Over the past few years, Instagram has seen exponential growth — from 1 million users at its inception to over one billion in 2022.

If you're interested in getting an Instagram business relationship, or but created i but aren't sure how to use it, you're in luck. Here, nosotros're going to cover all the basics, so you can learn why Instagram is the top social media platform for engagement today.

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It's hard to remember a fourth dimension before Instagram. At one fourth dimension, "Do it for the 'gram" was a common saying, which meant, essentially, "Do something and so we tin can take a movie and post information technology to Instagram."

Since and so, Instagram has placed a larger and heavier accent on video. And then y'all no longer hear the phrase "Do information technology for the 'gram." I bet, though, that a second version of the phrase will soon follow. (Maybe "Do it for reel?")

If you lot're not function of the one billion users on Instagram, you might want to reconsider. The app is a nifty hazard to engage with top brands and stay a part of friends' lives. When I want to see how my college friends are doing, I don't bank check Facebook, I bank check Instagram. Plus, you tin follow your favorite celebrities or political figures to see candid photos of their everyday lives.

Additionally, it'southward a phenomenal platform for investigating what other brands are doing — for instance, Nike uses the Instagram Stories' characteristic to promote inspirational athlete stories yous won't discover anywhere else.

If y'all're ready to sign up for Instagram, follow these steps below:

  • Go to the Instagram site on your desktop, or download the Instagram app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
  • If yous're on desktop, click "Log in with Facebook", or make full in the form with your mobile number or email, name, username, and password. And so click "Sign upward".
  • On Android, click "Sign Up With Email or Phone Number".
  • On iPhone, select "Sign Up".
  • Enter your email address or telephone number, so click "Adjacent". Alternatively, you can sign up with your Facebook business relationship.
  • Once y'all've filled out your username and password, you lot volition be instructed to fill out your profile info. Then, tap "Done".
  • If yous register with Facebook, you'll need to log into your Facebook account if you lot're currently logged out.

How Do Instagram Notifications Work?

When your account is created, you'll want to adjust your notifications so you but receive the information you want. For instance, y'all can cull to receive notifications when you become likes from everyone — simply, alternatively, you lot might decide to but receive notifications when you get a like from someone you follow. Or, you might plough off notifications for likes altogether.

You can adjust notifications to "Off", "From People I Follow", or "From Everyone", for the following categories — Comments, Comment Likes, Likes and Comments on Photos of You, Follower Requests, Accepted Follow Requests, Friends on Instagram, Instagram Straight, Photos of Y'all, Reminders, First Posts and Stories, Product Announcements, View Counts, Support Requests, Live Videos, Mentions in Bio, IGTV Video Updates, and Video Chats.

If yous're overwhelmed past that list, I get it — I am, too. If you're unsure what notifications you want to receive, you might beginning with your notifications on "From Everyone", and if sure notifications begin to annoy yous, you can plow them off later on.

To customize which notifications y'all receive, follow these steps:

ane. Open up the Instagram app on your phone.

First up, open up the Instagram app on your mobile device. You lot can also access Instagram on desktop if you prefer. Then, head to your profile past clicking the image of your profile picture on the bottom correct.

how to change instagram notification settings: access profile

2. Access "Settings."

After you arrive at your contour, click the hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner.

how to change instagram notification settings: access settings

A popup menu will announced. Tap "Settings."

how to change instagram notification settings: tap settings

3. Tap "Notifications."

On the next screen, click "Notifications."

how to change instagram notification settings: enter notifications settings

In that location, you'll be able to change the notification settings depending on category. These categories include:

  • Posts, Stories, and Comments
  • Post-obit and Followers
  • Directly Letters and Calls
  • Live and Video
  • Fundraisers
  • From Instagram
  • E-mail and SMS
  • Shopping

how to change instagram notification settings: view all notification categories

You lot likewise take the ability to pause all notifications by toggling the Pause All option upwardly top.

4. Bank check off the notifications you want to receive.

Admission each category individually and choose the notifications you desire to receive. Hither are the options, for instance, for "Posts, Stories, and Comments":

how to change instagram notification settings: toggle notification settings

The options will vary depending on category.

And that's it! Next, let's explore how to connect your other social media accounts to your Instagram, and then when you post an image to Instagram, you tin share it with your other online audiences, as well.

Tin can you connect to Instagram to other social accounts?

