Transcript January 2013

Instagram for journalists
GateHouse Media
News & Interactive
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Agenda
 What is Instagram?
 Who uses Instagram?
 Why should we use it?
 How should we use it?
 How to use Instagram
 Best practices
 Takeaways
 Conclusion
Agenda
GateHouse and Instagram
Instagram isn’t new (although it’s changing and growing).
Referral traffic isn't as obvious as Facebook and Twitter.
We studied other news organizations before deciding on a
strategy.
Instagram is not required for GateHouse newsrooms.
We think it makes sense for larger newsrooms and those in
competitive markets.
What is Instagram?
 Instagram is a photo/video sharing
app used primarily on iPhones and
Androids that allows you to crop
and apply filters to images and
videos.*
 You assign #hashtags in the
caption so people can find your
item and your followers see it in
their stream.
What is Instagram?
Some stats:
•150 million monthly active users *
•16 billion photos shared *
•55 million is the avg. number of photos shared daily *
•It’s the 3rd fastest growing app in the world (behind Vine and
Flickr) **
SOURCES: *Instagram, Nov. 2013 **GlobalWebIndex, Q1-Q3 2013
What is Instagram?
Some stats:
• Studies suggest teens are leaving Facebook (because their
parents are there!) to go to other social media sites.
• 26% say they prefer Twitter. 23% say they prefer Instagram
(making it tied with Facebook as the second-most important
social network to American teens.)*
• 20% of female, 16% male cell phone users 18+ use the
Instagram app.
• 43% of 18- to 29-year-old cell phone users say they use
Instagram.
SOURCE: Piper Jaffray study 10/2013
What is Instagram?
Some stats:
•1 in 10 teens in the U.S. visited Instagram in Dec. 2011.*
•21% of teens say Instagram is their favorite social media site
(61% say it’s Tumblr). This increased 5% since last year. **
•13% of online adults say they use Instagram.***
SOURCES: *Nielsen **NextAdvisor
***Pew
Who uses Instagram?
News organizations:
• Washington Post: to build community
• Chicago Tribune: posts UGC around weekly themes
• NBC News: weekly callouts related to timely events; behindthe-scenes
• New Yorker: fashion
• Wall Street Journal: callouts, fashion, staff pix, collages
Why should we use it?
Aside from “because our readers are …”
As one poynter.com article sums it up: Whereas Twitter and
Facebook are where you get the news, Instagram is where you feel it.
Promote your photographers’ work.*
Engage with the community.
Expose your brand.
Future potential to connect Instagram
content to websites.
How should we use it?
Large newsrooms
• All large newsrooms should consider setting up an Instagram
account.
• Digital editors and photographers should play a role in posting to
the account.
• Determine what type of content you can consistently post and
develop a schedule for posting. (e.g. every Thursday post an
archive photo, every Friday a best photo of the week.)
• Monitor comments, likes to gauge what YOUR readers want.
How should we use it?
Small newsrooms
•Admittedly, not every newsroom can sustain an Instagram account.
Staff size and regular access to photos may be an issue. However, it’s
not impossible.
•An account can be sustained by highlighting that week’s best photo
and by using reader photos you solicit through Instagram and on
other platforms.
•Consider regional accounts.
•Instagram is tolerant of infrequent posting. Once a week is doable.
Just pick a day.
How to use Instagram
Set up an account
• You have to do this on a smartphone after downloading the
free app.*
• Click on Register
• You will need:
•
•
•
•
Username
Password
Email
Name (real)
Phone (optional)
Photo/logo
Bio
How to use Instagram
Set up an account
• Username
• All one word, 30-character limit
• Can include letters, underscores, numbers
• Use your publication name, abbreviating if necessary
• Real name
• Unsure of character limit
• Use your publication name, abbreviating if necessary
How to use Instagram
Set up an account
•Bio
• 150-character limit
• Make it clear you are a newspaper covering XX region or
town(s).
• Include your email address.
• Indicate if there’s a #hashtag a user should include in their
caption to flag a photo to you. (e.g. #wickedlocal, #rrstar).
