Instagram has a larger audience than Twitter, by quite a margin.  And whether you’re using Instagram for business or personal, chances are you’re making one or more of these Instagram mistakes!  So here’s some things to watch out for…

#Use #Hashtags #Wisely!

Hashtags are powerful, if used well.  But sadly, like many things online, they get overused, and then some.  Here’s some quick dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

#Don’t #hashtag #every #word!

This is pointless, doesn’t help anyone find anything, and makes you look as if you don’t know how to use Instagram properly!

Also, make sure the hashtags you do use are actually relevant to the photo you’ve attached them to.  Otherwise, why include it in the first place?

And some rather desperate Instagrammers have been known to use hashtags like #follow4follow or #like4like.  Not recommended!  Why not let likes and follows comes naturally?  Okay, your account may not grow as quickly, but as least you’ll know the people following and liking your updates are actually interested.

Throwback Thursday is Meant to be Fun!

Those throwback and flashback posts are fun.  And also perhaps a little nostalgic:

Family photos?  Check.

An epic night out?  Check.

You looking cute as a baby?  Double check.

A picture of you on the beach of your own when you were slimmer, younger, and looking great?  Er, not so much.  That one is for you, not your audience, so maybe just keep that one on your hard drive, right?

Remember, fun and nostalgic.  We’re not trying to turn back time here.

The Sky Is (Probably) Not as Interesting as You Think

Unless you’ve captured a tornado forming, the sky you can see is probably not that much more interesting than the sky your followers can see out their windows.

Remember – Instagram is for posting great stuff.  Less updates means better photos, and it makes it so much easier to keep up with people.  If you want to post five pictures a day of hugely varying quality, either expect to lose all your followers, or take that on over to Twitter.  It’s a free-for-all over there.

Is That Quote Really So Great?

Quotes are meant to inspire, uplift, and put across truly interesting ideas.

What they’re not for is to confuse most of your followers, and instead be used to vaguely insult or make a point to one specific person.  If you’ve really got something to say to them, why not text or phone them?

People love quotes on Instagram, but do think of your audience.  Is it truly something they’d enjoy, appreciate, get meaning from?  Will it make their lives better?  Will it make them laugh?

Again, Instagram is about quality not quantity.  Give it some careful thought.

Okay, so this has been a crash course in Instagram and how you can start to use it effectively.  But really we’re just scraping the surface.  One great place for ideas, and for really becoming an Instagram master, is simply by following the masters. Who really does Instagram well?  Which accounts do you really enjoy and why?  And alternatively, which accounts do you not enjoy, and even avoid?  Exactly.  Seeing who’s working Instagram well, and not so well, can be all you need to become the Insta-Guru you’ve always dreamed of.