So you want to start an Instagram?

Instagram can be a blogger's best friend. You post pictures giving readers a bigger peek inside your life. You can interact with readers and other bloggers. It has for me been a great way to grow my blog. But, like everything in life, you have to put in effort to get something out of it (aka only posting selfies or the same exact pictures won't help your blog grow). Instagram (like all other social media) is a great resource for blogging so here are my tips for bloggers with new Instagram (also know, I'm a new blogger myself so what works for me may not work for you).

1. Don't expect fame overnight

This one is hard to work on. Honestly, I would be lying to say I don't want to have a large amount of Instagram followers or the amount of likes some other blogs have. But, those blogs (and Instagrams) have been around much longer so it is not fair to compare a brand new Instagram to one that has been running for 5 years. Slow and steady wins the race y'all!

2. Leave comments

I have found the best way to make connections on Instagram is to leave comments on other people's pictures. It is pretty easy (for example, love this outfit on a OOTD post) and really helps you to grow and connect!

3. Post what you want

This is your Instagram remember? If you focus on recipes, don't feel you need to post an outfit because everyone else on your feed posts outfits!

4. Edit your pictures, but don't make it look fake

The difference between an edited and an un-edited picture can be night and day (trust me, I've learned). Edited pictures helps to create a prettier Instagram "theme". Something that's important is to edit but to not over-edit too much. Sometimes you don't need to add a ton of filters to make a picture look good!

5. Post often

You can't expect your Instagram (and blog) to grow if you don't add anything to it. I shoot for every couple of days and sometimes twice a day during the weekends or on vacation (when I have more pictures to share!)

What are your tips for starting an Instagram? Let me know in the comments!