#blogstorm – My New Found Love of Instagram

Every blogging tip post I’ve ever read, after telling me that content is king, tells me of the importance of a social media presence.  They also tell you to concentrate on one at a time when you’re starting out.

“It’s better to do one thing well than ten things poorly.”  — Heather Hart

Building an engaged online social media presence is time consuming.  With the keyword here being engaged.  The way the world of social media is these days it’s often easy to buy followers.  But those followers don’t interact.  They don’t engage with you.  And they certainly don’t always appreciate the effort you put in.

Which brings me to Instagram.  It always seemed like a lot of effort to take and record photos daily.  So it’s always been at the bottom of my list.  Something that I had and threw the odd photo on.  A blurred shot of the boys.  A random shoe.  I just left it and concentrated on Facebook and Twitter.  Both of which I knew well.  Oh the hours I can while away on Facebook, Instagram just didn’t quite have that same appeal.

Until it one day did.  And my new found love of Instagram was born.

From a random question I asked in a blogging group spiralled into a conversation that made me think about the way I use Instagram and why I use it.  The question?  It was simple.

How often do you post to Instagram?

The responses varied, from once a day, to multiple times.  Leading to from my DSLR to just from my phone.  From curated to just snap happy.  It led me to realise that Instagram can be whatever you want it to be, the question is what did I want mine to be?  What story was I telling?

The answer came to me fairly quickly, an extension of me, of my blog.  Which can only really mean one thing.

My boys.

There is no point in me posting proud home photos, my house is always a mess and as we rent we don’t really put our stamp on it.  I love a good quote as much as the next person but I’d rather read them on someone else’s feed than mine.  Food, it’s always nice but I’m an edible chef not a pretty chef.

What I want to see when I look at my feed is a snapshot of my days via my children.  Yes.  There may be a landscape shot.  A food post.  But generally, I want to document my boys.

Photos are precious moments in time.  Moments that are gone all too quickly.  I want to be able to look back and see my big boys cheeky smile from when he stole the rice cake from the Baby.  The Baby’s fascination with the bubbles.  The snuggles on the sofa.

My Instagram is all me.  My life.  My boys.  My loves.  That’s the story I am telling with my feed.

What story do you tell?

Run Jump Scrap!
Follow:

48 Comments

  1. Nat Halfpenny
    November 29, 2015 / 11:27 am

    Ah gorgeous feed! I go through phases of posting 3/4 times a day then I won’t for a week at a time. I post mainly about the kids, they’re cuter than me!

    • Laura
      Author
      November 29, 2015 / 1:22 pm

      Ha me too – all about the boys their faces are adorable, mine? Mine is TIRED!

  2. November 29, 2015 / 12:28 pm

    I love instagram! It never feels like shameless promotion, it just feels fun and like you said, an extension of your blog, just somewhere your followers can really get to know you more personally. #blogstorm

    • Laura
      Author
      November 29, 2015 / 1:22 pm

      It really doesn’t, not like twitter which is link after link, but just pretty pictures and I am a complete sucker for a gorgeous picture!

  3. November 29, 2015 / 12:55 pm

    I love this post, I’ve been trailing different ways with Instagram and I agree that there isn’t a perfect formula so instead I’ve tried to make my feed unique to me.

    • Laura
      Author
      November 29, 2015 / 1:25 pm

      I think I was having the same problem, as with everything blog I’ve come to the conclusion that if I keep it unique to me then I don’t lose the love for it. So you (probably) won’t ever see a flat lay as a. my house isn’t tidy enough b. I don’t have a backdrop and c. I have two boys who tear up the places and would destroy anything I tried to set out!!!

  4. November 29, 2015 / 1:34 pm

    Lovely post! I think your Instagram photos are gorgeous and perfectly capture your boys and your life!

  5. November 29, 2015 / 3:01 pm

    This is so lovely! Instagram is great isn’t it! I do love it but I can sometimes go a few days without posting anything, then I’ll have days where I could post so many. Your pictures are lovely x #Love2Blog

  6. November 29, 2015 / 3:08 pm

    As you know from our chat this morning, I don’t really rate my IG photos but I think having a theme is a great idea instead of just snapping randomly and adding different filters all the time! Great post lovely xx

  7. November 29, 2015 / 3:17 pm

    Great post! Your photos are gorgeous and definitely do tell the story of your life with your boys. Mine is my life in general – there are a lot of coffee cups, baby/toddler picks, things I spot that I find funny or sweet – very few pictures of the house as it normally resembles a bomb site once E is awake!

