5 Instagram/Blogging Secrets of Emma’s Edition (Part 1)

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the blog. In the spirit of Christmas, I’m giving you a very precious gift this holiday season. I decided that I’m going to be sharing with you some of my blogging secrets.

This year, I discovered that I truly enjoy helping other bloggers out there with the tips I’ve picked along the way. Even though I still feel like I have a long way to go, I’ve realized that my blogging tips have been helpful to you/my readers/other blogging friends out there! So I’ll be sharing my first set of blogging secrets today and my second half of my blogging secrets tomorrow! You may already be doing what tips I’m sharing, but if you aren’t, I hope this blog post gives you some insight and inspires somehow with your blog/Instagram.

Instagram/Blogging Secrets #1 – My photos are planned 4-7 days ahead of time.

I had a friend during fall quarter ask me how I was able to continue posting on Instagram between work, school, and blogging. And my blogging secret is I use one of my favorite apps Planoly. This Instagram feed planning app lets me upload my photos and play around with how they look on my Instagram feed. So the photos you see on my Instagram feed were planned well beyond they’re actually posting date.

I found that I was spending too much time stressing and wondering how things would look on my feed. Instead of trying to envision how a photo might look on my feed, I just upload to Planoly and see how it looks. This ended being a huge time saver for me and cut my Instagram worries in half.

Instagram/Blogging Secrets #2 – I don’t use a scheduler.

Automation has its perks but I prefer to not use apps to schedule and post my Instagram posts. Instagram rewards engagement. So personally I prefer to be publish my Instagram posts while I’m actually on the app so I can engage back to the people who are liking/commenting my photo when it’s first posted.

Instagram/Blogging Secrets #3 – For photo shoots, I take 3-4 outfit photos in an hour.

When I first started blogging, it would take me a whole hour to shoot one outfit. But over the years, I’ve learned how to be comfortable in front of the camera. I’ve also learned my angles, how to pose, and how to communicate the vision of the shot I’m looking for.

So now I can shoot 3-4 looks in one hour.

The most looks I’ve shot in an hour is 5 outfits – especially if there is a restroom near my photo shoot locations, I can usually swing this so I’m not looking for a place to change. Typically, I shoot 10-15 min in one look and I stop shooting when my photographer and I have the shot. At this point of my blogging career, time is my biggest resource. And even though I love photo shoots, I know I shouldn’t and I don’t need to spend an hour shooting one look.

Do you remember by: Seattle’s Most Instagrammable Walls blog post? Holly and I spent half the day driving and walking around the city. But I only spent probably 10 min each look before I went to change my outfit.

Instagram/Blogging Secret #4 – I outsource 80-90% of my photography.

My blogging secrets: honestly I’m stronger posing, modeling, and being in front of the camera than behind the camera taking the photo. Even though I do take some outfit and product photos on my iPhone, all my blog post photos are taken by my photographer friends.

I hire my photographer friends to take, edit, and send me the photos because my strengths are writing and posing in front of the camera. I’m also challenged with time – with school, blogging, and a full time job. I’ve always outsourced photography and it’s always worked for me because I don’t have to stress about it.

Instagram/Blogging Secrets #5 – I still battle with feelings of inadequacy.

I try to communicate that my Instagram photos and blog posts are just a segment of who I am and what you see. My blogging secret is I’ve always done my best to look like I have it together but I still battle with feeling not good enough… I still feel like I can be more creative and do so much more. And honestly, I go back and forth with myself more than I like to admit.

But I know I have to focus on celebrating the wins and not focusing/heightening the lows of blogging. And so do you! Know that everyone experiences doubts and questions who they are and what they’re doing sometimes. Continue to believe in yourself because you got this!

Shop my Look! You can buy my exact skirt and pair of booties here:

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”2961935″]

I hope you enjoyed my first 5 secrets! I’ll be sharing my next 5 blogging/instagram secrets tomorrow… so stay tuned!

And if you want even more blogging advice, subscribe to my blog/email list by signing up HERE. I’ll be sending out 12 Pieces of Advice to New Bloggers at the end of this month!

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Thank you for reading!

Love,
Emma

Photos: Karya Schanilec