Long time bloggers know the story all too well: blogging was once basically a way to make your journal public, and everyone had fun uploading amateur photographs and spewing out feelings whenever they pleased (no blog schedule or editorial calendar here!). Then blogging became cool and people made money off of it, and it became more job than hobby, and things got real curated and a bit inauthentic for awhile there. THEN, readers got annoyed that these successful bloggers had gone from authentic to insincere. Since readers are what keeps a blog relevant, bloggers decided to start being more transparent. And here we are – even the big bloggers are making an effort to stay true to their voice. Whew!
I see the same thing happening with Instagram. 2016 will be big for authenticity. 2015 got a little too curated, and people are frustrated by the fact that they can’t post an authentic photo without feeling like their career in social media is on the line. Not to mention that Instagram is owned by Facebook, and we’re starting to see the effects of it as an advertising tool. The last thing a blogger should strive for is their photo looking all too similar to the watch and denim ads their fans are already scrolling past. It’s a delicate balance, having a beautiful feed but an authentic one, and by now we all know the reasons why. Life isn’t always as beautiful as we make it seem, yet we all love to see pretty things. So we want to keep seeing and posting pretty things, but we want to keep it real. I do believe this delicate balance can be achieved. When I see accounts that are getting it right, here’s what they’re doing, and how to do it yourself.
Be intentional (but not obsessive) about curation
Curation is very important on Instagram, just like on Pinterest. That’s why when I wrote about VSCO Cam, I recommended not getting too carried away with filters. Similarly to branding your business, you don’t want to be switching things up so often that people don’t recognize you or get confused. And if you also use Insta to promote your blog or biz, you don’t want to come off as unprofessional because you get way too personal. For those reasons, and just because people love a great aesthetic, curation is key. I think if you get obsessive over it, however, you’ll stunt your own creativity. I think this about every form of creative expression, too! You’ll get in your own head and things will start to seem too formulaic. Don’t take your photos, filters, and captions so seriously that you leave your personality behind.
Post it + Leave it Alone
Here’s something that’s going to seem suuuuper crazy to anyone who doesn’t Instagram much. Many Instagrammers will often post a photo, and within a split second they know whether they like it or hate how it looks in their feeds. They don’t even bother with the caption until they know. Then they delete it anyway and repost with a well thought out caption if it passes the test. To some degree you have to do tricks like this if you want to make sure your photos are consistent and curated. However, if authenticity is important to you, post and leave it up for a bit longer. It keeps you from becoming over analyzing this one photo. The idea of taking a break from your work and coming back to it later is even true on social media, and is insanely helpful!
Take cues from blogging
The rules of genuine connection on Instagram are similar to those with blogging. When someone comments, be polite and respond to their comment. If they often comment or like your photos, check out their feed. Follow if you like them, but not because you want follows. Comment if something strikes you, but don’t leave the same comment on 50 profiles just to say you did (as spammy on Instagram as blogging!) And never, ever follow people just so you can unfollow them after they’ve followed you back. It’s just good etiquette :)
Utilize hashtags correctly
Last year we posted a big roundup of our favorite hashtags to grow your blog on Instagram. It gained a lot of traction and resonated with people. We started seeing our Instagram friends using the hashtags we suggested, but a lot of them weren’t using them quite right, which I should have explained better. To be using them correctly, you need to only stick with the ones relevant to you. In other words, don’t just copy and paste our list to each of your captions. Why? Because many of those hashtags are community based, meaning by using them you’re joining a community. For example, we created #TBMworkspace so we could share photos of our styled workspaces with everyone. If people start posting their own workspaces, it’ll become a community where we can all get inspired by another blogger’s space. Can you also tag photos of your dog or selfies as #TBMworkspace? You totally can, but you won’t be reaching people who want to see dogs and selfies, only people who want to see desks and notebooks!
Whew, longest post ever over! Any thoughts? You can follow us on Instagram, and our personal accounts here + here.
Samantha says
Interesting read. Good job!
Juliet says
I love these tips. Right now I am really struggling with implementing Instagram into my blogging routine. I am finding it hard to find a purpose for it and finding time to also create content for it. However, this guide helped me insanely and I will certainly be referencing this in the future!
