In just ten years, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media outlets. With 1 billion monthly active users, it is the second most frequently used social network in Germany after Facebook. Instagram is an easy-to-use medium that is primarily about beautiful pictures.

 

There are two types of posts on Instagram: On the one hand, you can publish a story with pictures or videos that your followers can access for 24 hours. On the other hand, you have the option of publishing images permanently in your profile. The tips in this article apply to the design of these images. With regard to an Instagram post, “successful” means that you get as many likes and comments as possible, maybe even buy new Instagram followers.

1. Select a high quality

 

Instagram is an entertainment medium; users want to see beautiful, interesting, exciting and inspiring things there. Try to find photo motifs that match what your online shop has to offer and that are pretty to look at. Avoid direct advertising, but put the entertainment value of the image in the foreground. Since you are facing huge competition for often professional content, your photo should be able to keep up in terms of quality so that it does not go under.

2. Use relevant hashtags

With hashtags, you ensure that your post is found at all, i.e. that not only your followers but also other users see it. It’s a good idea to combine popular with less popular hashtags. With popular hashtags like #love or #instagood, you can potentially reach many people, but you are also in great competition. Niche hashtags have the advantage that they reach a small group that is more interested in the subject. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but you do not need to exhaust this number. Usually 5-10 well-chosen hashtags are enough to generate enough attention.

3. Keep the text short

Before you put the hashtags under the picture, you can first write a text. However, an Instagram post does not necessarily need a long text, as the app is mostly about the pictures. But if you have the feeling that the picture and hashtags speak for themselves, simply do without a text. However, if you want to write one, for example to put the picture in a certain context or to add information, then leave it with one to three short sentences. Also think about what you want the text to mean.

4. Publish at the right time

There have been various studies on when is the most likely to view Instagram posts. Roughly, it can be said that Instagram is apparently best Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Since it is primarily used on the move, users often open it during small breaks in between, for example at work or on the way there.

5. Maintain exclusivity

Address your target group with tailored content instead of spamming. The stories are snapshots that are actively accessed by users, so you can post them several times a day. For pictures, however, you should publish a maximum of one per day and no more than two or three per week