The most effective way to use Instagram

Instagram is a great FREE resource for you and your event. It is a social media platform that still continues to carry momentum. While Facebook can be useful, even Facebook has seen that integrating into Instagram is only benefiting itself and it's users.

But you might ask yourself- how can I use Instagram for my business?

In a few steps, I will outline how to maximize your page and gain followers. This way, you can spread your message to your audience to in turn gain a bigger audience base for your message.

1- Post. You have to get out there and post. You may feel that it is annoying to your followers- and it could be. But the only way for you to continually show up on your friends feeds is to post, post, post.

2- Post original content. People tend to like photos and original content. Try not to use things you find on the internet; truly try to post photos.

3- Make it personal. Even if the page is a business page, people like to connect with another person. They want to know the person behind the brand. This also allows you to become the brand-- this step is crucial in gaining a lot of traction and people believing in your message. This is how Kim Kardashian and other celebrities create their brand-- they become their message.

4- Seek out followers. Search hashtags, search people. Follow suggested users. Do this each time you are on and scrolling. If you search hashtags and get yourself into a worm hole, follow all the people and their pages along the way. If their page peeks your interest at all, follow them. Follow the friends of your friends. If someone likes your photo? Follow them. An easy tip is to click on the people that like your photos and see if you are friends with them. If not, follow them!

5- Comment on other people's photos. Don't feel silly commenting if you don't know someone and aren't their IG friend. If you search #babiesandpuppies and see an adorable toddler and teacup poodle, comment on it. This helps drive people back to your page.

6- Take advantage of Facebook Ads linking to your IG profile. This is a huge bonus. Instagram and Facebook have partnered together to make it extremely user-friendly for you on top of making Instagram posting effortless. This is a HUGE deal and cuts your work time down.

7- Use automation tools. You don't have to live on social media. If you use things like Hootsuite and other automation tools, you won't have to spend the time on each social media site. If you take time each week or each month to plan your posts, it saves you hours trying to figure out what you want to post later on.

There are more best tips out there- there are things like Instagram pods, tools specifically to help you boost followers, and other tools to maximize Instagram. Don't count IG out because it's free- if you are online and scrolling you might as well start to gain followers to make money off of it!