Is Instagram a Fad?

Instagram is the latest social networking site to be up on the internet. The question is: is it a fad? And the answer: Heck no. Instagram, like Facebook, is the product of a lot of work, a lot of thought, and a lot of investment.

The makers of Instagram connected with a former employee of Facebook who helped them, in turn, launch their application. Ever since, the application has gained popularity in a manner not similar to MySpace. It was like Facebook with a mash up of Twitter: celebrities started getting Instagram accounts to post pictures on Twitter. Soon enough, the application caught on.

Whether it is because of the instantaneous gratification of posting a picture and getting feedback, or because the application acts as a way to demystify celebrities lives, Instagram is going strong and it is here to stay.
There is something beautiful about the communities on Instagram, even when people are grumpy, they still are interacting in a way that is not available on Facebook or even MySpace. People complement each other, connect with each other, and they can do that without sitting in front of a computer. They can do this from their phones or iPod touches.

In an article called Facetagram Photo Opportunity, published in the Economist, the writer says, Instagram has proved irresistible largely because of two big trends that are transforming the technology landscape. The first is the rapid rise of the mobile internet, which is being driven by a proliferation of smartphones and wireless broadband connections. The second is the desire of people to be able to share stuff with their pals from wherever they are. These forces have already spawned a number of mobile-phone-focused social networks such as Path and Foursquare.The writer reflects, Instagram has blossomed precisely because it is cooler, less cluttered and less commercial than Facebook.

Not only is it opening doors for other applications, it is also making photography and art easier than ever to share. I would add Vine to the list of applications that Instagram has inspired. It is a video version of the application. There is a newfound confidence found online because people rarely bash each other on Instagram. In my year on the application, I have never seen anyone respond negatively to the other, even with celebs. Instead, people tend to offer constructive criticism and maintain a good respect for boundaries. You can set up your account on private, and thus you can restrict who sees you. You can block or report anyone who bothers you and it is just a safe place.

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Everything You Need To Know About Instagram

When it comes to the social networks, Instagram is still fairly new and there are people out there who do not know how to use it properly. This puts many people off joining, but it is not difficult at all.

If they just took the time to have a look at the App and website, they will see that it is fairly easy to use.

If you want to join Instagram but you are put off by not knowing how to use it, then you should read ahead to know everything there is to know about Instagram.

What is Instagram?

Instagram is a social network that works with pictures only. When you sign up, you are given a profile and you can fill in some details about you, but after that, it is all pictures.

You take a picture, upload it to the App on your phone, or to the website on your computer and then you can give it a name, some tags, and you can even apply a filter.

You can choose to share the picture to other social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, and then once you push share, the picture is live and other people can see it on your profile.

Friends

Like other social networks, you can add your friends so that you see their pictures on your news feed and they see yours on theirs. They don't have to be your friend in real life, but it is better to start off with people that you actually know.

You could also add businesses as friends. For example, if you like taking pictures of sneakers, then you can add all the brands and some of the famous collectors.

Then other people with similar interests will see you on their friends list and they will be more likely to add you as their friend. Once this happens, you will be branching out and you might have friends who you have never met in person.

Tags

You might be wondering what a tag is, since it is mentioned above. Well, a tag is a describing statement or name about your image. For example, if you have a picture of a hotel in Las Vegas, you can tag it with the name of the hotel and the location.

A tag always starts off with a hashtag, so it is easy to find. Then, users will search for keywords and your image will appear in the search results for that tag. Once more people can see your picture, you will start to get a lot more friends.

If you don't add a tag to your image, then no one will see it. Only the people who are on your friends list will be able to see the image. If you want your images to be kept private, then this is fine, but if you want more friends with similar interests, then you should tag your images.

Limit

People tend to go over the top with their tags. They could have an image with over 20 tags on the image. The image will be listed in the search results for these tags, but Instagram will start to limit the amount of tags you use.

