The promise of IG (and social media) is infinite audience. But in these distracted times, infinity does not always count for very much. I think the most important thing for creatives is to cultivate deep connection and authentic communication (more than half a distracted second at least!) with a small audience before we try to go bigger. Like a building, we need firm foundations, brick by brick.
I agree, Nishant! Which is why I think a newsletter/Substack is a great way to build that connection. Blogs used to be a great way to connect back in the day, but then everyone moved off to Instagram and blogs slowly died.
I’m wrestling with this currently. I left Instagram (and a sizable audience) in 2018 and went back last year. It feels like sharing with a void, but I have decided to have fun there instead. I’m going to use it to chronicle my photography and keep up with accounts that inspire me.
I hear you, Priya! I had started an IG account for my writing a few years ago (now abandoned) and it felt like I was talking to myself. I think just having fun with it and not bothering much about likes/comments/followers may be a healthier way to use Instagram. Though I will admit, it sometimes does feel pointless, mainly because we’ve become so accustomed to the connections.
I have 2 accounts neither are business accounts. I want to connect with like minded people, join in with challenges (totally ruined now by them removing the chronological option) and share my art / sewing projects to others. I go to france a lot and have limited data when I’m there which makes my visits to video lead instagram expensive. I’d love to be able to have the button back the let you play the video rather than it automatically play- but of course that doesn’t suit instagram’s business targets. I hate reels!
The amount of adverts is so off putting -1 for every 3 picture, that I’m considering just checking in once a day or perhaps leaving altogether. The feed jumps around a lot which is irritating because I want to look closer at something then it’s gone🙄.
Great article because I’m really wondering why I’m there! ☺️
Problem is where else to hang out with like minded people?
Pinterest has so many ads now that I can’t bear to scroll for longer than 10 seconds (ADHD)
I am in a few FB groups and Mighty Networks.
If anyone has any suggestions I’d be grateful. Thank you.
Oh yes, challenges have been ruined by the changes they’ve made to hashtags. Those aren’t chronological anymore either, which makes it next to impossible to connect with others doing the same challenge.
I also wish they wouldn’t auto play videos, but then I’d probably never watch them, so yes, bad business for Instagram! And the other problems with their interface make it rather irritating!
I haven’t noticed any ads on Pinterest; but then I’m generally there to quickly look for drawing inspiration!
I hope someone chimes in with some suggestions for interesting groups too 😊
wow! thank you for this post.I only get on Instagram when I have completed art to post.i keep instagram as a visual way to share my creativity more then writing.I loved to see your journey.I have been following your instagram since 2018 from my local bestie.Yet when she introduced your Instagram to me I was reading your blog all the time.
I think that’s a much healthier way of using Instagram - to get on there when you have something to share. And I love that you were reading my blog before you found me on Instagram! That’s so interesting to know, too!!
I always find i need to reset my intentions of why I keep instagram and how much time am I willing to log in to it.I want to explore your questions here are reflections and come back and share my thoughts here.
Really interesting to see the ways in which your feed changed through the years! I agree that it is a void now. For many of us, reach is small and growth can be almost nonexistant. It remains, however, a good place to share our art… even with a few. I also value having my feed there all in one place. There is something nice about that. Our blogs and newsletters don’t fill quite the same space.
I hear you on having a feed there, in one place. It’s a nice visual layout, especially if you can have a healthy relationship with Instagram. I’m interested to hear why you feel like a blog can’t fill the same space. Is it to do with the way it’s laid out visually? If that’s the case, there are blog layouts that, if I remember right, let you set your space up in a similarish fashion.
Thank you for sharing. I have been disappointed by the changes on Instagram. I was building an encouraging list of followers, now it seems my posts are only disappearing into a void. When I check the app, I'm not seeing posts from those I follow. As a writer, I want to build lists of follower (because, yes, the publishers want to see that), but it's exhausting trying to keep up on all the platforms.
Yes, platform exhaustion is a thing!! And I know I follow you on Instagram, but I don’t think I’ve seen your posts in a very long time! It’s so frustrating, how the app actually hides the posts we want to see!
