Utilizing Features 1: Image Posts
Single Images
Instagram is an image-based social media platform, so it’s likely that the majority of your posts will be images… plain and simple, right? Not quite. While it’s fairly easy to upload images on Instagram, there are a variety of options to consider when you’re deciding on how to present content for viewers.
Sharing a single image is the most straight-forward, common type of post on Instagram, but there are still several options when posting an image. There are visual edits that can be made, such as applying a filter or adjusting the brightness, but there are also additional layers of metadata that can be added to each image.
The image below shows the options when you are posting on Instagram. Not only can you include a caption in the textbox, but you can also tag people, add a location to the post, and add alt text. Each of these add-ons strengthen your Instagram post, as you are adding metadata that will help make your content more accessible and search-able for a broader audience.
A brief break-down of these different options to include on each post:
When considering all of these options, it’s also important to return to the question of content. The format of your post should align with the message of your content. For example, a museum that aims to highlight archival images would likely shy away from heavily editing the photos on Instagram, as this would take away from the integrity of the historic document. On the other hand, a museum focused on science and technology might be riskier in their editing and content design when posting on Instagram.
Multiple Images
Just as a single image can provide a chance to make a striking impact on viewers, multiple images in one post – if utilized properly – can create a lasting impression. Instagram allows users to upload up to 10 photos or videos in a single post. Uploading multiple images can be strategic, but should also be used sparingly, since it can be overwhelming for viewers to have to flip through multiple images.
The example below, from the Unreal Museum Instagram account, exemplifies how multiple images can be used to create visitor intrigue.
The caption asks the visitor to “swipe left” to reveal the second image. This simple instruction, as basic as it may be, allows for visitor interaction. Think about museums didactics that ask the visitor to lift a flap or slide a panel to reveal the full text. These tricks can be gimmicky, but if used properly, this approach can enrich the visitor experience.
The use of multiple images will, of course, depend on the content your museum is sharing via an Instagram account. If you’re highlighting pieces from the collection, sharing multiple images can be a great way to highlight related objects (e.g. two objects from the same display, or two paintings by the same artist). One key thing to keep in mind with multiple images: ensure that the viewer knows that there is more than a single image. Although there is a small visual cue below the image, a series of dots that correspond to the number of images, it is easy for someone scrolling through their Instagram feed to miss the additional images. You can aid visitors by indicating in the caption that there are multiple images.
Combined Images
This option for sharing static images on Instagram is a hybrid of the single image and the multiple images. To combine multiple single images into one static collage-style image, Instagram has a photo editing app called “Layout” that allows images to be combined into a single image and then shared on Instagram.
First, you need to click the upload button on Instagram to add new content, on the next screen three icons will appear, and the second button (see image below) will direct the uploader to the Instagram Layout app:
Once you proceed to the Layout app, you will have a variety of options for combining multiple photos into a single image. Whether you want to combine two photos into a split-screen, or display up to nine different photos at once, there are various options.
So why use this feature? Let’s return to our earlier example of the Unreal Museum post. The earlier post used multiple images and asked the viewer to “swipe” to reveal the parallel image. With this new post (see below), the two images are combined in a split-screen. By combining these two photos, the post asks the viewer to consider the comparison in a truly side-by-side fashion.
Combining photos and uploading multiple images in a post are two different ways to provoke audience intrigue and interaction. One way isn’t necessarily better than the other, but consider how you want your visitor to interact with the content when you’re choosing your post format. If you want to create striking visual comparisons, a combined image might be best. If you want to create a mini-gallery of sorts with multiple images available to scroll through, multiple images may be the best option.
Boomerangs
Just like combined images, this image feature will require you to install another secondary Instagram app. The “Boomerang” feature allows you to capture a small burst of photos that are then combined into a short video. The effect: an image that appears in motion. This feature is best utilized when you are filming something in motion for 1-3 seconds that will appear intriguing if viewed on loop. Take for example the Boomerang below:
The Boomerang captures one of the exhibits on display at Toronto’s Museum of Illusions, a tunnel that appears to be in motion through an optical illusion. By creating a Boomerang, the Museum can highlight the visually intriguing effect. Even though this feature makes sense for a museum with a lot of visual tricks, there are other intriguing ways to utilize the effect. Does your museum include living collections (e.g. animals in a zoo)? Capturing a spider in motion can be surprising and exciting if captured in a short video. Does your art collection include a sculpture activated by motion? Filming the sculpture can highlight the relationship between art and action. Boomerangs are most successful when they surprise and delight the viewer by transforming the expected static image into an “image in motion.”
To create a Boomerang, you first go to the upload option, as if you were uploading a typical static image. The screen will then display icons that correlate to the different options. One of these icons, the infinity loop (image below) will direct you to the Boomerang app.
Once you are on the Boomerang app, you will have the option to film your mini-video using either the front-facing or outward-facing camera. Once you choose your camera, you can proceed taking your mini-video. The camera will automatically snap a series of photos, and the result will be a mini-video that plays on loop.
Once you have your video you will have the option to either share the video on your Instagram “feed” or your Instagram “story.” To share the Boomerang as a post on Instagram, you will choose the feed option. We will delve into Instagram stories in a separate section of this tutorial.
Instagram is an image-based social media platform, so it’s likely that the majority of your posts will be images… plain and simple, right? Not quite. While it’s fairly easy to upload images on Instagram, there are a variety of options to consider when you’re deciding on how to present content for viewers.
Sharing a single image is the most straight-forward, common type of post on Instagram, but there are still several options when posting an image. There are visual edits that can be made, such as applying a filter or adjusting the brightness, but there are also additional layers of metadata that can be added to each image.