  8. November 29, 2015 / 3:18 pm

    I love Instagram and it has definitely been my favourite social media for a while. I think it’s a diary of each day for us showing what we get up too. I do try to choose the best photos but ultimately it shows Amelia and her life! 🙂

  9. November 29, 2015 / 7:38 pm

    I absolutely love Instagram – it took me a while to get into it as well, as I don’t think I’d quite got my head around how it worked. Am totally addicted now, it’s great for keeping me mindful of the beauty in everyday life (and means I can relive some travels and lovely beaches when I’m feeling freezing). I agree that a theme is a really good idea, even if it’s fairly general, and I’m quite strict about what photos go up.

  10. November 29, 2015 / 10:57 pm

    Love your photos! I’m only really starting to get into Instagram and trying to find how I want mine to look too. Think I am slowly figuring it out…! 🙂 x

  11. November 30, 2015 / 12:01 am

    I think I was one of the people that replied to your Instagram question 🙂 I see Instagram as an extension of my blog so mine is all about my boys too x

  12. November 30, 2015 / 12:36 am

    I like to ensure that I post at least once a day, it really depends on my mood as to how much I post x

  13. November 30, 2015 / 1:22 am

    I’m so lazy about Instagram, but love Pinterest. Read it, love it, share it. Job done 🙂

  14. November 30, 2015 / 1:25 am

    Hey chick, such a fab post. Didn’t have time to include it in my BM Round-up this month but will do next time. Glad you’re loving Instagram! X

  15. November 30, 2015 / 1:48 am

    I like to think that my Instagram is also an extension of me, it pretty sums up my life as it includes food, cats, my baby and well, everything else!
    I love instagram and I love following a variety of accounts, some nitty gritty real life and others picture perfect not so real life!

    #Love2Blog

  16. November 30, 2015 / 1:53 am

    I am a huge fan of Instagram and I follow you on there! I find that my feed has almost become more for me than for anyone else. I really enjoy looking back through all my photos 🙂

  17. November 30, 2015 / 4:17 am

    I read so many posts where bloggers say how much they love Instagram and I just can’t get on board. I have an Instagram and I post to it, but it’s not my go to network. Maybe its because I haven’t worked out my story yet or maybe its because I’m not really into photography. I wish I could fall in love with it, its one of the networks I want to love! Thanks for hosting #Blogstorm 🙂
    Debbie

  18. November 30, 2015 / 4:54 am

    Great post. I am trying a bit harder with instagram at the moment. I still post mostly photos of my girls on days out but I’m trying to make them look a bit nicer. Like you say it’s about having lovely photos to look back on as anything else.x

  19. November 30, 2015 / 6:22 am

    Instagram was the form of social media that it took me the longest to get into and its still one of my least favourite ones – I like using it for myself, to post snaps of the boys and so on, but I dont really enjoy using it for blogging as the emphasis on branding and picking a niche doesnt really sit well with me. x

  20. November 30, 2015 / 6:06 pm

    That’s what my Instagram is, an extension of our family life. I show photos of mostly the boys with some anecdotes in between. I love posting photos as they show so much more than just writing ever could x

  21. November 30, 2015 / 9:51 pm

    For me instagram is one of the social media platforms that I have not seemed to embrace, I guess I can give a stab at it one day. Loving your IG feed.

    • Laura
      Author
      December 1, 2015 / 9:54 pm

      It took me a while to get into, but having decided what I want it show for me I’m really enjoying it!

  22. December 1, 2015 / 12:41 am

    I’ve been loving your instagram recently! I love Instagram photos that are real and honest. Non of this fake, set up stuff. xx

    • Laura
      Author
      December 1, 2015 / 9:52 pm

      Such a lovely thing to say – I’m really trying to make sure that I take decent photos of the boys so I can look back as they grow. I’m enjoying the portraits of the boys xxx

  23. December 1, 2015 / 12:41 am

    Great post! I absolutely love Instagram too. Your feed is fab and your boys are absolutely gorgeous! x

    • Laura
      Author
      December 1, 2015 / 9:49 pm

      Ahh thank you – I’m loving the fact that I’m taking more photos of the boys every day.x

  24. December 1, 2015 / 1:30 am

    I love Instagram! It’s one of the things I check every morning and through out the day! xx

    • Laura
      Author
      December 1, 2015 / 9:48 pm

      It’s quickly becoming my complete new obsession, I love all the pretty photos!

