With the latest algorithm change on Instagram from hashtag priority to SEO, my engagement has been down. However, I have gone through this slump before and stayed true to myself and made content that I have loved. I am not the cool girl. I do not have mountains where I live or am always at the beach. I stay home most of the time, so I make content at my house. My boring house.
We have been renovating forever and it’s a mess. We have no kitchen and thus, all of our stuff is spread out haphazardly around the house. I basically just film in the spare bedroom, my bathroom, and my backyard. Sometimes, I’ll film at the tennis court because that’s my second home…
Just do the best you can to make and your vibe will attract the right tribe. When I get collaboration opportunities, I have no idea how these companies and small businesses find me, but they do and love my content regardless of likes and views. I think it is my enthusiasm, goofiness, and authenticity that attracts them. I try to make fun reels that show why a product is unique and highlight a business’ journey through challenges and achievements. When I apply for campaigns, paid or unpaid, I am so thankful for the companies that believe in me. And the ones that don’t accept me, it just means there is room for improvement and to try again later.
I have loved Boody’s bamboo clothing for years and I had applied to be an ambassador 3-4 times before being accepted. Now, I am about to make content for my second campaign for them. It’s always unpaid, but I just love their clothing so much. It is comfortable and cool in the Florida heat and it’s usually black and minimalist which goes with most of my closet.
Growing your account is a trial and error process. Some people grow faster than others. That’s okay. We are all on our journeys and it is not good to compare ourselves to others. I try to look at more popular blogs and see what they are doing well. I have started to do more fashion campaigns, but I am poor at posing. Thus, I look at my favorite blogs and see what poses they use and try to pose the same way. Sometimes, I am not comfortable doing the same poses or I just feel silly, so I'll try to make it my own way and smile and loosen up. Usually, that is when I am happiest with the content I shoot and it feels completely true to myself.
Also, know what it is about yourself that sets you apart. I am a fantastic tennis player, so I’ll try to incorporate tennis into my collaboration reels to attract views. So far, I have discovered my tennis reels and reels about body positivity get the best views. The reels where I show myself happy and living my every day life resonate best with my friends. The static posts with my face perform the best of all on my page. I would rather post pictures of nature rather than my face, but I have to balance between them for good engagement.
One last note: sometimes my posts about mental health do not do well and that’s totally okay. These posts are for me to vent or unload my feelings and hopefully inspire at least one person to do the same. Some followers or even just one will message me about how it resonated with them and it’s the start of a new friendship. Other followers will read it, keep their thoughts to themselves, but it will also inspire them to make changes in their life. Don’t base your influence upon likes and views and comments and messages. Just like in real life, you touch people without even knowing it.
When you make content that doesn’t feel like you, it makes social media less fun. It feels more like a job, rather than a passion or a hobby. Don’t do that, please.