Thursday, January 17, 2019

Growing on Instagram

Okay, so I’m not even sure how I’m going to break this down, but it is, by far, my most requested topic. How do you grow your Instagram following. Let me start by saying that I am in no means a social media guru. I write a blog and microblog on Instagram, as well as working as a content media strategist. I’m not a person with 100k followers or tons and tons of sponsored posts. 

So to break this down as easily as I can, there’s 6 topics I’m gonna cover.


Content: Quality > Quantity
Schedule & Timing
Aesthetic/Theme
Buying Followers/Likes
Sponsored Posts
Personal vs. Professional


Content: Quality > Quantity 
We’ve all seen those accounts, you know, the one that posts 5+ times a day. They drown your feed in content and ads and you click that unfollow button without a second thought. You do not want to be that person. The optimum Instagrams post one to two posts a day, but I personally don’t follow that. I like to make sure I have at least one post every two to three days. I’m not saying don’t double post, it’s your account, have fun with it! Just be conscious of how much you post, as you don’t want to over saturate your followers’ feeds.


Schedule & Timing
There are a few times and days that are the best to post on/during because they’ll get optimum exposure. Instagrams algorithm is a tricky one to figure out and optimize, but it is possible. 

These are the best times to post for each day of the week.
Sunday 5 pm
Monday 7 pm, 10 pm
Tuesday 3 am, 10 pm
Wednesday 5 pm
Thursday 7 am, 11 pm
Friday 1 am, 8 pm
Saturday 12 am, 2 am


For me, these times are tried and true, but you should definitely experiment! See what other people from your niche are doing, what times work best, etc.



Aesthetic/Theme
This is kind of the most difficult to explain. Pick what you do well, and run with it. Wanna blog about makeup? Do it! OOTDs your jam? Fashion blogger it is. I generally say that my blog and Instagram fall under the category of a lifestyle blogger, but that term is definitely subjective. When you pick a niche and stick with it, you’ll find yourself immersed in a community of like-minded people, and you’ll make friends!
Something that I’ve been doing recently (probably about three or four months now) is using the same editing for photos. I like bright, airy photos, with the same VSCO filter over each of them at 4.5 strength. This created a consistency to my Instagram feed that’s really pleasing to look at, and the flow makes it easy to scroll and enjoy it.
You definitely don’t need to do the editing/filter thing, but I cannot recommend enough taking the time to explore the different niches and find what you truly enjoy doing. Don’t pick one because you think it’s a way to get tons of followers, because the best accounts are always the ones run by people who are passionate about the content that they’re creating.



Buying Followers/Likes
Just don’t. Everyone can tell when your followers aren’t real. It puts you at risk of having your account shut down and you banned from the site. 

It isn’t worth it.



Sponsored Posts
Working with different brands and businesses is super cool. Those collaborations are probably my favorite part of the job. Notice I say the word job, when you work, you get paid. Don’t offer to work with a brand for free, in exchange for the publicity. You’re devaluing your work, my work, and everyone else’s. There are so many brands and companies that will pay bloggers for exposure. I also personally don’t recommend approaching brands, it’s better to let them come to you. 
Don’t let every post on your feed be a #sponsored post either. Your followers will notice your walking billboard and will unfollow in a blink. It’s just not a good look. Personally, I try to only do a couple sponsored posts a month to remain authentic and true to myself, and my followers. I also will not advertise for a brand that I personally would not use. Don’t be a sellout for a garbage product



Personal vs. Professional
This is my biggest struggle. I love to share the photos that are shot on a professional camera and edited on the computer that just look so classy and well down. I also love to share the iPhone picture I snapped on a road trip or in a bookstore. So many people lose their identities behind their accounts. They publish a perfectly polished post and the likes and comments come rolling in, but people who know them personally see right through it. Don’t let your fantasy block your reality. I am all for living in the moment, so sometimes that means snapping a quick pic that may not be perfect, but seeing it warms my heart with the memory. Professional photos are great, just don’t lose your authenticity behind them. My bet is people are following you for you, not for a fake reality.




That’s all I’ve got for now, I hope this will be helpful to those of you that have asked!


If you have any questions or tips I’d love to hear them! 


xo

Friday, January 11, 2019

To The Man Loving Me Through This Illness

To the man loving me through this illness,

By the grace of G-d, I’m in love with my best friend. The one person who held my hand through it all. The good, the bad, the radiation and chemo, and everything in between. We found out I was in remission and we celebrated, as friends. Life was good. We grew closer, in a romantic way. We began to date. Never did we ever think we’d be facing this demon again.


To the man love me through this illness, thank you. I couldn’t be doing this without you. I couldn’t fight without you. From the little things like rubbing my muscles when the medicine makes me too sore to walk, to the big things like driving an hour and a half to take care of me after chemo when I can’t fend for myself.

