[2020 Edition] Instagram complete capture manual! From differences from Facebook to usage and examples
Instagram has more than 105 million users in the USA. Awareness in the USA increased around 2014, and in 2017, “Instagram” won the Buzzword Award.
Newly opened cafes and restaurants, as well as gift sales such as Valentine’s Day, Midsummer Day, and New Year’s Day, are becoming increasingly aware of their Instagram, and their importance as a corporate marketing tool is increasing.
In this article, I will focus on the Instagram feed mechanism, unique culture, and functions that both the general user and the company need to know, rather than the detailed usage of Instagram.
What is Instagram in the first place?
In short, Instagram is an SNS that focuses on visually enjoyable content such as photos and videos.
You can apply various filters to edit your photos in style. Upload beautiful photos and use them to connect with other users.
Originally, it was mainly to share high-quality and stylishly processed photos and videos, but with the start of service in August 2016, “ Instagram Stories ” which disappears in 24 hours, you can easily share everyday sights It is now possible (however, stories can be archived using the function “Story Highlights”, so you can browse both smartphones and PCs even after 24 hours).
Being able to post more casually is probably the reason why the number of users and active users has increased significantly.
Below are some of the features of Instagram.
1. Young women were the main users, but users are expanding
The number of Instagram users in Japan is about 20 million (as of October 2017), and the activity rate is high at 84.7% (as of June 2015). Active rates are likely to be slightly lower now, but the number of users is growing.
Another feature of Instagram is that 60% of users are women, as a gender ratio. Originally, the usage rate of women in the so-called F1 class in the 20s and 30s was overwhelmingly high, but recently it can be said that the usage rate is in the 40s and 50s.
2. Simplicity specialized in visual information
Instagram is a very simple SNS specializing in “viewing and posting photos”.
Of course, you can add and send comments, but the Instagram App “feed” timeline is designed mainly for photos and videos and specializes in visual information that can be seen at a glance.
In the past, there were many people who said, “I do not post, I use it as a photo processing application”, so the processing functions are enriched, and you can easily process photos with a variety of filters easily. The ability to support photo posting is another factor that has contributed to Instagram’s popularity.
3. Strong linkage with other SNS
Instagram is part of other SNS. It is useful for many users for being able to share photos taken on Instagram to Facebook and Twitter.
If you go to the posting screen, you can upload the image to the authenticated account.
4. Low diffusivity
Anyway, because it specializes in “view and post”, there is no function equivalent to “share” on Facebook or “retweet” on Twitter by default yet.
You can “like” and “save” your favorite photos, but the feature is that information does not propagate much. As a result, the SNS is more closed than other SNSs.
5. Search by hashtag
Instagram where miscellaneous information does not flow into the timeline. If you want to find new information, use hashtags. Hashtags themselves are also used on Twitter, but hashtags are more active on Instagram and are a unique culture.
It seems that more and more young women are collecting information about food, fashion, and restaurants using Instagram hashtags.
Explanation of each function of Instagram
When you start using Instagram, thinking that it looks like Facebook, you may be fazed to see subtle differences
When you open Instagram, the following screen is displayed. It is a bit confusing because there is no supplement, but each function looks like this.
① Home (news feed): Posts of friends, celebrities, and corporate accounts you follow are flowing.
② Discovery: Popular photos are flowing. You can search for accounts in the search bar at the top of the screen. (See below for details. )
③ Camera: Instagram camera function. Shooting and filtering are possible. You can also shoot videos.
Notice: You can check the activity of your own account and the activity of the account you follow.
⑤ Profile: You can edit the profile information of your account and check the photos posted in the past.
⑥ Instagram Stories: Create, post, and view your own Instagram Stories.
See other people’s stories: Browse the stories of people you follow.
Each function is explained below.
① Home (news feed)
The feed-in ① corresponds to the news feed/timeline on Facebook. Here, photos of your friends, celebrities, and corporate accounts you follow are lined up using a unique algorithm.
However, it is very different from Facebook in that the information that “○ likes you” does not flow. “Friends liked/commented images” do not appear on Instagram feeds.
Only photos uploaded by friends or accounts you follow will be available. These points have led to low diffusion.
