Instagram has gone from strength to strength in 2016 and now with Instagram stories, it is encouraging account holders to utilise it more than ever! 59% of Irish account owners use Instagram daily (Ipsos MRBI), so with this in mind, you might need to brush up on your Instagram skills for you and your brand. You might ask, how can you help your brand to become the best in the field for 2017? At Springboard, we have compiled our top ten favourite Irish Instagramers that you can learn from “Instagram | Ones to beat in 2017”:

The Happy Pear:

@thehappypear

They excel at crafting a careful brand narrative to promote their brand values and company ethos. They do this by sharing their lifestyle, culture and values through amazing imagery and daily use of Instagram stories.

Best uses: Instagram stories

The Wild Atlantic Way

@thewildatlanticway

With gorgeous posts of scenery in Ireland, what’s not to like? But content aside, we give them a thumbs-up for their excellent use of hashtags. They work extensively to foster an online community and they frequently post images sent to them by their fans.

Best uses: Community activation

Corina Gaffey

@corinagaffey

Stylist and writer for some of Ireland’s best loved magazines, she has a unique feed, packed with personal shots, scenery, behind-the scenes on photoshoots and more. Simply put, this lady has it nailed.

Best uses: Content

Donal Skehan

@donalskehan

This beloved chef has a diverse feed with travel photos that are sure to put a smile on your face, but Donal must be most applauded for his use of calls-to-action, directing audiences to his other media, such as YouTube channel, Facebook page, website and more. This is advice we always give to our clients.

Best uses: Connecting platforms

Angela Scanlon

@angelascanlon

The Irish presenter shares some amazing behind-the-scenes posts as well as lifestyle content. She makes sure to tag all relevant parties when she posts, essential for engagement with your audiences.

Best uses: Engagement

Cork Opera House

@corkoperahouse

A Cork landmark, their feed is never short of unique and whimsical content, particularly from their recent panto activity. The Cork Opera House gives viewers the chance to experience the action with their use of video.

Best Uses: Video

To learn more about why video is important, click here.

Irish Examiner

@irish_examiner

The Irish publication has 18.4k followers. They maintain a consistent stream of content by posting every week. This ensures a fresh feed for audiences. At Springboard, we ensure that our clients post often, and keep their audience engaged.

Best uses: Posting frequency

Brown Thomas

@officialbrownthomas

An Instagram feed that we simply can’t get enough of, we particularly enjoy how they update their bio frequently to reflect sales, new seasons and new events. We should all be taking a leaf out of their book!

Best uses: Altering their bio

Penneys/Primark

@penneyseire

Still relatively new to the insta-sphere, Penneys exceeds expectations by showcasing their newest products through beautiful flatlays, which you should definitely try.

Best uses: Flatlays

Three Fools Coffee – Cork

@threefoolscoffee

Taking Cork by storm, this local coffee shop in the city puts huge effort into ensuring that their imagery use similar filters and consistent themes. The result is perfect cohesion.

Best uses: Filters

Armed with new tips and with these social media influencers to learn from, you can refresh that feed to help your brand stand out in 2017. Make this a resolution to stand by!

Post by Susie Horgan

Susie founded Springboard in 2011, and has developed the business into a leading, director-led communications agency. She has worked for over 20 years in senior marketing and public relations roles.