How You Can Curate Your Instagram
On my Instagram Stories a few days ago, I answered a series of questions submitted by my followers around Instagram partnerships with brands. I’ll be sharing a post with all the compiled answers, for now they are in my Story Highlights. It was amazing to see all the questions that seemed to go unanswered or were classified as “taboo” to talk about across the influencer world.
One of the questions that I got was around making your feed attract brands, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about (although you can read my post about that here). I want to talk today about curated content.
Urgh, you know what, I bet you’re thinking - it sounds pretentious! Isn’t everyone’s feed curated content?
Well, yes, everyone’s feed is in a way curated by themselves even subconsciously, but that doesn’t mean that they are curating what they are sharing. Within brand partnerships and campaigns through Instagram posts, as soon as a blogger or influencer is asked to share, they will have the option to curate.
Are your favourite Instagrammers sharing valuable, trustworthy recommendations, or just sharing practically everything that comes their way with a freebie or price-tag attached?
I want to show you how you can make sure you can be the best influencer possible by curating your content and sharing genuine recommendations on your Instagram feed and blog.
What is my brand?
Before you can start curating your own content, you need to establish what your own brand is. I think this is helpful for growing your Instagram, too (tips for growing your Instagram here). Once you establish who you are and what you stand for, just like a brand would, then your decision on who to partner with for gifted and paid work will be a lot easier.
In order to establish your brand, write down a few sentences in a notebook or in your notes on your phone and define:
Why did I start my Instagram page?
What do I want people to immediately understand from me when they come to my profile?
Three words to describe what I share on my page
Answering these questions will clarify who you are as an Instagram page, influencer and what kinds of brands you would pursue working with either when approached or through outreach.
I don’t know whether I should work with this brand or not…
Once you understand what YOUR brand is, write a list of the types of brands and products that you would LOVE to work with. Who is your dream partner? What products do you love and use already? What is a brand that really has the same identity as you? This list is good to keep incase you are approached by a brand and you are not sure whether working with them would fit with your page and what you stand for.
I also like to ask myself the question, would I recommend this to my best friends? It seems cliché but if you wouldn’t recommend something to your best friend, why would you want to recommend it to anyone else?
If you are unsure about a brand, the likelihood is that it’s not the right partnership for you - I always think “when in doubt, rule it out”.
The money may be amazing, the product may fit okay on your feed, but ultimately, in the long run, it could affect your future partnerships, your perception by your existing and new followers and your happiness with your page, and ultimately — it’s not worth it. Something better and more suited WILL come along!
If I don’t accept it and someone else does, won’t it look like I never got asked?
Even I have this worry, but when it comes down to it — I know I would have felt guilty and in-genuine sharing the content I wasn’t sure about or didn’t fit with my brand, so it’s better to sit back and wait for the right thing instead of posting every paid campaign possible that comes into your inbox. In the past month, I’ve sadly turned down three campaigns that I didn’t feel fit with what I wanted to share on my page. This does mean someone else or multiple other people would have shared these campaigns and I lost out on potentially earning the equivalent of what I pay for my rent. Again, I wouldn’t have used the products myself or recommended the brands to friends, so why would I have shared it with you guys?
Be consistently YOU
My biggest tip to anyone who wants to know how to have the best feed is, of course, to have a gorgeous colour-scheme or edit you do (nothing over-edited, you know the drill). But the BEST feeds are beautiful and 100% reflect the Instagrammer behind the photos. BE YOU, 100% of the time. In turn, this will attract brands and followers that enjoy what you do and share and can become invested in YOU and not just what photos you share. Share content YOU love and that YOU would enjoy seeing on Instagram. If you took a photo and don’t love it, will your followers? They might, but they’ll be so much more engaged when it’s something you LOVE sharing, too. Ok, enough with the CAPS, but just wanted to really show YOU that being YOU is the best way to go.
If you trust in yourself, in sharing your best content and don’t doubt your beliefs, your curated feed will come easily. You’ll feel totally comfortable and happy with what you’re sharing, you will build trust in your audience so that when you are doing sponsored posts, it will be natural and people (and brands) will take notice. You’ll be on your way to building your page and relationships with your dream brands in no time.
Read more:
5 Tips For Growing Your Instagram That Nobody Really Tells You
7 Questions Answered: What I Wish I Knew When I First Became An Influencer
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