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Instagram Rules: The Essential Guide to Building Brands, Business and Community

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SALES & MARKETING BOOK OF THE YEAR, THE BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS 2021 'Essential for anyone wanting to take Instagram seriously.' – ALEX WOOD, FORBES **************** Boost your business, grow an online community or promote a side-hustle with Instagram Rules.    Instagram is an essential tool for any business, and an estimated 60% of users discover new products via the platform. But how can you use it effectively? Social media expert Jodie Cook breaks it down into 125 bite-sized rules, making Instagram an easy and efficient method for expanding your venture.  Jodie takes you through the most important aspects of running a professional account – strategy, content, community, growth – and drills into the key concepts so that you can apply expert digital marketing knowledge to your profile, no matter the size.Learn the dos and don’ts of post planning; developing a voice; identifying trends; driving a campaign; responding to engagement; and more. Create a personalised Instagram strategy, whatever your business is. Apply insight from interviews with successful users (from Ben & Jerry's and Papier, to freelancers and community groups) and Jodie's own experience working with international brands, celebrities and small businesses. Read as a quick-fire reference or as a step-by-step guide or for effective, focused strategy. Whether you’re a complete noviceshort on time or want to improve your engagement – Instagram Rules makes social media marketing straightforward and hassle-free for any small business or serious Instagram user.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2020

30 people are currently reading
100 people want to read

About the author

Jodie Cook

24 books24 followers
Founder of Coachvox AI and author of Ten Year Career.

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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for abthebooknerd.
317 reviews156 followers
November 5, 2020
Great beginner's guide to Instagram as a new business or influencer.

I really liked reading this one! It was super informative, and I was constantly taking notes. I definitely learned a lot. Would totally recommend if you want to step up your Insta game!

Big thank you to Netgalley + White Lion Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book!
Profile Image for Paula Josina.
764 reviews21 followers
April 17, 2021
First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

Of course, is this only my personal opinion on the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

I really liked this book and it helped me with my Instagram account. It has a lot of interesting information and I liked the way this book was organised. I would recommend this to everyone interested in Instagram and branding.

To be honest, I can´t say more about the book because it's a non-fiction knowledge book but I liked it and I can recommend it to anyone interested in building a brand on Instagram.

Conclusion
I think it's a good book for starters

I give 4 from 5 Stars
Profile Image for J Earl.
2,338 reviews111 followers
November 24, 2020
Instagram Rules from Jodie Cook is an excellent guide for both organizational and personal users of Instagram to get started or improve their impact.

As someone who will soon be starting on Instagram, I came to this book with a mix of apprehension (will it be the SOS?) and anticipation (will it help me get off my rear end?). I am both pleased with the book and thankful I found it.

Is some of it the SOS? Well, of course. Basics of anything must include certain essential elements. As someone who spent some years in outside B2B sales I have found that there is a lot of overlap with the principles of consultative selling and most social media platforms. That is true here as well. But in this case Cook doesn't just dress up old ideas, she brings them into the new environment and seamlessly incorporates the parts that are specific to Instagram.

While this seems to have a strong emphasis on small business use, the same ideas apply and she does not speak exclusively to businesses or organizations. With the emphasis on every person now being a "brand" there really isn't as much difference between what a business will want to do and what an individual will want to do.

I particularly like the layout. Everything is presented in short concise entries. There is not a lot of slogging through excessive theory or rationale and the examples are fewer but more in depth so the reader can grasp both the details and the big picture.

All in all I think this is ideal not just for the new Instagrammer but also the seasoned vet, we all can forget the small things periodically and being reminded of what we know serves to keep us on task.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
945 reviews4 followers
November 18, 2020
Great book, which is perfect for a beginner like me to Instagram, really useful tips and advice. Especially useful if you had an online business to promote.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
1 review
February 2, 2021
A really great book to take your Instagram to the next level! Its really easy to read, and full of great tips to help grow your following and engagement. If you want to master the world of Instagram, this is the place to start!!
Profile Image for Andreea.
1,851 reviews62 followers
January 18, 2021
I received this book for review in exchange of my honest opinion.

If all you are interested in is building an Instagram presence for your business, then this book has tips for you. However, the approach is not the most honest and it doesn't focus on a slow natural growth, but on tactics like "follow accounts and unfollow if they don't follow you back" (paraphrasing, but that's the idea).

I also don't think there was a clear distinction over who the main target audience is - is it just businesses, is it influencers? Sometimes you knew, sometimes you didn't.

It's not necessarily a bad book, I just do not think this is the kind of content or social media mentality we want going forward. I think authenticity should be more important than posting 5 days a week, preferably at 3 pm because that's when you'll get the most likes.