Differences between Facebook and Instagram news feeds
| Arrangement | Change order (edge rank) | Change order (edge rank) |
| Good friends | Flowing | Does not flow |
| Friends’ comments | Flowing | Does not flow |
| Share function | Yes | None as an official feature |
| Friends Activity | Feeds and announcements | Information only |
* The official announcement in March 2016 revealed that the algorithm will be introduced in the Instagram news feed. By the way, I will explain how to check my friend’s activity in the “④ Information” section.
② Discovery
Discovery shows posts that people may be interested in (so-called recommended posts), as well as recommended videos.
Find new people you want to follow, and check out what posts you’re interested in all over the world.
How to Find an Account on Instagram
In Instagram, when searching for a user in the search window, the account will not be displayed unless you search for “official account name”.
In other words, the following two points are important for finding an account on Instagram.
- Know that the person or company you care about has an account
- Know the account name
Also, “Popular Photos (= ② Discovered)” is good! Although the image with is flowing, I think that it is not very good to aim for a good thing to flow there. My most popular photo screens are only those of foreigners, no pictures of Japanese companies are flowing at all, and honestly, I do not understand the mechanism here.
In conclusion, you can’t expect to be found organically on Instagram, so you need to tell outsiders to increase your followers.
③ Camera
The camera allows you to take photos and videos directly through the app. You can also load and edit photos from your phone’s photo library. (Figure below)
④ Notice
On this tab, you can see notifications like “Who was liked” and “Who was followed”.
Also, if you click “Following” on this screen, the person you follow is good! You can see the information that you did or commented.
Account Profile
Here you can see your account profile screen. You can also edit your profile here.
The screen contains basic information such as your own icon, number of followers/followers, a self-introduction sentence, and highlights (summary of stories you have posted in the past). Below are the photos you have posted.
From the newest to the oldest, the posts go down. This screen is the same as the account top page, so the same screen will be displayed for other users who arrived at their account by searching, etc.
If you have your own account, the bar at the top shows icons for accessing name tags, archives, and analytics.
The profile screen is an important page that should be called a “face” for a company account. Most of the time, you will see a list of recent posts that appear, and users will most likely determine intuitively whether they want to follow this account. Therefore, it is very important and effective to create this page with good taste.
⑥ Instagram Stories
Are there icons for your own and those you follow at the top of the home screen? This is Stories. If you don’t know what Instagram Stories is, see the section below on “How to use the disappearing posts” Instagram Stories “.”
You can create and browse your own stories by tapping your icon at the top left of the icons, which are lined up on the home screen.
Please see the following articles about how to create Instagram stories and their basic usage.
What is the Best Image Size for Instagram Posts?
See other people’s stories
In the story section, in addition to your own icon, some icons of the people you follow are also displayed. The icon appears here, the person who posted the story within 24 hours, you can see the story of that person by tapping the icon. If you don’t have an icon, it means that no one you follow has posted stories within 24 hours.
Understanding Instagram’s unique Hashtag culture
What is a hashtag
“Hashtags” are search keywords with the hash mark “# (half-width sharp)” used as a tag in posts. If you post an article with “#” added to the keyword of the comment, it will be automatically recognized as a hashtag. Tap the hashtag to access the post list screen using the same hashtag.
Why use hashtags
Instagram is an SNS that makes it difficult to search for posts because photos and videos are the main ones. The solution to this is the “hashtag”, which has the effect of making it easier for people to find your post by using a hashtag that describes the content of the photo.
In addition, we sometimes use Instagram to “get information” when we use hashtag search to get local information or shop information, mainly for young people. In many cases, such searches lead to purchase behavior, and it has been found that hashtags are an important point that influences purchase behavior and decision-making.
You can also use your name or product as a hashtag and use it like your own fan community. Core fans will post using hashtags, and light fans who see it will be able to convey the appeal of their company and their products.
Instagram’s unique hashtag culture
①Attach a lot of hashtags
You can have multiple hashtags in a single post (with a certain limit).
Instagram, which specializes in posting photos, lacks something like “share” or “retweet” provided by other SNS and lacks diffusion. Increasing the number of hashtags will increase the chances that various people will see your posts and increase the chances of connecting with people with similar interests and preferences.
