A blueprint for Insta-success.
The specific tactics in Song's book will be most useful to style and fashion 'grammers, but the general principles are designed to help anyone grow and improve on the photo-based social media platform. From taking great pictures to setting up shots, posting frequency to avoiding cliches, Song walks you through all the rules...and then tells you when to break them!
The chapters are set up so that you can skip around to the things that suit your needs best. "The Ins & Outs of Instagram" will benefit complete n00bs, while "Capture Your Style" is specifically tailored to the fashion 'grammer, with heavy emphasis on the #OOTD. "Become A Storyteller" offers pointers on how to make your Instagram cohesive and well-designed. "Find & Grow Your Audience" is for those who want to blow up big, and "Instagold" gets into the nitty gritty of working with brands and other high-concept business-oriented stuff. Even if you're not planning on trying to be famous, the information here is very interesting and relevant to anyone who curates their company's Instagram account, and can make your personal account seem more polished and put-together. Loaded with examples from Song's own account, the book is a master class in Instagram.
The most useful section for the average Instagram user is #SelfieSchool, which painstakingly walks you through the process of taking THE PERFECT SELFIE OMG. Even if your normal style is point-click-shoot #nomakeup #nofilter, you're going to want, at some point, to take A REALLY NICE SELFIE WHEN YOU LOOK SUPER CUTE. Maybe it's a special occasion, or maybe it's just an #Ifeelpretty day - trust me: read the section. You'll thank us both later.
I playtested a number of Song's suggestions and, much to my surprise and delight, increased the number of likes and followers I've been getting. There's no way I plan to spend as much time and effort on Instagram as she does, but if my mild and modest tweaks can improve my own piddling Instapresence, imagine what Song could do for your feed if you're ready to get serious. Highly recommended, with the caveat that some of the apps mentioned may be outdated, given that the book is 2 years old (or not, but double-check, because two year in tech time is #forever). Highly recommended for medium to large collections, particularly in urban areas where aspiring fashionistas are everywhere.