The Real Reason You Prefer Facebook Over Instagram

When I first started using Instagram I loved scrolling through my feed because Instagram has an editorial magazine quality that you can look at for what feels like just a few minutes but was actually hours. The issue with using Instagram was when I posted pictures I had no idea why people were not interacting with me. It felt like I was talking to an empty room.

I was totally accustomed to Facebook where I could easily interact with my friends and family. Going from a platform where I could talk to everyone to hearing crickets almost made me consider not using Instagram. When I started to research the best ways to promote a new brand or business for my blog Oh Wize One, all of the industry experts said that Instagram was the best. I thought how can that be? At the time, I could barely average 5 likes on a picture.

One day I sat and scrolled through my favorite Instagram accounts and saw the difference between their Insta feeds and mine. The pictures were captivating and their messages were clear. When I looked at my own feed it was all over the place. If Facebook was my social media home where everyone loved me then Instagram was the cool kid's room and I wasn't wearing the right sneakers.

Here is the deal, if you want to put your brand or product out there you need Instagram. More and more people are being influenced by social media platforms and Instagram is the fasted way to interact with people outside of your friends and family circle. Facebook limits you to people you know but Instagram allows you to interact with people who have the same interest as you. I have increased my Instagram engagement by 70% in the past year. Simply by tailoring my posts to Instagram.

What A Difference A Year Makes

Before my pictures were too grainy and it really wasn't clear what I did. I wasn't promoting myself I was just posting images from my personal Facebook so I could say that I made an Instagram post. I was sharing too many memes and reposts from other Instagram accounts. I don't even think you could tell that I was a blogger before. On the right it's clear that I'm showcasing my style and my life. I still post personal moments but I curate those moments differently if the picture doesn't clearly show what is happening or doesn't represent my brand I don't post it on Instagram.

Photo Quality

Over the past year, I have been training my eye to be more critical of picture quality. On Instagram, a dark image does not stand a chance it will just be scrolled past to the next shiny crisp image. There really isn't anything "wrong" with the image on the left but it's a little too dark and you can't see all of the details of my outfit. In the image on the right, the picture quality is much better. Try not to use Instagram filters that affect the picture quality of your raw image. On Instagram, less is more.

Pretty Products

If you are selling a product on Instagram you need to add visual interest to the product. It's not just enough to take a picture of what you're selling, you have to stage it so people can imagine it in their own space. I now keep a few props on hand when I want to photograph products for Instagram. The top image is not that bad but it needed more dimension I should have spread some glitter in the frame to make it sparkle and lit the makeup pallet a little brighter. The bottom image is staged on a vanity so that you can visually see it as a beauty product.

Your Instagram image is essential for expanding your reach and customer base. Just think of Instagram as a portfolio of your work that you can showcase anytime you pull out your phone.

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