As Jesse Nelson will tell you, a picture is worth a thousand words. He is the only photographer here at Evergreen Media and has to juggle lots of photoshoots. When he isn’t working his magic for the magazines, he is updating his Instagram with pictures from his latest adventures.
With 2,500 followers on his account @jessebrownnelson, Jesse has some Instagram advice for beginners.
His biggest tip is to shoot what you love. Jesse loves hiking in the Black Hills, so his Instagram is full of pictures from Black Elk Peak, Custer State Park, and Devils Bathtub with his best friend and loyal dog Marley at his side.
When snapping pictures, keep in mind that the background is just as important as the subject. Pick appealing backgrounds like a scenic forest, a waterfall, mountain range, or just a clean room. These backgrounds will stimulate the viewers and give you plenty of likes!
As for the marketing aspect of Instagram popularity, decide on an audience. You will build a better following when your photos are around a central theme. Jesse likes taking pictures of nature, so his followers know what to expect of his posts. Posting pictures of varying subjects like food, wildlife, selfies, fashion, and drawings will leave potential followers confused if they would enjoy your content or not.
Do research on popular hashtags and proudly use as many relevant hashtags as possible. The maximum number per post is 30, so find out the best hashtags for your topic and go to town with it!
“Hashtags are crucial. They are what get your images out for people to see. There is a stigma that using hashtags is lame and takes up space, but it is essential to gaining followers and getting your images seen by the people you want to see them,” explained Jesse.
To get inspiration and ideas, follow industry leaders whose Instagram profiles you admire.
Getting several thousand followers won’t happen overnight, but if you follow Jesse’s advice your photos will soon be raking in the engagement numbers.
