The following is a guest post by Steve Stretton.

It was great news when Instagram finally became available on Android (OS) to hipsters and photo enthusiasts everywhere on April 3. The great thing about Instagram is that it allows you to take photos and then apply digital filters after which you are allowed to share it on other social sites such as Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. You can also choose to post the photos directly on Instagram instead of sharing on other social sites.

Intagram is not just any photo sharing social site, it’s much more than that. Most of its appeal lies in the fact that it’s original. Photos posted on Instagram are framed in a square shape, something that was common to the old times’ Instamatic or Polaroid photos. Instagram allows the use of digital filters which allow a person to use their artistic side to make the pictures look better. Intagram is therefore versatile in more ways than one.

The versatility of this photo sharing application is portrayed in the fact that now it can be used by anyone who has an iPhone or Android phone. You are therefore eligible to access the platform from the above mentioned platforms. If you were questioning yourself about what you need to access Instagram, now you know.

Now armed with information of what you need, you are probably wondering what you would use it for. Good question. Apart from adding to your list of social media forums, Intagram gives the user an opportunity to keep in touch with friends and family in a unique way. That said, it can be used for pleasure or for doing business. The decision is yours to make when all is said and done.

The way Instagram is created, it works on the go. That’s to say that the application allows one to capture a photo using their iPhone or Android device and immediately upload their picture on Instagram for public viewership. Since it works on mobile devices and you have your phone with you most of the time, it means that you can let the rest of the world see what interests you any time of day or night.

Intagram for business

Instagram can serve as an effective tool in relation to doing and transacting business. Truth be told, it’s never easy to stay fresh and relevant over social media. The good news here is that Instagram is not a complete social media platform. It’s more of an add-on to all the platforms out there. You are most likely already talking about your business or brand on the well known social media websites, right? If you answered no to this question, perhaps it’s about time you thought about doing that. It helps your contacts see the softer more human aspect of you and your business. The well known social media websites have over the years become flooded with images and its better that you use Instagram to post your pictures as opposed to posing directly on Facebook or Twitter for instance.

1. Take a photo of your brand, adjust the lighting to make it a bit visible and share it through your preferred social media forum.

2. Tag your picture(s). Always have a descriptive tag associated with the image for instance #development, #architecture or #design. Tagging your photos makes them much easier to find and in effect much more business for you. If you want to direct more traffic to an otherwise serious or geeky website, try sharing photos tagged #PhotoOfTheDay or #Funny.

Social media is all about sharing and if Instagram is to make any difference for your business, you need to share your photos. Instagram has a better impact as compared to other social websites since it allows one to post visual updates. Sharing your pictures allows you to meet people with whom you share common interests and therefore giving you an opportunity to grow your business.