Our favorite way to capture and share travel moments right now? Instagram, one of the most popular social media platforms. It’s all about showcasing beautiful photos, which makes it the perfect place to post snapshots while you’re out exploring the world on tour. Here, Social Media Marketing Manager Jessie tells us her top tips for sharing your trip on Instagram.

1. Set up your Instagram account

First things first—if you don’t have an account already, it’s easy to set one up. Download the app and follow these simple instructions. You can connect with your Facebook account to start following your friends, and just like on Facebook, you can tag them in pictures and captions. Opt for a public, rather than private, account if you want more people to be able to see your travel photos.

2. Take quality photos

If you’re aiming for lots of “likes” on Instagram, aesthetically pleasing photos will naturally get you there. You don’t need an expensive DSLR camera to take a great Instagram photo. Mobile cameras and cell phones have vastly improved over the past few years. Just make sure your lighting is good and everything you’d like to have in the photo is in focus. Stick to your smartphone rather than your tablet for the best quality photos, and check out these tips for getting that perfect iPhone shot.

3. Add hashtags & tag locations

Adding hashtags and a location to each of your Instagram posts is a great way to attract new followers and make your photos more discoverable. Hashtags should be relevant to what you’re posting about (#gelato in #Italy, anyone?) and include the words that other travelers might be searching for. This will increase your chances of being featured or noticed by users browsing those hashtags. Don’t forget to use #GoAheadTours when posting during your trip—you could be featured on our Instagram page, or right here on our blog!

4. Have a focused concept

Create your own unique identity on Instagram by following a consistent theme when it comes to color and composition. Using the same set of filters for all of your photos helps make them instantly recognizable and gives your overall feed a cohesive look when someone sees it for the first time. You can use the editing tool on the iPhone or download a photo editing app like Snapseed.

5. Try using Instagram Stories

Ready to get even more creative? Instagram Stories is a feature that allows you to post live updates that last only 24 hours. You can upload multiple photos or videos to your story throughout the day, and they’ll appear together in a slideshow format. Adding text overlay, stickers, a location, or even a boomerang effect are just a few of the fun extras you can play around with when making your story. It’s a great way for your followers to get an inside look at your trip in real time.