How to use Instagram
All your friends are talking about Instagram: a photographic social network, owned by Facebook, which allows you to share photos and short videos online, applying various filters and effects to the latter. Driven by curiosity, you too would like to subscribe to this social network but, not being very skilled with technological means, you would like a hand to understand how to use Instagram.
How do you say? Is this really the case? So don’t worry: in this guide of mine, I will provide you with all the useful notions regarding the operation of this famous photographic social network, showing you how to use it both on smartphones (via its official app for Android and iOS) and on computers (from the Web and via application for Windows 10).
Courage: sit down comfortably, pay attention to the directions I am about to give you and try to put them into practice. I am sure that, at the end of the reading, Instagram will have no more secrets for you. Let it bet? At this point, all I have to do is wish you a good read and, above all, a good time!
How to use Instagram from your mobile
If you want to know how to use Instagram on your smartphone, pay attention to the instructions in the next chapters, in which I will explain in detail how to use the official Instagram app for Android and iPhone.
How to register and login to Instagram
The first step you need to take to sign up and access Instagram is to download the social network’s official app for Android or iPhone.
After opening the app tab in the default store of your smartphone, install the latter by pressing the Install button. If you are using an iPhone, you may be asked to verify your identity using Face ID, Touch ID or enter your iCloud account password.
At this point, press the Open button, to start Instagram, and register to the social network: you can choose to press the Continue button as [your name], to subscribe via Facebook, or to press the Subscribe button by phone or e-mail, to register via your phone number or email address.
If, on the other hand, you already have an account and want to access Instagram, press the Login button and log in with your Facebook profile, click on Continue as [your name], or with the combination of username and password you have chosen during registration.
Well: now you have entered Instagram and you can start using this well-known social platform. The app interface is very intuitive: at the top, there are the camera icon (to create stories), that of IGTV and that of Instagram Direct (to send private messages to other users); below are the stories and the feed with the contents of the profiles followed, while at the bottom of the screen there are the navigation icons: the small house to view the Instagram feed, the magnifying glass to view the most interesting content of the moment and search for others based on various criteria, the [+] symbol to post new content in the feed, the heart to view the likes and the interactions of other users and the little man to access the management page of your profile. Let me explain everything to you in more detail.
How to use Instagram to post photos and videos
The most used feature of Instagram is that relating to the publication of photos or videos in posts. To use it, press the (+) button located in the app’s bottom menu, and refer to the Photos and Videos sections, to take or record multimedia content on the spot.
If, on the other hand, you want to import content already present in the memory of your device, press on the Library item and, after selecting the photo or video of your interest, tap the Next button. Now, if you want, edit the content via Instagram’s editing tools (Edit); write the accompanying caption of the post and publish it by pressing the Share button.
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How to use Instagram Stories
Another widely used feature of Instagram is that which allows you to create stories, that is multimedia content, always composed of photos, videos or writings, visible in a special section of the app for only 24 hours.
To publish a story, tap the camera icon, located in the top left corner of the app. Then press or hold the shutter button, depending on whether you intend to take a photo or record a video.
If, on the other hand, you want to upload a multimedia element already present in the Gallery of your device to the stories, click on the gallery icon located at the bottom left and choose the photo or video of your interest.
Once this is done, if you wish, modify the newly imported content using the tools integrated into Instagram, such as filters (the smiley icon), the stickers (the square smiley icon) or the special effects (Boomerang or Superzoom), etc.) and, when you have finished editing, press the Your Story button to publish the story.
If you have any doubts or problems, check out my tutorial on how does Instagram Stories work, where you can find more information on how to proceed.
How to use Instagram Live Rooms
Would you like to make a live stream on Instagram but you don’t know how to do it? In this case, do not worry as through the social network app for Android and iOS. you can easily start live streams and, in addition, through the Rooms feature, you can invite up to three followers to join the live stream.
Having said that, to do this, first start the app of the well-known photographic social network and log in to your account. Then, on the main screen, swipe to the left, in order to launch the Instagram camera.
Once this is done, press Live and then press the round button to start the transmission. Wait, then, for the live connection, then, if you want to invite your followers, press the camera icon located in the lower right corner and, in the menu that is shown to you, type the names of up to three users you want to participate in the live streaming, using the search engine that is shown to you, to search for their names.
