*Note that I am not currently producing Instagram-specific content due to bandwidth constraints. First things first. I am not an expert, and most of the time I actually loathe the constant tedium (and vulnerability if we're being totally honest) of social media. But. Instagram has almost single-handedly allowed me to pursue my creative work full time. On average, I can generate between $500 and $1,500 of revenue with each well-crafted post (not including sponsorships). Instagram serves as my main driver of traffic, afforded partnerships with brands like Martha Stewart and West Elm, provided an incredible community of makers, and greatly challenged my creativity. (Oh, and it introduced me to one of my besties, who I met for the first time at her wedding). This section is designed to guide you in making the most of your account. Note that there is no silver bullet to flourishing on social media. It requires well-researched thinking, diligent application, and an honest attempt to maintain a healthy personal balance between reality and the highly-curated platform. (Yes, I will be covering the importance of regularly logging out.) Audience Who is following you? Are they knitters? Crocheters? Or do they purchase finished knitwear? Your audience will likely shift over time, and it's integral to have your bearings on who they are. When I started, I was just selling finished pieces, and I had anticipated that my following would be people interested in buying my scarves. With time, I had grown in rich community with other makers, which meant that a large portion of my audience was no longer who I was selling to, but other sellers themselves. It would have plateaued my business to ignore this fact. Instead, I expanding to selling patterns, and eventually maker resources (like this one), to serve the audience I had gained. More practically speaking, I regularly keep my split audience in mind with each post. My challenge, which may be yours as well, is creating content that intrigues both. A detailed shot of a new stitch is not going to resonate strongly with finished product buyers, and a finished product shot is not going to resonate strongly with other sellers. Here are a couple examples of posts that, in my opinion, bridge the gap and appeal to both audiences. The primary rule at play here is the atypical nature that the knitwear is showcased, tapping into a general curiosity in all of us. A post shared by DeBrosse™ (@debrosse_nyc) on Dec 7, 2017 at 10:53am PST A post shared by DeBrosse™ (@debrosse_nyc) on Dec 3, 2017 at 11:00am PST A post shared by DeBrosse™ (@debrosse_nyc) on Feb 9, 2018 at 10:50am PST Content theme In addition to your actual craft, your feed should have an overarching theme to it. In a saturated market, what makes your version of knitting and/or crochet unique? Are you the queen of tunisian crochet, like @tlyarncrafts? Do you make yarn super fun, like @sewrellayarn? Does detailed colorwork set your work apart, like @twoofwands? Are you deep in thought while you work, like @loopnthreads? Are you hyper organized like myself? Application Exercise 1: Make a list of 5 Instagram brands that you enjoy following. Then, pick 3 brand characteristics from the chart below that best describe each account (feel free to add your own). This exercise will help you to start recognizing overarching themes in branded content. Organized Urban Cool Outdoorsy Modern Clean Detail Oriented Traditional Adventurous Cozy Approachable Frank Innovative Fun Goofy Colorful Playful Serene Exercise 2: Then, ask a friend (or two) to pick out 3 characteristics for your brand. Are you surprised at how they chose to describe your brand? Did they add something that you didn't mean to include? Did they leave off something that is important to you? Exercise 3: Now, pick the top 3 characteristics you want to be known for (and again, feel free to deviate from these examples). Moving forward, run all content through these 3 characteristics like a filter, and aim to stay true to them. Post Quality vs. Quantity Instagram began as a platform to share candid shots of everyday life. As we all know, it largely transformed to a place of highly curated and filtered images. And now (from my perspective) it's trending from over-the-top, highly-relatable, and highly-stylized content, all the way to teaching and resource-based content. It's an incredible opportunity as an entrepreneur to have people literally sign up to follow along with your content, but the pressure is higher now than ever to output not what is actually happening, but some magical version of it, or here's how I made it, or here's why this concept is important. And of course, this is just an add-on to all existing business responsibilities. For the longest time, most advice on the internet pointed to posting daily, if not twice daily, to ensure your following had daily exposure to your work. With the latest trend in highly-curated and/or resource-based content, unless you are an influencer at the core of your brand (I hate that word), it is a massive extracurricular task to produce this level of content daily. My recommendation is the following: if faced with the option to post 7 casual posts a week, or 1-2 over-the-top, relatable, magical, or educational posts...opt for the latter. Here's why: Followers will engage with your brand on a deeper level of thoughtfulness, rather than just finding it pretty. (Pretty is everywhere.) The scarcity of posts can foster anticipation, and result in greater appreciation and engagement with your content. It adds strength and character to your brand, making it more memorable and distinguished in your space. It is a practice that will both expand your creativity, and minimize the number of administrative hours actually