Instagram and The Truth

This morning, while I was getting ready to get my daughter to school, I put on a YouTube video about instagram posts. I was looking for something to listen to, that would be helpful to encourage me to just post and not think too much about it. Lately, I have been holding back some content because I was feeling that either my content (either the caption or what the regular post is about) was engaging my followers. I was annoyed that on my interior design business page,  I barely got likes or interaction on regular posts. I only have 330-something people, but sometimes it's 3 likes. 2 comments, me and my mother lol. Thanks Mom.

Anyway, the video was about social media anxiety. I was like, wow! It's crazy that we have come to this point, that we needed a term for it.  Lots of people only posts on the stories, only post on regular feed when they look their best or on vacation or a wedding. I want to encourage people to post other photos too, or maybe expand your content. Meaning stretch it out over days to tell a story. The problem is that people can't always understand that instagram is more of personal blog. It's no longer sharing instant moments. It's sharing memories, past tense moments. Those moments are beautiful. 

I was on a trip in California last year for a week. I had plenty of content. However, since lots of regular people (not content creators or influencers), don't understand that it's about the portfolio of your profile, rather than whether I was still there. I had only a few outfits with me, I wasn't understanding how they didn't get it. Did they not see the same outfit, with just different backgrounds? lol I stretched my content for like 2-3 weeks! I didn't care. It was gorgeous. It was perfect. Months later someone found one of my pictures, posing in front of the famous Hollywood sign, and asked me where the street was because they wanted to do the same. So, it was helpful to post all the pictures, and not hold back just back just because I wasn't there anymore. I like to edit my pics to get the best lighting, and line them on my planner album to make sure each one looks good next to the other. It was a beautiful flow of pics showing the sunsets, California scenes, and myself in collage form.

 

Storytime:

Later on today, I came across a tweet that talked about how friends don't always post each other. It started from someone named Erica Banks said she only wants to go out with women that look a certain way. Then another person tweeted that it hurts how friends won't post or publicly claim you because you don't fit the aesthetic they want. I felt bad at first, since I lost a friend this way. I remember her saying something like, Trina, you don't really mess with me like that on social media. I found out from a family member that she blocked me. She told me that it was a very long time ago, and the fact that I didn't even realize bothered her. My social media account, was not the vision she had in mind. I didn't feel any guilt. At all. I knew that  I had done nothing wrong to her because there were no ill intentions in my heart while creating my photos and sharing what I wanted to share. Eventually, she did apologize and agreed that she should have just called, but nothing was the same after that. The person who made that tweet said, "and that's why y'all don't have no real friends." Lol. That was funny because at that moment, I felt like the girl who was mad at me not posting her, wasn't being real with me. Why did it take months for me to even know? Plenty of things she used to say to me started adding up. The girls I hang out with now, I feel comfortable with and I can trust them. I don't have a squad of girls. I do have people who will show up with me to have a good time, together as a group or a duo. We're going to have fun and talk and give advice, and take each other's pictures....not hate on each other. 

So I want to let other people who may feel like this about their friends or family to not take it personal. Instagram is not what it used to be. Before instagram, we had Facebook, and there were albums. Facebook is more family friendly and you share pictures like you would when people would come over your house back in the day. Instagram is not that to everybody. To some people it's a brand, to others it's a portfolio. It is people's personal space where they give themselves the most attention, and portray their moments however they want. That is a good thing! 

I used to post like 3 times a day in the early 2010s, and I wish I didn't stop. I let others' opinions of how I take selfies and how many get to me, so I slowed down and added other things in besides selfies. However, if I had never paid it any mind, I could've been better and attracted a bigger audience. I was consistent. Now, I go too long without posting because I'm all in my head. The way people react to me in person versus how they never like or show love on my content says a lot. Some men will tell me they are not going to click like or comment on my content because they don't want to seem like a fan...? I'm like wow. Especially if you really know me and see me, just show love. I'm going to show to love back. 

Moral of the story:

POST WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT. Do not let people stop you because of their own feelings. There are so many opportunities out there, and creating content attracts them.