Since my Best Blogger Advice post was so popular, I decided to make it into a mini-series.
Now that you know what goes into blogging, let's up your Instagram game. Now I'm not saying I've cracked Instagram's algorithm or that I can get you a million followers, but I can give you little bits of advice that will help your blog look more professional in the long run.
Tip #1: Find The Right Background.
Many of my photos have a cityscape background to them. I like how tall buildings and busy streets blend into a blur in the background. If you're a workout blogger, most likely you'll like a gym or dance studio. If your style is more bohemian, then fields and mountains may be your background of choice. Travel bloggers often use the markets or tourist attractions in the area they're visiting. Figure out what you like and what attracts your audience.
Tip #2: Lighting.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure that you have good lighting and that your photos are in focus! If you aren't a Kardashian, then you cannot get away with showing a picture of your unfocused, shadowed face and still get loyal followers. Clean, simple, bright photos are what is eye catching, so make sure you go the extra mile to find some good lighting.
Tip #3: Use Accessories!
Accessories not only complete a look, but they are also everyday tools you can use to liven up your photos. I find that if I do not have a hat or a purse or sunglasses or jewelry, I have no clue what to do with my hands. They're just there looking awkward. You can put your sunglasses on your face (mine are from Poppy Smooches Fall 2017 collection, but you can see similar ones here and here), put them on your head to keep your hair back, hold them like I did in the photo above or hang them from your neck like I did in the photo below. Same with purses. Crossbody, over the shoulder or handbags can all be used to your advantage. And jewelry shots are my favorites because the details of jewelry are so beautiful!
Tip #4: Posing.
Try different poses and see what is most comfortable for you. Do you like the look of walking the city or striking a power pose? Do you prefer to sit? Do you like portrait shots? Depending on what kind of blog you have will also determine how you pose.
Tip #5: Theme.
Although having an Instagram theme is not required, I would recommend it. Imagine if you came to a website and none of the fonts were the same or if the website sometimes used a simple sans serif typeface and other times it used word art, wouldn't that look weird to you? In the same way, visual people do not like going to an Instagram feed that does not have a theme or rhyme or reason to it's set up. If you like wearing neutrals, make sure that a majority of your photos feature a white background or a neutral outfit. If you like bright, colorful makeup, then post multiple photos that incorporate different, colorful looks. For my feed, I try to stick to warm tones and neutrals.
Final thoughts:
Take time to figure out what you like and what your audience wants.
Construct a list of hashtags that have brought in more likes and views to your photos.
Talk to your family and friends about what they are interested in reading. Most likely, you'll get inspired by their thoughts or they may even see a niche in the market that you can fill.
To finish, be yourself and your content will be original. Readers can detect when you are not passionate about what you're writing on or if you do not like the clothing you're wearing.
Hopefully this blog post was helpful! If you have any questions about how to start blogging, or just want more tips and tricks, feel free to DM me on Instagram.
Thank you Kelly Kwong for these gorgeous photos! Kelly was very easy to work with and came prepared with cool ideas for our shoot. I would recommend her for your wedding, graduation or family photos!