spent in posting, engaging and monitoring. Algorithm. Instagram shows "better" (ie. more highly engaged) content, to more users (both a higher percentage of your followers, and on the explore tab). The more you create highly-engaged content, the stronger your engagement to follower ratio will be. (Ever seen an account with 500k followers, and only 700 likes and 3 comments? Keeping your ratio strong is an ongoing homework assignment). Application: From pretty to over-the-top Same product. Same colors. Radically different engagement (and thus, radically different sales leads via this post). Challenge yourself to skip the straight forward post, and create one that intrigues. Application: From pretty to highly relatable The only thing I love more than faux fur poms, is beautifully organized faux fur poms. But alas, this will only intrigue a niche of a niche market. When crafting a post, move beyond your own interests to engage with the interests of others. Application: From pretty to magical If we all had a dollar for every coffee mug on Instagram, we'd all be on the beach right now remembering that one time we ran a small business. But alas. When creating your content, pay attention to what is trending on Instagram, and then bend it in such a way that your offering shines through. Application: From pretty to educational Instead of just showing your following what you did, teach them how to do it. Of course you can and should post a little of both, just know that engagement will likely map accordingly. Your Feed The composition and aesthetic of your feed (gallery, grid, page, profile, whatever you want to call it) is equal parts as important as your individual posts. It makes the first impression of your brand, and serves as an invitation for a follower to click your link and become an actual customer. To achieve a cohesive and visually pleasing grid, curate your content into a grid that mimics the Instagram feed. Include at least 1 row of already posted content, and then insert all new content above that. Drag and reorder until the content is organized in a way that is pleasing on the whole. There are an unlimited number of ways to pace out the content in a pleasing way. Below are a few characteristics of photography that will help you be able to articulate and understand why content complements or clashes. In general, alternating between contrasting characteristics creates great visual interest. Macro versus detail shots People versus product Busy versus singular focus Light versus dark Highly textured versus clean A bonus feature of the grid that doesn't pertain to organization, is the ability to notice when a photo doesn't fit into your brand aesthetic prior to having posted it. It's likely a great photo itself, but it's possible that the angle or hue throws off the consistency of the brand you've been building. Application There are a number of paid apps that will help organize your content (including captions), but I've really enjoyed the free Pic Collage app (shown in video above), and highly recommend it for ease of use. (To be clear, it does not post to Instagram on your behalf.) Setup: Create a new grid. Select any 12 photos from your camera roll. (Don't sweat what they are just yet. We're just building the template that mimics the Instagram feed.) Choose the tall grid format that is 3 images across, and 4 rows down. Change the background to white. Under Grid: Reduce the grid lines until they are thin and mimic the Instagram grid. Note that the images are just slightly off-square. Add content: Delete all existing photos by dragging into trash. Click any empty square to insert a photo from camera roll. Drag and drop to reorganize. Remember to add at least your last 3 posts (a full row) so you can build upon those visually. Video. Video. Video. I secretly want to scrap this entire module and tell you to stop posting photos and switch entirely to video content instead. But I'll leave it all here, and just mention this: video has been an absolute game changer for me. Sure, it takes a bit longer to put together, but the average reach of 1 of my video posts equates to 20x the reach of one of my photo posts. Video just moves. It has a much longer shelf life — seeing regular engagement for up to a week — rather than just the first 24 hours and the slow trickle thereafter. Here's why I think it performs so much better: It trends... Video reach goes beyond your existing followers (and to be honest, only a small fraction of your following is seeing your post anyway). Video often finds its way onto explore tabs, trends at the top of hashtags, etc. The photo of your WIP and coffee is not going to trend. It's just too common. It teaches... Consider the difference in value that you're providing to your followers when you show them a pretty photo versus when you teach them a new skill. In the former, the focus is on you and your abilities. In the latter, you're transferring your talent to the user, leaving them more skillful, creative, and inspired. People will feel that difference when they engage with your content, and will stick around for more of it. It intrigues... You don't have to be a maker to appreciate a maker video. Consider how many times you've watched hyperlapse videos of how something was made/done (baking, hairstyle, lettering, etc.), even when you had no intention to ever replicate it yourself. It's intriguing to peek behind the scenes of something, especially if your subject knowledge is limited. Over time, you may just decide to give it a try yourself. It's shareworthy... When we see things we are inspired by, find mesmerizing, or simply enjoy, it is almost instinctual to share them with a friend. If I see a cute puppy video, I immediately send it to my husband. If I see a