How to use Instagram
Set up an account
• Sample account set up:
• Username: WickedLocalPix
• Name: Wicked Local
• Bio: A network of weekly and daily websites in Central and
Eastern Massachusetts; part of GateHouse Media. Share
photos with us using #wickedlocal.
• (no email listed because this is a regional account and there
are only 7 characters left anyway).
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app
• The “buttons” along the
bottom of the page are
how you navigate around
the app.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Home page
• The first button is the home page.
• The home page displays the photos and
videos of everyone you follow. Scroll down
to reveal more.
• Each photo includes a caption, likes and
comments.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Home page
• The … button lets you
tag an item as
inappropriate, tweet it
or “copy share” the URL.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Explore
• The second button is the Explore page.
• You can search for users and hashtags.
• The page also displays most recently
“interesting” photos, as determined by
Instagram. (You’ll be notified in the News
section if one of your photos is ever
displayed there)
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
• The middle button is where you add
and/or take photos and videos to your
account.
• When you click on the middle button, you are brought to a page
that looks the same as when you take a photo on your
smartphone.
• Click on the video icon in the right, bottom corner to instead take
a 3- to 15-second long video and the left button to choose an
existing image from your camera roll.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
• Instagram videos
• You can shoot a video that is one-clip long,
or record several clips that create one
video.
• The maximum video length is 15 seconds (almost 2x as Vine).
For that reason, it’s best to just post these to Instagram – not
also to your website.
• You MUST hold the camera vertically.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
• Instagram videos
• Tap and hold the red video camera record button to start
filming. Let go to stop. Hold again for another clip.
• You can delete the last clip you recorded and do it again.
• You can “flip” the camera to record yourself.
• You can apply filters to the video, but do NOT do that for
journalistic videos.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Instagram videos
• When you’re done, tap Next.
• The finished product is posted to
your Instagram feed and is stored in
your camera roll.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Crop
• All Instagram photos are square,
so cropping is almost always
necessary.
• To crop, pinch and move the image
to appear as you want it.
• Click Crop in the upper, right
corner when you’re done.
• Add #cropped to the caption.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Filter
• You should NEVER filter a
journalistic image for ethical
reasons.
• This page does allow you to rotate
an image, which is sometimes
necessary if it’s upside down.
• Click on the first icon.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Filter
• A new menu of options appears.
• Choose the first one, arrows with
90* in the middle.
• Click on the icon as many times as
needed to correct the image.
• Click Next in the upper, right
corner.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Share
• This page allows you to add a
caption, tag people, add a location
and choose what other social
media platforms on which you
want to share.
• Be as thorough as possible with
your information. Searching is how
non-followers find you.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Share – Add a caption
• You can type or paste into this
field.
• Include as many #hashtags as are
relevant to help people on
Instagram find your photo.
• #tbt=Throwback Thursday
• #photooftheday or #bestoftheday
• #beautiful
• #unfiltered or #nofilter
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Camera
•Share – the rest
• If you think the person is on
Instagram, tag them.
• Add to Photo Map is powered by
FourSquare. Instagram may show
other people in your area this
photo.
• You can post to other social media
(you’ll be asked to connect).*
• Click Share when done.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Following/News
• The fourth button is the Following/News
page.
• Click on Following to check out the activity
of people you follow (e.g. what posts
they’ve liked, who else they are following)
• Click on News to see activity on your own account (e.g. who liked
your photos, who left a comment).
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Profile
• The last button is
the profile page.
• You can edit
your account
settings here by
clicking on “Edit
your Profile” at
the top of the
page. Make
changes and
click Done.
How to use Instagram
Navigate the app – Profile
• You can see a stream of all of your
photos and videos.
• You can also see how many posts
you’ve made, how many followers
you have and how many people
you follow.
• A map reveals from where you’ve
posted items and a listing of
photos from which you’ve been
tagged.
