While most of the world still prefers the look of a curated Instagram feed, many influencers are finding themselves becoming stagnant creatively. They’re producing beautiful photos, yes, but something’s missing because they’re not doing this one thing: connecting their real life with their Instagram life.
Pretty, creative pictures will always be popular (I mean, no one wants to see a boring, blurry photo), but if there’s no narrative behind what you’re sharing, after a while, the content becomes boring for everyone involved. Let me explain: a pretty girl in a cute outfit is the norm, but if that same pretty girl in the cute outfits shares a little bit about her day, where she wore the outfit, or even a funny anecdote in the caption, that elevates the photo so much more because her audience not only gets a better sense of who she is, but she’s also providing some type of value. Everyone’s more invested on both sides, and content creation gets easier every day.
jacket | denim | booties | sunglasses (similar)
Most times, people find themselves stuck in a rut when trying to figure out what to post because they’re either overthinking what they want to share with their audience, there’s no depth to the content that they’re sharing beyond trying to sell product, or they’re just taking pictures for the sake of taking pictures but have nothing to really talk about (it’s just what they think they should do). Content creation does NOT have to be that difficult yall. The whole purpose of social media, especially Instagram, is to SHARE your perspective around something, whether it’s an outfit, meal, event, or an inspirational thought that you’ve had that day. It’s not just about a killer outfit or a picture of you smiling. What value are you bringing to your audience? Why do you want them to follow you and engage with you? How do those things tie into the photos that you’re taking (and your life?). Is what you’re sharing aspirational, inspirational, or informational? What is it that you’re trying to influence your audience to do?
So when I say real life vs Instagram life, I don’t mean that you have to share photos of yourself without makeup on or crying, proclaiming that this is the “real, raw you”. What I mean is, if you’re a fashion blogger, go beyond just showing me your outfit sometimes. Share with me how you style your outfits, where you find inspiration for your looks, tips you’ve learned about fit, and how you save money with shopping (if you’re budget conscious and always talk about that). If you’re a food blogger, I want to see the meals you cook or eat at a restaurant, but I also want to see the decor of the restaurant, how you shop or source your ingredients, entertaining tips if you enjoy doing that, and if you’re traveling, share the new restaurants you’re trying and your thoughts on the meal in addition to what you see and experience on your trip. Don’t be so literal that you only focus on sharing the completed side of content creation-also share a few of the things that helped you get there so that your content is more robust and interesting.
Curation will always be important, but having diversity in what you create (and including more personal components during the sharing process) matters so much more. People prefer to invest in people, not brands, so make sure you’re including parts of yourself so that your content is still pretty, but much more authentic and real. It will make the process more enjoyable for everyone.