The Instagram Way Of Life

The Instagram Way Of Life: Being a blogger I love social media. The getting to know other people bit by bit, the challenge of condensing a coherent thought into 140 characters, the ability to share my latest blog post or learn about the next big idea and hearing headline news, before it makes it to the TV. But my favourite social network of all has to be Instagram, it is my happy place.

Since I joined Instagram a few years ago, I’ve looked at things differently. I’ve found beauty in the ordinary and collected nick-nacks here and there to form a collection of photo styling props which can be used to turn an otherwise plain shot into something spectacular. I’ve concentrated on learning about photo composition and perspective and I’ve got a lot to learn but on the whole my photography has improved.

The past few months have seen me create a new Instagram account for this blog. I needed to separate the blog identity from my own account as part of an overall business strategy – I’m setting out my stall now for the direction I will be taking my blog in the future. This means that I’ve had to be conscious about what I post on each account so that the images are not repeated and followers of both accounts won’t be bored with the content – I mix it up and keep it fresh on each profile.

I like to post a mix of styled shots and ‘what I’m doing now’ reportage but I prefer images to have an aesthetic quality, and that takes a bit of effort sometimes. Considering each shot has given me a real appreciation for when other Instagrammers have posted something beautiful. Just like the awareness you get when you’ve planned your own wedding, you find yourself really drinking in all the details of the next wedding you go to, because you know how hard they worked to create that magic and you appreciate their effort. It’s like that.

A thoughtful Instagram gives you over time, a beautifully curated feed that is a pleasure to scroll through and I find the best way to get ideas is to keep dipping into Instagram, searching hashtags I like to find new Instagrammers to follow and just keep posting regularly myself. Practice makes perfect after all!

Tags for Likes is an app I use to find popular hashtags and I find that spacing out my posts helps generate more likes overall. I’m still building my following on both Instagram accounts and I’m picking up more tips each day. Have a look at my profiles @Businessmum is my longest established feed and @JuggleMumBlog is the newest one for the audience of JuggleMum readers! If you like what you see, please follow. I’d love to welcome you to my Insta world!

Here is my favourite post from @Businessmum in the last month:

Here is my favourite post from @JuggleMumBlog in the last month:

I’m quite a visual person so Instagram caters to that side of me and is an easy way to wind down at the end of the day. I like that a photo can say so much – even without the accompanying caption and in general, Instagram provokes pleasant emotions, unlike other social networks where negative posts from other users can affect mood or just get on my nerves!

What are your feelings about Instagram and do you have any top tips to help me get better? Please share in the comments! (…and don’t forget to follow me! @Businessmum and @JuggleMumBlog)