10 Reasons to NOT Follow Me on Instagram

Instagram is undoubtedly the most popular social media for bloggers and influencers. It is an image-based social media wherein you can share your most beautiful flatlays and outfit photos... in case you are a blogger. It took me a long time before I decided to hop in the bandwagon. When I did, it did not take long until I got hooked. I could spend hours and hours scrolling through my Instagram feed until either my phone battery drained or I snoozed, whichever came first. 

Ironically, the same things that made Instagram appealing is the primary reason why I lost interest over it. As a blogger, I felt like there was a certain duty to update my posts regularly and post pristine photos or flatlays. It felt more like a chore than a creative outlet, which was supposed to be the case. Hence, I wrote this post about Instagram sometime last year. I decided to get candid about my thoughts on Instagram and what I didn't like about it. 

I am, in no way, discouraging you to join the social media or stay active in it. To each his/her own, as they say. But I just felt like the authenticity has waned down. I still adapted the tips that I've pointed out in that same article to myself, such as posting for me and the things that matter to me (except of course a few styled shoots and brand collaboration posts). Other than that, I am not going to beat myself up trying to get that flatlay perfect.

Well, that's enough blabber, let's get on to the 10 reasons to NOT follow me on Instagram: 

10. I don't have a marbled tile countertop... nor can I convince my husband to have our kitchen renovated. 

9. I eat my food before I get to even take a overhead photo. And in most cases, even when I do get a photo, I've managed to take at least one bite.

A post shared by Abby Castro Sinsona 💋 (@fash_chronicles) on Mar 28, 2017 at 8:15pm PDT

8. I don't get to take photos of my ice cream while I'm eating it before it starts to melt.

7. I never (or very rarely) use fresh flowers as props for my styled shoots. It's too expensive to buy fresh ones all. the. freaking. time.

6. I don't take mirror selfies. It's because I don't have a fully body mirror and the background will almost always be a mess.

5. I don't have photos of me drinking my coffee in bed. I don't trust myself enough to not spill on the sheets.

A post shared by Abby Castro Sinsona 💋 (@fash_chronicles) on Mar 26, 2017 at 5:10pm PDT

4. I don't have photos of the wing of an airplane whenever I travel. It's either 1) I forget to do so or 2) I would rather doze off. 

3. I still suck at my flatlay game. Unless I can get another use for a white board (other than for flat lays), I won't buy myself one.

2. When traveling, I rarely post real-time updates of my #travelgoal worthy destinations. I prefer to enjoy the moment as it is! 

A post shared by Abby Castro Sinsona 💋 (@fash_chronicles) on Jan 27, 2017 at 11:27pm PST

1. I don't post workout selfies! To be honest though, who would want to take selfies of their sweaty selves post-workout? I don't!

Are you into Instagram? What are your thoughts about this social media? If despite of these all you still want to go ahead and follow me, you can do so here.

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Blogger 101: How to Overcome Instagram Pressure

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If Instagram was any evidence, keeping up with the Joneses is not easy. It never was. Today's society has become so engrossed with materialism and social media was no help at all. In fact, it only encouraged social approval and fueled desire for validation based on what is seen aka the material things. If you are a personal style blogger, like myself, who had to use the app (Instagram) to promote your blog, you might have felt the pressure to keep up as well. 

Therefore, I felt the need to share my thoughts about Instagram and this whole social media culture. Remember the time when catching up on each other's lives meant inviting your friends over for dinner at your own home and showing off your photos to them until they're bored? Things have changed dramatically in this era. Now, you can update your friends and even strangers who follow you about every detail of your life in real time. It sounds creepy but that's how most Instagrammers function. 

If you are on the other end of the spectrum, there is a huge pressure on your back when it comes to living up to the pressure of Instagram. How do you keep up with top fashion bloggers who are constantly jet-setting? One day they're posting sunset shots of New York City and then the next they're posting photos of the gorgeous beaches in Cancun (with a cocktail in hand, of course!). Or, maybe they're rubbing elbows with fashion designers at a fashion gala? There is no doubt a seemingly unattainable standard that celebrities, models and other famous personalities have set for Instagram. 

Don't frown just yet. It is all but normal to feel that way. A tinge of envy is part of being human. But do I let it distract me from what is going on with my life? Even I can't manage to create the perfect flat lay. But who cares? 

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Try these three methods that I've used to overcome the inherent pressure that goes with maintaining an Instagram account:

1 – I do what pleases me.

Much of the social media struggle hinges on the need for validation, for social approval. I have let go of that idea when managing my social media accounts. I do whatever pleases me. I post whatever I like or enjoy doing. I refuse to be dictated by what would consider others click the ‘like’ button. I have attained a certain level of belief in myself that my existence is not validated by a mere ‘like’ or ‘follow’. In this social media era, it is understandably easy to be consumed by this type of appreciation but do not let it define you.

2 – I follow whoever I like.

This is another healthy step to overcoming the pressure of a seemingly glamorous social media life. Choose to follow people you genuinely like. When you follow someone because of their gorgeous photos or awesome flatlays, you could be easily swayed to look life through an ideal. You will look up to them as the ideal and be frustrated when you can’t live up to that standard. Instead, I follow people for the genuineness and for the stories that each photo has to say.

3 – I try not to spend too much time on Instagram.

On an average, I probably post 3-4 times a week on Instagram (or once a day at most). I do the occasional flooding of posts when I’m on a roll. But I try to live my life, not live a life that would look good on social media. There is a huge difference!

Have you ever felt the pressure to craft an idealized version of your life on social media, particularly Instagram?

Blogger 101: How to Use Social Media

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Any fashion blogger would tell you that your blog would be basically non-existent if you do not know how to utilize the power of social media. In this day and age, social media is utilized for a number of reasons - getting connected with your loved ones and sharing common interests. Thus, you can leverage these tools to let more people know about your blog. In fact, the top fashion bloggers in the world have built up a huge following on their blog by staying active on social media. You can therefore take these cues to promote your own blog and tap into that connection.

However, your social media accounts are only as powerful as you take advantage of them. Make sure you know how to promote your blog through social media: 

Build Your Profile

I've been to a lot of Twitter accounts or other similar social media accounts wherein the profile is left empty. I believe this is one of the major no-nos to social media marketing, especially if you want to leverage traffic. Make sure you provide basic information about yourself and provide a link to your blog on your profile. This is also an essential step in branding yourself, alongside your blog. No need to recreate your About Us page here. A brief and concise description about you or your blog will do.

Update Often

Another important tip to remember if you want to use social media for blog promotion - update often. How do you suppose your followers/friends know you updated your site with a new post if you do not share it? Even if you're not sharing links to your blog, update your page often. Build connections with fellow bloggers, readers and brands. Socialize! Interact!

Automate Content Sharing

There are websites like Networked Blogs that allow you to syndicate new content on your blog so they will automatically update your profile. Social media marketing could easily drain up your time. Hence, automating some aspects of your promotion will save you a great deal of time.

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Add Social Buttons

While you're promoting your blog on your social media profiles, you should also do the same on your blog. Add social media buttons on your website so it is easier for readers to know where to find you on social media.

Monitor Your Traffic

It is important to trace back which of your social media sites are generating the most traffic to your website/blog. This will enable you to focus your time and effort on social media sites that bring most traffic. 

Use Hashtags

Remember when hashtags were unique to Twitter only? Today, things are far different. Almost every social media site has their own hashtag algorithm. Take advantage of it! Most importantly, do a research on the top hashtags for your industry so you can maximize them for following or interaction.

How do you use social media to promote your blog?