If you want to add more friends and reach more people, then you should use your tags wisely. You might be finding out which tag is the most popular and then uploading a picture for that tag.

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What Types of Business Should Consider Using Instagram and Why

Instagram is one of the most misunderstood social media applications in business marketing. Some companies have just don't see the importance in investing the time and energy into selling themselves through pictures. If you are one of those companies, or work for one of those companies, just remember that a picture is worth a thousand words.

What Companies Should Use Instagram?

Instagram can drive sales and increase correspondence just as effectively as other social media channels if not better in a lot of ways. Approximately 75% of businesses are already using Instagram to promote their business and develop a well-rounded social media presence. With the 150 million users that access Instagram, you are missing out on a vast number of potential clients and outreach opportunities if you neglect this important resource.

Every company should use an Instagram no matter what industry you work for. The fact of the matter is that communication is key, and the more resources that you can use to get ahold of customers, the better. Obvious companies to use Instagram would be anyone that has something to do with visual media or physical products; however, that that's not to say that your company won't reap any of the benefits if you happen to sell something such as a service.

What If I Offer A Service?

Let's take for example, nonprofits. Nonprofit organizations work with communities and donors everyday to generate fundraising to showcase all of the great work that they do. Instagram gives nonprofit organizations the opportunity to interact with their donors and volunteers in a unique way so that every can share the experiences that a nonprofit is working toward. If individuals are able to see nonprofit directors and employees in the field and get to know their faces personally, they are going to be far more likely to make continued contributions and wish to join the cause themselves.

Another example to use is a travel agent. Someone who is in the travel and tourism industry doesn't have a product to sell, but they have an experience that can be shared. Posting desirable photos of tropical beach side paradise destinations and showcasing customers who have used your services to visit exotic lands will entice customers to use your business. In the meantime, a travel agent can also engage on an individual level with every client or prospective client to like their travel related pictures and keep up with how their trip is going.

These are just two fields that could successfully use Instagram to their advantage. Practically any service industry or visual product could find a way to use Instagram in their favor to increase sales and reach out to customers. Even getting the opportunity to engage customers in unique ways such as sharing promotional codes via Instagram can benefit you and your business. For every excuse you come up with to avoid utilizing your marketing resources to develop an Instagram account is 150 million other reasons to do so.

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Could Instagram Be the Most-Used Photo App During the Olympics?

It is thought that the extremely popular app Instagram gains a new user every single second. The app has only been in existence for a couple of years, but it has definitely been making waves ever since. Recently acquired by Facebook for a staggering $1billion, and used by more than 40 million people (as of April 2012), could Instagram become the most popular photography app of this year's Olympic Games?

It certainly seems as though it might be: already, if you visit Twitter, you can search hashtags such as #torchrelay and #londonolympics and see a significant number of relevant Instagram photos. There is even an official Olympics' Instagram blog, which suggests that the app could well be one of the big ways to capture and share the experience of the upcoming 2012 Games.

More than a billion photos have been uploaded to Instagram so far, and every day, upwards of five million new photos are added according to an infographic on the Digital Buzz blog. That works out at 58 photos being uploaded every single second. And, when we consider just how prevalent smartphones are starting to become and the likelihood that plenty of people will be interested in sharing their experience of the Olympics, it doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to realise that a lot of those people will be sharing their experiences through Instagram.

The one thing that might limit Instagram use during the sporting spectacle is the fact that ticket holders are being deterred from sharing any photos or videos they might take while watching Olympic events. Under the 'conditions for ticketholders', they are only allowed to use their photos for personal use - so that means no sharing through Instagram or other social media platforms.

However, despite these restrictions, there is nothing to stop people outside the Olympic venues sharing pictures through the app. After all, more people will be celebrating the event at home or in the pub than at the Olympic stadium; there are still plenty of opportunities for sharing. Businesses might also decide to utilise Instagram during the Olympics. To name just one example, a competition for the best Instagram picture of an Olympics party could be used by businesses to engage with their audience.

