Table of Contents

1. Why Instagram?
2. How Social Media Platforms Can Benefit You
3. Creating Content
4. Getting Stuck in Content Creator Mode

If you're running an agency or working as a freelancer, you know how hard it can be to stand out to clients. You are competing with low-priced development talent from across the globe alongside large agencies with years and YEARS of experience grabbing all the larger projects.

Why Instagram?

Instagram is different from Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn since you have visuals to gain your following. In fact, Instagram is bigger than Twitter!

The platform relies on hashtags and the Discover page for new accounts to be revealed. Though it does take some practice to get used to the good engagement practices and perfect the right types of images to post, once you have an active and engaging feed you'll find it's easy to build and participate in the community.

Why Use Social Media in General?!

Social media helps developers connect with communities online. This connects you to people with common interests, build friendships, and learn from various people online. It's a great way to broadly share your expertise, bringing value to the tech communities, building your own portfolio that showcases your work.

And even though social media is typically used to just connect with others, it can also be used for learning new tools, keeping up with the latest technology trends, collaborating on projects, sharing code, marketing, and sometimes securing a new job. Check out what Microsoft has to say about developers using social media.

Creating Quality Content

Graphic Design Tips

1. Do NOT use stock photos. They simply add to the noise instead of helping you stand out.
2. Use bright and bold colors
3. Use icons to illustrate concepts
4. Create unique illustrations
5. Visualize data with charts
6. Make text the focus
7. Incorporate your branding into the designs
8. Mix it up with different formats (ie. gifs, single photo, multiple photo, reel, etc.)
9. Use rule of thirds, white space, and borders

Getting Ideas for Your Content

1. Code snippets
2. Computer workspace/setup
3. UX/UI designs
4. Helpful resources and links
5. Applications and tools
6. Function/method explanations
7. Roadmaps to....

Optional: Follow other accounts within your niche to get more ideas

Know Your Options & Resources

1. Re-post content from accounts within your niche - every now and then - always reach out but reposting
2. Create your OWN templates to quickly reuse over time
3. Collaborate with other accounts

Content Creation Tools

1. Canva
2. Onlypult - a post scheduler
3. Keyhole - a hashtag tracker
4. linktr.ee
5. SquareLovin - analytic

Don't Get Stuck in Creator Mode

There will be times when you have a million ideas for content you could create and others when the well seems to have dried up and you're fishing desperately. But the fact is, you have other projects to be doing and other responsibilities as well. Even though managing your social media profiles can benefit your marketing and therefore your developer career, there is also a bigger picture to be seen.

In order to avoid those times where ideas aren't exactly endlessly flowing, keep an idea journal. Write down all your ideas when you have too many of them to create. This way you can span them out over time as you need them. It is also wise to plan ahead and have a schedule for publishing. Just like writing on dev.to, posting consistently is key. A content calendar or a posting scheduler can help you with this. What you want to post will publish when you want it to go up. Another option is to hire an assistant, a freelance writer of sorts. It's all up to you how much you want to invest in this portion of your life.

Conclusion

By leveraging your Instagram audience, you will be able to drive traffic to any topic, site, or project you want to highlight. Whether it be your next big project, your personal website, or your contact info to hire you, it is up to you.

Happy coding!