Brief: ‘create and implement an Instagram strategy that you feel will help you reach future, potential clients (whether ad agencies, curators or potential collectors), and then develop your account so you have 30 followers over the course of a week’ (Pfab, 2017).

An Instagram account has been set-up: philipmorrisphotography

Based on initial feedback from the operation of this account plus feedback from the ‘sharethesmarties’ viral image campaign, a successful Instagram strategy appears to include the following:

Key to (successfully) posting images is frequency, consistency and timing

The appropriate addition of succinct text to images

Use of hashtags – quality, quantity and frequency count

Following and being seen to follow other Instagram accounts.

Based on this strategy, appropriate metrics will be collected and analysed. The results will then be used to inform the Instagram element of a marketing plan extending into 2018.

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‘Many photographers approach Instagram in much the same way they would a personal sketchbook, but one in which images are viewed publicly. In this sense, using Instagram can become a natural extension of their professional practice’ (Heinz, 2017).

I think Heinz raises a salient point. There are significant advantages to Instagram as both a marketing tool and a portfolio. However, there are significant disadvantages also, namely the loss of fidelity when an image is uploaded to the platform, and the fact that there is no direct means of loading images to the platform direct from a PC.

On this basis, can it be much more than a sketchbook, a tool for recording moments of inspiration for future reference?

Reference:

Heinz, Lauren (2017), ‘5 Instagram Lesson from Magnum Photographers’, magnumphotos.com [online]. Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/instagram-lessons/ (accessed: 19 October 2017)

Pfab, Anna-Maria (2017), ‘Sustainable Prospects’: Instagram. Falmouth: Falmouth University [Online]. Available at: https://flex.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/84/discussion_topics/2794 (accessed: 19 October 2017).