should be able to set up your account today and get instagramming!!!!!!
Blog originally published here.