THIS YEAR at Vision Expo East, I had the pleasure of hosting a pop up talk I created, “Instagram Secrets Revealed,” featuring some of the most influential women on social media in our field. The pop up was about how to improve your Instagram skills to build your business. With a combined following of 100k, each had unique insight on what works best in what can be the overwhelming world of Instagram.
The pop up was the most attended in Expo history and not only were people engaging at the show, but hundreds were following online and commenting. Below are the key points presented by each of the panelists to help other accounts gain exposure, connect with followers, and build their brand:
Scroll-Stopping Photos
With over 50k followers on@thesweetlifeoflina, Dr. Lina Cawog knows a thing or two about creating a successful account. She let attendees know that to get attention on Instagram, one should have beautiful photos. To create photographs that stand out from the crowd, Dr. Cawog suggests natural light and ditching the flash. This creates brighter backgrounds and allows the subject to stand out. Try taking photos outside or by a window effect.
#Hashtag This
Growing your Instagram following when you’re new can be tough, but optician Autianna Wilson, @goddessofoptix, knows the secret: using relevant hashtags to find those with common interests. Just one hashtag can boost engagement by 12 percent. Some of her favorites: #glasses, #opticianlife, #eyewearfashion. Instagram allows up to 30 and you can store them in your Notes app.
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Keep Moving Forward
Peggy Gartin is the talent behind the U.S. social media accounts for @zeissvision. She has tried many tactics to build the brand. Some of these worked, others fell flat. Her advice is to not give up. When building your brand online remember to be true to the brand and don’t use photographs that are not yours. If you do, credit the source to protect yourself. She learned this lesson early and has grown, creating content that is 100 percent Zeiss owned.
Simplify
Managing an Instagram account can be time consuming, but Dr. Jackie Garlich from @2020glance has some tricks up her sleeve. She’s discovered the app Later, a free tool to help you curate posts in advance, and with a few clicks your new post is live. Creating your content ahead of time allows you to see how your feed will look aesthetically, as well as making sure you have something to post that day. Other Apps include HooteSuite and Iconosquare.