good introvert meme, I immediately send it to my 2 introverted besties. It's human nature, and it's also how content best finds its way around social media. If you're creating high quality, instructional video content, you'll notice your share, reach, and impression numbers spike, and your comment section goes from "so cozy!" and "love this!" to "oh my gosh we need to try this @bestie1 @bestie2 @bestie3" and "did you see this stitch?! @maker1 @maker2." Create shareworthy content, and then let your audience do the heavy lifting for you. The actual data: Video vs. Photo Okay, let's dive into my post insights for a moment. I gathered a few examples for you below (both sets of posts are within a few days of each other) so you can see the total chasm between video and photo data. Honestly, it's not even that video is better than photo, it's that video is just so so so valuable for reach, exposure, and growing your audience, that to overlook it in your Instagram strategy is a seriously missed opportunity. It's common to measure the value of a post based on likes and comments, but be sure to note the differences in overall number of impressions, percentage of those impressions that came from outside of my actual following, and new followers, as these numbers all represent potential new customers. Video Photo Video Photo Technicals Supplies: Videos can easily be shot with a phone, using this table mount. If you have nicer equipment, go for it! (I personally just use my iPhone.) Format: Film landscape if you eventually want to use the video footage on YouTube. You'll be able to crop and zoom to a vertical 4:5 format for Instagram (avoid horizontal and square formats altogether). Cover image: I still maintain that a beautiful feed is important, which means you need to grab a captivating cover image at some point during the video. Consider what type of image might make a user stop on your video to see more. In my experience, it's a shot where hands and tools are mid-motion, somewhere in the middle of the project (not too soon that we have no idea where the video is going, but not too late that we have seen it all and are less intrigued). Pausing the video and doing a screengrab will result in low quality shot, so make a point to stop somewhere along the way, compose the perfect cover, and then apply your normal filters to it so that it flows aesthetically with your feed. I shoot 1 horizontal and 1 vertical to ensure I have a good cover for both formats (Insta and YouTube). Editing: I edit in Premiere Pro, which is admittedly expensive and comes with a steep learning curve. But, you don't need high end editing software to produce an engaging video. If you're Apple based, I'd kick it off with iMovie. Otherwise, here are a few alternatives that come highly rated among creatives. Music: Instagram scans the video at the moment you post, and will pull it almost immediately if the music infringes on copyright (ask me how I know). Purchase the rights to royalty free music on Audio Jungle (via Envato Market). I narrow my search to $5 ambient music and have always been able to find the right quality and vibe. Carousel: To post your video with a second photo or not? I've tested both, and it seems that using a second slide that shows the finished product has a positive effect on overall reach. Watermark: Sigh. I've never liked the vibe of a watermark (it sort of conveys "I assume my work will be taken"), but...I've also seen my videos show up on so many other accounts without credit. So, add the watermark, and place it on the video where it can't easily be cropped out. Stories Instagram stories really changed the game. They provide a unique opportunity to constantly share content in a way that posting does not allow. They also take the pressure off composing the perfect post, as the expectation for stories more closely mirrors the original intent of Instagram...candid content. In my own experience, stories that illicit some sort of response (via DM), tend to have significantly higher view counts. These types of stories are usually funny or highly relatable, versus a pretty shot of my work. This coincides with my earlier post-related recommendation for quality over quantity, knowing that Instagram will show "better" content to more people. While there is no right way to story, and the algorithm for stories is largely unknown, here are a few general guidelines: Content Ratio While stories allow for you to go rogue on content a bit, be mindful to use the attention of your users wisely. If someone follows you for your incredibly innovative designs, don't overwhelm them with stories of your dog. Primarily serve them the content that they signed up for, and intersperse more personal/off-topic content. Stay On Brand With stickers, gifs, colors, and fonts, it's easy to create content that feels like just more noise on the Internet. Less is still more. Resist the temptation to overlay your story with every option presented to you, and figure out which elements (color, font, go-to gifs) can actually enhance your brand. Just as in your posts, a user should recognize your story without having to look at your name. AR Filters AR filters are a huge story upgrade. As with any filter, they polish the aesthetic of anything you're shooting. While much more refined, the drawback of AR filters compared to the original Instagram story filters, is that you have to film using the filter, rather than applying it afterwards. It requires a little pre-planning, and pre-selection, but that's just a matter of picking up a new habit. Here's how to add new AR filters to your app! Open stories Scroll to any filter Click on the filter name Click 'Browse Effects' Peruse 'Effect Gallery' using tags at top Select a filter you like Save