Instagram reels are blowing up! You’ve seen the brand new reels function appear, you’ve seen people creating reels left, right and centre but you’re not sure it’s for you. You know that Instagram loves when you engage in their features and you’ve heard being an early adopter to their features the platform will reward you, but where do you even begin right?
Guess what?! You don’t have to know everything about Instagram, or reels or even show up perfect. Showing up imperfectly, diving in and just enjoying yourself is always perfect – there is so much to gain from just showing up rather than waiting until you’re ready (and that’s true for most things in life!). Instagram rewards it’s early adopters to a feature and I don’t want you to miss out. So let’s walk through what reels are and let me share with you 10 ideas for creating totally remarkable reels.
Why reels?
Instead of extensive training, I wanted to get this into your hands immediately so you can jump straight in. I created this freebie that you can download, keep on your phone, on your iPad or print it off and refer to it frequently. I’ll also be doing a week-long remarkable reels training in my FREE insiders group – so if you want to grab a spot, be sure to join us!
Don’t worry – I’ve made this free!
In this freebie you will have 10 go to topics to help you create reels for your audience that you can apply to whatever niche you find yourself on Instagram. I truly believe there is space for everyone to be creating reels and you will find your audience, your true, authentic audience, the more you share, grow, create and inspire.
Something I personally love about Reels is that you have the chance to reach a higher audience with such a great ease. You can select to put your reel onto the explore page if you have a public account (which I 100% recommend – on both parts) which gives you the chance to have your reel seen outside of your specific audience, which might result in more of your ideal audience seeing you and deciding to follow you. It is an incredible way to get yourself and your account noticed on the platform.
Grab your reels freebie today:
Want some help with what to create? Need some tips to refer to? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with my 10 topics for totally remarkable reels printable – it’ll help you delve into what would really work for your audience and how you can adapt the topics to really suit your niche. If you are looking for inspiration for your IGTV video as well, I have a blog post on that topic too which you might want to check out.
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I want to reiterate this: it is more important to show up imperfectly rather than wait until you are perfectly ready. These tips and ideas will help you start today in creating fun, reels content that you enjoy. It can be scary putting yourself out there but it can also be so rewarding – you’ve got this! Download the 10 tips to totally remarkable reels freebie today and get creating.
Every content creator has been there; the want to create content but each and every time coming up blank. This creativity blocks hits us all at some point and we all have to ride the rough with the smooth. Whether it be blogging, writing, Instagram, IGTV or another platform, I have spent many moments in my career battling these periods and in these moments I have always found solace in getting ideas for content creations where I can.
I wanted to come with you today with some more ideas to help you get out of your slump and inspire you to get creating again with 10 ideas for IGTV that you can use to re-ignite the fire for your personal or business brand.
Firstly, what is IGTV?
IGTV is you video channel within your Instagram app, you can use it from within your main app or from the IGTV stand alone app and is a space where you can create longer form video content for your audience. It gives you more functionality and more time than you would find within your stories and is very comparable to Youtube. One of the best things, if you’re building your brand through Instagram, is that with building an IGTV channel your audience is already on the app, they are already subscribed to you and you can continue to focus you genius on where you are already thriving. Your subcribers/followers will also be able to access a grid of your IGTV videos straight from you profile too so it makes it very accessible for people to see and view your content.
If you haven’t reached that illusive 10k followers to get the swipe up function then you can still add a swipe up to your IGTV video through your stories too. Also, every time you upload a video you have the option to upload a preview to your grid (which I definitely recommend) so people can see the beginning of your video clip with a link to easily guide them to watch the rest of the video. It is a wonderful way to branch out and continue to diversify and build your brand.
Now onto the list:
Q&A
Doing a question and answer session is a great way to let your followers learn a little more about you. It offers a deep dive into your life and lets you know what remains a mystery to your followers and what they want to know more about. The best way to kick this off is to create an Instagram story template
Tutorials & How to
If you have a skill, idea, recipe or pretty much anything you are able to teach others then why not jump on a video and teach people what you know. There is always something we can teach others and it is a great knowledge to share.