Overall, even though there are some limitations on sharing photos through Instagram during the Olympic Games, it still remains one of the most popular apps out there; the fact that it is social by nature suggests that it could well be the hottest app of the Olympic period.

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Instagram's Effect on the Food Industry

Everyone loves looking at pictures. Whether they are photos of nature or wildlife, photos of family and friends, cooking experiences, or even pictures of fun events, people take pleasure in living vicariously through other individuals via these photographs. This has come to include the interest of seeing a delicious meal that another food enthusiast was able to sit down and enjoy. Over the previous few months, I have really begun to see the affect that Instagram has had on the food industry, whether it is home cooking, eating out or trying new restaurants, people's photographs have proven to be a unique promotional tool for anything food related. Often times, I have had to make a mad dash towards the kitchen cupboards in order to satisfy my cravings after seeing one of these mouth-watering photographs. Chefs that are cooking from home or individuals that have visited a certain restaurant are able to snap quick photos from their phone and post them to social media resources like Instagram for the world to see. As a result, it can spark another's interest in trying that recipe, visiting that food establishment or it may just simply activate that person's hunger for any food.

I have been on Instagram for about one year now and during this period I have really enjoyed seeing the lives of friends and family through pictures and short videos. However, during this time frame, one trend that has really stood out to me was how proud these cuisine fanatics were about their food orders they put in or the meals that they had prepared. Eating is one hobby or activity that is going to be a part of everyone's life and why not share your favorite recipes or cooking experiences with the social world? Any individual with access to the internet can snap photos of their appetizers, main dishes, desserts or even fancy beverages that they were able to consume, upload it to Instagram and within seconds, that tasty photo will be potentially visible to thousands of followers on some of the largest social media resources around the world. In addition to that, there are numerous different apps that will enhance these photos or even dozens of filters that will make the food and beverage item look even more mouth-watering. Even the most unappealing of food items can be made appealing through some of these fancy advancements in technology.

Another fun perk of using Instagram for meals is that this photo app also works with another app called Foursquare, which allows the user to share their location on a map with their followers. Individuals can "check-in" at certain food venues, buildings or other locations to let their friends know what they are up to. From this partnership, I see Instagram as being a unique marketing tool not only because restaurant goers and food consumption specialist are able to take appealing photos of their food and drinks, but they can also attach a location with that photo so if other interested parties want to experience that same menu item then they know right where to find it. Even if Instagram is not considered one of the most effective forms of media right now, I would recommend the free application to any chef, group or small business owner that is looking to promote any product or service.

Over the past year, this unique photo-related application has at times, proved to be sort of a motivator for me by seeing others accomplishments, it has helped me better engage in people's lives that I do not see on a regular basis and it has even brought some awareness to me on certain things like local events or charity information. For example, I have found myself saying things like "well I didn't know they served that food there", or "wow that healthy meal plan has really paid off for that person" or maybe even "dang, I did not know that bar had that fun promotional there last weekend!" and by seeing photos of individual's experiences in this situations, it has lead me to want to try new things, get more involved or not miss another similar event. Now is this going to be the feeling that everyone has who sees these photos? Not likely, but for being a free tool that anyone can use, why would groups and businesses not want to use Instagram as a marketing method? It definitely would not hurt the business or group at all!

Instagram can be a fun tool to utilize for any small business or non-profit that may not be looking to spend tons of money on marketing. For example, I began a kitchen related retail business recently with a blog, Twitter and Facebook page and as a fun marketing method I created a separate Instagram account from my personal account that was strictly for this ecommerce business. It allowed me to upload unique photos to all my other web sites as a way of interacting with my followers and visitors and my website has seen an increase in activity and engagement because of it. Now showing fancy photos of recipes that I prepared or menu items that indulged in will not necessarily sell products or make me a ton of money, but it can promote user engagement on all my pages and that is something that I want for my business.