Dating in your twenties should be fun nights out and hanging with friends, not doctors appointments, hospital visits, and bed rest. And somehow, you do it all without complaint. You don’t let me feel guilty for being sick. You make sure my water cup is always full, that I always have extra blankets for the cold days, and a fan for the hot flashes. I never have to ask, because you’re always two steps ahead.


To the man loving me through this illness, I know this isn’t what you signed up for. No one gets in to a relationship with the expectation of illness. No one signs up for this, but you didn’t leave either. I’m sorry that our relationship isn’t picture perfect normal, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Cancer is tough, but we are tougher. Thank you for constantly reminding me of all the reasons that I’m still moving forward. Thank you for letting me have sad days, for letting me feel bad for myself, and for also reminding me of all the reasons I have to be thankful.


To the man loving me through this illness, thank you. Thank you for not letting me lose myself, not letting me lose my identity, to this disease. Thank you for allowing me to see all the light that still shines in such a dark time. Thank you for your constant positivity, and reassurance, and love. Thank you for seeing me, and for allowing me to retain my identity beyond my diagnosis, something that many cannot do.

Thank you for letting me be afraid, thank you for being afraid with me, and thank you for not allowing the fears to get the better of us. But most of all, thank you for being my best friend, healthy or sick. I couldn't do it without you.

To the man loving me through this illness, you have my heart, always.

all my love,

xo

Friday, November 9, 2018

25 Gifts Under $25



The holidays can be such a stressful time, especially financially for some people. It doesn't have to be that way though, you can find a gift for everyone in your life for a reasonable price. I'm a huge fan of homemade gifts as well, but I know not everyone has that kind of free time. So here is a holiday gift guide with twenty five gifts under twenty five dollars. 





Custom Initial Necklace - $25
This adorable necklace comes from one of my favorite girl bosses, Scotti, and I couldn't love it more! I own multiple items from her shop and can attest to the quality, and affordability!

Floral CamelBak Water Bottle - $15.25
I personally own this exact bottle and it's one of my favorites! Plus free shipping with Amazon Prime!

Minimergency Kit - $18
This perfect stocking stuffer comes in the cutest glitter pouch and has everything you could ever possibly need!


Ceramic Ring Dish - $7.45
The perfect little gift for any lady in your life! Plus another Amazon Prime product, so free shipping!


Evelyn Henson Mug - $22
Another personal favorite of mine, I own 2 of these mugs! Evelyn is the cutest artist, and has a map print for any city you can thing of! She also has tonsss of cute little sayings on her mugs, and they're super high quality!


Coziest Throw - $19
The softest, coziest throw like ever. Plus you can get it monogrammed?!


Insulated Stainless Steel Wine Glass - $13.49
Perfect for camping, tailgating, summer days, anything!


Custom Photo Pallet - $15
This one is self explanatory, right? You can get any photo you want on it, how freaking cute! I'd die if I received one of these.





Vintage Inspired Bluetooth Speaker - $19.89
Amazon Prime free shipping and 6 color choices!


Beard Butter & Comb - $15.97
Gotta keep our bearded friends in tip-top shape!


Movie Scratch Off Poster - $15
Help your fav movie aficionado keep track of their watches.


Stainless Steel Insulated Mug - $10.20
Gotta keep that coffee warm on these cold winter mornings!


Harry's for J. Crew Shave Set - $25
This one is pretty self explanatory.

Bifold Wallet - $17.99
A classic gift for the man who already has everything.


The Book of Dad Jokes - $12.31
Because we all have someone who loves these awful jokes.


Corkcicle Beer Chiller -$16.95
Made in the USA and keeps your brews cold, from start to finish!




Grilled Cheese Sandwich Toaster - $23.99
Free shipping via Amazon Prime!


Rosé Cocktail Kit - $25
Plus use the code 'friends' and save 30%!


4 Silicone Wine Glasses - $18.98
Perfect for any host/ess in your life!



Himalayan Salt Lamp - $15.69
Really, truly does provide a sense of calmness to a room.


Rapper's Delight Cookbook - $12.76
Buy this for the illustrations alone.


100% Copper Moscow Mule Mug - $18.97
Another good gift for the entertainer in your life.


Freudian Slippers - $19.46
Come on, they're hilarious.


TriceraTACO Taco Holder - $11.50
Okay, seriously?! There's also the TACOsaurus Rex, and the NACHOsaurus!


Binge Reading Kit - $22
This kit is adorable and perfect and I need 10 of them. "Let's get lit"


You guys, seriously, it's the season for giving but that doesn't always mean a gift. Give time, give kind words, they're needed now more than ever. Don't ever feel poorly about not being able to give loved ones gifts. Your love is the most important gift of all.

So happy Hanukkah and merry Christmas to all!

XO