Image courtesy of fastcompany.com

Does anyone carry a real camera anymore?

Increasingly, the answer is no. Advancements in smartphone lenses and image quality have many favoring the accessibility and ease of their mobile device over the traditional family Canon.  With a bevy of apps to rely on, amateur photographers like myself can spruce up and share captured moments with family, friends, and — increasingly — perfect strangers.

The mobile photo app of choice is Instagram, a free photo sharing application that allows users to take mobile photos, apply flattering vintage filters, add clever descriptors, and even geo-tag the locations where the images were snapped. From there, users may upload their photos to Instagram’s public mobile image catalog (much like a visual version a Twitter feed) where other users can like and/or comment. A simple check box enables the image to be instantly shared across the usual social networking suspects (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc.).

The community is growing crazy-fast, with about 50,000 new users signing up for the service every day. As of December, Instagram was reportedly adding two-million users a month, making it the world’s largest mobile social network. Remarkable in its own right, but especially when you consider that it’s only available for iPhone and iPad at the moment (an Android version is said to be in the works).

An additional social capability that Instagram boasts is hashtag functionality. Last year, Instagram added a hashtag functionality making it easier to locate users and images, signaling the perfect point of entry for brands to engage.  One of the first brands to do so was PepsiCo’s Brisk Iced Tea. During the 2011 SXSW conference, Brisk invited fans to tag their photos with, “#briskpic” for a chance to be featured on a can of Brisk (garnering more than 1,500 photos). A more recent foray is Levi’s, “#iamlevis” casting announcement. Levi’s announced it would cast its next print and broadcast ad campaign from user-generated images uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #iamlevis (To date, more than 2,800 images have been uploaded). Even industrial brands like GE are in on the action, launching a contest to select GE’s next “Instagrapher.” Winning with a stirring image of an Iowa wind farm, Adam Senatori is now charged with capturing GE’s groundbreaking research and technology story in pictures.

Instagram makes a lot of sense for brands who hope to reach new users, connect with existing fans, or just tell a story in a compelling way. There are, of course, a few ground rules that will not only help get you started, but ensure that the images you share resonate with the community.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Practice makes pretty. Applying the filters does wonders, but be sure to practice taking decent shots that look like art, not product photography. Remember – that sandwich you’re selling is no longer a sandwich. It’s art. I like this professional photographer’s tips for mastering Instagram.
• Post regularly and often. If you’re on Twitter and follow a brand, ever notice when some brands shoot out 25 tweets in less than ten minutes and then nothing for two weeks? That’s not very loveable on Instagram either. It’s okay to get a little excited if you’re live-streaming from a conference or event, but don’t go dark when it’s over. In most cases, a steady pace of a couple images a day or a handful each week feels right.
• Post content followers won’t find anywhere else. ABC World News gives followers behind-the-scenes access to events such as the recent Republican debates, while New Belgium Brewing serves up new product sneak peeks to thirsty fans. What might your fans like to see?
• Think in themes. NH Hotels posts morning sunrise shots tagged with #wakeuppics … a fun theme their guests can join in on. Sharpie displays bold and creative designs made with their signature markers. Kate Spade posts images featuring “pops of color.” What can your brand own?
• Leverage the power of the hashtag.  That way, people can find you and tag images of themselves loving your products. A simple search of #starbucks on Instagram today produces 189,859 images of people doing just that. Wait, make that 189,860 (I just added mine).
• Host an Insta-Meet. If you’ve got a brick and mortar location like a headquarters, office building, or retail store, geo-tag your images to that location and consider hosting an insta-meet for community members in the area. Promote it to your fans via Twitter and Facebook. Maybe even engage with a scavenger hunt of sorts. No idea what an insta-meet is? Learn more here.

Have other Instagram tips, best practices, or case studies to share? Comments are open—have at!