The image below shows the options when you are posting on Instagram. Not only can you include a caption in the textbox, but you can also tag people, add a location to the post, and add alt text. Each of these add-ons strengthen your Instagram post, as you are adding metadata that will help make your content more accessible and search-able for a broader audience.
A brief break-down of these different options to include on each post:
- Caption: This is the text that accompanies your image. The length of the caption can vary drastically, but for museum Instagram accounts, the caption is going to be one of the key components in your posts. The captions can contextualize, create intrigue, or direct the viewer to additional resources. In many ways this text that accompanies the image can be thought of like interpretive text.
- Tag People: This option, while not appropriate for every post, can be a great option to engage with other institutions, individuals, and groups. The feature can be used literally, to tag someone who appears in the image, or you can tag people in a post that relates to them in some manner. For example, the Unreal Museum offers programs with a local community outreach group, so they might tag this group when promoting the programming.
- Add Location: This feature is a simple way to broaden your audience. Many Instagram-users search content based on location, so including a “geo-tag” is a great way to reach a regional audience that might not be aware of your institution.
- Add Alt Text: For museum professionals, this is another key feature, as this allows you to write a text describing the image in your post for people with visual impairments that may not be able to see the image. This is basic best practice for accessibility that is easy to implement and important to convey your institution’s dedication to accessibility for all, both online and in-person.
When considering all of these options, it’s also important to return to the question of content. The format of your post should align with the message of your content. For example, a museum that aims to highlight archival images would likely shy away from heavily editing the photos on Instagram, as this would take away from the integrity of the historic document. On the other hand, a museum focused on science and technology might be riskier in their editing and content design when posting on Instagram.
Multiple Images
Just as a single image can provide a chance to make a striking impact on viewers, multiple images in one post – if utilized properly – can create a lasting impression. Instagram allows users to upload up to 10 photos or videos in a single post. Uploading multiple images can be strategic, but should also be used sparingly, since it can be overwhelming for viewers to have to flip through multiple images.
The example below, from the Unreal Museum Instagram account, exemplifies how multiple images can be used to create visitor intrigue.
The caption asks the visitor to “swipe left” to reveal the second image. This simple instruction, as basic as it may be, allows for visitor interaction. Think about museums didactics that ask the visitor to lift a flap or slide a panel to reveal the full text. These tricks can be gimmicky, but if used properly, this approach can enrich the visitor experience.
The use of multiple images will, of course, depend on the content your museum is sharing via an Instagram account. If you’re highlighting pieces from the collection, sharing multiple images can be a great way to highlight related objects (e.g. two objects from the same display, or two paintings by the same artist). One key thing to keep in mind with multiple images: ensure that the viewer knows that there is more than a single image. Although there is a small visual cue below the image, a series of dots that correspond to the number of images, it is easy for someone scrolling through their Instagram feed to miss the additional images. You can aid visitors by indicating in the caption that there are multiple images.
Combined Images
This option for sharing static images on Instagram is a hybrid of the single image and the multiple images. To combine multiple single images into one static collage-style image, Instagram has a photo editing app called “Layout” that allows images to be combined into a single image and then shared on Instagram.
First, you need to click the upload button on Instagram to add new content, on the next screen three icons will appear, and the second button (see image below) will direct the uploader to the Instagram Layout app:
Once you proceed to the Layout app, you will have a variety of options for combining multiple photos into a single image. Whether you want to combine two photos into a split-screen, or display up to nine different photos at once, there are various options.
So why use this feature? Let’s return to our earlier example of the Unreal Museum post. The earlier post used multiple images and asked the viewer to “swipe” to reveal the parallel image. With this new post (see below), the two images are combined in a split-screen. By combining these two photos, the post asks the viewer to consider the comparison in a truly side-by-side fashion.
Combining photos and uploading multiple images in a post are two different ways to provoke audience intrigue and interaction. One way isn’t necessarily better than the other, but consider how you want your visitor to interact with the content when you’re choosing your post format. If you want to create striking visual comparisons, a combined image might be best. If you want to create a mini-gallery of sorts with multiple images available to scroll through, multiple images may be the best option.
Boomerangs
Just like combined images, this image feature will require you to install another secondary Instagram app. The “Boomerang” feature allows you to capture a small burst of photos that are then combined into a short video. The effect: an image that appears in motion. This feature is best utilized when you are filming something in motion for 1-3 seconds that will appear intriguing if viewed on loop. Take for example the Boomerang below:
The Boomerang captures one of the exhibits on display at Toronto’s Museum of Illusions, a tunnel that appears to be in motion through an optical illusion. By creating a Boomerang, the Museum can highlight the visually intriguing effect. Even though this feature makes sense for a museum with a lot of visual tricks, there are other intriguing ways to utilize the effect. Does your museum include living collections (e.g. animals in a zoo)? Capturing a spider in motion can be surprising and exciting if captured in a short video. Does your art collection include a sculpture activated by motion? Filming the sculpture can highlight the relationship between art and action. Boomerangs are most successful when they surprise and delight the viewer by transforming the expected static image into an “image in motion.”
To create a Boomerang, you first go to the upload option, as if you were uploading a typical static image. The screen will then display icons that correlate to the different options. One of these icons, the infinity loop (image below) will direct you to the Boomerang app.
Once you are on the Boomerang app, you will have the option to film your mini-video using either the front-facing or outward-facing camera. Once you choose your camera, you can proceed taking your mini-video. The camera will automatically snap a series of photos, and the result will be a mini-video that plays on loop.
Once you have your video you will have the option to either share the video on your Instagram “feed” or your Instagram “story.” To share the Boomerang as a post on Instagram, you will choose the feed option. We will delve into Instagram stories in a separate section of this tutorial.
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