Brands who use Instagram as a marketing tool should assess brand identity on the platform when creating an Instagram strategy. Just as you would think of visual criteria for ads, brochures and other marketing collateral, Instagram is a another form of visual representation of your brand.

Some key questions to ask are:

• Will you use filters? Are there filters that you will NEVER use?
• What kind of images/videos will you post? What images/videos are not acceptable?
• What’s the tone of the text in your posts?

There are many free and inexpensive applications that brands may download to test out effects or alterations on images beyond what Instagram offers in the filter options. Using apps to enhance your account can help showcase the personality of a brand, and push visually interesting content to your followers.

1. Snapseed

Snapseed is a user-friendly way to edit and refine photos including color adjustments that can make your images pop! It has additional filters and frames that you can also use.

2. Everlapse

Everlapse is another phone way to show off photos on social media. Many used Everlapse at the start of the New Year to show a highlight reel of 2013. Everlapse takes multiple pictures from your libraries and places them in a quick “slide show” reel. Nike is using it to show off its best #justdoit images.

3. Afterlight and Over

Afterlight is a app that can add flair to your photos – including shape borders, filters such as light leaks and more. Combine it with a app such as Over to enhance with text. You can get this look like Freaker USA uses for its Friday giveaways!