How To Optimize Your Instagram Photo To Increase Viewership
Hello and welcome to this video tutorial where we cover on Optimizing Your Instagram Photo To Increase Viewership.
In this article, we are going to learn two main things which are:
The technique of taking beautiful photos of an object or person
How to edit your Instagram photos with a photo editor app
Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing site where users can take pictures and share them either publicly or privately on the app. In April 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for US$1 billion. Instagram then grew by 23% as a result.
There are as many as 500 million active users every month as of June 2016 and it’s not going to stop there. This would indicate that Instagram is here to stay
for the long haul.
As Instagram is a photo driven sharing app, the strategy here is to get as many views on your uploads as possible and this is done primarily through optimizing
your photo.
Normal and bland photos do not quite do it these days because everyone is doing it and audiences get desensitized. A normal bland photo could easily be ignored and overlooked just by scrolling through.
Photos would need to be taken creatively and have visual cut through over the noise created by other photos and this is achieved through photo optimization.
So first, let’s cover taking product photos. The most important part is to understand that photos are used to communicate your idea and your message – be it your brand message or your campaign message.
For example, if your brand identity or the business that you are in represents fun, progress and youthfulness then you could consider posting photos of the beach, road trips, parties and the like.
Similar if your brand has the elements of authority, leadership and poise, you could consider uploading photos of people in suits and ties, gala parties, wine and other similar associations.
The point is you need to be sure of the 3 key words that represent your brand or business to have these strategies and tactics to work its best for you. Now back to optimizing your photo.
The first thing you need to take note of is the background. Find a nice and clean background for your product. Less is more.
The purpose of having a background is to make your product standout and grab the attention of your audience. It is okay to have a clean and simple background because the spotlight is on your product.
Also, you can consider having contrasting colours as your background. For example, your product is bright yellow in colour, a plain black or white background would be the best choice. You don’t want to bombard your audiences with too many colours on their Instagram feed.
Next, is the composition of your photo.
A good composition makes a huge difference in your photos.
First thing to take note of is the “breathing space” of your photo. Imagine if you walk into a store room that is small in size and packed with stuff, you will definitely feel cramped up as there is very little space for you to move around.
A composition in a photo works the same way. Leave sufficient “breathing space” in your photo so that your viewers get the message immediately unless cramped up photos is intended and it is part of your brand’s expression.
The way you place your product is important too. There are two ways which you can consider; organized or casual. In organized, place your products in the middle of the frame to make it the focus point. You may also consider placing your camera on the top of your product to create a top overview. This is primarily used as a product profile shot. It is clean, neat and has a simple background.
In casual, it is an extension of organized where you place the product in its natural setting and as how it is intended to be used. For example, a product like a bed sheet is taken in a room set up, just like how it is supposed to be used. The tricky part is that you don’t want to overdo it and make it look messy.
Different angles communicate a different feel in a product shot. High angle shots creates a dynamic feel to a shot, products that are tilted towards the camera creates an inviting feeling and products taken from above produces a modern and contemporary look.
As a general rule of thumb, you can always use “The Rule of Third” for your photo composition. The Rule of Third is a technique derived from the use of early grid systems in composition.
It divides a medium into three parts both vertically and horizontally, creating an invisible grid of nine rectangles and four intersections. The primary element within a design is then positioned on an intersection of the grid.
Next up are photo editing apps that will help you with designing and editing your photos.
VSCO is a favourite in photo editing app. It contains over a hundred filters and settings that people are able to use to create a unique photo.
There are four kinds of filters in VSCO with different settings that will bring your photo to the next level.
First up is the analog filter named “A4”in VSCO. This filter turns the colour of your photo into brown-like warm tone giving it a vintage feel.
Next, is the mood filter named “M3”. This filter gives a hint of sepia tone to your photo and creates a nostalgic feel. It gives the illusion as if your photo is captured from an old movie and you can always adjust the setting to suit your objectives.
If you are more towards a black darker tone, this “street etiquette” filter does the job. It is named as “SE3” in VSCO and it changes the photo into a darker shade, giving an intense feeling to your photo.
The last filter that I’m going to introduce is named as “G3” which is a portrait filter. This filter gives a sunny warm tone to your photo and it is very suitable for outdoor photo shoot.
