Thursday, February 27, 2014

Let's Talk About Instagram


Let's Talk About Instagram // Bubby and Bean

I joined Instagram a couple of years ago, which actually made me a little late to the Insta-party.  So many of my blogger pals had already been 'gramming for quite some time at that point, but I was one of those stubborn BlackBerry users who took forever to let go.  After I finally made the switch to an iPhone and signed up for an IG account - something about which I'd been omg-so-excited for months - I didn't even use it all that much.  Between Twitter, Facebook, and the what sometimes feels like 5 million other social media apps out there, on top of the blog, I felt like I was already spending plenty of time oversharing without adding a picture app into the daily mix.

But somehow, over time, Instagram won.  These days I use it more than any other platform (Pinterest is a close second, but that's another post).  There's just something about being able to quickly share an image and a brief caption as a means to visually display a moment in your life.  It's easy, simple, streamlined, and no fuss. For the most part, there's no planning or over-editing or vast amounts of time involved. You take a picture with your phone, you share it.  In less than a couple of minutes, you've told a story.  Then you scroll through your feed and quickly get to see lots of other people's stories, without a big time commitment.  It works.

Instagram is no longer just for pictures of food or babies (guilty!) or dogs or sunsets or 'selfies' either.  More and more brands are using it as a means of promotion through giveaways, product placement, and mini ads. (Some brands even attribute their success to IG.)  Celebrities use it to post candid shots of their 'real lives.'  Bloggers use it as a micro-blogging platform.  (I even know some bloggers who have said goodbye to their blogs all together in favor of Instagram).  And here I am, devoting a full blog post to it.  To an app.  It's not even a new app or an app that people haven't posted about a hundred times before.  Yet somehow, even years after its introduction, it's still worth mentioning.  Its growth (from number of users to reasons for using) has been exponential.  At least in my eyes, Instagram has become a pretty big deal. 

What are you thoughts on the IG phenomena, and the role it plays in the online community these days?  And if you're an Instagram user, please leave your username and/or link in the comments so I can check out your photos!  You can find me and follow along under username bubbyandbean, or by clicking right here.

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17 comments:

  1. I was a little late to the Instagram party, too, but I'm glad I have it now. It's become almost like a diary, and every once in a while I'll scroll way back through my pictures and be like, "Oh yeah! I remember when we went to..."

    Speaking of bloggers who have abandoned their actual blogs, Design*Sponge had a great piece about how the blog world is changing in general. Did you see it? If not, here's the link:

    http://www.designsponge.com/2014/01/state-of-the-blog-union-how-the-blogging-world-has-changed.html

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  2. Yes to Instagram! It's the best way for me to share hats as I make them, and to track these charity donations as well! plus, I love seeing little peeks into people's lives!

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  3. I was a late arriver and it is now my favorite form of social media. It is interesting to see how it has affected blogging altogether. Its almost an insta blog type of platform. Will be interesting to see where it goes!

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  4. I looove Instagram. My biggest challenge with it is trying not to be a nuisance. It is so simple and lovely and quick. I recently consolidated my biz account with my personal and am much happier... I figured my personal stuff actually reflected the 'brand' pretty well on its own. No more switching back and forth! I'm here > http://instagram.com/rebelroadcompany

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  5. I love IG, but I have yet to find the balance of personal/work stuff. I found that I kept posting iPhone pictures of my kids, so I made the account private. It's a great way to share those pics with people that really care. But then I recently opened an account for my business because I found that people were asking for it. But I feel like the photos are so boring! And for some reason, i have been really against posting "real" photos on there and keeping it all iPhone. Therefore, those pics aren't very exciting. Those I know that DO post their "real" photos on there have pretty good luck with it, but I'm still on the fence. Anyway, now that I made my public IG sound not very exciting, :) Here's the link: http://instagram.com/hollygardnerphotography

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  6. I was much later to the IG party, only signing up last year. I love it though because for me it's a great way to share what I'm working on and doing, but also just really fun. I love to play with silly filters like light leaks and putting text or hearts or whatever on pictures. When I'm taking photos for my shop or blog, I take it pretty seriously and am diligent about getting the best photo I can. But IG is all about fun. It doesn't matter if the light is not great, or the composition could be better. It's about having fun and connecting with people in a much more informal and laid back way. I'm still not sure how I feel about all the product placement and ads on IG. I mean, I use it to show products in my shop too, but some of the corporate ads get to be a little too much. Also, I get why a lot of people abandoned their blogs. If you have a blog that's strictly personal and you don't write a lot, why not use IG instead?

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    1. I'm the same way. I'm much more serious about photos for the blog. Instagram isn't work for me. It's just a way to have fun.

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  7. I have not joined IG at this time. I am already swamped with FB, Pinterest, Twitter and my blog. I just can't imagine committing to another thing. Although, it does seem simpler.

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  8. I love instagram! I will admit I was a bit of a late joiner too by only signing up and starting using it in October 2012 due to the fact that all phones I had previously didn't run it. It's such a great tool! You can use it for keeping up with whats happening in friends/family's lives. You can use it for inspiration. And you can use it for keeping an eye on those celebs you love the most! It's a brilliant app and I'd be very surprised if people who own iPhones and other smart phones don't have it.
    You can find my instagram @LaurenGemmaHay
    Lauren | OhHay Blogs!
    xxx

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  9. I've also been using Instagram for a few years now. It definitely started out as a way to capture parts of my life, but has since turned into a way to promote my blog and business. I am completely obsessed with Instagram! You can check me out @andi82

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  10. I don't have Instagram yet but I'm constantly lurking so I should probably just give in soon =)

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  11. So true. The most desirable social media check for ig in my opinion :)
    @comedomenica
    http://www.facebook.com/comedomenica

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  12. Thanks for your comments everybody! I've lived looking through your IG pics today. :)

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  13. Instagram is my favorite way to share on social media. Most of my posts to FB and Twitter are from Instagram. I'm such a visual person and it's so quick; it fits me! @margiemark

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  14. If a couple years ago was late...then I must REALLY late! I actually just joined a few days ago. And only because I realized you could get on ipod touch! I am still holding onto a blackberry phone, but now that I joined instagram, I don't know how much longer I can hold on because I really like it! If you want to see my very few pictures, my username is @jennihaikonen

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  15. Very, very late to the party...glad to hear it's not over while I work out how to use it for business. Great post. http://instagram.com/ninedragons9

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  16. I've noticed the more considered my instagram posts are, the more people engage with them. I started just loading snapshots, but I'm finding that it seems to be more interesting for people if it is more of an extension of my blog with well thought out images of 'everyday' things, if that makes sense. For me it's turning into another 'professional' style of promotion rather than simply a place for fun snapshots... (this is a recent development and it seems to be more appealing to my followers?)
    http://instagram.com/kittyandbuck

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