Juliet | http://www.thelittlejewelsoflife.com
Gennean says
This is a great and well-informed post on better and healthier practices to use on Instagram… and has inspired me for the coming year with my own account! Thanks for this!
Angela says
Thanks so much Gennean!
Chelsey says
Great tips! Bring on 2016, the year of authenticity :)
Kyah says
Love this! I am getting really sick of bloggers’ accounts looking way too fabricated and not real at all as one of my favourite things about Instagram is the feeling that you’re seeing into the real lives of people. I’m definitely starting to see a turn lately which I love, but I feel there will still always be the ones who try a bit too hard to be someone other than themselves.
Love these tips, perfect for getting more in touch with who you are online and proving that to viewers too.
Sheila Joy says
Great tips! I do see big changes for Instagram this year, hopefully I can keep up!
FIT by Emma Hå says
Love this post! One of my 2016 goals is to start using my instagram better. Right now I’m just reposting the same pics I use on my blog because it is easy and time saving (and since it seems a waste not to use them on more places because they are awesome) with a shorter, more personal caption. But I have a few issues:
– My followers can see the photos on my blog, why should they follow my IG? What can I do to separate the two?
– I’ve made the mistake of setting my standards so high that I can’t take mobile photos anymore. They must go via the camera and computer, which takes, in worst case scenario, over a day. Not so insta.
– My blog i very colorful, with bright saturated neon colors. But I found that this does not work as well on instagram. People want minimalistic, unsaturated photos. Can I add a filter and change the feeling of my photos without losing my brand identity?
– And also, do you have any tips on how to utilize a blogging “event” (for me it usually includes a workout, a photographer aka boyfriend, and a walk in the woods or the gym) to create instagram specific content when you’re already out and about and shooting. What type of photo would do best on instagram and what should I keep specific to the blog?
I would LOVE it if you wrote a post about these topics!
/faithtful reader and follower of TBM =)
Angela says
Hey Emma!
Thanks for reading and giving us feedback on your Insta! These are all such great concerns. Once you post more you start to find out what followers want from you. On my account I’ve realized it makes more sense to post mostly non-blog stuff (but things that are still styled nicely and good quality) and then mix in promotion for my blog. I’ll post one photo from the blog post so people feel compelled to see the rest. On our TBM Instagram, it seems people like when we stick to blog content, so we try to post too many random behind the scenes photos. It means less frequent posting, but it seems to work.
We’ll definitely think of ways to incorporate these questions into a post or two!
FIT by Emma Hå says
Thankyou so much for your answere! I’m looking forward to future instagram-posts =)
Sarah Arnold says
Love your insights about Instagram as this was my first year on it as a business! I feel the same as you. One cannot be so perfectly produced all the time without some creative sincerity!
Also some other sites were recommending writing long drawn out post on IG with personal stuff. I don’t like that personally and just could not try that!!
Thanks for your wonderful newsletter too :)
Angela says
Thanks so much Sarah! I feel the same way. I like when people have a really important story, like a big announcement, but I’ve noticed some people adding personal stories that are very drawn out and don’t have much to do with their photos lately. It’s an interesting approach!
Cherish says
Such great tips! I haven’t gotten into filters – usually I love my colors to be BOLD and crisp, so I do a few things with Afterlight and post it. Still getting used to curating, but I actually find it to be quite fun. In the beginning, I was deleting a ton of pictures just to repost them at the “right” time, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it (thank goodness) and my public account looks so much better than my personal. I also enjoy the freedom this has allowed me to do with my personal – it’s private so I just throw up whatever the heck I want, now! haha.
Never thought of posting a photo to look at it with my stuff, then deleting it! I do look at my feed before choosing a photo to post, though.
Ednita Domenech says
Excellent guide to do it!
I always try to keep my feed black & white + in between I always try to include photos with a pop of color.
I’ve found myself posting a photo just to see how it looks, and quickly delete it, and if it looks good, then I work on a good caption and all the hashtags, and post it for forever. But I’m more conscious about that, I mean, if I’m working on a photo for my Instagram content it is because I consider it worth posting it.
I think it reveals we’re a business but we’re also real.
Thanks for this post, THEBLOGMARKET!
Great and useful content as always!!!!