Instagram For Dummies®

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Table of Contents

1. Cover
2. Introduction
   1. About This Book
   2. Foolish Assumptions
   3. Icons Used in This Book
   4. Beyond the Book
   5. Where to Go from Here
3. Part 1: Getting Started with Instagram
   1. Chapter 1: Instagramming Like a Pro
      1. Figuring Out What You Need to Get Started
      2. Discovering How to Add Posts to Your Instagram Account
      3. Connecting with Others on Instagram
      4. Exploring the Excitement of Instagram Stories
      5. Creating Videos with IGTV
   2. Chapter 2: Installing Instagram Everywhere
      1. Installing Instagram Wherever You Want to Use It
      2. Exploring Instagram on the Web
      3. Starting to Gram Instantly
   3. Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Profile
      1. Personal Profile Practices
      2. Writing a Dazzling Bio
      3. Taking Advantage of a Business Profile Upgrade
      4. Setting Your Account Privacy Settings
   4. Chapter 4: Navigating Instagram
      1. Scrolling through the Feed
      2. Making Sense of the Instagram Algorithm
      3. Exploring the World of Instagram
      4. Checking Your Notifications
   5. Chapter 5: Why Isn’t This Working?
      1. Installation Issues
      2. Log-In Difficulties
      3. Finding Relief for Common Problems
      4. Nothing Is Working … Now What?
      5. Getting Rid of Error Messages
4. Part 2: Getting Creative with Instagram Content
   1. Chapter 6: Taking and Posting Great Photos
      1. Taking Your Best Shot
      2. Improving Your Best Shot
      3. Enriching Your Photo
      4. Posting Your Photos: Ta Da!
      5. Uploading Photos from Your Camera Roll
      6. Uploading Multiple Photos to One Post
   2. Chapter 7: Recording and Posting Great Videos
      1. Recording Videos
      2. Improving Your Video
      3. Uploading a Stored Video
      4. Uploading Multiple Videos from an iPhone or iPad
   3. Chapter 8: Personalizing Your Post
      1. Determining How Long Your Captions Should Be
      2. Formatting Your Caption
      3. Including Calls to Action in Your Caption
      4. Tagging People in Your Posts
      5. Adding Locations to Your Posts
      6. Taking Advantage of Hashtags
5. Part 3: Connecting with a Community on Instagram
   1. Chapter 9: Finding People to Follow
      1. Where Are My Peeps?
      2. Finding New Friends
      3. Deciding Whom to Follow Back
      4. Finding Your Tribe
   2. Chapter 10: Interacting with Other Instagrammers
      1. Interacting with the Posts in Your Feed
      2. Replying to Comments on Your Own Posts
      3. Keeping Instagram Healthy by Reporting the Bad Eggs
   3. Chapter 11: Direct Messaging with Others
      1. Starting a New Direct Message
      2. Sharing Photos and Videos via Direct Message
      3. Sharing GIFs
      4. Using Voice Messages
      5. Creating a New Group Message
      6. Replying to a Direct Message
      7. Using Live Chat in Direct Messages
      8. Navigating Your Inbox
      9. Getting Rid of Unwanted Messages
6. Part 4: Telling Tales with Instagram Stories
   1. Chapter 12: Exploring Instagram Stories
      1. Finding Stories to Watch
      2. Interacting with Stories You Watch
      3. Accessing the Story Camera
   2. Chapter 13: Creating Instagram Stories
      1. Planning a Story from Start to Finish
      2. Deciding What to Share
      3. Adding a Story Photo
      4. Adding a Story Video
      5. Adding a Text Post
      6. Saving Your Story
   3. Chapter 14: Adding Style to Your Stories
      1. Jazzing Up Your Story Post Using Stickers
      2. Personalizing Stories with Doodles
      3. Saying More with Text
   4. Chapter 15: Sneaky Story Sharing
      1. Sharing Another Story to Your Own Story
      2. Sharing Some Stories to Select People
      3. Sharing Regular Instagram Posts to Your Stories
      4. Changing Your Story into a Regular Instagram Post
   5. Chapter 16: Using Instagram Highlights to Keep Your Content Alive
      1. Getting Acquainted with Highlights
      2. Creating a New Highlight Gallery
      3. Adding Content to a Highlight
      4. Coming Up with Fun Ideas for Highlights
   6. Chapter 17: Going Live on Instagram
      1. Getting Started with Live Videos
      2. Knowing When to Go Live
      3. Developing a Game Plan
      4. Interacting with Live Guests
      5. Inviting a Guest onto the Live Broadcast
      6. Saving Live Broadcasts and Sharing Them
7. Part 5: Becoming a Pro at IGTV
   1. Chapter 18: Understanding IGTV
      1. Finding IGTV within Instagram
      2. Finding IGTV within the IGTV App
      3. Understanding How IGTV Videos are Formatted
      4. Tapping Into Whose Videos You’re Seeing
   2. Chapter 19: Creating an IGTV Presence
      1. Setting Up an IGTV Channel
      2. Uploading Videos to IGTV
      3. Creating Quality Content for IGTV
      4. Responding to Comments on Your Videos
8. Part 6: The Part of Tens
   1. Chapter 20: Ten Things Not to Do on Instagram
      1. Using the Same Name as Your Username
      2. Picking an Irrelevant Username
      3. Using a Bad Profile Photo
      4. Not Including a Bio
      5. Ignoring Instagram Stories
      6. Not Using Captions
      7. Hashjacking
      8. Tagging People Who Are Not in the Photo
      9. Following Everyone Who Follows You
      10. Using Automated Tools to Follow or Like Others
   2. Chapter 21: Ten Types of Great Instagram Photos
      1. The Human Element
      2. Adorable Animals
      3. Bold Colors
      4. White Space
      5. Make It Blue
      6. Flat Lays
      7. Long Angles
      8. Lifestyle
      9. Rule of Thirds
      10. Organic Environments
9. Index
10. About the Authors
11. Connect with Dummies
12. End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

1. Chapter 1
   1. FIGURE 1-1: Instagram stories are displayed at the top of your home feed. Anyone...
2. Chapter 2
   1. FIGURE 2-1: The Instagram app on an iPhone.
   2. FIGURE 2-2: The Instagram app is in the upper-left corner.
   3. FIGURE 2-3: Tap Read More to (you guessed it) read more about Instagram.
   4. FIGURE 2-4: Click Install in the upper-right area of the Microsoft Store window....
   5. FIGURE 2-5: Display the Develop menu in the Safari menu bar by clicking the chec...
   6. FIGURE 2-6: To upload a photo, click the plus icon.
   7. FIGURE 2-7: The Search box is at the top of the page.
   8. FIGURE 2-8: You can add a comment below the photo.
   9. FIGURE 2-9: The Instagram icon appears in the upper-right corner of the screen o...
   10. FIGURE 2-10: The Instagram app is in the I section of the apps list.
3. Chapter 3
   1. FIGURE 3-1: The Instagram profile consists of these standard components.
   2. FIGURE 3-2: Editing your username and name information.
   3. FIGURE 3-3: A good profile photo represents you.
   4. FIGURE 3-4: A well-written bio will attract more followers.
   5. FIGURE 3-5: Instagram has been testing and rolling out new profile layouts.
   6. FIGURE 3-6: Upgrade to a business profile by selecting the Switch to Professiona...
   7. FIGURE 3-7: Making your account private.
4. Chapter 4
   1. FIGURE 4-1: The Instagram feed is accessed by tapping the house at the lower-lef...
   2. FIGURE 4-2: Your Instagram feed gives you access to all areas of Instagram.
   3. FIGURE 4-3: Get notifications about new posts from accounts that are important t...
   4. FIGURE 4-4: The Explore page displays stories, videos, and posts you might like....
   5. FIGURE 4-5: Search by top to see suggested accounts from Instagram and accounts ...
   6. FIGURE 4-6: Search by accounts to find accounts by name.
   7. FIGURE 4-7: Search by tags to find content organized by hashtag.
   8. FIGURE 4-8: Search by places to search for accounts that have tagged a location ...
   9. FIGURE 4-9: Tap the You tab on the notifications page to see notifications apply...
   10. FIGURE 4-10: See activity of accounts you are following by tapping the Following...
5. Chapter 5
   1. FIGURE 5-1: Clear your Google Play Store data here.
   2. FIGURE 5-2: The storage space that the Instagram app is taking up appears to the...
   3. FIGURE 5-3: The storage space on an Android device.
   4. FIGURE 5-4: Getting password help on an iPhone.
   5. FIGURE 5-5: Getting help on an Android smartphone.
   6. FIGURE 5-6: The Profile screen on an iPhone.
   7. FIGURE 5-7: The Profile screen on an Android smartphone.
6. Chapter 6
   1. FIGURE 6-1: Now you can take your picture.
   2. FIGURE 6-2: The Filter screen.
   3. FIGURE 6-3: Swipe up and down in the Manage Filters screen to view the entire li...
   4. FIGURE 6-4: The tool name appears above each tool icon.
   5. FIGURE 6-5: Use the slider bar in the Adjust screen to change the photo’s perspe...
   6. FIGURE 6-6: Tap the color dot to select a color for your photo shadow.
   7. FIGURE 6-7: Add details to your photo here.
   8. FIGURE 6-8: The 1/4 in the upper-right corner of the photo indicates that this p...
   9. FIGURE 6-9: The thumbnail of the selected photo appears dimmed.
   10. FIGURE 6-10: The select multiple icon in the viewer appears in blue above the up...
   11. FIGURE 6-11: The most recently selected photo appears in the viewer.
   12. FIGURE 6-12: The filter name appears above the filter thumbnail image.
7. Chapter 7
   1. FIGURE 7-1: If you want to record silent videos, tap Don’t Allow.
   2. FIGURE 7-2: Tap Cancel if you decide you don’t want to record a video.
   3. FIGURE 7-3: The black recording bar appears directly below the viewer.
   4. FIGURE 7-4: Begin playing the video by tapping the Play button.
   5. FIGURE 7-5: Frames that aren’t selected appear dimmed.
   6. FIGURE 7-6: Your video frame appears as a thumbnail in the upper-left corner.
   7. FIGURE 7-7: The video plays on the home screen.
   8. FIGURE 7-8: The selected video thumbnail image is faded so you know it’s the vid...
   9. FIGURE 7-9: The plus (+) icon appears to the right of the video thumbnail image....
8. Chapter 8
   1. FIGURE 8-1: You can add the caption to your post on the New Post screen after up...
   2. FIGURE 8-2: An example of a short caption and a long caption that capture the at...
   3. FIGURE 8-3: Good formatting on Instagram allows your content to be easily read a...
   4. FIGURE 8-4: To tag someone in your Instagram post, tap Tag People and follow the...
   5. FIGURE 8-5: Use the Add Location option during the upload process to add more ex...
   6. FIGURE 8-6: A hashtag hub displays the results of content uploaded by various us...
   7. FIGURE 8-7: A hashtag hub displays the results of content uploaded by various us...
   8. FIGURE 8-8: Android devices utilize predictive text to easily select common hash...
   9. FIGURE 8-9: Store hashtags in a notes app (left), an email message (middle), or ...
9. Chapter 9
   1. FIGURE 9-1: Instagram can pull contacts from your phone’s saved contacts for you...
   2. FIGURE 9-2: The Explore page displays stories, videos, and posts you might like....
   3. FIGURE 9-3: Search by Top, Accounts, Tags, and Places.
   4. FIGURE 9-4: After you follow an account, Instagram presents similar accounts you...
   5. FIGURE 9-5: Followers you haven’t followed back have a blue Follow button to the...
   6. FIGURE 9-6: Search hashtags to see Instagram’s suggestions of other more specifi...
   7. FIGURE 9-7: Pod members share their posts with other members via direct message....
10. Chapter 10
    1. FIGURE 10-1: You can use the three icons below the post to like, comment on, or ...
    2. FIGURE 10-2: Replying to comments on your posts creates meaningful conversations...
    3. FIGURE 10-3: Deleting a comment on iPhone and iPad.
    4. FIGURE 10-4: Deleting a comment on Android smartphones and tablets.
11. Chapter 11
    1. FIGURE 11-1: The Instagram Direct icon is located at the top right of your home ...
    2. FIGURE 11-2: Create a new message by tapping the + at the upper right of your sc...
    3. FIGURE 11-3: The New Message page allows you to select message recipients.
    4. FIGURE 11-4: Type a new message in the Message screen at the bottom of the page....
    5. FIGURE 11-5: The Camera link is at the bottom of the main Instagram Direct page....
    6. FIGURE 11-6: Tap (for photos) or hold (for videos) the white button to take a ph...
    7. FIGURE 11-7: Add text to your photo by tapping the Aa.
    8. FIGURE 11-8: Choose your message recipients by tapping Send or share on your sto...
    9. FIGURE 11-9: Choose photos or videos you’ve taken previously by tapping the smal...
    10. FIGURE 11-10: Choose how you would like your message to be viewed.
    11. FIGURE 11-11: Reveal the GIF button by tapping the black + button in the Message...
    12. FIGURE 11-12: You can select from suggested GIFs, or you can search for other GI...
    13. FIGURE 11-13: Press and hold the microphone icon while recording your voice mess...
    14. FIGURE 11-14: Enter the name of the group to save it for future messages.
    15. FIGURE 11-15: Live Chat is accessed by tapping the movie camera icon at the top ...
    16. FIGURE 11-16: Your contact is notified that you’d like to live chat.
    17. FIGURE 11-17: You are notified about new direct messages by a red circle with th...
    18. FIGURE 11-18: To delete a message on iPhone, swipe left and tap More. From there...
    19. FIGURE 11-19: A page showing your message requests appears and lets you choose w...
12. Chapter 12
    1. FIGURE 12-1: View stories by tapping a profile picture at the top of your newsfe...
    2. FIGURE 12-2: You can see who saw your story by tapping on the Seen By link at th...
    3. FIGURE 12-3: View stories from a person’s profile page by tapping his profile pi...
    4. FIGURE 12-4: On iPhone, tap the X at the top right of a story to exit. On Androi...
    5. FIGURE 12-5: Send a message by tapping in the Send Message box and typing.
    6. FIGURE 12-6: Use the slider at the bottom to choose your viewing method and tap ...
    7. FIGURE 12-7: The best size for a story image is 1,080 x 1,920 pixels.
    8. FIGURE 12-8: Access the story camera from the Home page by swiping right, tappin...
    9. FIGURE 12-9: Access the story camera from your profile page by tapping your prof...
    10. FIGURE 12-10: Tap the gear icon at the top of the camera page to access Settings...
    11. FIGURE 12-11: The Story Controls page offers a variety of settings for allowing ...
13. Chapter 13
    1. FIGURE 13-1: @isocialfanz shows his followers the equipment he uses to record hi...
    2. FIGURE 13-2: @MartinHolsinger talks directly to his followers regularly using st...
    3. FIGURE 13-3: @egglestondesigns shows how she made over a messy room using before...
    4. FIGURE 13-4: Tap the white circle in Normal mode to take a basic photo with the ...
    5. FIGURE 13-5: Face filters allow you to take on a whole new persona in your story...
    6. FIGURE 13-6: Swipe up from the bottom of the Instagram stories screen to see ava...
    7. FIGURE 13-7: Each 15-second segment will move down to the bottom left of the scr...
    8. FIGURE 13-8: Find the SuperZoom setting by sliding left from the Normal camera s...
    9. FIGURE 13-9: Find the Boomerang setting by sliding left from the Normal camera s...
    10. FIGURE 13-10: Find the Focus setting by sliding left from the Normal camera sett...
    11. FIGURE 13-11: Available photo and video thumbnails are shown and can be selected...
    12. FIGURE 13-12: Use the Create function to create a text-only post, or slide the i...
    13. FIGURE 13-13: Tap the down arrow at the top of your screen to Save a Story befor...
    14. FIGURE 13-14: Tap the three dots at the bottom of your screen and then tap Save ...
    15. FIGURE 13-15: From the Settings screen, slide the Save to Camera Roll button rig...
    16. FIGURE 13-16: Access archives by tapping the clock at the upper left of your Pro...
    17. FIGURE 13-17: Old stories are available for you to view and reshare.
14. Chapter 14
    1. FIGURE 14-1: Access story stickers by tapping the sticker icon that looks like a...
    2. FIGURE 14-2: Tagging a small location — in this case, National University — allo...
    3. FIGURE 14-3: Select your location from the list of locations or use the search b...
    4. FIGURE 14-4: Tap the location sticker to choose different color and background o...
    5. FIGURE 14-5: Type the name or username of a person you want to @ mention with a ...
    6. FIGURE 14-6: Use the search bar in the GIF sticker screen to find animations rel...
    7. FIGURE 14-7: In this example, dragging the smiley face will indicate how much wi...
    8. FIGURE 14-8: Use the Question sticker to generate dialogue and participation wit...
    9. FIGURE 14-9: The Quiz sticker allows you to test your followers. Add multiple op...
    10. FIGURE 14-10: The Music sticker allows you to add a music clip of 5 to 15 second...
    11. FIGURE 14-11: Add a picture-in-picture effect to your stories by using the camer...
    12. FIGURE 14-12: Tap and hold any sticker in a story to drag it down to the trash c...
    13. FIGURE 14-13: Select the pencil icon from the story toolbar to access the drawin...
    14. FIGURE 14-14: Doodle tools offer different pen options, different thickness opti...
    15. FIGURE 14-15: Combine drawing tools by overlaying a solid color on top of an ima...
    16. FIGURE 14-16: Instagram stories offer a variety of font options for you to perso...