Yeah, you tin can connect Instagram to Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, only information technology'due south no longer done through Settings, every bit it used to be.

Now, you practice it on a per-postal service basis.

If you desire to share a mail to other platforms, you navigate to the actual post you want to cantankerous-publish on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, and so manually share it that way.

Here's how:

1. Open up the Instagram app.

2. Navigate to your profile.

3. Tap on the post yous'd like to cross-post.

4. Click the three dots on the top correct-manus corner of the post.

how to link instagram to other social accounts: access post settings

5. On the popular-up carte, click "Share."

how to link instagram to other social accounts: tap share on the post Note: Don't click "Share to," which volition give yous an selection to AirDrop or share the post to your contacts.

vi. Toggle the accounts yous'd similar to share the post to. If you're non already signed in, you'll need to do so right inside the Instagram app.

how to link instagram to other social accounts: toggle the social accounts

Once y'all've continued your accounts for one mail, you can then toggle the sharing options for any new posts without needing to sign in once again.

If you connect Instagram to Facebook, you can share your Stories across both accounts. Nosotros talk more almost how to do that below.

How to Connect Instagram to Facebook

Since Instagram and Facebook are owned by the same company, Meta, y'all can connect the two accounts for a more seamless experience. Connecting your Instagram and Facebook accounts allows you to:

  • Share Stories across both Instagram and Facebook
  • Login with Facebook into Instagram
  • Sync your profile proper name and picture across both profiles
  • Use Facebook Pay on both platforms
  • Access your shopping activity on both accounts

If you're a frequent Facebook user, then connecting your account to your new Instagram profile is highly recommended. Here's how:

one. Open up your Instagram app.

2. Click on your profile picture on the bottom right-mitt corner.

3. Click the hamburger carte du jour on the tiptop correct-manus corner.

iv. Tap "Settings."

5. Nether the Meta logo, tap "Accounts Center."

how to connect facebook to instagram: tap account center in settings

6. Tap "Set up Accounts Center."

how to connect facebook to instagram: click set up accounts center

7. Follow the prompts to log in into Facebook.

Done! Your two accounts are at present connected. Here's how it'll look like once yous're finished:

how to connect facebook to instagram: final result

In the next section, I'll show you when a linked business relationship comes in handy.

Upload, Edit, and Postal service an Image

At present, for the most important part of Instagram — how to upload and post an image.

Instagram is an entirely visual platform. Unlike Facebook, which relies on both text and pictures, or Twitter, which relies on text alone, Instagram'south sole purpose is to enable users to share images or videos with their audition.

On Facebook, you might choose to post 100 photos on an album. On Instagram, yous need to be choosier virtually which photos yous post. There are a few reasons for this — first, yous don't want to post more than than one time a solar day (typically). And you don't want to post too many similar photos.

For case, it would be odd for you lot to mail service fifty photos from the aforementioned embankment vacation on your Instagram contour. Instead, you might cull five or vi, and place them all within the same post.

(These are called carousel posts, and they permit you to share multiple photos in 1 mail service merely. Carousel posts are awesome for posting like pictures in one package while keeping your overall contour artful diverse.)

Curious about creating an aesthetic? To learn more than about Instagram account themes and get inspiration, take a expect at these Instagram themes. Additionally, if you desire to embark on a deep-dive, you can take HubSpot's Instagram Marketing Course.

Now that nosotros've covered that, permit's explore how to upload, edit, and postal service an epitome.

1. Click the "+" icon at the summit-right hand corner.

When you tap the "+" icon, you'll be prompted to choose the type of post you desire to share. Since we want to publish a post directly on our contour feed, tap "Post."

how to upload an image to instagram: click the plus button

ii. Choose your media file.

Here, you accept three options. You can await through your Photos library on your phone, y'all can take a new picture show from right within Instagram, or you tin have a new video. For our purposes, I looked through my Photos library and found a flick of Boston I wanted to use. Then, I clicked "Next" in the meridian correct.

how to upload an image to instagram: choose media

3. Add filters if desired.

There are ii categories you tin can use to edit your epitome — "Filter" and "Edit". Instagram automatically shows you filters first. You lot can scroll through the carousel and click whatsoever of the filters to apply it to your paradigm.

