OK, so I realize I'm probably behind the eight-ball on jumping on this bandwagon. But I'm here now and making up for lost time!

I recently started meddling around with Instagram, trying to find out what it was really all about. I knew that it was a photo sharing site and that people would use lists of hashtags in their photo descriptions. And if you've read my blog or followed me on social media, you know how much I dislike hashtags. Not to mention, photos aren't the key way to help me grow my brand. So it wasn't really all that high on my list of "tools".

But, I've always had a photographer's eye and I love taking photos so this seemed like a good platform to just play around with. So I started posting a couple photos here and there and just seeing what would happen. I used hashtags sparingly and used some of the filters provided by Instagram. It didn't take long until I realized the sharing potential that this platform provides. Within minutes of posting photos, you can have dozens of likes and comments.

Like with all other platforms, it takes a little trial and error to find out what works for you. I found that when I post great scenic shots, I get lots of random likes from all sorts of people. While this does get me more exposure, is it really the right exposure? And when I post personal photos I get a lot more direct follower engagement. While this is great engagement with my fans, is it growing my fan base?

For you and your brand, just like me, you'll have to find the right balance between growing your fan base and supporting/engaging with your existing fan base. If all you do is post photos of your business or product, it will be hard to reach to new fans. But if all you do is post pictures of trees, why would your customers want to engage with you? You want to mix it up with the right combination of different types of images that represent both you and your brand.

It's important to realize that Instagram is a great way to generate the human perspective behind your brand. Since a photo is worth a 1000 words, select photos that give your audience real insight into who you are, or who is behind your company logo. A couple great photos on Instagram can be better than a whole blog post about "who you are".

Do you like to ride motorcycles? Do you like to surf? Do you have a pet? Do you collect something? Are you a foodie? Do you travel a lot for business? Any of these things (and a million others) are great ways to humanize your brand on Instagram. Include the occasional photo of you enjoying these aspects of your personal life and spice up your photo stream! The great thing is that it not only lets your fans learn more about you, but it will also help you grow your fan base with new followers that have similar interests.

The reality is that Instagram may not work for you and your business. And if that's the case, that's ok. You don't necessarily have to be on every platform. But, if you do think that Instagram can benefit your business, stay tuned for more blog posts in the future. I plan on adding a number of new posts about the ways that you can use Instagram to boost your online presence, and your business!

If you are on Instagram, please join me at jennherman31!