A description of our Text To Image tool, for easily creating images for Instagram, Twitter and other social media sites.

I have recently been using the Instagram application functionality i.e. uploading images and writing posts. From my Desktop browser, rather than mobile app. In this post I’ll show you how to do that.

I spent a little time trying to work out how to repurpose pdf slide decks that I had released to Slideshare into videos for release on Instagram.

And now, with a few simple moves, and the use of ffmpeg I can do just that.

Have you ever tried to do something on a website, and nothing happened, and you are sure it was an error but no error message was displayed?

Sometimes an error message is available but it wasn’t renderd on the GUI. In this post and supporting video I will show you how to see those error messages.

As I learned to use Instagram, one of the first tactics I learned was to add my hashtags as my first comment on the post.

But I wasted time looking for a tool to do this. You don’t need a tool to do this.

I’ve noticed that with more posts, and better tagging, that my content is getting in front of more people. That translates into more likes and comments. Comments have a higher value.

Have you ever clicked through a profile link because you had no idea what the person was about?

Instagram Followers and Engagers are for learning from. Here are the tips and tactics I use to learn from them when they are not trying to teach me.

Lessons from other people’s posts on instagram.

One thing I wish I had learned earlier with Instagram is how to control the thumbnail of the videos I upload to Instagram.

Free Video Included In This Post

Vary your hashtags periodically.

If you keep using the same hashtags you might find that your reach growth stalls.

I use a static site generator HuGo for Talotics.com.

This is an ongoing collection of tips, to remind me of amendments I’ve made when working with HuGo.

For my consultancy site I’ve been using Buffer to schedule content in advance. For this site and associated social media accounts I’ve been experimenting with PromoRepublic. In this post I’ll outline the differences and specifically some of the features I prefer in PromoRepublic.

I receive emails from social media strategy companies on a weekly basis offering to help me automate my Instagram usage to build followers. Should I use their services?

Many people do not optimise their images for online publishing which can make their sites slow to load and doesn’t help you attract people on mobile devices, slower connections, or who have to pay per MB for their connection. On MS Windows, I use RIOT to convert and compress my images.

I’ve started up a tools page on the site, but thought I’d document the first tranche of tools that I use regularly when creating and promoting content.

• MissingLettr
• Buffer
• Stencil
• TubeBuddy
• StickerMule

I’ve never managed to get the snagit “convert to animated gif” feature to work well for me.

Every platform is a micro blogging platform if you view it in the right way.

Most people don’t use the description in Instagram for content very well. This is a missed opportunity.

People often associate a ‘blog post’ with blogs, and nothing else.

We need to get in the habit of looking at the features of each platform and considering them as content placeholders. By doing this, every platform becomes a micro blog post platform.

Videos are becoming more widely used. That’s great. There is nothing like a video for retaining interest for a longer period of time.

But…

• Videos on Instagram mobile auto play.
• Videos on Instagram default to playing without sound.
• People read Instagram with the sound off.

When you post a landscape image to Instagram the GUI offers the ‘pretence’ that you can render landscape images with the [] little landscape icon, and as you go through the posting process it seems as though Instagram is going to render it that way - and it does - but only on the actual post view.

In the feed view it is truncated.