  25. December 1, 2015 / 6:12 pm

    I adore Instagram, but am not hugely active on it. I have to admit, taking photos always comes as a bit of an afterthought, my wife on the other hand photographs everything!

    • Laura
      Author
      December 1, 2015 / 9:47 pm

      Sounds like me and my husband, I take all the photos so I’m never on them!

  26. December 2, 2015 / 1:45 am

    Fab post and what gorgeous pictures. My Instagram has only just started picking up, I didn’t use it for ages but I think I’ve just about got me head around it. I’ve even started using hashtags!!! Haha.

    Laura x

    • Laura
      Author
      December 2, 2015 / 9:17 pm

      I haven’t told my husband I’m using hashtags as I think he’d disown me…..

  27. December 2, 2015 / 11:34 am

    Ah, lovely photos. I love Instagram (ourrach) and have used it for a good few years now. I’m not sure how much I get from it in terms of traffic to my blog, I still love it though. Great place to document photos. #bestandworst xx

    • Laura
      Author
      December 2, 2015 / 7:45 pm

      I’m not sure if it drives traffic to my blog but I still love it and the pretty pictures I’m capturing 🙂 x

  28. December 2, 2015 / 12:42 pm

    Totally hear you. I was so engrossed in facebook and then twitter…I am a rubbish photographer…until, like yourself, that ‘one day’ when I could barely drag myself away from it. A whole new world; loving it. #bestandworst

    • Laura
      Author
      December 2, 2015 / 7:42 pm

      I’m glad there is someone else!! Just been having a lovely nose through your photos!x

  29. December 2, 2015 / 5:52 pm

    I love Instagram – so cool to see all those piccys and ace to be so nosey too. It’s true though you do need to be able to engage with it and use it a lot and sometimes I just forget!! I need to up my game a bit too and glad you are loving it so much. Makes it easier to remember! Thanks for linking with #bestandworst lovely x

    • Laura
      Author
      December 2, 2015 / 7:35 pm

      I totally just left it and it was those chance comments that have made me change what I do and why I do it! I love nosing at other peoples and the perfect pictures make me swoon!!

  30. December 2, 2015 / 11:58 pm

    Oooh, I was just having a discussion with another blogger today, about the importance of Instagram and our blogs. I don’t have it for my blog yet, and I have a personal account which I don’t use that often. I wasn’t really sure I could see the relevance of it in relation to my blog. But after speaking to my friend about it, and reading this, I can easily see it as an extension to my blog, and as a different way of interacting. I think I will start posting some comedy moments from my day and see what happens!!
    #bestandworst

    • Laura
      Author
      December 3, 2015 / 7:09 am

      I merged my personal account into my blog one. I’m not 100% on the driving of traffic to my blog but it’s so engaging and engaged it’s a lovely way to introduce me and my blog to those on IG. Let me know when you do and I can pop and find you, love comedy moments!! X

  31. December 6, 2015 / 7:29 pm

    What a lovely feed. I go through phases of posting a lot, to barely at all. I really must be more consistent! x

  32. December 7, 2015 / 1:59 am

    My instagram is mainly cat and food pictures. I used it a bit to share wedding pics at the begining of the year, before I started bloggin, but I really need to get back intonit now x #blogstorm

  33. December 9, 2015 / 1:36 am

    Hmmmm no idea what story I’m telling. Apparently, my IG seems to show I spend my entire time drinking coffee by the sea! So not true but they say the camera never lies!! #BestAndWorst

  34. January 6, 2016 / 1:42 pm

    Your photos are lovely, and I like seeing a good mix of people I follow. While some of the styled minimalist shots are stunning, they do get samey and boring after a while. I like to see them mixed up – but with good photos.

    My feed is like yours – my blog extension, so it does cover a lot of different things – N, outdoors, days out, landscapes, the farm, and anything else I want a quick share of. But I also use instagram to share the photos I’m trying to take to improve my photography – landscapes, colour, composition, macros etc. In that way, it’s slower to grow, but I know I’m sharing what I’m about, it’s real, but they’re also (generally) good and well thought out photos.

    It’s definitely my go to and favourite social media.

  35. September 8, 2016 / 9:33 pm

    Instagram is kind of my new go-to social media. It’s less cluttered and more visually pleasing than any other social media playform, in my opinion. I followed if you want to folllow back. Instagram.com/erinkelly323

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.