When it comes to setting up your own fashion blog, it’s safe to say that photos are going to become an integral part of your blogging routine. So it’s important to utilise those photos in the best possible way.
Instagram has 300 million active users[1] that share an average of 70 million photos a day[2] so there is a whole host of potential fans out there waiting to see your images. Reaching them is the challenge.
Why use Instagram
A completely photo-based community gives you the perfect chance to share your outfits and fashion tips in an easy, visual way. By making your images the focus of your blogging, you can appeal to a whole host of people who will quickly fall in love with your styles.
What does Instagram have to do with blogging?
Posting photos may be a long way from getting readers to your blog, but it could be a lot closer than you think. There are a number of tactics that instagrammers use to drive traffic through to their website, including posting the most recent blog link within their bio.
If you’re taking great photos for your posts and then sharing those images on your Instagram account, you will be able to find interested followers quickly and easily drive them towards your website.
Taking a good photo
This doesn’t happen by magic though and the first step to utilising Instagram is simply taking good photos. It may seem straightforward but it can be surprising how many people can’t seem to get this right. When it comes to taking good photos, you need to make sure they’re good quality with suitable lighting. Don’t ever settle for second best just because it’s convenient.
Most big accounts will demonstrate a particular theme that reflects their brand and this is the first thing you need to decide before instagramming becomes a key priority in your blogging strategy.
Connect with others
Many people forget that Instagram is first and foremost a social media network, and the clue is in the title. Social media can only operate to its full potential with elements of social interactions. Just posting photos won’t achieve what you want, you need to integrate yourself into the community. You may be surprised with who you connect and make friends with. You may even find yourself pairing up with well-established accounts for joint campaigns.
Take the time to follow other accounts, view their photos and interact with other instagrammers. Commenting on photos and building connections is the only way to fast track yourself to the top.
Perhaps the most important part of this is responding to your fans. If you start receiving comments or questions, the best course of action is to reply to them. Be human, show them you care and give a different kind of voice to your brand.
When it’s done right, Instagram can be the most useful network for fashion bloggers.
[1] https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics-for-business/
[2] https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics-for-business/
Words by: Natasha Orme