fifteen tips for growing Instagram

Social media is essential to build an online presence; and as bloggers, we rely heavily on a large online presence for post promotion, interaction, and to show that we are real people, not robots. In addition, by spending time on social media, we are able to create & maintain relationships, keep up with new things in the industry, and of course, find inspiration for new posts.

One of my favorite social media platforms is Instagram. I love how it gives people the chance to see me through one picture; they are able to see what I like, what I think looks pretty, and how I spend my day. I love putting a funny caption to my pictures, and being able to post a sneak peek of what I'm doing, and then I can integrate whatever into the blog. I could go on and on about the benefits of Instagram, and the fact that I stopped using the filters, but I won't. Today, I am here to celebrate.

When I laid out my monthly goals for July, I talked about building up my social media stats. I want to go places with this blog, and honestly, social media growth is a really large part of that. Due to a giveaway, an Instagram comment pod, and hashtagging, I am happy to announce that last week I hit a HUGE milestone in my Instagram presence.

I now have over 1000 followers on Instagram!

Yeah, 1k baby!!! To celebrate my milestone, I decided to do a photo shoot to show my appreciation for everyone that has followed, liked, & commented, AND I am also going to give you fifteen tips for growing your own Instagram.

1. When taking pictures, use your phone's camera, not the one in the Instagram app. Your phone's camera has the ability to zoom better and you will be able to capture more detailed pictures.

2. Always crop and use the rule of thirds when editing pictures.

3. Think outside the Insta box. You don't have to capture the whole picture, because sometimes 3/4 of a flower is the prettiest. #getcreative

4. Be aware of over editing. Don't use un-natural filters.

5. Instead of using a filter, use the edit option and adjust/lower the brightness and/or contrast.

6. Keep it straight. Taking pictures of walls or sunsets or Starbucks in front of a brick wall needs a straight line of sight

7. Pick a theme and stick with it. My Instagram is full of lifestyle things, but if you want to be classified as beauty, then post that; if you want to be classified as fashion, then post it. The majority of your posts need to reflect your theme. Basically it's the same as niche blogging.

8. #hashtag. Bloggers have dedicated several posts to using hashtags, but here's the deal: you want to research what hashtags are relevant in your business/niche/theme/community, and use them accordingly. I mean, you don’t want to use some hashtag about makeup when you are posting a picture of your dog. Unless the dog is wearing makeup, of course.

9. Organic growth is better than paid growth any day. Giveaway followers are great, but not if they drop off after. You want people that are genuinely wanting to follow you.

10. If you love a stock photo, and it fits with your theme, then post it. Just remember to either tag them, or link back to them.

11. Like other people's pictures & comment more than just an emoji. Engagement is numero uno on Instagram, and is key to building followers.

12. If someone comments and asks a question, answer them. It's just nice.