Story time
Do you have a funny story about a time something crazy happened? Or maybe you want to share your birth story. If you have a story about your life that you are happy to share and think that your viewers/followers would love to hear too then share away. People love to get glimpse into the person behind the Instagram account.
Series
If you have a certain topic that you love talking and sharing about (for me might be cloth nappies and wipes) why not do a series? IGTV gives you the option now of creating a series so you can link a number of videos together and people who are interested in that topic can view all of your videos in the one place.
Webinars/Live videos
If you have used another platform (such as Facebook) to do a live video and/or a webinar then if you have the saved copy of that live then you can upload this to your IGTV, as long as it falls within the guidelines for videos in length.
Chats
Sit down chats, maybe with a tea or coffee, and level with your audience. These are great and just like sitting down with an old friend. You can just tell your followers about something that is happening in your life, give them an update and so much more.
Day in the life
These are really easy to do and another way that people get to lift the veil on the person behind the instagram account. You can film small clips throughout your day and put them altogether in a video editor like iMovie.
Unboxings/Hauls
Whether you are getting an order through, you have just got back from shopping or you get a monthly subscription box these are great for video content. I don’t know about you but I love seeing what other people have bought.
Daily routines
We all have a routine to our day in some way, shape or form and it can be really helpful to see how other people structure their days and routines, especially if you are looking to change something up in your current routine. People love to look at how other people do things and can often find tips to incorporate into their own lives.
Bloopers
If you film a lot of videos then your bound to have a few bloopers lurking on your phone/computer so why not throw them together and make a fun video.
You will soon find your flow and find what you enjoy doing but also what your audience enjoys watching!
A post teaching you how to level up your Instagram, plus the opportunity to download my free Instagram cheat sheet.
It’s finally here, my Instagram playbook that I have been planning for the longest time is now out in the world and I cannot wait for you guys to delve in and take away some tangible tips to help you thrive on your own Instagram accounts.
It still feels so surreal that my first ebook is finally out in the world, from those first thoughts about doing this while I was on maternity leave, it is always so great to see something come to fruition. It’s been a long couple of months for us all hasn’t it? Lockdown hasn’t been easy and there are many times that I didn’t feel inspired enough to make it happen, not to mention so much happening in our lives over the past 8 weeks that it’s been hard to focus on anything but life. But it’s here, and it’s well and truly time to level up your instagram.
Showing up real & with integrity
But here we are and I am so excited to finally share it with you guys, I hope you enjoy it and absorb it and I can’t wait to see you put some of the tips to work too. With everything I do, whether it be on Instagram, on this blog or throughout any of my online endeavours I always lead and show up with integrity, and that is what this course is founded on, showing up as the truest version of yourself. In the course you’ll learn the Instagram basics, take you back to the beginning (or start you off on the right foot if you are just starting out), help you create beautiful photo content and captions that share who you are.
If you want to get yourself enrolled in this free mini course head over now, I can’t wait to see you there.
As well as creating this ebook, I also created my own little cheat sheet for you to download and refer to. You can either use it alongside the course or on its own and helps you with a few simple things, such as what you can use for editing, planning and link sharing when it comes to Instagram.
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I am so excited to share with you how to create an Instagram account built on integrity and focused on being who you truly are. There is so much power in showing up as the truest version of yourself and connecting with other like-minded individuals, and I can’t wait to take you on this journey with me.
