Top Tips

INSTAGRAM

_{What type of Instagram account do I need?}

_{Before we tackle your suggested posts, ads, post content, audience engagement, reels, and maximising reach, we’re going to start at the beginning with your account. What type of account do you have? If it’s a Personal Account, then switch to a Business or Creator Account.} 

_{So what’s the difference between a business and a creator account? Essentially, they’re similar. In short, creator accounts are designed for individual content creators, such as bloggers, artists, etc., and business accounts for organisations. But, many artists find the business account works better for them, especially if you want to add an IG shop.} 

_{To switch accounts:}

_{1. Click on the three lines at the top right of your page.}

_{2. Click Settings}

_{3. Click Account}

_{4. Click “Switch account type” (at the bottom) NB/ If your moving from a personal account you’ll need to select “Professional Account” first}

_{5. Select either the Business or Creator account.}

_{NB/ Make sure your account is public and not private or the hashtag won’t work (see privacy in settings on your IG page).}

_{Doing this will give you much more control and enable you to use ‘Insights’ to better understand your audience. You can also add a shop (in business) or tag products (in creator), add links to highlights, edit contact info, website links, profile and more.}

_{A Business Account gives you:}

• _{Access to Instagram insights}
• _{Ability to add Contact Button}
• _{Your industry will show on your profile}
• _{Ability to add links to your Instagram Stories}
• _{Able to create ads and make Promoted Posts}
• _{Ability to add an Instagram Shop to your account}

_{A Creator Account Gives you:}

• _{Creator accounts offer more insights and information about audience growth and decline.}
• _{They give influencers and brands more details about how or why their audience has shifted.}
• _{Creator accounts provide more details on daily growth and loss.}

^{How to reduce suggested posts, reels and ads from my feed?}

_{This can help you see the artists you follow and not what Instagram wants you to see. Below is IG’s own advice for reducing suggested posts and ads by using the “I’m not interested” option or the “snooze” option. You can also use the “Following” option. This gives you a complete break from IG junk posting.} 

^{How to use hashtags?}

_{ASP uses hashtags to create communities and connect artists and makers to buyers and supporters. But they are easy to misuse or overuse.} 

_{Check out the 9 hashtag types in this post to better understand what they can do. There are a few basic rules for using them effectively. They should be specific to you and what you do. Don’t just add a popular hashtag if it isn’t relevant. Combine hashtags with different levels of popularity so you can reach different audiences. IG recommends 3–5 hashtags per post, but many IG users still find that using the limit of 30 gets the best results. We often use 15 but recommend that however many you use, they are specific and relevant.} 

_{The nine types of hashtag}

• _{Artwork hashtags: Basic descriptors for your artwork, such as # painting or # textiles}
• _{Niche hashtags: These could be terms that describe the type of art you create, such as #landscapes or #abstractart}
  
• _{Instagram community hashtags: for example, #artistsupportpledge or #contemporaryart}
• _{Special event hashtags: These are asp events like #inview or #studioinview}
  
• _{Location hashtags: Even if you geo-tag your Instagram post, it can still be a good idea to include your location, like #newyorkart or #londonart}
• _{Daily hashtags: Make day or time-specific hashtags, such as #sundaystudio or #nightstudio}
• _{Relevant phrase hashtags: These are phrases that connect you to existing communities, such as #agenerousculture or #agenerousspace} 
• _{Acronym hashtags: Some of these are well known, such as #TBT for Throwback Thursday or #WIP for Work in Progress} 
  
• _{Emoji hashtags: These hashtags can be fun and include emojis on their own, like #❤️🧑‍🎨 or words with emojis attached, like #art 🌈}

_{Take action:}

_{1. Make lists of different types of hashtags you’d like to use, then save them for use in your posts.} 

_{2. Update and add new hashtags to your list on a regular basis.}

_{3. Try typing a hashtag you’ve used previously and see what similar options auto-populate in the search.} 

_{4. Keep rotating between the hashtags to find the best mix.}

_{5. Make your own hashtag related to yourself or your work, such as #joebloggsstudio or #blackpaintings.}

NB/ This page is being updated so do return over the next few days to see more content