While scrolling through your feed and liking pictures of dogs is one way to use social media, there are a lot of other amazing things you can do using the platform. Although most of us use social media for entertainment, it could be used in many other useful ways. People tend to assume that social media is not associated with productivity but you can easily prove them wrong.
Your hobbies and your interests matter, and what better way to show them off to the world than to create a social media account dedicated to your hobby? Here's how to make the most out of social media.
1. Engage (for this sort of engagement you don’t even need a ring)
This is what social media is essentially made for. First, let's talk about your personal account. You need to engage with people.
Follow people who matter. This includes that friend you promised you’d stay in touch with, that cousin you miss because they live so far away and your teacher who made an impact on you oh so many years ago. Follow people who inspire you, who motivate you and make you want to make an effort. While meme pages are amazing, maintain a healthy balance between entertainment and productivity.
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Hashtags such as #mondaymotivation, #studyinspo and #productivity are also good places to start.
But here’s the part that’s going to change your life. Create a social media account for your hobby. You might think that it’ll get lost amongst the dozens of photography accounts and writing accounts out there but believe me when I say that it’s the best thing you can do.
Your interests matter and they deserve to be seen. On this account, engaging with your followers is crucial.
Also, engage with accounts similar to yours. Find accounts you can look up to and slide into their dms for advice. Believe it or not, they’ll usually help.
Follow feature pages, they help you gain followers. http://brianventh.com/2016/04/instagram-feature-accounts/ Comment on posts that are similar to yours. If someone comments on your post, reply. Appreciate their kindness.
Support other creators. Join groups. Engage.
2. Don’t be like the dinosaurs
What I mean, is be consistent. You can’t start a page, post great content for two weeks and then disappear off the face of the planet. You’ve got to stay consistent.
You may start off with high goals and rose-tinted eyes. Then you don’t go viral in one week and suddenly your hopes have crashed. We’ll get those hopes back up because it’s not done like that.
You need to be consistent. Draw the line between being consistent by checking every day and also going overboard by spending too much time staring at the screen. Have a clear goal. Which leads me to my next step: planning.
3. Plan. Plan. And plan.
I cannot stress how important it is for you to plan. You don’t need to pull out your planner and sit for hours. Just decide how frequently you can upload content.
Design a schedule and more importantly, stick to it. If you find yourself unable to keep up with the schedule you created, chances are that it's highly unrealistic. When you are creating this schedule, remember factors such as school, homework, personal life and availability.
We often think of ideal scenarios when we create a schedule we think of an ideal scenario. We imagine that every Sunday evening we'll have absolutely nothing to do and therefore it is a perfect time to upload. But what if you need to catch up on some reading for school?
What if your friend is throwing a party? Think about all the what ifs.
When you plan your page, it is important to get feedback. Compare your photography page to a professional's and identify what you can improve. Ask your friends to be honest when they tell you what they think.
You could even dm your role models, tell them how much they inspire you and ask them for pointers. They might not respond but there's also the probability that they actually do.
Choose an aesthetic. Choose a theme. Use the same filter on all your pictures. Your page needs to look clean and uniform. But the most important part is-
4. Have fun
Remember why you're doing this. It's not for the followers, the fame or the ephemeral likes. It is for you.
Stay true to yourself. It's easy to forget how to have fun when you get too caught up in uploading everyday even if you are starting to get bored of your own content. Take a break if you feel like it.
Your account is for you. It is for you to express yourself in your own unique way. At the end of the day, it's all about doing what interests you. So remember to have fun.
