28 Jan Kat’s Korner: Me + Instagram = \0/!
Me crossing the famous Abbey Road in London. Captured by: Jason Hicks aka @motetonline
Happy New Year! It has been an insightful twentysomething days so far and while I am still working things out, I did want to get that first post of the new year up. Just to update you, I left for Europe at the end of last year and traveled to London and Amsterdam. If any of you follow me on Instagram you got a chance to see my adventures in real time. I made a decision before the start of the new year to share while I was away. I felt that from a marketing standpoint, it was important to be a little more personal, plus I have a new global plan with T-Mobile and I wanted to see if unlimited, actually meant unlimited.
The fact is I feel awkward when it comes to social media. I find it a cumbersome task and there is always a part of me that wonders if anyone really cares. At times, it all seems so superfluous and unnecessary. People are always seem to be raging against the machine, raging at the machine, being the machine, etc. The Debbie Downers are real in these social media streets, but this trip proved me wrong in many ways. For the first time ever, I realized that social media can bring people together in a way that can be meaningful. I know some of you are saying, “duh!”, but this is a big deal for me, so bear with me.
I am an analog girl at heart. I prefer writing things out before I type them, seeing people face-to-face instead of phone calls or text. I like the human interaction. It is how I best connect with people. I also have a lot to say and share. For the most part, social media has always felt like a box with holes in it. I can breathe, but I am keenly aware that there are limits to my full expression-my flow needs more than 140 characters to be great! I am also constantly worried about that line between sharing and bragging, because everyone doesn’t have “first-world problems” like which of these five pairs of shoes should I wear to the club tonight.
When I decided to do share my trip, I never expected to feel close to the people on the receiving end. I don’t know if it was the responses, or the type of responses, but all of a sudden it felt like I was traveling with a crew of friends and we were having a ball. Instagram is such a great tool for how I move in the world, because there is no pressure. I kept it real simple with my designated hashtags at all times and if I wanted to add more of an explanation, I did. I never felt awkward or worried about overshare, it all felt natural and most of all easy.
Since returning home, I have continued my photo posting and it has been fun. For the first time in my social media existence, I actually feel confident in my personal brand marketing because I have a tool that fits me just right. So, what is the lesson in all of this? Stay free and find the tools that work for you. In the meantime, follow my adventures on IG and let me know what you think.
Kat
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