Liv Griffiths, content executive at full-service creative agency Pace Communications, says you can create compelling Instagram posts without being Mario Testino

With more than 500 million daily active users, Instagram is quickly becoming one of the most popular social media apps out there.

There are 4.2 billion likes up for grabs every day. If you still need convincing, see here why you should use Instagram for business.

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But what kind of posts are raking in the most? Apart from being super famous or paying for engagement, there are a few simple ways to grab your audience’s attention and get more of those double taps.

Quality photos

Composition is key here. Make sure your image has a clear focal point.

Your image needs a purpose and a sense of direction, rather than just a post for the sake of it.

Your pictures must be good quality – most smartphones these days have pretty good cameras that automatically account for aperture, brightness, and all of the rest of the technical stuff.

Why stick to just the one format? Instagram offers a variety of uploading options, including GIFs, videos and image carousels. Choose a variety to keep your feed fresh.

Edit or filter

After you’ve taken your perfect pic, it’s time for some fine tuning. There are plenty of easy-to-use apps out there that will quickly take your image from 0 to 100.

Have a play around with VSCO, InShot and Lightroom to see which one you like best. Alternatively, Instagram’s in-app editing features can help you improve your image’s sharpness, saturation and contrast.

Captions are key

Often overlooked, your Instagram captions are an incredibly important part of your posts, and shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought.

They are an opportunity to demonstrate your brand’s tone of voice and boost engagement by tagging in relevant accounts.

Use Hashtags to join wider communities with the same interest. Try asking your audience a question. More post engagement = a wider reach.

When to post?

What’s the point in spending time and effort creating the perfect post if nobody’s going to see it?

Posting at ‘peak time’ used to be a guaranteed technique for raking in engagement, but due to a change in Instagram’s algorithm, there’s no longer an ideal for when to post on the platform.

However, switch to a business account and you’ll be able to see when your posts are getting the widest reach.

Plus, Instagram Insights can let you know the hours and days of the week when your followers are most active.