In this fifth episode of our complete guide to Instagram, we want to introduce three original ways to use Instagram Direct, a new feature launched in December 2013 to send pictures to a small group of people.
A message to those who still haven’t used Instagram Direct. What are you waiting for?! It opens up a world of possibilities for interaction with your followers. Available for iOS and Android, with this feature you will be able to send a private photo or video to one or more contacts (with a maximum of 15).
Before introducing this feature, the social network offered only two privacy settings: public or private. Your pictures were therefore to be seen by either the world or your followers. To be honest, it wasn’t a sustainable situation for one of the world’s largest social networks.
Related story: Instagram guide: Protecting and sharing your profile
There are two ways to start a conversation on Instagram Direct. For the first one, all you have to do is go to your home page and click on the mailbox icon in the top right corner. The second option is to choose Instagram Direct on the last screen, just before you share the photo or video.
There are two ways to start a conversation on Instagram Direct
Now that you are familiar with Instagram Direct, it’s time to discover three specific uses that can surprise your followers, increase your visibility or simply help you get the most from it.
1. Invite friends to a party or event
Instagram Direct does much more than just sharing a picture. After you’ve shared a photo or video – in other words, you can’t start a conversation without sharing something – your chosen followers can comment on the publication.
That’s why Instagram Direct becomes the ideal tool to send a personalized invitation to your closest friends. You’ve organized a party? Send your friends a preview of what they will miss if they don’t go. They won’t be expecting that!
Send an invitation to your friends via Instagram Direct. They won’t be expecting that!
An alternative for organizing a party or get-together: Doodle
2. Share a private photo or video with your friends
Since it’s a completely private communication channel, Instagram Direct offers a retreat from the bustle of hashtags and your news feed. A private group (limited to a maximum of 15 followers) is perfect if you want to comment on the newest addition to the family, your favorite band’s new album or the results of yesterday’s game.
Only the selected followers can see and comment on what you’ve published
An alternative for sharing private pictures or contents: WhatsApp
3. Offer unique content to your followers
Are you behind a successful blog? Are you an entrepreneur or a CEO crazy for new technologies? Then this is what will grab your attention! Big brands can also make the most of Instagram Direct to launch marketing campaigns.
Instead of speaking to the hundreds or even thousands who follow you, why don’t you choose 15 lucky winners and interact with them via Instagram Direct? This is a qualitative approach that your followers will enjoy!
An alternative for organizing a give-away: Twitter
A feature struggling to find its audience
It seems that Direct Instagram is struggling to find its audience. However, we can imagine that new uses, whether commercial or not, will soon appear. What we know for sure is that with the Direct function, Instagram has stepped into the world of instant messaging for smartphones.
For more information on this competitive and coveted sector, you can find our comparison of messenger apps for Windows.
Read our Complete guide to Instagram to get all the info you need to become an Instagram pro!