Best practices
Hashtags
•Instagram loves #hashtags. It’s the universal symbol for “show me
everything that matches this keyword.” It’s just about the only way to
find stuff on Instagram (besides searching for a user).
•Tap into the various communities out there – animals, trains, art,
music, fashion, cities, celebrities, politicians, etc.
•Think like a user – what types of photos might you be looking for
and what hashtag would you plug in to find them?
Best practices
Hashtags
•Tap into existing #hashtag trends. You’ll increase the chance of
people stumbling on your image. If they like what they see, hopefully
they’ll follow you.
• Monday: #MondayBlues, #ManCrushMonday
• Tuesday: #TuesdayBoozeday, #TransformationTuesday
• Wednesday: #HumpDay, #WednesdayWisdom
• Thursday: #tbt or #ThrowbackThursday
• Friday: #FridayNight, #FridayReads
• Saturday: #Caturday, #SaturdayShenanigans
• Sunday: #SelfieSunday
Best practices
Frequency
• Instagram users seem tolerant of occasional use, perhaps
once a week. Do not feel obligated to post every day. But do
try to be consistent about when you post so people can look
forward to your images.
• Establish a schedule for posting and assign people
responsibilities. e.g. digital editor posts front page images
every day, photographer posts best of image every Friday.
Best practices
Frequency
•Sample Instagram posting schedule (suggestions only):
• Monday: Back to work (photo from last week of someone on
•
•
•
•
•
•
the job)
Tuesday: An animal photo (call out, adopt-a-pet, candid)
Wednesday: This week’s front page (could be every day)
Thursday: Throwback Thursday (pix from the archives)
Friday: Best photo(s) of the week
Saturday: Photo promoting a story running in Sunday’s paper
Sunday: Selfie Sunday – take a selfie of someone in the
newsroom or in the field, behind-the-scenes
Best practices
Who should you follow?
• Some suggested accounts to follow for information and
inspiration:
• Your competition if they have accounts
• Local businesses, figures, bands
• CNN
• huffingtonpost
• newyorkeronline
• myspacetom
• wsj
Best practices
How can you get followers?
•It takes time to build up a following. Be patient.
•Like and comment on others’ Instagram content.
•Post beautiful photos.
•Use popular hashtags that will expose you to new people.
•Promote your account. Blatantly ask people to follow you.
Best practices
Promotion
•Include a URL to your website in the Instagram caption to let
people know where to find more. It will not be hyperlinked, but
it will introduce your site to newbies.
• SAMPLE CAPTION: A view at the end of the assembly line at
General Motors in #Framingham on Nov. 4, 1987. ARCHIVE
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FITZGERALD #generalmotors #gm
#cars #business #tbt #nofilter #oldphoto #cropped – Find more
photos at www.metrowestdailynews.com.
Best practices
Promotion
• Cross promote in print.
• Run a #tbt photo in print the same day
you post it on Instagram. In the print
caption, encourage the reader to find
more on your Instagram account.
• Run a house ad in print promoting your
Instagram account.
• Run a callout in print that includes the
#hashtag to use when posting it on
Instagram.*
Best practices
Promotion
• Add a Hotlink/Featured link on your website.
• File a Zen and request an Instagram button be added.
• Post a story promoting Instagram on your site.
• Post a promo on other social media platforms.
Takeaways
Consider Instagram
•Share your photographers’ great work.
•Engage with the (younger) community.
•Establish a schedule; share the workload.
•Follow the pack – tap into existing # trends.
•Be creative and have fun!
Conclusion
This is another social media platform that we should attempt to
get a foothold in while it’s still growing.
Since the demands of participation are not as strict as a site
such as Facebook, it seems worth the effort to try to be
involved.
It’s a way to spotlight cool photos and videos. It’s another way
to get our brand in front of people who may not otherwise
know us, and to plant the seed in their mind that we are a
reliable source when they are looking for information.
Questions?
Contact:
Nicole Simmons
[email protected]
Instagram: WickedLocalPix
Twitter: Digital_Nicole
508-626-3923
Instagram for journalists
GateHouse Media
News & Interactive