Just the other day, I realized that I didn’t post for two weeks. TWO WHOLE WEEKS. That’s brand suicide when it comes to the algorithms that govern the success of social media accounts these days. 

 

When I started @lifeafter8_5, I had one goal – to share my creativity, particularly through photography and then some. I even put it on my “about me” page and it has not changed since. It was a simple, achievable goal. However, soon after creating profiles on different platforms, I started learning about having an audience.

 

(Collabs are best when it’s mutually beneficial. On the influencer’s end, it’s all about the reach… The bigger your audience, the more likely you are to land that brand deal/collab. It just makes sense.)???

 

For an influencer, in many instances, it’s all about the reach. The bigger your audience, the more likely you are to land that brand deal/collab. It just makes sense. In order to grow an audience though, you have to play into the algorithm of the platform you’re using. Here, it’s a matter of different strokes for different folks, meaning that it varies based on the platform you’re using. Seeing that I’m more active on Instagram than any other, let’s talk about that. 

 

Now, the internet is flooded with information about how the algorithm works. I’m not here to talk about that part but to have a basis to work from, I’ll summarize how you can get the most out of it today.

 

Consistency – Post regularly, as in …. every day. It doesn’t have to be a normal upload. You can use your stories too. The point is, to be in the favour of the algorithm, you have to have your nose in your phone EVERY DAY and upload something.

 

Hashtags – This is a whole topic on its own but without jumping into too much detail, hashtags are a great way for individuals and brands to increase their posts visibility and engagement. If your upload is a hand, hashtags are the fingers on that hand. You get to have 30 fingers here… use them all correctly and you’ll be on the Instagram explore page and reach your intended audience.

 

 

Engagement – If you wanna win here, you’ll have to engage before and after you upload. Yes… before too!

Prime the platform by commenting on others’ work or replying to some uploads on your own feed, getting it nice and hot for that smashing portrait, selfie or WHY. Oh, and comments only count when they consist of more than 4 words. Yes, that’s right. A “thank you” doesn’t cut it anymore. Add “…so much” to that and you’re winning. LOL! It’s kinda funny but it’s true. 

 

Without hating on IG or any other platform and their governing algorithms, I’m afraid that it’s easy to lose sight of why you share in the first place. If your goal is to buy into it and up your followers, then by all means…. nail that algorithm. But, mine isn’t… I don’t find it fun to post with that being the goal AT ALL. It just ends up being laborious. 

 

I think this largely contributes to my love/hate relationship with social media. I’d have a good week and 2 quiet ones where I prioritize something of greater importance. At this point, you’d understand the negative impact that can have on your page. 

 

Do you have the algorithm in mind at all when using social media or do you just wing it?

 

Thanks for reading. 

Noting little achievements are equally as important as acknowledging shortcomings. 

 

We entered September and… AND… Springtime! We hit up some shops over the weekend and most of the workers in retail were rocking floral. Okes going the extra mile and looking good while doing it. That’s a YES from me. 

 

August was crazy! I am stoked that I got to finish post-production on 5 events in just a little over a month. It may not seem like much but trust me, working a full-time job makes pushing out good, creative work only after clocking off from the corporate world, a whole lot tougher. Tough is still achievable, though. And achieve… I did!

 

I remember starting out taking gigs and I edited one event for almost 4 weeks straight. Sure, this was in my stages of figuring out how I want my images to look and feel and this among the many insecurities concerning my work. Is it any good? Would people like this? Gosh, what if they’re not happy… would I have to give a refund? But I spent the bucks already, so what now?! Will I have to go to Wonga.co.za??

 

With that in mind, 4 weeks is understandable.

 

Geez! Learning while practicing a craft is intense. I’m grateful for those who gave me a solid shot at it. Friends and strangers invested in me and gave me a chance to put my work out there. So soon… and very soon, I’m giving a little something back. 

 

If you don’t wanna miss out on that, remember to subscribe to my blog!

 

Until then, cyber friend. 🙂