When I first starting uploading photos to Instagram all those years ago presets, filters, themes and aesthetics were the last things on my mind and if you’re a casual Instagram user then you’re probably thinking the same thing. Since I started using Instagram around 5 years ago I have slowly grown my account to where it is today and although I mostly use it for personal memories and our day to day life, I also use it as my platform to share, educate and inspire, and more recently to share my online content creation business and everything that comes with that. The creative part of me loves taking photos and making them look beautiful while not falling into the trap of the “perfect” Instagram feed because life isn’t perfect. It’s a platform I like to show up on as my honest self, sharing our life and sharing the ups and downs that we encounter every day. I take a lot of pride in the content I create and it certainly isn’t perfect but thats life and I love that about my account. A question I get a lot is about how I edit my photos (which let me tell you, is very minimal and very easy) and today I want to come and share with you all about how I edit them plus introduce you to a fun project I have been working on: My first preset pack release. So lets jump in!
What apps I use to edit my photos:
Instagram doesn’t have to be full of edited photos if you don’t want it to be but if you are partial to an extra nice looking photo or love to follow a theme or an aesthetic on your feed then by all means go ahead. As with anything Instagram related my advice is always to do what you love on your own Instagram feed and preserve your memories and share your life/business/blog in anyway you see fit. What works for one won’t necessarily work for another so definitely follow your heart with this one.
Other than using a preset filter, where the colours are just slightly edited to bring up brightness (because I love a crisp looking photo), I don’t mess with my photos at all so for that reason I use Adobe Lightroom Mobile. I have my own filter (which I will be releasing soon) and every photo I apply one of the group of four filters to. This helps to keep my feed all looking pretty similar and for me a pretty looking Instagram grid is something I love to look at.
Why I like to edit for Instagram:
Like I said, I love to keep things real on Instagram and you’ll probably never find me more real than in my stories but I also do love to create content (it is my job after all) and I love creating and producing beautiful photos. Over the years I have found great joy in taking photos, setting up photos, capturing content and creating a beautiful end product that I myself find aesthetically pleasing. I guess you could say I love to create beautiful content that I love; from writing, blogging, filming and taking photos. I am far from a photographer (and wouldn’t want to be) but it’s just a little passion I have found that I quite enjoy. Running my own online, social media based business has encouraged me to create a colours that associate me and my social media to my overall brand.
The big launch!
With all this said; My love for creating, my love for beautiful photography and loving to look at anything that is aesthetically pleasing on the eye I decided to dip my toe into the world of Lightroom presets. I have been using Lightroom for many years now and I have been busy creating some presets of my own (including the one I use for my own photos).
So here is my first ever Lightroom preset launch with my first pack of six presets in a dark, moody tone. I am so excited to launch these to the world and you guys can currently get your hands on them for 30% discount as a thank you for all your support for me and my business thus far. I am working hard on other preset packs and hope to launch these out into the world soon.
I hope you love this pack of presets as much as I do – they have been a labour of love to create but also I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute and can’t wait to create more. If you want to be one of the first people with these presets and grab a whopping 30% off then head to my shop and download them today.
From Instagram to Twitter, Facebook to Tik Tok, Blogging to Freelancing – there is so much out there that we feel a pressure to explore. Never does this feel more overwhelming than when we are building our online brand; whether it be to work for ourselves, to share our creativity and content with the world or while building our empire. We know social media presence is important but what if we didn’t have to do it all in order to succeed? Today I wanted to come to you, with a little a revelation I have had since coming back from maternity leave, about finding deep joy in the power of saying no and the realisation that when it comes to developing your own brand sometimes less really is more.
Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash
Why can less be more on Social Media?
Since the emergence of social media and the evolving understanding on how important it can be when building a brand or business online we’ve tried to do it all. We’ve tried to grow a Facebook page, build up and Instagram following, grow our Twitter reach and so much more. Businesses, brands and content creators around the world have come to the conclusion that they *need* to be on social media without really reliving into how to do it all effectively. I was no different and diligently set up a Twitter profile, Facebook page, Instagram account and more recently I briefly dipped my toe into the world of Tik Tok (and then quickly retreated) and tried to figure out each platform at mostly the same time, posting appropriate content for each one, spreading myself thin, making myself stressed and, for most, unable to excel in any one place.