On all platforms, including Facebook, I occassionally take the time to go to the home pages of those I follow, like and comment on at least a half dozen of their recent posts, and then I will see them show up in my feed again. But honestly, many that I've only followed briefly disappear, and also slip my mind so I cannot even do that much. Not to mention that it's time consuming. Now with the efforts to force Tic Toc into selling, the most likely buyer would be Metta - one business controlling the majority of our social media. Honestly, I see an end to these social media platforms as free marketing tools.
So much food for thought here. I think I enjoyed the 'old days' of Instagram, when we shared things from our lives for the joy of it. I'm starting to wonder if it is truly worth the effort and in recent months I've been more of a consumer there.
I’m in the same boat, Corinne. I’ve been using it more to consume content, and I don’t want to spend so much time there anymore, especially because I’m mainly served up ads and suggested content! Time to make some changes in how I use Instagram — to both share & consume content.
I have had a love-hate relationship with Instagram ever since the niche culture came up. Right now I have two accounts. One that is all about books and reading and the other one for everything else. I tried to make my now "everything else account into a travel account but then I couldn't go on with making a new accounts for all that I am interested in. I don't have a posting schedule. I post whenever I feel like posting something and I have made peace with the fact that my account may not grow into a big account.
I find the idea of being offline for a while really good. I cannot be offline all day because of some reasons. But I make it a point to not have a lot of things going on and just focus on being present in the moment enjoying nature or any of the other seemingly mundane daily experiences.
The walk down memory lane was so fun! Made me think about my own journey with Instagram, too. The point about needed a big following if we have dreams of publishing a book is definitely one that gives me pause. I have no immediate plans, but it's sort of a distant "maybe" which is enough to keep me in Instagram limbo, along with a few other specific things I'd miss day to day. Interesting that so many of us are asking ourselves these questions right now.
I have had such a complicated relationship with Instagram too. And now that I have made a page for my work, I feel that it is better to have it than lose out on this opportunity. That being said, I don't see myself putting much work in it to be disappointed by the algorithm. But I would take any readers that come my way from the work I repurpose from my Substack for Instagram.
The promise of IG (and social media) is infinite audience. But in these distracted times, infinity does not always count for very much. I think the most important thing for creatives is to cultivate deep connection and authentic communication (more than half a distracted second at least!) with a small audience before we try to go bigger. Like a building, we need firm foundations, brick by brick.
I agree, Nishant! Which is why I think a newsletter/Substack is a great way to build that connection. Blogs used to be a great way to connect back in the day, but then everyone moved off to Instagram and blogs slowly died.
Absolutely. A newsletter is a very precious thing because people give us a space in their inbox, and that is prime real estate.
I’m wrestling with this currently. I left Instagram (and a sizable audience) in 2018 and went back last year. It feels like sharing with a void, but I have decided to have fun there instead. I’m going to use it to chronicle my photography and keep up with accounts that inspire me.
I hear you, Priya! I had started an IG account for my writing a few years ago (now abandoned) and it felt like I was talking to myself. I think just having fun with it and not bothering much about likes/comments/followers may be a healthier way to use Instagram. Though I will admit, it sometimes does feel pointless, mainly because we’ve become so accustomed to the connections.
I have 2 accounts neither are business accounts. I want to connect with like minded people, join in with challenges (totally ruined now by them removing the chronological option) and share my art / sewing projects to others. I go to france a lot and have limited data when I’m there which makes my visits to video lead instagram expensive. I’d love to be able to have the button back the let you play the video rather than it automatically play- but of course that doesn’t suit instagram’s business targets. I hate reels!
The amount of adverts is so off putting -1 for every 3 picture, that I’m considering just checking in once a day or perhaps leaving altogether. The feed jumps around a lot which is irritating because I want to look closer at something then it’s gone🙄.
Great article because I’m really wondering why I’m there! ☺️
Problem is where else to hang out with like minded people?
Pinterest has so many ads now that I can’t bear to scroll for longer than 10 seconds (ADHD)
I am in a few FB groups and Mighty Networks.
If anyone has any suggestions I’d be grateful. Thank you.
Oh yes, challenges have been ruined by the changes they’ve made to hashtags. Those aren’t chronological anymore either, which makes it next to impossible to connect with others doing the same challenge.
