Instagram is my most favorite app on my iPhone. I posted my first picture on Instagram on December 28, 2010. How do I even know that? A little awesome website called Statigram told me so. Statigram also told me that there are 4257 comments and 17,779 likes on the photos that I’ve posted on Instagram. Pretty cool, right?
What is Instagram? Instagram is a photo sharing site. Instagram is a fun and free way to share your life through photos via your mobile phone device whether it be an iPhone or Android.
Instagram just released for the Android, and had 5 Million downloads in 6 days. Which means, there are a ton of new users. Also, I’m sure that you might have heard, that Facebook recently purchased Instagram for one billion dollars. That is a lot of zeros.
Although Instagram sold-out to the Facebook overlords, I’m not quite ready to ditch the app just yet, but I am starting to get annoyed with some of the Instagram users on there lately. I’m not the only one who has developed some pet peeves when it comes to Instagram. I polled a couple of my friends, who are active users on Instagram to see what “bugs them” about Instagram.
My Top 10 Things Not To Do on Instagram
1. Instagram Is Not Facebook or Twitter
Please save your thoughts, reflections and updates for those sites. Instagram = Pictures. Got it?
To clarify this: I’m not talking about the text going along with the photo that you post. I’m talking about posting this silly Tweegrams and other notepad things like this.
2. Instagram is not Etsy or E-Bay
We love that you make homemade lovelies, but please pawn off your wares elsewhere. I enjoy seeing your creating your crafts, etc. But I don’t want to see prices and buyers listed in your comments. Awkward much?
3. Post Gross Photos
My friend is a runner, and she follows other runners on Instagram. She loves to see all of the happy runners after races with their shiny metals. But, she loathes seeing photos that some runners post of their black or missing toenails. I mean really, I don’t think that I would even show my husband that gross-ness in person.
4. Re-post Someone Else’s Photo from Online and/or Pinterest Type Sites
I’m noticed more and more photos that are in the “popular” section on Instagram, are actually popular on Pinterest also. They may be a nail paint job, or a certain hair-do. They are not your original photos, i.e. thieving teenager who gets 3000 likes on someone else’s photo that they right-clicked or screen shot from the Internetz.
5. Beg People To follow You
If your photos are good, people will follow you. I promise. Don’t leave comments on “popular” posters photos that say, “follow me” or “i love your photos soooo very much, come and check mine out”. That is slightly annoying and a little creepy.
6. Screenshot Your Blog Or Website
If there is a special occasion, new design, etc. go for it. But seriously, you don’t need to screenshot every blog post to say, “hey look, i have a blog, please come look”. Instagram isn’t about promoting your blog, even if it is awesome. Instagram is about photo sharing.
7. Over-sharing Self Portraits
Yes, I think you are pretty, or maybe even beautiful. But really, self-portraits posted every day is a bit narcissistic. I get uncomfortable when I see these posted over and over again by the same people.
8. Using Too Many Filters On Your Photos
There are some really rad post-editing apps for photography on cellphones now. Believe me, I know. I have at least two pages of photography apps on my iPhone. But really, there is only so much you can do when editing photos taken with your phone. Be careful not to use too many filters on your photos. And cross process, I love you, but cross process is turning into the new comic sans of photo edits.
9. Over Posting On Instagram
As a blogger, I get invited to events occasionally. Usually the brand or person hosting the event has some kind of hashtag that they would like you to use during the event and after for tracking purposes. It makes the brand happy to see their hashtag #radbrandisawesome. But I have noticed lately, that there are some bloggers who are over-promoting their events via Instagram. We get it, you are at an event. But posting a photo EVERY five minutes is not memorable for your followers. Go through the photos that you took via your phone, and pick out the best ones. Share those photos throughout the next few days with the hashtag. It will have more ROI (return on investment) for that brand. And you won’t get unfollowed.
10. Not Paying It Forward
Instagram is a photo sharing site. The purpose is share and interact with each other’s photos. I love when people comment on my photos. And I love to give “likes” and comments on other people’s photos. There is nothing better than to take an awesome photo, crop it, add a filter, and then re-size it to perfectly fit in that little IG square….and then get instantaneous comments and likes. Everyone loves praise! Do someone a favor, share the love!
Yes, every once in awhile, I violate my own pet peeves.
But there is a time and place for everything!
What are your Instagram pet peeves?
