5 Useful Instagram Tips Your Followers Should Know

It's no more a secret!

Businesses of varying sizes are taking to Instagram to strengthen user engagement and customer satisfaction. And according to Qualtrics, there are seven types of customer expectations every business must meet before evaluating customer satisfaction.

But with Instagram marketing, there are just two expectations your audience have regardless of the industry you are in or the demographics of your audience.

For one, interpersonal expectations are imperative because Instagram has created a platform for businesses to connect with their audiences on an almost-intimate level. The other six expectations can be summed up as you delivering your service or product perfectly based on their needs.

Pertaining to the first type of expectation, below are 5 useful tips/tricks to teach your followers so they can use the social platform like a pro.

Here are the 5 Instagram tips your followers might not know but should:

5. The Eradication of Search History 

By default, Instagram saves every query you input in either Search or Explore so you can easily access the queries (hashtags and accounts) whenever you need them. 

The reason why any of your followers might want their search history cleared is anyone's guess. Yet, we can guess one more time that your followers would appreciate this tip and deem it useful. More so, this may be your own chance to learn how to hide that recent search query from God knows who. Here's how:

• Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
   
• Click on the three lines located at the top-right corner of your screen, which is the Menu icon.
   
• Click on the Settings icon below and scroll down to Account.
   
• Tap Search History, then tap Clear Search History.

Pro-Tip: Clearing search history on Instagram is not as functional as you might think; in fact, search queries could reappear later on. When this occurs, the sole solution is to hide the account you wish to snub as follows. 

• Go to the Explore tab and click on the search bar located at the top of your screen.
   
• Locate the account you wish to hide by going to Top or People, then tap and hold the said account.
   
• Click on the Hide button that pops up.

4. The Secret to Better Post Visibility

Well, this tends to be more beneficial to your brand than your followers.

In March 2016, Instagram officially replaced its Feed mechanism, which was chronological ordering, with a new algorithm based on certain metrics. The metrics—though unrevealed and updated with time—determine post visibility, i.e. which posts stay on top of your followers' individual Feeds. Owing to this, Instagram Feed became a combat zone for accounts to battle for who has the best posts, thereby increasing their penetration rate.

The harsh truth is your followers might not have a clue you uploaded some pictures 2 hours ago. In fact, the majority of your audience might have missed your posts from yesterday. That's how easy it is to miss IG posts.

Nonetheless, there is a solution apart from understanding Instagram's Feed algorithm (which is of utmost importance). Below is how to never miss a post; tell your followers and watch the number of your views, likes, and comments go up.

• Go to the profile for which you wish to set up notifications.
   
• Click on the three dots located at the top-right corner of your screen and select Turn on Post Notifications. (There is a Turn on Story Notifications option as well, which explains itself.)

Pro-Tip: Feed algorithm is chiefly based on engagement and relevancy. In other words, posts rank higher when they have been viewed, liked, commented on, searched for, saved, and shared by as many users as possible.

3. The Management of Filters 

Filters, where would we be without them?

As an Instagrammer, filters play a crucial role in the publishing process of our content and they've turned Instagram into a pseudo-photo-editing app. However, the overwhelming amount of filters available today makes getting lost as easy as pie. To rectify this, follow the steps below to reorder and even hide filters. 

• Upload your content as usual, and then open the filters page.
   
• Scroll from left to right until you see the Manage icon, then click on it.
   
• Untick the ones you wish to hide; tap and hold the ones you wish to reorder to activate a drag-and-drop system.

2. The Buffet to Fill Up Instagram's Data Hunger

If you won't say it, I will: Instagram feeds on data. The app probably uses more data than all other apps except your Internet browser. To minimize IG's data hunger:

• Go to Settings as usual and select Mobile Data Use (or Cellular Data Use), then click on 'Use Less Data'.

Pro-Tip: Do note that by using less data, your IG experience will be affected as photos and videos load a little longer than before.

P.S. Yes, this isn't much of a buffet, but at least it's something. :) 

1. The Assurance of Two-Factor Authentication

Believe it or not, spamming, hacking, and black-hat advertising is now rampant on Instagram. These malicious ways are more reason to think twice about the security of your Instagram account and that of your beloved followers. Celebrities and non-celebrities, brands and individuals, NGOs and even government bodies; all are at risk of being hijacked of their accounts.

Therefore, passwords are not worth relying on and Instagram's two-factor authentication feature is the most reliable way to secure your account whether via traditional SMS or the newly-launched support for third-party apps such as Google Authenticator and Duo Mobile.

• Go to Settings and select Two-factor authentication.
   
• Click on the Get Started button below, then choose between text message and authentication app.
   
• With the text message option, you'll simply receive a code via SMS to verify your number.
   
• With the authentication app option, if you've already installed one of the apps, Instagram will automatically find it and send a login code. Just go to the app, retrieve the code, and enter the code on Instagram to activate the two-factor authentication app. If you don’t have an app, however, you will be redirected to the appropriate app store to download one and then go through the set-up process.

Pro-Tip: After setting up two-factor authentication, you'll be asked to enter a unique login code or confirm your login attempt each time someone tries accessing your account from an unknown device. The purpose of this is to enable Instagram to recognize your login attempts from questionable ones.

[Bonus] The Removal of Photo Tags 

• Go to your profile and tap the button to the furthest-right to access your tagged photos.
   
• Click on the photo you wish to untag yourself from and tap once to reveal your username.
   
• Click on the username to access the Photos of You pop-up, then select Remove Tag.

[Bonus] The History of Posts You've Liked

• Go to Settings and scroll down to 'Posts You've Liked' under Account.
   
• Select any of the posts to re-view. You can also bookmark it by long-pressing the bookmark icon below the photo or video. This enables you to create a new private collection for the bookmarked post or select an existing collection.

Instagram is both feature-packed and easy-to-use, which makes it more vulnerable to the widespread attention the photo-sharing platform is currently attracting.

As a brand, your role is to satisfy your customers by providing the right products and services, and the right info to better their individual lives. With the tips listed above, your followers would have a better Instagram experience and ensure business growth by teaching them to use their favorite social platform with more security, privacy, and fun. Cheers!