The promotional photo options are endless and that is why I would really recommend including this resource in one's marketing plan. Business owners like myself can snap and upload pictures of basically anything associated with their business, such as people having a great time using their products, the reactions of individuals tasting new foods, specials or discounts that are being offered for a period of time, or just photos of all the different menu items or product lines that managers and owners want to promote more. In my opinion, Instagram has not become as utilized of a free marketing tool as Facebook and Twitter, but I do think it could eventually reach that point, especially with the ease at which these users can integrate their Instagram with these other major social media sites. From all of this, restaurants and bars can promote their menu options through their visitors at no cost as long as those hungry patrons enjoyed their meal.

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How To Upload Video in INSTAGRAM Tutorial

Fhotoroom Better Option Than Instagram for Windows Phone Users

Windows Phones are designed to offer great photography, as the camera settings are amazing. It is even better than what the iPhone has to offer. A user has a choice to pick lenses while shooting and other such camera apps including white balance and ISO for enhancing shooting experience. However, if you are told that as a Windows Phone user you have a better option than Instagram for better pictures and numerous filter effects then you might be surprised. There is an app called Fhotoroom that is appropriate for you if you are using a Windows Phone. Let us find out details about this app and understand how it is better than other existing photo apps.

How to begin?

Initial phase of installation of Fhotoroom requires permissions that will allow to locate your phone, tap 'yes' to proceed further. The app would require 9 MB of storage space to sit on your Smartphone. Now next thing that you require is an account with the app before installation. You can use your Facebook ID for creating account or register from scratch including your picture.

User Interface (UI)

The welcome screen consists of handles that are similar to Twitter. When you tap any of these you will be directed to the page of a user where you will find Instagram-like collection of pictures. You will also have the option of following a user who is already there on Fhotoroom. One more interesting thing to look at is the ability to switch between three options including Interesting, Popular, and Recent when you start following people. The camera button is placed at the bottom of the app available for shooting.

Capturing

The hassle-free part of using this app is the blue shutter button that helps you capture picture. As soon as you tap the button located at the bottom of the screen, picture will be captured. If you want to access options then tap the gear icon that will reveal Point EV that helps in setting exposure, overlay, timer, Scenic view, Macro and Portrait settings. The front and back buttons will help in choosing different angles for shooting; similarly, flash settings too will enhance your pictures. Fhotoroom offers you Lens app by the name of Fhotolens which is available for $1.49. This gives you the option of shooting with Fisheye and gives you the HDR mode. Just hold the camera firmly to make it work perfectly, as any amount of shaking will ruin the effect.

Editing

Fhotoroom gives you options like Frames, Styles and Editing for enhancing your pictures. Other tools include contrast, brightness, vibrancy sliders, sharpening and clarity. You can choose to make changes by setting b/w points, which helps in creating color balance within a picture containing bright and dark areas.

Basic options like tilt shift, bokeh effects, double exposure and light leak effects are provided. Using the feature of tilt shift, you can adjust any area where you are focusing. You can even utilize it for specific focus area. A circle, an oval or a rectangular focus can be chosen to highlight a specific area in a picture.

Other things include Styles in Filter effects that help in creating distinct look for your picture. You will get 26 filters to choose from as compared to Instagram that only gives you 19 filters. You are given the option of monochrome to cold look including Classic Pro look. You can easily adjust the strength through the slider functionality. For frames you have a huge variety of 24 frames to choose from that include, glass backgrounds, white borders, film sprockets, and much more.

Sharing Options

Sharing options given in Fhotoroom are simple including Skydrive, Facebook and Flickr. You can comment, heart like and follow users. This does sounds similar to what Instagram is offering, however the unique part is that you will be able to have an HD zoom by tapping on a picture. There is a huge user community of this app already; when you join, you will be easily able to find many familiar faces there.

This app is available for free, so, it seems worth it. However, you will need to register to get this app and permit for sharing your phone location to install it.

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