Hi there!
We had the busiest September ever (family wedding in Lake Garda, trip to London and few days in Donegal for my Mum’s 60th) so am looking forward to a much slower paced October. Bring on lighting the candles, walks in crunchy leaves and chunky knits!!
What I’m wearing…
This month I’m talking Supermarket style…
How far has clothing in the Supermarkets came?! Long gone are the days of basic filled aisles with budget buys…we now have high end fashion available alongside our bread and milk.
The demand for stand out, bang on trend, must have pieces is high and the supermarkets have answered! Above I have shown a few of my faves…
The first 2 photos show skirts which I got from Tesco, both priced at £22. These are so versatile and can be easily dressed up or down. The same can be said for the dress in photo 3; This was a complete steal at £18 from Asda.
So what are you all waiting for?? Next time your doing a shop, take a few minutes to check the clothing, pick up a bargain and let me know so I can too!!
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Where I’m wandering…
Glenveagh National Park…
As part of my Mum’s 60th Birthday celebrations, my Dad hired a house out in Donegal for a week. This cottage was right on the door step of Glenveagh National Park and wow…what a beautiful place! It is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Donegal. Although we got completely battered by the elements, it didn’t take away from the amazing scenery! The walk to the castle is a tough one, especially if your pushing a pram, but there is a little shuttle bus if needed (at a cost of 3 Euro).
The park has free entry, free parking, a cafe and a tearoom…what’s not to love??!
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Why I’m writing…
This month I want to focus on stories…
I talked all about the algorithm last month, so this month I want to tell you how can work well with our ‘friend’ the algorithm through stories.
Stories are an amazing corner of instagram where you are encouraged to show your “real” life with photos or videos which only last 24 hours. They are a fantastic way to connect with your followers and accounts like Mrs Hinch have really showed the growing power behind them!
When it comes to stories…start to think outside the norm; be experimental about the content your creating on them. They don’t need to be perfected or as well thought out as your main feed – but that doesn’t mean they can’t add value.
So the first thing to do to get going on stories is:
Watch how others are using stories and think about – what do I like/dislike about them? Why do I continuously watch this person’s stories? Are there any ideas I could use on my own? Have I ever DM’ed this person because of their stories and why?
Now you’ve thought about these, it’s time to get in front of the camera!! As the sweat drips down your back at the thought of this (!!!!), ignore it and turn on the casual chat. Introduce yourself, ask a question, give a recommendation or review and show the mess!
If I can give you any advice at gaining confidence and improving engagement on stories it would be:
– Be concise.
Don’t make what can be said in 2 stories last 10. People are turned off by lengthy chats.
– Time and practice.
It will get better and easier with both of these.
– Add value.
Have a purpose, what are your audience taking away from your stories?
– Use all tools available.
Cater for all your followers, use text as some may be deaf, or watch in work.
Use appropriate GIFs, music, polls, questions etc to get people interested.
And that is all my waffle around stories! Please note I am definitely in no shape or form an expert but hope these will even give someone a little something to think about!
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Hope to speak to you soon!
Jill