New to Instagram? 6 Top Tips for Newbies

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When you’re getting started on Instagram, there are a few tips and tricks to bear in mind to make sure that you hit the ground running.

Instagram is a much-loved photo-sharing and social networking site. However, as with most social networks, if you're new to Instagram, you may need some help using it and learning the etiquette.

These top tips for newbies will help you become a popular and engaging Instagram user. And while your chances of becoming an influencer are remote, you can have lots of fun trying.

1. Spread Out Your Posts Over Time
One of the first Instagram tips goes for any social network, blogging platform, or content curation service: spread out your posts over time.
Whether intentional or unintentional, you shouldn't forget to post for weeks at a time and then suddenly flood your followers with dozens of photos in a single day.
Depending on how many followers you already have, you probably shouldn't post more than twice a day, otherwise, your followers might get sick of seeing you in their feed, no matter how great your photos might be.
The good news is that Instagram has a scheduling tool in the app that you can use for both normal posts and Reels. You'll find apps to schedule Instagram posts, too. So, if you're short on time, you might find that either of these are a better option for staying consistent.

​2. Use Hashtags Wisely
There is nothing more annoying on Instagram than looking up a hashtag and finding it spammed with photos that don't relate to the topic. And over the years, Instagram has gotten much smarter in stopping this tactic from being so effective.
While you should never use hashtags that are not relevant to your photo, you should definitely select a few hashtags to get your photo more exposure.
Generally speaking, a good approach to hashtags is to use them for telling Instagram what your post is—allowing it to show your content to more people with similar interests.

​3. Post a Mixture of Content
Once upon a time, Instagram was only about photos. Those days, however, are long gone. If you want to grow your Instagram page, posting a mixture of Reels and static images is a good idea.

Reels are short-form videos that allow you to provide tips, recap a day that you enjoyed, and much more. You can try several unique Instagram Reels ideas, and posting these regularly can help you reach a broader audience than would otherwise be the case.
At the same time, you shouldn't completely ignore photos. You can post one image at a time, but Instagram also lets you share up to 10 in a carousel. To make carousels, you can also use Photoshop and various other editing tools.

​4. Avoid Posting Too Many Selfies
While there's nothing wrong with posting a few self-portraits, don't let selfies dominate your Instagram feed.
If you're stuck for ideas on what else to post, you might want to consider sharing photo dumps on Instagram as a starting point.

​6. Know When and How to Reciprocate
Any social network involves a delicate balance of not expecting reciprocation but also reciprocating when you can.
For example, don't follow a user and unfollow them days later if they don't return the favor. You also should not feel obliged to follow other users back.
How you can reciprocate, however, is that if someone leaves a thoughtful comment on your photo, try to do the same for them. If someone likes a photo or two of yours, find a photo or two of theirs that you can add to your favorites.
However, as is the case with following users back, only add photos to your favorites if you genuinely like them. You can always use Instagram's web-based interface to make that task of reciprocation a little bit easier.

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