to camera Go back to stories, select the new filter, film with it! Additionally, when you watch other's stories, you will see the names of any AR filters they are using just under their username. You can always tap the filter name, and 'save effect' to your phone. Get Real There are such high expectations for Instagram posts these days, and we often wear the pressure of that. Stories provide a great opportunity to share a peek behind the scenes, which offers intriguing content and reminds your followers that we're all more similar than we are different. Swipe Up* The swipe-up feature eliminates the burden of your followers from having to find an item on your site. The easier it is for them to access the product, the higher the conversion rate will be. (Currently only available on Instagram business accounts with 10k following and higher.) *Swipe up functionality has been replaced with link stickers. Link stickers fall a little short in my opinion (less noticeable, add clutter to the story, different from how we were all used to accessing links, etc.), so I've designed a template to hack them 👇🏽 Story Buttons Branded buttons are the new swipe up! Download my template hack to create links that stand out! More visibility = more clicks. Customize buttons to your brand's font + colors. Includes how-to guide + over 70 buttons. Both dark + light themes provided. Note that you need link sticker functionality on your account for template hack to work. No Canva experience or subscription necessary. download now Password: DDSB Check Your Data (Again, requires business account). Review each type of story you post: a talking selfie video, a funny off-topic boomerang, a highly curated shot of work, a sales pitch, your dog, etc. How many people are moving to your next story ('forward'), skipping the rest of your stories and going to the next person's story ('next story'), or exiting stories altogether ('exited')? Additionally, which types of stories are producing the greatest amount of engagement via DM? Be cognizant of what your followers most appreciate, and prioritize that type of content. Freedom Stories provide a great opportunity to break away from the confines and limitations of the post/grid. Let your personality shine through in a way that humanizes your content, and reminds your followers that behind the work is a person just like them. Presence With the recommendation to prioritize quality over quantity posts, stories provide the opportunity to remain present with your followers. To regularly engage and stay relevant with your followers, lean on story content, which is quicker to produce and has fewer expectations. Technical Notes Planning I like to stay 2-3 posts ahead. I keep them ordered in my grid, and post on days with highest traffic or according to my launch schedule. I write the captions the day of in order to fit them to my mood, current surroundings, and upcoming launches/events, etc. If I can't write an honest caption that relates to the post, I pass on the post until I can. For example, I had the idea to create this photo. On post day, I reflected on how work/life balance had been a struggle all week, which naturally lent itself to a fitting caption. Had I posted the previous week, it may have been on how the ups and downs of small biz make me feel like Jekyll and Hyde. A week later may have been about having too many projects going on at all times and needing an extra arm. Photo editing I edit my photos using VSCO. I apply the filter A6, and gently increase the exposure and contrast. I highly recommend the vertical photo to the square. With more screen real estate, it's more likely to stand out as your followers scroll. Narrow down to a single photo. In my experience, posting multiple photos (using the carousel feature) tends to reduce engagement, though this is not always true. Posting times Review your stats to locate your areas of highest traffic. (This will require an Instagram business profile) Choose your highest days, and highest hours. I typically post one hour prior to the most engaged hour. Engagement I regularly respond to comments and DMs. I believe it builds a solid rapport with your following. (Update: I still respond to everything, but I turned off story commenting because I was inundated and had no way to filter customer service requests from casual commenting.) I try to limit the time I spend scrolling through my feed, or exploring other profiles. I invested a lot of time in this at the beginning, but eventually your time needs to be heavily allocated to product development and content production (post, stories, etc.) Hashtags While I use hashtags, I must admit that I don't individually track how each of them perform. On the whole, I do review my discovery numbers and 'from hashtag' can sometimes add up to an additional 40k views. So on the whole, I'd say they're worth it. I place them in a comment, not my caption. I usually shoot for middle of the road on specificity, meaning not as broad as #diytutorial or as specific as #singlecrochetpillow. There seems to be a little Instagram algorithm paranoia around copy and pasting hashtags, or always using the same ones, so I do make a point to individually type them in, varying the order, quantity, and ones I'm using. Here is a sample vibe of tags I usually aim towards: #crochetpattern #crocheteveryday #crochetersofinstagram #crochetlove #crochetblanket #bobblestitch #crocheting #crochetdesigner #crocheted #crochetlover #yarnlover #yarnlovers #crochetinspiration #crochetando #crochetlife #crochetersofig #crochetgoodness Managing DMs + Comments Both love em and hate em. Lots of engagement is the sign of a healthy, engaged business, and can often lead you a better understanding of what your customers are interested