I also wish they wouldn’t auto play videos, but then I’d probably never watch them, so yes, bad business for Instagram! And the other problems with their interface make it rather irritating!
I haven’t noticed any ads on Pinterest; but then I’m generally there to quickly look for drawing inspiration!
I hope someone chimes in with some suggestions for interesting groups too 😊
love this! thank you for sharing
wow! thank you for this post.I only get on Instagram when I have completed art to post.i keep instagram as a visual way to share my creativity more then writing.I loved to see your journey.I have been following your instagram since 2018 from my local bestie.Yet when she introduced your Instagram to me I was reading your blog all the time.
I think that’s a much healthier way of using Instagram - to get on there when you have something to share. And I love that you were reading my blog before you found me on Instagram! That’s so interesting to know, too!!
I always find i need to reset my intentions of why I keep instagram and how much time am I willing to log in to it.I want to explore your questions here are reflections and come back and share my thoughts here.
I think that’s the main thing — how much time (and energy) you allow it to take up. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the questions!
Really interesting to see the ways in which your feed changed through the years! I agree that it is a void now. For many of us, reach is small and growth can be almost nonexistant. It remains, however, a good place to share our art… even with a few. I also value having my feed there all in one place. There is something nice about that. Our blogs and newsletters don’t fill quite the same space.
I hear you on having a feed there, in one place. It’s a nice visual layout, especially if you can have a healthy relationship with Instagram. I’m interested to hear why you feel like a blog can’t fill the same space. Is it to do with the way it’s laid out visually? If that’s the case, there are blog layouts that, if I remember right, let you set your space up in a similarish fashion.
Thank you for sharing. I have been disappointed by the changes on Instagram. I was building an encouraging list of followers, now it seems my posts are only disappearing into a void. When I check the app, I'm not seeing posts from those I follow. As a writer, I want to build lists of follower (because, yes, the publishers want to see that), but it's exhausting trying to keep up on all the platforms.
Yes, platform exhaustion is a thing!! And I know I follow you on Instagram, but I don’t think I’ve seen your posts in a very long time! It’s so frustrating, how the app actually hides the posts we want to see!
On all platforms, including Facebook, I occassionally take the time to go to the home pages of those I follow, like and comment on at least a half dozen of their recent posts, and then I will see them show up in my feed again. But honestly, many that I've only followed briefly disappear, and also slip my mind so I cannot even do that much. Not to mention that it's time consuming. Now with the efforts to force Tic Toc into selling, the most likely buyer would be Metta - one business controlling the majority of our social media. Honestly, I see an end to these social media platforms as free marketing tools.
So much food for thought here. I think I enjoyed the 'old days' of Instagram, when we shared things from our lives for the joy of it. I'm starting to wonder if it is truly worth the effort and in recent months I've been more of a consumer there.
I’m in the same boat, Corinne. I’ve been using it more to consume content, and I don’t want to spend so much time there anymore, especially because I’m mainly served up ads and suggested content! Time to make some changes in how I use Instagram — to both share & consume content.
Yes! I sense the need for a change too.
I have had a love-hate relationship with Instagram ever since the niche culture came up. Right now I have two accounts. One that is all about books and reading and the other one for everything else. I tried to make my now "everything else account into a travel account but then I couldn't go on with making a new accounts for all that I am interested in. I don't have a posting schedule. I post whenever I feel like posting something and I have made peace with the fact that my account may not grow into a big account.
I find the idea of being offline for a while really good. I cannot be offline all day because of some reasons. But I make it a point to not have a lot of things going on and just focus on being present in the moment enjoying nature or any of the other seemingly mundane daily experiences.
The walk down memory lane was so fun! Made me think about my own journey with Instagram, too. The point about needed a big following if we have dreams of publishing a book is definitely one that gives me pause. I have no immediate plans, but it's sort of a distant "maybe" which is enough to keep me in Instagram limbo, along with a few other specific things I'd miss day to day. Interesting that so many of us are asking ourselves these questions right now.
I have had such a complicated relationship with Instagram too. And now that I have made a page for my work, I feel that it is better to have it than lose out on this opportunity. That being said, I don't see myself putting much work in it to be disappointed by the algorithm. But I would take any readers that come my way from the work I repurpose from my Substack for Instagram.