Creating Connection with Instagram

I saw this post on digitalgov.gov, a segment of the General Services Administration that helps federal agencies augment their online presences. They’ve got lots of other great resources, ideas, and topics for government organizations like ours. Check it out here.

By ALYSON OLANDER. Posted November 10, 2015.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Instagram lately.

It’s pretty big, especially among the younger populations (AKA. Millennials).

Actually, from what I can tell, it’s pretty big with lots of different age groups, genders, and ethnicities; and it’s growing every day.

Full disclosure: I use Instagram in my personal life. I love it. Especially now that our phone cameras have improved beyond what most people can manage with a DSLR. Especially since micro-blogging took hold.

But the question today is, how can we, as government communicators, leverage this platform to greatest effect?

There’s a couple agencies out there that have taken the bull by the horns and managed to hang on for the ride: the Transportation Security Administration (@TSAon Instagram) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior on Instagram). They both post photographs, but the similarities, at least on the surface, end there.

U.S. Interior posts beautiful, well-composed, high-quality photos and occasional videos of our national parks and wildlife. They regularly receive upwards of 20,000 likes on their images and have undoubtedly been seen by many more people than that. They post at least once per day, sometimes twice.

One of the most beautiful and most photographed scenes in #GrandTeton #NationalPark in Wyoming is #SchwabacherLanding. On any given morning, a crowd will gather to shoot the reflection of the Teton Range in the quiet stream or beaver ponds. A few years ago, D. Brent Young was lucky enough to capture this amazing photo of a cow #moose feeding in the stream with fall color and the towering Teton peaks in the background. Photo of @grandtetonnps by D. Brent Young (www.sharetheexperience.org).

A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Sep 30, 2015 at 3:48pm PDT

TSA posts small, sometimes grainy, sometimes bland photos of the strange things people try to smuggle onto airplanes. They have expanded now to post photos of their adorable and highly skilled 4-legged employees, along with reminders of the rules for safe airline travel. They post less frequently—sometimes with several days between posts.

#TSAGoodCatch – These push daggers were discovered concealed underneath the insoles of a pair of shoes last week at the Port Columbus International Airport (CMH). Knives are always prohibited from carry-on property, and concealed knives can lead to arrest and fines. A photo posted by TSA (@tsa) on Sep 15, 2015 at 5:24pm PDT

So what are these government agencies doing right? They’re creating content that people want to see. They are sincere. Our parks really are that beautiful! Some people really think they can smuggle “Batarangs” on an airplane! When I think about scrolling through my feed on IG, it goes something like this: baby, baby, selfie, coffee, STRANGE LOOKING WEAPON THAT SOMEONE TRIED TO SMUGGLE ONTO A PLANE, baby, food, STUNNING NATIONAL PARK PHOTO, selfie, selfie, selfie. What do you think I’m most likely to stop on?

@TSA and @USinterior don’t necessarily “engage” in the traditional sense, but their imagery CONNECTS. Their content is accessible. Many Americans have experienced taking off their shoes in the airport—now they have chuckle about it because they understand the reason. Our national parks are more accessible to most people than the far reaches of this planet. Visitors can connect these images to their own lives; feel nostalgia for them; laugh about them with friends and family.

Unfortunately, many agencies don’t have these visual resources to work with, so we need to create them. Graphics aren’t right: People visit Instagram for photos, not infographics. (although the occasional one, used where appropriate, isn’t a bad idea). So here’s my charge to you as government communicators engaged in social media—figure out how your agency can use Instagram. Post an idea here. Let’s start a conversation.

The Instagram help center is pretty robust, but here are some links to get you started:

• Visit GSA’s Improving the Accessibility of Social Media Toolkit
• Mashable: The Beginner’s Guide to Instagram
• The Instagram for Business blog: By Instagram, for business professionals
• Instagram Brand Resources: How to feature Instagram in your marketing
• Instagram’s how to Host a Photo Campaign
• For those of you who use Hootsuite: How to Schedule and Publish Posts to Instagram via Hootsuite
• Because Accessibility is always a question, first check out this fun video by The Tommy Edison Experience (@blindfilmcritic): How Blind People Use Instagram

So, what do you think? How could Conservation Districts use Instagram to connect with your constituents? FULL DISCLOSURE: MACD doesn’t use Instagram yet. But I’m thinking about it. And in my personal life, it’s my favorite social media (I’m @sturdykate).

To spur some ideas, here are a couple of Montana Conservation Organizations that do a great job with their Instagram accounts: (click on the blue name to see their full feed).

Getting kids outside is one of the most important steps we can take towards a healthier planet. Today, Outdoors Club learned how to fly-fish at Lion’s Club Park! #getoutside #montana #kids #education #outdoors #earth #fishing #flyfishing #children #discover

A photo posted by WCS Community Partnerships (@wcs_communitypartnerships) on Oct 21, 2015 at 5:29pm PDT

The muskrats have been busy up on Governor Creek. Just like beavers muskrats are free engineers. But unlike beavers muskrats do not build damns, they build push-ups. Push-ups help maintain open areas in wetlands and provide habitat for aquatic birds. #busyasbeavers #muskrat #nature #willows #riverlife #creaturefeature #creek #animals #engineers #naturephotography A photo posted by Big Hole Watershed Committee (@bighole_watershed) on Oct 27, 2015 at 10:57am PDT

Got in the last bit of monitoring yesterday before the snow flew. We measured streamflow or the amount of water flowing in the West Fork to help assess pollutant loads in our #watershed. Did you know that 4 inches of wet, heavy snow holds about 1 inch of water? #winteriscoming #gallatinriver #coldwater #cleanwater #bigskyresort #simmsfishing

A photo posted by Gallatin River Task Force (@gallatinrivertaskforce) on Nov 3, 2015 at 6:45am PST

Good afternoon from the Tributary Fire A photo posted by Michael Gue (@young_men_and_fire) on Oct 15, 2015 at 11:04am PDT