Wednesday, September 2, 2015

{instagram etiquette: the dont's}

I've shared my "how to's" behind making the perfect instagram photo and now I'm sharing "the dont's" of etiquette on our favorite social media outlet [why doesn't anyone ever talk about this?]. Nobody is perfect - I totally get that - but we're all just trying to make Instagram a beautiful and inspiring place, right? Not just through pictures but through words and inspiration as well - and everyone wants to stand out in the crowd. It can be tough to increase followers/likes and at the end of a long day you feel like you would do anything to get your numbers up! It's hard to watch some people succeed when you're stuck in a rut and you think "if I just plead my case or bought some more…" DON'T! I seriously believe that if you avoid these "dont's" that you will become a better instagrammer and I can promise you that you'll have a better reputation too! If you already have great content it's time to get down to the nitty gritty with some etiquette…


1. Don't comment "Follow 4 Follow" // This may be how it's done with some instagrammers/bloggers but for the most part it's not going to make anyone want to follow you. Personally, 9 times out of 10, if you comment on my photo I'm automatically going to check out your page. If I like it then I'm probably going to follow you [I follow over 2k pages and I love finding new inspiration]! I find this is the case for most people because you want to know who is liking your stuff!! 

2. Don't write a mean comment // I can't believe I even have to put this on here… if you write something mean you're gonna have someone retaliate against you. If you're looking for a fight and a reason to put your profile on private so you stop getting harassed then by all means, ignore this suggestion. A lot of celebrities instantly block anyone who comments mean things on their pictures!

3. Don't advertise yourself on someone else's page // It's tacky. Don't do it. Be a classy person. How would you feel if someone did that on your picture where you're sharing something awesome?

4. Don't post blurry pictures // Unless it's crazy artsy, done with purpose or really sets a mood… Nobody has a desire to feel like they need reading glasses while looking at your picture trying to decipher what's going on. That's what snapchat is for ;)

5. Don't buy followers // This comes back to authenticity - you will continue to grow more steadily if you are consistent with your posts and share interesting content. If you have 40k followers but only get around 200 likes per photo people are going to notice. It's a bit of a turn off - seriously, I don't care if you have 40 or 40k followers!! It's all about quality material and content.

6. Don't write "I followed you please follow me back" // Um, thanks? Refer to "don't #1" - this comment is certainly not going to get anyone to check out your page.

7. Don't post multiple photos in a row // Goodness, you aren't even giving yourself a chance to get likes on that first photo! Pace yourself throughout the day. 2-3 photos is totally fine if you post morning, afternoon and night. I use different apps to determine what time of the day is best for maximizing my likes [a little bit or trial and error to determine this as well]!

8. Don't 'gram someone else's photo without giving credit // Plagiarizing is against the law… and other people will notice and the owner of the photo will notice and that's not gonna end well. If you found it on Pinterest and don't know the source then simply write "credit: Pinterest"! Easy.

9. Don't pretend to be someone else // This is a scary new thing I've noticed happening with non-celebrities. People will impersonate someone they idolize and try to walk and talk like them by using all of their photos - they actually trick a lot of people too. I mean whyyyy would someone take the time to do this?? You tell me because I'm clueless.

…and since I like to end on a good note

10. DO share the love by liking other's photos and commenting! // If you look at the flip side to all of these DONT'S it's simple. Be yourself, like other's photos, comment if you love something, stay honest, and stay original! This is guaranteed to help you stand out even though you may feel like you're blending in!



Did I miss any Instagram etiquette do's or dont's? Have you been able to steadily increase your following by avoiding these? I'd love to know - the inner workings of Instagram fascinate me!

Love Always,

2 comments:

  1. Love this post! I totally agree with ALL of these! Great job, Jenn :)

    xo,
    Lauren
    www.littlestyledlife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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