So, what did I do?
If I have learnt anything over the last 14 years it is this: Less is always more. Three years ago I decided enough was enough with my social media game, I was going to stop spreading myself so thin, stop ploughing my time and work into platforms that I didn’t love (Facebook I am looking at you!) and start using my time to build my brand not only productively but intentionally too. If you would have asked me a decade ago what my favourite social media platform was I would have probably said Twitter (and I’ll always have a place for it in my heart as it is where I first connected with my husband). As time has moved on, the social media space has become more varied, platforms have come and some have gone and the world of social media is a vastly different space than it was 10 years ago. Now, my favourite spot on the internet is Instagram; its the place I love the most, it’s the place where I have connected with some of the best humans and it’s the place where I have thoroughly enjoyed building my brand. I am a creative at heart and therefore I think Instagram is my natural social media home. It allows me to marvel at other peoples beautiful photos, connect with other mama’s who are going through this crazy journey of motherhood alongside me, read the in depth stories behind the photos, keep up with friends every day lives and create and curate the beautiful content that I love for myself.
I very much find my joy in creating beautiful photos (I’m no photographer but I do my best), sharing my own story (because everyone has a voice) and serving with integrity. Instagram is my passion project when it comes to social media and I have carved my own corner of the internet just for me. It is where I work, play and serve and I’ve been so lucky that I am now able to share my knowledge with others with the pre-release of my 5 days to level up your Instagram free course. Aside from Instagram as my social media platform of choice you can also find me here on my blog and curating and saving on Pinterest, but you won’t find me many places else, or at least you won’t find me active anywhere else. For me, for enjoyment and growing an online brand, I only commit to spending my time doing things I love and that I am passionate about. For me, less is most definitely more.
So how can I start?
Focusing on one social media platform, at least at first (there is nothing to say once you have cracked one you can’t move onto being awesome on another), gives you the ability to do it and do it really well. I don’t know about you but I would rather see success in one place than see little success because I have to spread myself too and thin and end up overwhelmed. I know many of you feel it too and I just want to say that it is ok not to be everywhere, it is ok to have focus in one or two places and it is absolutely ok to rock one platform before moving onto figuring out the inner workings of the next. Not only is it ok but you heard it from me: I encourage it. It will strengthen your brand, your voice, your exposure and most importantly it will go some way to supporting you, the creator, in not getting overwhelmed and burnt out.
But can I really be successful if I am not everywhere?
The simple answer is of course you can and this is why you will see that people may be doing particularly well on Instagram but not so much on Facebook, or someone will come along and take a platform like Tik Tok by storm. My advice here is not to leave other platforms entirely (although that is totally your call) but to just take them one at time or in a way that feels authentic to you. For example, like I said above, Instagram is my passion project on social media and it is the place I want to be and I enjoy being. I have profiles in other places that I don’t use or rarely use so my brand is visible, Maybe when I feel like I have Instagram, Pinterest and Blog all where I want them to be I might move onto Twitter and/or Facebook, but the point being that you don’t have to do it all, have it all and make time for it all. Find one that you love, work hard, grow and serve with authenticity and integrity and see where that takes you.
So which Social Media platform’s do I pick?
This is going to be a different answer for everyone because we all have different passions and skills, and what works for one person/business/brand won’t necessarily work for another. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is whether you’re a business or individual you want to start showing up and growing a true brand on social media. A brand where people recognise you for your authenticity, honesty and the way you show up. Being who you are will always be more important on where you are.
Social media isn’t supposed to be a chore and I cannot emphasise enough the power in saying no to some and only indulging in those that bring you joy. It’s ok to not have the same passion projects as others in your industry and it is ok to pursue your own things. If you can show up on your chosen platform, excel there and share and serve in an authentic way then this is your first step to finding your way as a true brand online.
