Creating quality Instagram content is something most photographers, content creators and bloggers strive towards as their Instagram journey progresses. Instagram content is no doubt king in the world of social media, being the best way for everyone from big brands, top celebrities and musicians to communicate and share with their audiences. Instagram has also become quite a leader in the world of online shopping, with their shoppable post features that rolled out this year. Creating quality Instagram content doesn’t just make your feed look better but also has a tone of business benefits too.
When when talk about creating quality Instagram content, we immediately think of static feed images but the truth is these days, there are so many other types of Instagram content to create and share with your followers. Some content creators prefer to stick to one type of content, either photography or videos where others will use a variety of styles content to compliment their overall Instagram strategy. There is no right way to do it when it comes to creating content other than paying attention to what your audience responds best to. Sometimes playing with different medias can help inspire you while trying to creating quality Instagram content.
Most celebrities and powerhouse brands will look to agencies, internal marketing teams or employees to take charge in creating quality Instagram content. But if you’re running a start up, starting your own small business or simply just running your own account, creating quality Instagram content might fall all on your shoulders. This is where a solid strategy, strong tools and reliable resources all come into play. If you’re not so lucky to have a team of people to help you with your Instagram content then this guide for creating quality Instagram content is sure to be big help!
Creating Quality Instagram Content: Tips
Phone vs. Camera
When it comes to creating quality Instagram content, there’s a big debate over using phones vs. cameras and which is best. There are many who will say that you cannot get good quality Instagram content without using a camera, be it a DSLR or Mirrorless. Others on the other hand including photographers will tell you that when it comes to digital content created for social media, your phone is more than enough to capture your content. Cameras built into our phones these days are far superior than anything we could have imagined, even 5 years ago and can capture crystal clear quality images in videos. So at the end of the day, if you’re debating between using your phone or investing in a camera for creating quality Instagram content it really just comes down to your personal preference. Some bloggers and content creators bounce back and forth between their phones and cameras, just based on the situation.
Equipment & Props
Equipment is a big part of creating quality Instagram content, but that doesn’t mean you need to go broke investing in it. If you’ve decided to invest in a camera for your Instagram content, you’ll probably want to look into to getting accessories like a tripod and eventually even going as far as to investing in different lenses as you progress with photography. If you’re sticking to using your phone for content you’ll want to pick up things like a selfie stick, phone tripod adaptor and even a selfie light. Props are another big part of creating quality Instagram content that can take an image from drab to fab. Using props like trays, candles, flowers, jewelry and other items can sent the tone and create more of a story with your content. Having the right equipment and props can really make a big difference in creating quality Instagram content.
Lighting
We kept lighting separate from the above because although it is considered equipment, we tend to think when it comes to creating quality Instagram content lighting is an entire topic on its own. When we’re talking about lighting equipment, there are so many options like camera flashes, classic studio lighting a favourite of beauty bloggers and makeup artists the ring light. Lighting can really take the quality of your Instagram content up drastically all on its own. But investing in lighting equipment isn’t your only option, if your budget is smaller there are loads of hacks on Pinterest using Ikea items to create studio quality lighting. You can also rely on Mother Nature herself to help with illuminate your content with natural light, which many photographers and content creators do. You can have fun with natural light by shooting with shadows, or shooting during the Golden or Blue hours.
Shooting Tips
Now that you have the rundown on what to shoot with, what equipment to use and how to illuminate it all, it’s time to look at your shooting techniques. The biggest tip we can give you for creating Instagram content is take the time to plan out what you’re shooting. It’s very true that at times the candid and random shots can be the best ones, but any photographer will tell you that a successful photoshoot starts with concept planning. You don’t need to overthink it with a 5 page project plan, but having a rough game plan before you begin to execute is definitely a big help. Another way to ensure you’re creating quality Instagram content, is to get a few shots of each visual you’re looking to capture. A picture might look perfect in your camera or phone but once edited and cropped it might not look exactly as you wanted. By taking multiples of a single shot you have more versions to work with and choose from, ensuring you always get the perfect shot. Another tip when it comes to creating quality Instagram content is trying different photography styles; mixing selfies, flatlays, landscapes and street style shots adds variety to your feed and keeps things feeling fresh.
Creating Quality Instagram Content: Final Thoughts
The above tips are great starting points for getting you comfortable creating quality Instagram content, but there are a few more things you can do to take it even further. A big part of creating Instagram content is editing so we recommend that you don’t skimp out on this step. You don’t have to go all out with your editing, and you can keep it fairly simple especially now thanks to all the endless app options available. Some favourites amongst bloggers and content creators are VSCO, Afterlight and Snapseed to name a few. If you’re looking for some app recommendations, you can check out this article with our editing app picks.
Another great way to ensure you’re always creating quality Instagram content is to collaborate with other content creators and even trying to work with local photographers. Collaborating with others to create your Instagram content is a great way to gain new inspiration and get outside of your comfort zone to try new things. Working with fellow bloggers and content creators has another benefit asides from the classic “two heads are better than one”; working together and shooting one another’s content probably will lead you to tagging each other in your content, which exposes each of you to a new pool of potential followers that will probably be interested in your content. Working with photographers on the other hand comes with its own set of perks. Asides from the amazing quality Instagram content, you’ll also likely to learn not only photography tricks but modeling ones too.
Finally, there’s no better way to expand your abilities than to learn. Whether you enroll in a formal workshop, take a free online course or just watch YouTube videos, researching and educating yourself is not doubt the icing on the cake when it comes to creating quality Instagram content. There are so many community centre programs and even college courses open to the public relating to photography that you can register for. In today’s online world there are also great tools like Alison and even the Masterclass series with Annie Leibovitz that you can pay for online and take in the comfort of your own home, and at your own pace. If you’re working on a budget you can of course head to YouTube where there are thousands of videos with photography tips and even more specifically on Instagram content.
Whether you have an army of a marketing team behind you, or are working on your own Instagram account, creating quality Instagram content can be as simple or a rigorous as you want it to be. It’s just a matter of what takeaways from this article you combine and implement into your strategy. Don’t feel pressured to have to check off everything from this article, you can start off with one or two things and slowly build your strategy until you’re satisfied with the results. Just make sure whatever you do, when you’re creating Instagram content you keep it fun!