in, and/or areas where you can better serve them. Great! But time is money, and social media use is one of the quickest ways to burn through precious hours. So many times I've "just opened the app to answer a DM" and then 4 rabbit holes later I'm flustered and behind on my day. Meet: Creator Studio This FREE desktop app allows you to answer DMs from your computer, without all the noise and distractions of the app. Additionally, you can mark DMs as done, or star them to follow up. If you're an inbox 0 type of person, you'll LOVE being able to clear out your DM inbox each day. Here's a quick snippet so you can get a feel for the interface (oh, and Jewell's beautiful yarn stash). You'll have the option to respond to posts from this interface as well. It will queue up any post that has been commented on and alert you. This is super helpful for when someone comments on a post from a year ago and asks where to find the pattern, since that type of comment often gets lost in the news feed. Here's what that will look like: A couple technical notes: When you start, it'll pull in every post and DM ever. Oomph. Fix yourself a snack, tediously mark them all as done, and then just commit to staying on top of your content moving forward. Creator Studio was actually built for so much more than responding to DMs and comments, so you may feel a little overwhelmed while trying to get your bearings. Once I found the comment + DM section (called Inbox+), I just bookmarked it on my browser so I can dive right in to only what I need. The app can be buggy at times. Just roll with it and double check things on your phone when you need to. It's free, and totally worth what it is still providing. Time Well Spent Your time, eyes, and heart, are resources worth guarding (both for your business and personal well being). With the caveat that engaging with the community and finding inspiration are all good things worth pursuing, it is integral that you establish boundaries and set limits. I personally try to avoid the explore tab (though it feels almost impossible to not get sucked in). I can lose considerable lengths of time here, and never leave encouraged. Just avoid it. Life-giving inspiration lives elsewhere. Noise Instagram inundates users with color, ideas, other sellers, marketing, FOMO, the success of others, opportunities, places you should travel, how you should wear your hair... For the creative mind that uses all cues as inspiration, this can be exhausting, and leave you constantly feeling like you can’t keep up. For this reason, I highly recommend choosing a select few accounts to follow, supporting them deeply, and dropping by other makers accounts as appropriate (often if someone leaves a thoughtful comment I will swing over and encourage them as well). With Instagram's launch of the mute feature, you can better curtail the content you are regularly exposed to, now without the harsh blow of unfollowing. So, who should I follow? Branch. Out. The best designers (knitwear and other) are well-rounded creatives. They’re not incredible at their primary craft because they devote everything to it. Instead, they excel at it because they bring in inspiration from other mediums like their marathon training, love of baking, experiences of living in x city, or the color palettes they’ve noticed while traveling. If you are a newly-engaged, rock-climbing, puppy-loving Texan living in California, about to open your first Etsy shop...consider following accounts that will help you channel those hobbies and interests into a unique shop. This doesn’t mean you’ll design knitwear for rock climbing, but maybe the outdoor palette inspires you, and the California weather inspires incredible off-season summer knits. Sharing personal vs. professional content? Sharing personal content can actually rob you of the joy of those personal experiences in real life. Consider tapering back personal content + prioritizing professional content, despite the social media norm to overshare. In the following podcast, Dr. Laurie Santos finds that when we take a photo with the intent to share it, we diminish the quality of that experience. Log out Like most things in life, moderation is key. While Instagram provides many great opportunities for success in business, it is also proven to correlate with anxiety and depression. Be mindful of what is happening to your heart and spirit as you use it, and give yourself breaks as often as you need them. (I take them all the time.) Social media is designed to be addictive, so it is important to actively advocate for your own personal wellness in the process of building a following. Quick reminder (to you + myself) that nothing ruins a weekend quite like WiFi. Catch you Monday! 🙌🏻🖤 xx A post shared by DeBrosse™ (@debrosse_nyc) on Apr 6, 2018 at 10:50am PDT If you're like me, taking a break can sometimes be riddled with FOMO, but the benefits of stepping away (even for a short time) can have an incredible impact on your creativity, clarity of thinking, and overall entrepreneurial spirit. A couple tactics to take space and create healthy boundaries: Turn off all push notifications. (I actually leave them off at all times.) Tuck the app in a hard to reach location on your phone. Log out, forcing yourself to log in with each visit. Put your phone in grayscale mode. Decide to stay logged out for a set period of time like: Sundays, weekdays after 7, or until after you've finished a major task for the day. Delete the app from your phone entirely for a period of time. (Scary, I know. But delete it on a Friday at 5 and come holler at me when you find that your weekend was exponentially more chill, uninterrupted, and life giving). Recommended reading: Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport