#DigitalJedi Instagram Training Stage 1: #SocialPadawan
Do you know your stories from your highlights? Your showcases from your boomerangs? I hope you’ve brought your lightsaber because this 5-step guide will take you from a #SocialPadawan to a #DigitalJedi on Instagram!
Most of you will have heard of Instagram or may already have an account. Instagram is a photo and video-sharing platform owned by Facebook. Instagram is a firm favourite among under 35s due to its ease of access and wide-reaching potential. With over 1 billion people using Instagram every month, you MUST make Instagram part of your #SchoolMarketing.
This first stage of training will give you the skills you need to start out on Instagram. A good foundation is essential for any social media strategy, as well as planning. Without planning, content can just become noise without a clear objective. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place! If you follow our TOP tips, you’ll be a #DigitalJedi in no time!
Let’s commence your training!
Stage 1: #SocialPadawan
So you’ve downloaded the app. You have loads of photos saved and ready to start out on this new platform, but HOLD ON a second! Before setting up any account, it’s well worth having a good think about your social naming. Consistent naming across platforms gives you that extra brand awareness that you’ve been looking for and makes you easily discoverable for people searching for your school. A good tool to check availability of naming is www.namecheckr.com, which allows you to enter a handle and see if it is available across all platforms. If it isn’t, go back to the drawing board and come up with a naming convention that is.
Once you’ve selected your naming, you’ll need to complete your bio. This small section gives you a chance to say a little bit about yourself and what you do. As a school, a simple description of where you are and how old your students are will suffice here. We also recommend including your main school hashtag (strapline) so that users can jump on this and know your official hashtag (ENGAGEMENT, ENGAGEMENT, ENGAGEMENT).
143 Likes, 0 Comments - Radley College (@radleycollegeoxon) on Instagram: "Sunshine over Radley #RadleyPlace #RadleyChapel"
There’s just one more step that we recommend before posting your first photo. Have a look on other school accounts or business accounts to see the type of content they are sharing. OR what content they are NOT sharing but should be! Instagram should be your so-called vanity profile. Here, you should be sharing your best photos, such as your beautiful school buildings, modern sports centre, or frosty school field. Instagram is not the platform to be sharing 10 posts per day of normal activities that your students are doing. It’s not about the people, it’s about the place! It’s your showcase of the best of the best! The truly WOW photos.
The final step to becoming a #SocialPadawan on Instagram is, of course, sharing your first photo! Choose a high-resolution photo that you think would really grab people’s attention. Check out our blog on how to take the perfect smartphone photo for tips on how to capture this with just your mobile.
Once you have chosen your photo, it’s time to describe it. Use short and snappy captions including some of your main school hashtags. As Instagram is more of a vanity profile and likes, comments, and shares are important, you could also use some more generic hashtags here to make your content easily discoverable. Once your photo is tagged up and ready to go, click SHARE et voilà, you’re good to go.
That is the end of Stage 1 but just the beginning of your training, young #SocialPadawan. Fill in the form below for FREE and EXCLUSIVE access to the next stages of training. These next stages will include some of our TOP tips to drive engagement and interesting advanced features to Instagram that you didn’t even know existed!