As we mentioned in our most recent post, Instagram is growing exponentially! This means that if you are not currently using Instagram as part of your online marketing strategy, you are already behind the curve. To help you begin your journey with Instagram (or to help you understand the journey you’ve already started), we’ve put together a helpful list of Instagram terminology you need to know. Even if you’ve been using Instagram for awhile, you may find some terms you weren’t familiar with before.
Instagram Terminology
Bio: Every user has the opportunity to create a personal bio. This is a section wherein you may describe yourself or business and also link to a website of your choice. This is the only place on Instagram that allows for active links. So, be sure to include your website link or a link to a product you are highlighting. It can be wise to swap this link out periodically, using it to highlight a recent blog post, a specific page on your website, or any specific link you want people to view. If you aren’t able to regularly update the link, then it should remain a link to your primary website.
Caption: Instagram users may accompany their posts with a caption. The wittier the better. It is best to keep these short and sweet as only the first few lines of the caption will be visible when scrolling. Remember, any links posted in captions will not be live, so it is best to post links in your bio and reference them in captions.
Comment: A comment is when someone posts a reply or response to your photo. A comment is considered a Level Two engagement, meaning that users have chosen to actively participate in your page. The more comments you have, the more quality engagement you have on your site. But watch out for spam and robot comments!
Filter: Instagram’s filters are one aspect that makes the network unique. Filters give users the opportunity to automatically enhance their photos and even add frames to them. Currently, Instagram gives users 20 filters to choose from.
Follower: A follower is someone who is “friends” with you on Instagram and could potentially see your posts in your feed. The more followers you have, the larger your audience. It is extremely important to work on growing the number of followers you have, but you need to do so in a way that attracts genuine followers, not those who would have no interest in your business or products.
Hashtag: Hashtags are used to describe and categorize posts. The # symbol always goes at the beginning of a #hashtag and can be clicked on to find similar posts. Using popular hashtags can help to increase the visibility of your posts.
Instagram Live: Instagram Live is a video feature that allows you to broadcast live to your followers. Followers will only be able to watch the video in real time, and there is no replay option. If using this feature, be sure to allow a bit of lag time at the beginning of a video so that people will have time to join your stream. Make sure that no major announcements are made at the beginning of the video since people will not be able to go back to the beginning or to replay the video.
Like: A like is when someone either double taps your photo or taps the heart button. Likes are considered a Level One engagement.
Post: A post is any photo that is shared via the Instagram network.
Story: A story is a short, no more than 15 second post that is visible for 24 hours on your page. You can create multiple stories a day. Using the story feature is a great alternative to constantly uploading pictures to the site. It allows you to remain active and engaged on a regular basis but also keeps you from overwhelming peoples’ regular feeds.
Tag: A tag is when an Instagram user attaches another person’s handle to your post. This can occur in comments of another’s posts, or a user may tag users in photos that they post as well. A tag is considered a Level Three engagement.
We hope these terms help you understand Instagram’s features a bit more. If you have questions about how to use certain features or need assistance learning how to integrate these features into your online marketing strategy, don’t hesitate to give the marketing experts at Vision Path Marketing a call! We offer free consultations and are happy to help you evaluate your business and social media strategy in order to help you get the most out of your online marketing.