At this point, put the checkmark on their names, to select them and send them an invitation, by pressing the Invite button. If they agree to participate in your live stream, the screen will be divided into several parts, so that up to a maximum of four people can conduct the live stream.
At the end of the broadcast, click on the X icon, then, to stop it, click on the Stop video button. Finally, choose whether to publish the live video on Instagram (Share on IGTV), whether to save the video in the memory of your device (Download the video) or whether to delete it (Delete multimedia content).
How to use Instagram from PC
Would you like to know how to use Instagram from PC? No problem, but I must inform you that Instagram can be used from a computer either by connecting to its official website or by downloading its application for Windows 10.
Unlike the app for Android and iOS, however, both versions for computers have some limitations: in this case, through the website, it is not possible to publish photos and videos in posts or stories (if not by changing user agent), while he application for Windows 10 only offers content sharing in stories, with limited editing tools.
For the rest, there is not much to explain: just log in with your account and proceed just like you do on a smartphone.
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How to use Instagram Direct on PC
If you want to use Instagram Direct on PC and chat with other users of the social network, you must use the Instagram client for Windows 10, downloading it from the Microsoft Store (by pressing the Get button).
After starting the Instagram desktop client and logging into your account, you can use the Instagram Direct tool by pressing the airplane icon located in the upper right corner of the screen.
Then click on the (+) button to start a new conversation and choose the user you want by clicking on their name. Then press the Next button to access the chat, through which you can send text messages (Write a message) or multimedia (the gallery or camera icon), by pressing the relevant buttons you see on the screen.
How to use Instagram from Facebook
Would you like to be able to manage your Instagram profile from Facebook, perhaps acting as a PC? This can also be done by using official services.
The official solution for using Instagram from Facebook is the one that involves the use of the Create post feature of the Creator Studio tool, available for corporate Instagram accounts that have been connected to a Facebook page.
This tool allows you to publish and schedule posts on Instagram, but also to publish videos on IGTV and is therefore very useful for managing your Instagram account from a PC.
How to use Instagram TV
Instagram TV, also known as IGTV, is the Instagram video sharing platform, integrated directly into the social network app and accessible via the TV icon located at the top right. It is also available as a separate app for Android and iOS.
On IGTV it is possible to see and publish videos for free (following the registration of a channel), which are characterized by their vertical format and their duration, up to 60 minutes. You can also post videos from your PC, via the official Instagram website or using Facebook’s Creator Studio tool.
How to use Instagram for business
If your intent is to use Instagram for business, I suggest you make the free transition to an Instagram business account, by connecting a Facebook page: you will thus obtain several advantages, such as the possibility of using the Instagram Ads tool, to create advertising content for payment.
To carry out this step, you need to use the Instagram app, for Android or iOS. After logging into your account, go to the Settings menu and follow the path Account> Switch to a professional account. Then enter all the required data to complete the connection procedure and switch to an Instagram business account.
How to use Instagram to make money
Many are wondering how to use Instagram to make money. If you also ask yourself the same question, you must know that to succeed in this intent, you must create collaborations with companies and brands. For this purpose, however, you must have a very popular Instagram profile, so that companies decide to invest in it as an advertising form. It requires a huge amount of followers from Italy and other countries and a lot of likes in your profile. So you may look for the best sites to buy Instagram likes and followers to achieve your target engagement.
How to use Instagram to sell
If you have a business account, you can sell on Instagram through the Shopping features of the social network, which is linked to that Showcase of the connected Facebook page.
In this way, you will be able to insert particular Tags within the photos published in the posts that refer to the purchase of a product.
If you need more information on this, I suggest you read my guide dedicated to the topic.
How to use Instagram Ads
Among the features dedicated to corporate Instagram accounts, there is also Instagram Ads, which allows you to promote the content published in the posts or stories of the famous photographic social network for a fee.
This promotion can be carried out directly from the Instagram app for Android or iOS, as it is sufficient to press the Highlight button visible in the posts and stories published within the social network.
For more information on this, read my tutorial on how to promote your Instagram.