② Write sentences with hashtags
This is a way to attach a hashtag to the post itself. It will add a hashtag to the description of the photo and the text of Tsukkomi. Of course, photos are rarely posted with the same hashtag, and the effects of introducing, finding, and connecting, as introduced in ①, cannot be expected. However, it seems to be interesting.
As an example, I posted a post by Naomi Watanabe, a very popular entertainer on Instagram. You can see that they are putting in the photos, such as “# I’m scared” and “# I’m crying”.
There is a corporate account that is talked about by tweeting such interesting tweets on Twitter, but if you incorporate it on Instagram as well, you may be able to make the brand more familiar.
③ Connect with the hashtag
Some of the hashtags commonly used by domestic users of Instagram include “I want to connect with # ○○ people” (Example: I want to connect with # fashionable people # I want to connect with people who like nails) “#OO section” There are hashtags to find people who have matching attributes and hobbies, such as (for example, #ramen section #diet section).
Originally, in order to make it difficult to search for images such images, hashtags originally attached the name of the object or placed as a hashtag to the post as it is.
Now that meaning has expanded, not only what is shown in the photo, but also the hashtag that shows the user’s feelings about communication, such as who they want to see and who they want to communicate with by posting this post It is meant to be expressed.
Popular hashtags on Instagram
By taking advantage of the popular hashtags that many people are searching for, it is easier for more people to find your posts. Although it can not be said that it is OK if this is attached, it is possible to guess from this ranking, to some extent, what kind of image with a hashtag is attached, and whether it is easy to search.
▼ From Top HashTags on Instagram.
For example, if you want to increase your followers simply and casually, you can add “#follow” or “# f4f”.
In addition to positive words such as “#Love” and “#Happy”, those that express the beauty and cuteness of the photos themselves, such as “#beautiful” and “#cute”, also seem to be popular. After all straight words are popular. If there is something that seems to be related to your post contents, please use it effectively.
A more detailed explanation and specific usage of the hashtag on Instagram is introduced in the following article.
7 Ways To Easily Download Video from Instagram
How to use the disappearing posts “Instagram Stories” and “Live distribution”
About Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories is a posting format that disappears automatically 24 hours after posting and does not remain on the timeline. Simply put, it’s like “Snapchat” on Instagram. You can post photos and videos, and you can process them with filters, etc., just like regular posts. You can also enter pictograms, text, and even doodle with a pen.
Also, if you become an authenticated account, you can set up a link to the website in the story. Instagram Stories also has a live distribution function.
Related article: Use
Image Size for SNS. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and google+
What is the live streaming function of Instagram?
Instagram live streaming is, as the name implies, the ability to broadcast videos in real-time, and is part of the Instagram Story feature. When you start a live broadcast, your account followers will be notified, and you can view the live broadcast by tapping the icon labeled “LIVE”.
Instagram Stories will disappear after 24 hours, but live broadcasts will not last 24 hours and will disappear when the broadcast ends. Users who are not seen at the delivery time cannot “see later”.
Viewers can perform actions such as likes and comments and communicate with the broadcaster in real-time. The broadcaster can see the number of viewers and the audience.
Benefits of using Instagram stories and live streaming
First of all, the biggest advantage is that it is always displayed at the top of the main screen (timeline). Even on Instagram where the flow of posts is relatively fast, there is a higher possibility that you will be able to see the posts without being posted.
Also, if you become an authenticated account, you can use the link function to guide you to an external URL, so you can use it in combination with various campaigns depending on your ingenuity.
And another possible advantage is that you can easily post posts that are different from the world view of the brand. For Instagram, where photogenic photos are preferred, posting a photo that can express your company’s worldview is essential if you are a corporate account. However, stories do not remain on the timeline, so you can feel free to post in a different atmosphere. Content that will show off behind the scenes of the company, such as off shots of the event, is something that every fan wants to see. Make good use of your story to create posts that will help your fans get more fun and increase your fans.
Patterns of corporate utilization
There are three main types of corporate use of Instagram Stories.
① Timed campaign announcement
Utilizing the property that disappears in 24 hours, you can use it to distribute a promo code valid only for 24 hours or to distribute the number of limited items in stock. It seems that it can be used for information such as time sales.
② Site Guidance
This is a way to lead to external content, such as the delivery of a banner that leaves the company’s world view significantly if left on the profile page, or the delivery of only the beginning of a video. It also helps you repost previously posted videos.
