Since its release in 2010, Instagram has been a driving force in social media, amassing more than 300 million users as of December 2014.
Local businesses and individuals use Instagram as a platform to express themselves and their craft, and the “IG” experts gave The Daily Reveille insight into their postings.
1- Emily Huynh, @emwhen
Communication studies senior Emily Huynh describes her Instagram aesthetic as simple and clean.
Boasting more than 1,700 followers, Huynh’s Instagram posts share her daily life with a splash of her own creativity.
Huynh is a self-described “square-advocate,” and prefers the images she posts to be cropped to a square.
She said she doesn’t underestimate the power of a caption and that it plays a big role in a follower’s response to a post.
“I just try to be as honest and real as possible and be really encouraging for people,” Huynh said.
2- The Big Squeezy, @bigsqueezyjuicery
Kimberly Matsko opened The Big Squeezy in December 2013 and has been using Instagram for the juicery ever since, gaining nearly 3,000 followers.
Matsko said The Big Squeezy’s Instagram serves as a platform to educate followers on the shop’s juices. She often uses the juicery’s page to briefly explain the benefits of certain juices.
“Unless people really know what it is, then it’s just a pretty picture,” Matsko said.
While Matsko said photographers take certain pictures, she has been posting her own pictures in recent months.
She said she encourages business Instagrammers to keep their captions short and sweet and to work on their brand recognition.
3- Time Warp Boutique, @timewarpbr
Joshua Holder, owner of vintage clothing store Time Warp Boutique, said he uses Instagram to show off the boutique’s clothing.
Holder said showing how his store’s clothing should be worn helps people understand the value of vintage clothing.
The boutique has three people on staff to post pictures, and Holder said each post is well-thought out by the person taking the picture.
Holder recognizes Instagram’s demographic as people from 15 to 28 years old and said their posts lend to a younger generation.
“In this day and age, people are not wanting to be like everyone else … I feel like we mesh very well with that because all of our clothing is one-of-a-kind,” Holder said.
4- Shae Zamardi, @shaezamardi
LSU junior gymnast Shae Zamardi said she uses her Instagram as a platform to showcase her athletics, frequently posting pictures of her high-energy gymnastics.
Zamardi said her favorite part of Instagram is being able to express herself.
“I always like being able to do something original and authentic, and I like being able to show that and share that with my followers,” Zamardi said.
Zamardi said she uses a GoPro camera for certain shots and uses an iPhone for others. To edit her pictures, Zamardi said she uses the Afterlight app along with VSCOcam.
She said Instagram allows athletes to express their sport and show who they are. She said her profile sets an example for girls to be inspired to work hard.

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Emily Brauner