Tuesday Tips #244 // 2017, All About The Biz

If you haven’t heard of the Instagram Pod, you could be missing out on a great way to beat the IG algorithms while bringing a sense of community to some of your favorite photographers.

So, what is the Instagram Pod? Basically a group who agrees to help each other out on Instagram by commenting and ‘liking’ each other’s images when they go live. This helps ‘beat’ the Instagram algorithms by showing that your post is ‘engaging’ and brings your image a bit higher on the hashtag posts as well as makes it more visible overall.

An Instagram pod can be more than just trading likes and generic comments though. In fact, many photographers say it’s been a great way to connect with each other and build some amazing friendships with like minded artists in the community!

There are several ways to do an Instagram Pod, so here are some things to think about and remember when starting your own!

1. One of the easiest places to have your pod is in the messages section of Instagram. Create a group message, go over how the pod will work (as well as any rules you may have, does each member need to follow each other, check in 1x a day, turn on their notifications?) and have everyone post in the group when they have posted in image. All the members in the group can then go and like and comment on that member’s image. Some groups just ask members to write ‘posted’ in the group to let other’s know, some have each person share the actual image they just posted that they would like everyone to go like and comment on.
2. Make sure your comments are GENUINE! A few emoticons and ‘great!’ aren’t going to cut it here. It’s best to have comments that have four words or more, so it isn’t considered a ‘bot’ or generic comment.
3. Decide if there will be a ‘theme’ to your pod or not before you choose potential members to invite. Do you want to work with other local photographers or do you specialize in newborns and want to have one specific to your niche?
4. There are really a ton of benefits to the pod, but there are some downfalls. Having been in a few already myself, it can become a bit overwhelming at times! If the group gets too large, it can be difficult keeping up with all of the others images and comments. A rule I made in my pod, is that each member can only use the pod for one image per day. This keeps it fair, so that even if one member posts 3-4 times a day, everyone can only use the pod an equal amount of times each day for likes and comments. It keeps it from getting a bit too cluttered as well.

The biggest thing to remember, is that while it can be a lot of work, it should still be fun! Choose people who have similar style and work to be members of your pod. That way, when commenting, it isn’t difficult to come up with authentic remarks!

// This Tuesday Tips is from Bloom’s very own Lauren Grayson. She is an award winning lifestyle portrait artist who calls Ohio home. She is a Mother, sometimes yogi and avid reader. She is also the teacher of Business Basics and Beyond, a three week online intensive business workshop for photographers. The next run of her class begins February 27th, more information HERE. //