Lists of people to follow on Twitter are everywhere. They were great a few years ago when people were trying to figure out whom to follow, but today those posts get washed out in the sea of noise. And this is coming from a huge Twitter list guy.

My new social addiction is Instagram, an app that enables iPhone users to quickly take a photo, add effects (or filters, as they’re called), and share it via the app or across other platforms.

Instagram is still relatively new, and it’s strictly made up of iPhone users (for now). The community, as a result, is still pretty small relative to other networks. And that’s something I love.

Problem is there aren’t a lot of (read: any) lists of whom to follow. There also are not a lot of ways to figure that out—yet. Instagram does have a few tools within the app that can help, with the “suggested users” being the best example. But it doesn’t give you any rhyme or reason why you should follow these folks.

So, I thought I’d give you my thoughts on a few brands and individuals to follow on Instagram. By virtue of what I do and the world I live in, many of these folks tend to work in the PR, marketing, or digital world. I’d love to hear your additions in the comments, so I can add to the list.

Brands

NASA (nasagoddard, 16,000+ followers). NASA has shared some of the most incredible shots I’ve seen on Instagram, including pictures from space and from the last shuttle launch. It’s really a must-follow no matter your interests.

Starbucks (starbucks, 53,000+ followers). Starbucks is one of the larger brands on Instagram. The account tweets a lot of pics from its corporate office in Seattle. From that vantage point, it’s a nice look inside the company. Sometimes, the company will even share the rare deal Instagram that motivates you to rush out and buy that double-whip nonfat super-soy latte.

Ben & Jerrys (benandjerrys, 1,200+ followers). To date, Ben & Jerry’s mostly offers shots of road shows and the events it supports, most recently Phish Superball IX. I’m holding out for the day when the company shares an Instagram-only coupon that I can redeem for my free pint of Chunky Monkey.

Red Bull (redbull, 43,000+ followers). Red Bull shares some sweet shots from its live events. In the coming weeks, that’s probably going to mean tons of shots from X Games 17 in Los Angeles. Loved its picture of Jimmy Rollins hitting a baseball 463 feet in a street in Philly recently.

Today Show (todayshow, 7,000+ followers). This account—which, surprisingly, has few followers so far—features great behind-the-scenes studio shots on a regular basis, plus shots from its summer concert series. An account worth following as it expands its use of the tool.

Burberry (burberry, 60,000+ followers). The fashion brand shares a mix of pictures from its corporate office in London, models who don Burberry fashions, and events near the London office. Much like Starbucks, it provides a glimpse into corporate life, but also shares some cool pictures featuring Burberry fashions.

Threadless (threadless, 33,000+ followers). Love how Threadless shares new products and designs regularly. For instance, last week it shared a picture featuring its new Threadless Scout Books. This is a great way to get the huge Threadless fans what they want—new stuff. Threadless also shares a bunch of pictures about life at Threadless, providing a glimpse inside this smaller company.

Individuals

Lee Odden (leeodden). If you don’t get a chance to travel the world like me, you can live vicariously through Odden, the CEO of TopRank Online Marketing. He’s shared some incredible shots from his travels that take him to Portland, New Zealand, and all points in between. For instance, he just shared a great pic from his recent Hong Kong trip.

Sarah Evans (sarahevans). What I appreciate most about Evans, a PR consultant in the Chicago area, is her creative nature. Check out the photo of her dog enhanced by some funky effects.

Allan Schoenberg (allanschoenberg). Schoenberg’s a former Chicagoan who as director of communications at CME Group picked up his family and moved to London this year. Now, I feel like I’m living vicariously through my friend as he posts great shots throughout the day of landmarks, museums, pubs, and more. [Ed.’s note: Schoenberg is also a PR Daily contributor.]

Edward Boches (edwardboches). If you’re not a cyclist or Cape Cod fan, you might not want to follow Boches, who is the chief innovation officer at ad firm Mullen. Many of his pictures revolve around this topic and locale, but they are fantastic.

Gerardo Obieta (g_obieta). A designer for PR shop Weber Shandwick, Obieta has a great eye for photography. He’s known best in Instagram circles for his paper toy setups and pictures. His pics frequently inspire hundreds of likes and comments (and he shows up in the “Popular” tab from time to time).

Becky Johns (beckyjohns). Here’s another PR pro with a great photography eye. Johns is also a photographer by trade (or at least a really solid hobby). She’s a Chicagoan, so you’ll get your fair share of pictures from the downtown scene.

Kevin Dugan (prblog). What I like most about Dugan—who is the director of marketing at Empower MediaMarketing—and his pics is that you can’t peg him as just sharing one type of photo. He takes photos of power lines, clouds, signs, and water towers. Talk about eclectic taste.

Stephen Larkin (slarkin). Managing director at Mullen, Larkin shares some great shots from Pittsburgh, including many landscape and cityscape shots. Love his eye.

Mik Kus (mikekus). Kuth, who hails from Bath, England, is one of my favorite Instagram users. (He also seems to be a talented designer). Though he predominantly uses a sepia or black-and-white filter that I absolutely love, it’s the way he frames shots that really grabs my attention. He’s a must-follow for any new Instagram user. He has 97,000-plus followers, so clearly I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Rick Stillwell (rickcaffeinated). He has just under 1,000 pictures, so you’re going to get a steady diet of Stillwell in your stream. But it’s all good stuff. I love the effects that he uses, and unlike other Instagram users, Stillwell gives you a variety of shots ranging from landscapes to cityscapes to the celebrated #cloudporn shots.

What about you? If you’re an Instagram user, who are your recommended follows?

A version of this story first appeared on the blog Communications Conversations.

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