③ Communication
There is a part that repeats the above items, but it can be used for off-shot posting. For example, fans who want to see behind the scenes, such as the scenery of taking a picture posted on the timeline, or the introduction of management staff, would like to see. Use these posts to communicate with your fans and make your company feel closer to you.
How to increase followers on your Instagram account
1. Announce on other SNS
By utilizing the function that can be easily linked with Facebook and Twitter from Instagram, you can aim for inflow from other SNS
I think this is the most common way to expose Instagram photos and promote your account.
2. Announce on the official website
It is also essential to have an Instagram social button on the official website.
In addition to placing social buttons at the top, if you are running a campaign, for example, create a separate campaign page and announce it.
* The link was deleted because the page was deleted
3． Campaign to promote follow-up
Each company has a campaign for follower acquisition. By following the account as a condition for applying for a campaign, you can increase followers.
This is a campaign where ice products are sent to one person every day from those who follow the Haagen-Dazs account and post it with the hashtag “# one-day Haagen-Dazs”.
Four. Announce at the actual store
It is also effective to announce that you are using Instagram at a physical store.
This is a method often used for advertising LINE @ accounts and creates a so-called offline-to-online (OtO) flow. Apparel and restaurants are especially effective.
Five. Use hashtags successfully
Organic search within Instagram has been talked about and can not be expected, many users hashtag because the search, with a good hashtag in the photo, it is possible to aim so as to be easy discoverability.
There is no right answer as to what hashtag and how long it will be most effective. Please refer to the “Understanding Instagram’s unique hashtag culture” section introduced earlier and try various things to find the optimal solution.
How to be displayed in “Popular posts” when searching hashtags?
“Popular posts” are the nine posts that appear when you do a hashtag search. The most popular posts with the hashtag will be picked up and posted, and displayed here will increase the exposure and influence the follower increase. If you want to show off your account, this is the part you want to display.
We don’t know exactly which algorithm is shown in Popular Posts, but it is imperative that you secure a Likes and Engagement Rate within the last 24 hours.
As a result of analyzing 100 types of hashtags and 900 popular posts, the following three trends were found in the posts displayed in the popular posts.
- Live Broadcast
In this way, it is necessary to collect more “likes” as soon as possible after posting. To do so, it is important to post high-quality posts that you like, and also which hashtag to attach.
For example, a hashtag that is popular and has a large number of posts has a lot of competition and is difficult to be displayed in “Popular posts”, but a hashtag with a small number of posts makes your post more noticeable. Of course, hashtags with a small number of posts are more likely to be searched less frequently than popular hashtags, so it is important to mix and use both.
If you want to know more about the trends in posts that appear in popular posts, see the following articles:
6． Use Instagram Ads
In October 2015, self-serve Instagram advertising was launched. This makes it possible for non-fans to expose posts on their account.
The following article explains how to increase Instagram followers in more detail.
7 Ways To Easily Download Video from Instagram
The Instagram business profile you must set up if you have a corporate account
What is an Instagram business profile?
Business Profile is one of three business tools that Instagram has introduced. You can easily switch to your business profile by changing the settings of your existing Instagram. The switching method is explained in the following article.
Until then, the only way to contact companies directly on Instagram was to contact them via comments on each post. As a result, there was a problem that it was difficult for companies to respond in a timely manner, such as missing comments.
However, your business profile can include a button on your account profile that allows you to contact the company directly, as well as listing your store location. Select and set the communication method from telephone, e-mail, and directions to the store according to your company’s service content.
The addition of these means of communication has made it much easier to reach them and has been more convenient for both parties.
3 functions that can be used when switching to the business profile + 1
The following three functions can be used by switching to the business profile.
①Business Profile ②Instagram Insight③Post
Advertising
In addition, if you meet the conditions, you will be able to use the “shopping function” that can link to the details of the product introduced in the post and the purchase page. Please understand that in addition to the three functions that are always available, shopping functions will also be available under some conditions.
① Business profile
As described above, you can register your “e-mail address, telephone number, and address” as “contact information”. Registered contacts are displayed on the profile screen and can be contacted immediately by tapping.
Clicking “Contacts” will display two options: “Call” and “Email address”. Clicking each will bring up the phone call and mail transmission screen.