Additionally, if you want to use a filter but you desire to tone information technology down, double tap the filter and motility the cursor to the left to lessen the intensity of the filter.

how to upload an image to instagram: add filters

4. Edit your prototype if desired.

Adjacent, click "Edit". Hither, y'all tin adjust contrast, brightness, construction, warmth, and more. When you're happy with your edited image, or if you don't want to edit it at all, click "Next" in the tiptop right.

how to upload an image to instagram: edit image

five. Write a caption and toggle sharing settings.

Now, y'all can add a explanation, tag people (you can only tag someone if they as well have an Instagram business relationship), and add a location. Additionally, click the button beside Facebook or another linked social media account to share your paradigm on that platform, as well. When you're set to publish, click "Share" in the pinnacle right.

how to upload an image to instagram: add caption

If yous don't want to use your app to post on Instagram, yous can too do so from your figurer. Larn how to mail service to Instagram from a Mac or PC hither.

Upload an Paradigm or Video to Your Stories

Instagram Stories is a feature that allows y'all to mail service videos or images that disappear afterward 24-hours. Instagram'southward Stories feature is similar to Snapchat in terms of content — users often mail more casual and candid videos and images, offering glimpses into their every day lives.

For instance, on your normal feed, you might post a heavily-edited motion-picture show of yourself and friends at a baseball game. But you might post a more than aboveboard video to your Story of the stadium singing "Sweetness Caroline".

To larn how to upload an image or video to your Stories, follow these steps:

1. Tap your profile pic in the upper left-hand corner.

Alternatively, swipe correct on your feed or tap the "+" button in the superlative navigation bar.

how to upload a story to instagram: access the story camera

two. Capture or add together your media.

Once you're within the Stories feature, you tin can take a movie or video correct from within the app. Alternatively, if you have an image saved to your phone that you lot'd like to utilise, y'all can cull it from your media library.

how to upload a story to instagram: capture media

three. Add together stickers or filters.

On the left-hand side, you take a few different editing features.

The "Create" push lets you add a location, hashtag, fourth dimension, date, and other fun images or emojis to your picture.

how to upload a story to instagram: add stickers and filters

The "Boomerang" option allows y'all to create a looping video. And the "Aa" icon is your text push. Once yous click "Aa", you accept the pick to alter your font.

If you click the smiley face icon, you'll meet the following screen. Merely click on i of the icons to add them to your image. If you don't like it, elevate it to the lesser, and a trash can volition appear and then you can delete information technology.

how to upload a story to instagram: add poll

For instance, I clicked the smiley face icon to add a poll to my image. You can also swipe to the left or right to add filters to your photograph or video.

4. Publish your Story.

Once y'all're happy with your content, you can either click the white arrow icon in the bottom right, which allows you to share your Story with everyone who follows you, or select "Shut Friends" first, then that only your close friends run across it.

Then you're done! Your Story is immediately live.

How to Follow on Instagram

It's incredibly easy to find and follow users. Using Instagram's search feature, y'all tin find celebrities, brands, and friends. Additionally, you can search "Tags" or "Places". "Tags" is particularly useful if you know what type of content you desire to find, but you're not certain who posts nigh it.

For instance, you might search "#familyrecipes" under tags — your results will include any images with that hashtag. Every bit you peruse, you might discover someone who posts content y'all really like, and you can choose to follow them so their content appears on your feed.

To follow someone, follow these three easy steps.

1. Click on the search icon at the bottom of your screen.

It looks like a magnifying glass and will be correct next to the "Home" push.

how to follow on instagram: click the search icon

2. Side by side, type in a person, topic, or brand.

For this instance, I searched "architecture."

how to follow on instagram: view results

Instagram allows you to either search all posts that incorporate the word "architecture," or "See all results" and come across tags and places.

how to follow on instagram: browse through the results

3. Tap the account you lot're interested in following.

One time you're on someone else'south account, yous'll meet a blue "Follow" button at the top. For public profiles, you can click and immediately begin following that account. However, if the profile is private, you lot may demand to wait for them to accept you first.

how to follow on instagram: follow an account you like

And that'south it! You lot're on your manner to becoming a pro. To have your account to the side by side level, plan out your next posts using an array of content ideas and templates.

Using Instagram is Primal for Growing Your Personal Brand

If y'all want to grow both professionally and personally, then using Instagram is more important than always. You tin can start past observing first, then begin posting equally you learn your style effectually the user interface. With over one billion users, Instagram is an extremely worthwhile social media platform to join — and information technology's only set to go on growing as time goes on.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Jan eighteen, 2022 8:00:00 AM, updated January xviii 2022