The topic of this post has been on my mind for a while. Sure, we’ve talked about Instagram a few times before. But this is different. No more complaints on the algorithm. But I did want to use this little space of the internet to address why your favorite (or least favorite) bloggers are constantly asking you to like their photos.
Spoiler. It’s not because we’re vain. Well most of us. I like to think of likes as currency. Currency for projects, new opportunities, brand collaborations. I.e. our income.
It’s pretty insane that blogging/creating content/”influencing” is a career but that’s where we’re at and I think it’s pretty exciting. There are a lot of annoying things we do as a whole but at the end of the day, there are a ton of us that work really hard to share REAL and AUTHENTIC stories, review products and services we think you’d love, engage and connect, and so on. And for us to do that full time without a rich hubby or trust fund, we need that brand gig ya feel me.
Instead of going too much into detail about how brand partnerships work, I’ll tell ya this. For the most part, we’re selected for opportunities based on a few things: following, engagement, content and alignment with the brand itself.
While it’s up to us to create comb content and show why/how we can align with these brands, we only have so much control over the engagement aspect. I’m not even going to mention the bloggers who buy followers – nothing new here. It’s lame. But for those of us with authentic followers, we need you to engage.
Bring on the Likes.
This might seem like a simple enough task but I’ll be the first to admit I rarely physically double-tap that heart and “like” a photo. In a world where we move super quicky and digest information at lightning speeds, it’s SO easy to mentally think “love that!” and then keep it moving. And if you follow lots of accounts or are seeing lots of content in a short period of time, you might not even have a chance to stop and think that at all. So first step – bloggers: we need to create that good good (content, that is). It should make you stop scrolling. It should inspire you. It should relate to you. Step 2 – followers: please like and/or comment. Let us know what you’re loving or relating to. Engage with us.
Regardless of the algorithm, Instagram started as a platform to share photos and be social. To connect. It’s important as a “follower” to engage with the content you want to see more of. That’s how Instagram tailors your app experience. For example, if you go on vacation for a week and don’t like or comment on any of my photos, there’s a good chance you’ll have to search for me in the future to see my content. For the most part.
Why do we need this engagement? Because sometimes brands look at the rate of engagement to the number of followers and use that to determine opportunities. It isn’t fair or a true identifier of our worth by any means, but it’s the way this industry sometimes works.
Personally, I pour so much energy into creating content. It’s fun. It flexes my creative muscles. It gives me an opportunity to make some of the more mundane tasks that much more exciting. And even more, I pour so much energy into you. I love you guys and I want to connect and engage with you just because. And yes, I also like money. But don’t we all?
Instagram is here to stay for now so instead of missing out on content from your fave people, give it a double-tap, drop a silly comment, reply to Stories when you find something funny or relatable. Be social – and I’m going to work on being more social, too!
3 Other Ways You Can Support Bloggers:
As if you needed more homework, most bloggers also have other platforms that they own (have more control over) and sometimes even more exciting content.
1 . Sign up for their newsletter
2. Visit their blog or website weekly (usually the link in their bio)
3. Share them with your friends and family
Thank you for continuing to support me. You guys are the reason I do this and although this industry can get me a little down at times, ONE comment or DM from one of you makes it all worth it. So keep ’em coming!
