Promoting Your Shop With Instagram

One of the best ways to make your shop stand out is with great images.

Instagram is a powerful tool to show off your work and build a following, so we've pulled together our favorite tips to help you get the most out of sharing your pictures. These suggestions can also be applied to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and any other platforms where you want to make your pictures pop.

Instagram best practices

Play it cool. Don't overwhelm your followers with a ton of pictures every day - around 1-2 posts daily is a good rule of thumb. You can bend this rule if you're promoting a rad event or sale, but don’t overdo it.

Get involved. Comment on and like other people's pictures. If someone replies to you, especially if they compliment your work, acknowledge them with a thank you. People do notice.

Edit your shots. Photo editing apps like VSCO give you some great, but not overpowering, filters to use on your photos. Find a few filters you like to develop a consistent look.

Focus and post. Don’t post blurry pictures. Seriously, don’t! If you can’t get a clear shot of what you’re trying to feature, it’s better to not post anything at all.

Mix it up with video. Try your hand at creating a video or gif. Show off your brand new packaging, document your trip to the post office, or whatever else catches your eye. It doesn't have to fancy to be effective.

Give more. Share a special discount code in the comments to reward followers. It goes a long way toward building a loyal fanbase.

Make connections. Once your profile looks lively, link it up with Facebook and any other social networks of choice, and don't forget to let people know they can follow you. They might need to be reminded occasionally, so don't be shy.

Need more help taking great photos? We've got a helpful guide for just that, plus we've partnered with Skillshare to bring you a free online class about shooting a beautiful lookbook, taught by talented designer and photographer Kate Miss.

If you could use a hand navigating the ever-changing waters of social media, get started with our social media primer.

Posting about your Big Cartel shop? Tag @bigcartel and hashtag the caption with #shopindie so we can find you and your awesome work!