A few weeks ago, a friend determined that it was time for me to finally get active on Instagram. Following the app’s launch, I used it a bit but eventually went static out of sheer laziness. It’s easy for that to happen these days.

Regardless, returning to the app with a rekindled desire to engage has been a breath of fresh air for this photo buff. In reflecting upon my newfound photo app addiction, I’ve determined that there are a few important elements that naturally entice me to get involved with an online community.

1. Clean Mobile User Interface
I’m a minimalist and particularly when it comes to online photo content, less is more in my book. Instagram is a great example of an app that knows how to keep the sign up process simple and quickly get you synched up with your existing network and engaging within minutes. It loads and refreshes quickly and keeps engagement simple through likes and comments.

2. Passionate Community
There is nothing better than dropping into a community where there is an existing abundance of activity, dialogue and content sharing. Instagram is one of those communities where photo enthusiasts are extremely passionate about seeing who can make the most of the app. Kudos to Golin Harris for using the Instagram API to build out the Lollagram aggregator for last week’s Lollapalooza event – a great example of the community engaging around a big cultural event.

3. Simple Sharing
Beyond the app, Instagram makes it simple to publish and distribute across your other social media channels for easy output. A given necessity in today’s day and age but again, they keep they synch process very straightforward.

If you’re on Instagram, track me down at scmeis.

What elements immediately entice you to dive into a community?