How do you (yes you!) use instagram effectively?

[Ban]

I've recently decided to use Instagram as my main tool for spreading my artwork, woks like the one attached below. Perhaps later on I will use it as a launching board for some of my writings as well, but the art has priority. My question to those of you who use instagram, is how do you use it effectively? What hashtags work best? Niche, generic, both? How do you find these hashtags? And how do you get people to follow you? Any and all tips are appreciated.

 

[Danskin]

I'm more familiar with FB and Twitter, but I think it's good to use all of them, and IG is obviously idea for visual media. I have just started an author account (jf_danskin) and would be happy to follow and share your work. As to hashtags, #fantasyfiction seems to be a big one, but I'd suggest just using as many as possible

 

[skip.knox]

My question is always, how can you tell what works? IG or Pinterest are fine for posting photos, but I've never been able to figure out how one can track that over to making sales.

 

[Insolent Lad]

If I ever used a phone to get online—which I don't—I'd be inclined to use Instagram in much the same way I do hoary Tumblr. That is, to boost the poetry side of my writing. But IG is too much trouble to fool with on a PC.

 

[Ban]

I played around with instagram for a while, but I decided that I didn't need to worry so much about building an audience before I had something to sell. I still upload my art from time to time, but it's mostly for the fun of it.

 

[Devor]

I'm not on Instagram and have barely a passing familiarity with it. I'm not on a smartphone (though my wife is) so it's not really on my radar. I don't have an answer for the OP.

But loosely speaking I have doubts about whether a book in development offers enough ancillary content to build an audience on these platforms, and also about whether using other types of content to build an audience will equate to sales. I believe the better strategy for a first-time book is to develop something closer to a sales page and reach out to provide content to other platforms to maximize your reach and minimize your efforts.

My question is always, how can you tell what works?

Isn't that the question? Something like 60% of professional marketing has unproven results.*


*Don't quote me on that - it's by memory from my marketing courses and probably out of date. But the point holds.