    17. FIGURE 14-17: Instagram stories offer a variety of font options to choose from.
15. Chapter 15
    1. FIGURE 15-1: When tagged in someone else’s story, you’ll receive a notification ...
    2. FIGURE 15-2: Tap the Send To button on a story to send it to only a select group...
    3. FIGURE 15-3: Navigate to the menu tab on your profile to access the Close Friend...
    4. FIGURE 15-4: Remove anyone from your Close Friends list by navigating to Your Li...
    5. FIGURE 15-5: Easily share a story to your Close Friends list by tapping the Clos...
    6. FIGURE 15-6: The paper airplane icon is the share button to share a post on Inst...
    7. FIGURE 15-7: Sharing a post to your story creates a hyperlinked image back to th...
    8. FIGURE 15-8: Convert an Instagram story into a feed post on your profile by tapp...
16. Chapter 16
    1. FIGURE 16-1: Story Highlights are the series of circles beneath the bio and are ...
    2. FIGURE 16-2: When starting a new Story Highlights gallery, you’ll be able to cho...
    3. FIGURE 16-3: When you access your active stories, you’ll see the Highlight icon ...
    4. FIGURE 16-4: The cover image for your highlight isn’t likely to crop to a nice s...
    5. FIGURE 16-5: Custom covers for highlights offer a creative and appealing way to ...
    6. FIGURE 16-6: Add archived stories to a highlight from the Edit Highlight option ...
    7. FIGURE 16-7: Add archived stories to a highlight by accessing the archived stori...
    8. FIGURE 16-8: Deleting any post from a highlight is just as easy as adding a new ...
17. Chapter 17
    1. FIGURE 17-1: Go live on Instagram (upper left), turn off commenting or questions...
    2. FIGURE 17-2: Use the Questions feature on live video to collect and select quest...
    3. FIGURE 17-3: The two-face icon allows you to invite someone into your live video...
    4. FIGURE 17-4: Guests on a live broadcast will share the screen with you until the...
18. Chapter 18
    1. FIGURE 18-1: There are three locations to access IGTV: on an account’s profile (...
    2. FIGURE 18-2: Watching an IGTV video.
    3. FIGURE 18-3: The IGTV home feed is full of videos from those you follow and thos...
19. Chapter 19
    1. FIGURE 19-1: Follow the series of prompts to set up IGTV after you’ve installed ...
    2. FIGURE 19-2: Select the IGTV tab from your desktop Instagram profile and click G...
    3. FIGURE 19-3: Add an IGTV video by tapping the plus sign (+) and selecting a vide...
    4. FIGURE 19-4: Format your IGTV video by selecting a cover image, giving it a titl...
    5. FIGURE 19-5: Instagram won’t allow previews on your Instagram feed for videos le...
    6. FIGURE 19-6: To add a video to IGTV via the desktop, you can drag and drop a fil...
    7. FIGURE 19-7: Upload your video to Instagram via the desktop following the onscre...
    8. FIGURE 19-8: View, like, and reply to comments on your IGTV video by tapping the...
20. Chapter 21
    1. FIGURE 21-1: Instagram user @maine_blonde does a great job of including human el...
    2. FIGURE 21-2: @canadasmalldog is a feature account based entirely on the life of ...
    3. FIGURE 21-3: This bold photo from @gdamanis emphasizes how a bold pop of red col...
    4. FIGURE 21-4: This image from @tickletreestudio includes plenty of white space in...
    5. FIGURE 21-5: In this image from author Jenn Herman, there is plenty of blue to w...
    6. FIGURE 21-6: In this image, Cleveland Kraut created a great flat lay for @therea...
    7. FIGURE 21-7: A great example of architecture and long lines is this sample from ...
    8. FIGURE 21-8: This image from @joselynmartinez plays up the photographer’s lifest...
    9. FIGURE 21-9: Strategically placed items in this photo from @theyachtstew shows h...
    10. FIGURE 21-10: This photo from @yorkelee_prints puts the product, their framed pr...

Guide

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3. Begin Reading