I enjoyed some of the interviews of other people using the platform, because they did not seem as focused on numbers and on forcing engagement, and more on connecting with their audience.

Or maybe it's me, maybe I am just naive thinking we all want authenticity...
Profile Image for sassyspines.
560 reviews6 followers
January 4, 2021
I found this book extremely helpful and informative. As someone who is okay with using Instagram, this was beneficial to me. Are you interested in ways to amplify your Instagram experience? Check out this book!

This book contained tips and tricks on using Instagram for your brand. No matter what you know about Instagram or if you're like me and want to know more, this book can provide an insight into that world.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy and the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Gábor Karacs.
33 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2023
‘Instagram Rules: The Essential Guide to Building Brands, Business and Community’ by Jodie Cook is a book that teaches you how to use Instagram effectively for your personal or professional goals. Whether you want to promote your brand, grow your business, or connect with your community, this book will show you how to do it with practical and proven strategies.

The book is divided into four chapters, each covering a different aspect of Instagram. The first chapter, "Strategic approach", helps you define your objectives, find your niche, create your brand identity, and plan your content. You will learn how to align your Instagram account with your vision, purpose, and values, and how to create a consistent and authentic image that attracts and engages your target audience. You will also learn how to use tools such as the Instagram grid, the content calendar, and the content pillars to organize and schedule your posts.

The second chapter, "Content creation", teaches you how to choose your format, develop your style, use hashtags, and edit your photos and videos. You will learn how to create high-quality and captivating content that showcases your personality, skills, and products. You will also learn how to use different features and formats, such as photos, videos, carousels, stories, reels, IGTV, and live, to diversify and optimize your content. You will also learn how to use hashtags effectively to increase your reach and visibility.

The third chapter, "Community building", shows you how to engage with your audience, collaborate with others, grow your followers, and measure your impact. You will learn how to interact with your followers, respond to comments and messages, and encourage user-generated content. You will also learn how to network and partner with other influencers, brands, and organizations, and how to leverage the power of social proof and word-of-mouth. You will also learn how to use analytics and insights to track and improve your performance and results.

The fourth chapter, "Instagram hacks", reveals some tips and tricks that will help you optimize your profile, use analytics, and monetize your account. You will learn how to create a compelling bio, use highlights and links, and optimize your profile for search and discovery. You will also learn how to use analytics and insights to understand your audience, content, and growth, and how to use them to make data-driven decisions. You will also learn how to monetize your account, by selling your products or services, creating sponsored posts, or joining affiliate programs.

The book is a comprehensive and practical guide for anyone who wants to use Instagram effectively for their personal or professional goals. Jodie Cook writes in a friendly and engaging tone, and uses real-life examples and stories to illustrate her points. The book is also full of exercises and tools that help you apply the concepts and ideas to your own situation. The book is suitable for beginners and experts alike, as it covers the basics and the advanced topics of Instagram. The book is also up-to-date and relevant, as it reflects the latest trends and changes of Instagram.

Overall, the book is a useful and motivational guide for anyone who wants to use Instagram effectively for their personal or professional goals. It is not a boring or technical manual, but rather a personal and creative account of one entrepreneur's journey and lessons learned.
Profile Image for Courtney H.
398 reviews30 followers
October 21, 2020
This book builds a brand from inception to planning to posting on Instagram. The principles are interspersed with Q&As with popular brand representatives about their Instagram accounts and strategies.

Cook breaks down aspects of Instagram, such as when to use a story vs. post, when it's appropriate to post multiple images, and hashtag tactics. There are lists of helpful apps to use and tips on how to build your brand and community. I especially liked that the last section of the book focuses on your mental and physical health by encouraging you to not lose sleep or worry too much about Instagram.

The book is colorful and easy to read, with bold headings and bulleted lists to make digesting information easy.

My only issue with the book is that some of the apps listed are either renamed or no longer available. When I tried to download apps, I was unable to find some of them.

See more of my reviews here: https://guenevol.wixsite.com/novelmaven
Profile Image for Emily Shields.
43 reviews4 followers
February 7, 2024
As a writer who is looking to grow her Instagram to help with future freelance work, I found this book incredibly useful. I had absolutely no idea where to start, what to do or if I could even be bothered to do it.

The information is highly valuable and delivered simply. It has given me a boost of confidence whilst also reminding me to keep an even pace. I really appreciated the section on how to be mindful of your own mental health whilst using social media.

Although I personally found some information a little repetitive, overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to grow their Instagram accounts for professional purposes. There's great case studies and well-structured information. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Cozy Book Spot.
447 reviews7 followers
November 6, 2020
It's a great book about Instagram for the very beginners. If you're just starting this book will be good for you but if you have been on the platform for the past year there's no much new information. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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