Hope you all are having a great week! Sorry for the missed posts this week. Dealing with some tech issues over here.
Today I’m doing things a little differently. While I’m sharing photos of an outfit post I shot in Santa Barbara, I also wanted to chat a little bit about Instagram. I went to a really interesting workshop on Monday and it made me think about what I could be doing differently. I’m going to share some of the takeaways from the workshop below, along with a little request!
I know I’m not mentioning anything new when I say Instagram has changed lately. Who else has noticed it? Not only is it a little more challenging as a business, but it’s also frustrating as an individual. I rarely see posts from my friends I follow, and then there are others that I always see, to the point that it makes me want to not like their photos. As a blogger, I feel like my images aren’t seen as much, but maybe that’s because I’m not getting the same number of likes and comments I got before. Perhaps people are just engaging differently now and don’t feel the same desire to like and comment?
In general, the consensus seems to be that when Instagram changed its algorithm, engagement went down. {Engagement is the likes and comments that any individual image receives}. I remember that a year and a half ago I could post a photo at 7pm and knew that I would get X amount of likes within an hour. Now I’m lucky if I get that amount in total. It’s more like half! While I know likes aren’t everything, it can be a little discouraging when you’re spending time working on content, sharing it, but not getting that same response from readers. Do they see your posts and not like them? Are they not good enough? For me, I struggle between wanting to share real, relatable content, but also wanting to share beautiful images. I wonder if the grid matters. What about hashtags? And then there’s the comparison game. That game will eat you alive and while I try to not give it any attention, sometimes it’s hard not to.
On Monday, I went to a Facebook and Instagram workshop and there were a few takeaways I thought I’d share with any of you if you’re interested:
FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM WORKSHOP TAKEAWAYS
- Video is key! Videos are prioritized over photos across Facebook and Instagram.
- Posting quality over quantity is better. No need to post 5 times a day. Focus on quality first and foremost.
- While photos might not get the same amount of likes right away, there is a longer lifespan on an image. They will continue to reach audiences even days after it was originally posted.
- Hashtags aren’t as helpful as they were 2 years ago. {does anyone even search hashtags?}
- Geo-tag your location to show up in Explore feed
The video aspect was interesting. While I’ve grown frustrated with Instagram’s main feed, I’ve actually fallen in love with InstaStories. For someone who has had a love/hate relationship with Snapchat, I’m surprised I’ve loved InstaStories so much. I’ve loved connecting in this real way, no makeup needed, and the conversations I have with many of you really motivate and inspire me. The mama tribe that follows me is especially amazing whenever I have a question about Augustine.
I’ve played around with InstaLives in the past and while they’re a little stressful, they’re also really fun. I love that they’re in real time, and I can connect with you instantly. I haven’t tried a Facebook Live yet but maybe I’ll do that next. Would you be interested in that? Any Live requests? I was thinking about a makeup one!
SURVEY
With all my confusion surrounding Instagram, I thought it might be a good idea to reach out straight to the source and ask you all for your thoughts. I have a super short 10-minute survey (mainly multiple choice) that I would love for you to fill out. It would mean so much to me as I evaluate what I could be doing to better capture your interest. {Don’t worry, all your answers will be kept strictly confidential and they’re for my eyes only.}
GIVEAWAY
As a little thank you for taking the time I’m going to be randomly be picking a few of you to send little goodie bags to. yay! Just leave a comment below telling me you filled it out. I’ll go off the honor system! {Update: Mia & Sandra are the winners of this one!}
Thank you all again! I hope to continue creating content that you all love and enjoy!
xox
SHOP THIS POST
dress {under $100!} . jacket . shoes {under $100 & also in black and taupe!} . bag {also in mustard} . similar sunglasses . tag necklace . M necklace. three wishes necklace . watch {under $100 option & $250 option } . cuff bracelet . link bracelet . ring .
xox
photos by Jacqueline Pilar
