Instagram first exploded onto the digital scene as an iOS-only mobile app. Now it’s a massive social network with a web presence. Averaging 150 million active users, and more than 75 million daily users, it’s no surprise that organizations are searching for ways to implement strategic Instagram campaigns. As a brand, your efforts on Instagram, or any social media platform, should be tailored to your specific goals and audiences. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite tips to make sure your presence on Instagram is worthwhile and helps you sell more tickets.

Create A Unique Visual Experience
Instagram has the potential to take bland mobile photographs and transform them into beautiful art. Lighting, angles and filters are all things to account for as you snap your photographs. Natural lighting works well. Think about which filters would look best in which environments and pay attention to creative ways to showcase products and services. See tips on how to master the art of phone photography.

When To Post
It’s always tricky to test out what time to post your content. Luckily, tons of people have researched when people are most likely to engage with brands. According to TrackMaven, most successful brands on Instagram post their content on Thursdays. Because the application is inherently accessible 24/7, though, the most likely that a user will engage with you and your photo/video is Sunday. The time of day depends on your audience.

Tip: Limit your visual content to 1 or 2 posts a week. If you want to document an event with several images, live tweeting is a more effective method for not bombarding user timelines and being able to have a 2-way stream of communication. If your account has 200 photographs and 10 followers, rethink your frequency and photo content.

Hashtags Are Your Friend
While there is much debate on the use of hashtags for Facebook , the use of purposeful hashtags increases your engagement significantly. While there is no golden number, data shows that accounts with more than 1,000 followers received an average of 21.21 interactions per post while accounts with less than 1,000 followers who included 11 hashtags with their post received an average of 77.61 interactions (according to BufferApp). We don’t encouraging going on a hashtag binge. Use a few targeted, relevant hashtags to boost discoverability and engagement.

Capitalize On Your Current Following
Cultivating an organic, bot-free following can be tough, but doable. Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms and likely where brands have their most loyal following. Instagram and Facebook are seamlessly integrated social media sites. Connect your accounts and share content across both platforms. Hashtags will transfer over to enhance your visibility on Facebook’s graphic search and fans that engage with you on Facebook will be alerted of your account and activity on Instagram.

Tip: Hosting photo contests on Instagram through Facebook has proved successful for many organizations. You can organize submissions through custom hashtags. Facebook has strict rules on hosting contests on their platform. Directing the interactions to Instagram through Facebook is an easy work-around.

The world is your visual oyster. We know you’ll be able to take the world by storm through Instagram. You can reference our simple Instagram Guide here for extra help. If you have any questions or concerns about getting started always feel free to shoot us an email at Promo@BrownPaperTickets.com or call (800) 838-3006 ext. 5.