② Instagram Insight
Analysis function in Instagram. See the number of followers and attributes (gender, age, location, access hours, etc.) of your account. You can also analyze performance and user reactions to each post.
③ Advertising of posts
Ads on Instagram. From the past posts in your account, select the posts you want to advertise (posts you want to advertise) and post them on the Instagram timeline. By switching to a business profile, you can also place ads from mobile apps.
Please refer to the following articles for details of business profiles and how to switch.
“Shopping function” that can be used when certain conditions are met
Until now, even if you looked at a post and thought, “I want this product!”, It was not possible to attach a link to each post, so the lead wire up to purchase was not smooth. However, using the shopping function released in 2018, e-commerce companies can open their doors to business and users can intuitively and easily get what they want.
Specifically, authors can tag images with product names and prices. When a user taps on a tag, product details and links are displayed. This link will take you to an external e-commerce site where you can purchase products.
So what are the “specific conditions” for contributors to use shopping features? There are four main points.
- Turn your Instagram account into a business account
- Instagram and Facebook accounts are linked
- Has a product catalog on Facebook and sells mainly tangible products
- Apply for account review and get approval
Reference: Instagram Help Center
Overview of Instagram Ads
From October 1, 2015, self-serving (operational) advertising that can be operated within the budget set by the company itself has been started. The feature of operation-oriented advertising is that it can be easily adopted regardless of the size of the business because the operation period and budget can be adjusted in-house. The following outlines specific delivery images and the types of ads that can be placed.
4 types of Instagram ads
There are four types of Instagram ads. I will explain the characteristics of each advertisement.
① Photo advertisement
This is the most common type of advertisement and is an advertisement menu delivered in the form of a photo post.
A CTA (Call To Action) can be placed below the photo, and people who see the advertisement can be encouraged to install a mobile app or to navigate to an application/quotation request page.
②Video advertising
An advertising menu that allows you to post a video of up to 30 seconds. Like [ア ク シ ョ ン Photo Ads], you can set up an action button to encourage users who watch the video to watch other videos on the site, and download/purchase videos. It is possible to do.
③ Carousel advertising
An advertising menu that can display 3 to 5 images and videos on one post. Specifically, swipe to the left, and images will be displayed like a slide show. The CTA will be displayed at the bottom of the ad, and it will encourage you to navigate to an external site.
④Story ads
Ads that can be displayed on Instagram Stories, with images (about 5 seconds per image) and videos up to 15 seconds can be set. Story ads can be placed on Facebook’s ad manager and measured for effectiveness. Story ads are displayed while the user is watching the story and can be skipped.
To learn more about Instagram ads, see the following articles:
Instagram Use Cases for Reference
If you’re thinking about doing Instagram in the future, the most interesting thing is the case of another company. Please refer to this site for more examples of Instagram usage in multiple articles.
Campaign case
It is used in various projects nowadays, using its characteristics that can process images neatly. Please refer to it from O2O to gift planning.
Industry Cases
Not only cosmetics and foods but also BtoB companies have application examples. You may find points that can be applied in your company, such as the world view when photos are lined up on the account page and the image of each post.
Use cases of new functions
In “Instagram Stories” introduced below, short videos can be pasted at the top of the news feed or search screen. Because it disappears in 24 hours, you can post sales information and live content that you do not usually send.
In addition, the celebrity Instagram Story function utilization examples listed below are full of innovative ways for corporate account managers to use. Please refer to examples of using celebrities in consideration of both “transmission as an entertainer” and “viewability as a user”.
Finally
That’s the basic information you need to know when you start Instagram.
Instagram tends to attract attention to how to upload photos and apply filters, and in fact, there are many sites that summarize such methods, so in this article, I have summarized the mechanism of Instagram’s SNS function. It is information that does not hurt to know, so I hope that it will be a little helpful.
Low diffusion is also one of the reasons for Instagram’s popularity. Because it is possible to connect only with people and accounts closer to you and to personalize the home, it will be preferred as a closed-minded SNS.
In order for a corporate account to enter such a place, the sense of distance is very important. We will introduce specific ways to use companies and campaign examples in the next article.
We hope you guys understand through ”[2020 Edition Instagram Complete Capture Manual“