I thought I’d update you on why I’m not on Instagram anymore. Well- truthfully, my account is still there, but I’ve not posted to my Instagram account since November of last year. I wanted to try to explain my reasons for that, what it’s meant for this little business of mine and what I’m planning going forward.
I loved the community that I had on Instagram. There were so many nice women there who were supportive and super smart in the blogging/creator world.
If you aren’t part of the blogging industry, you may not know that companies gauge a lot of how much they will pay you to work with them, based on your Instagram following. So, in a nutshell- the bigger and more engaged your audience, the more you post on stories- the more income you can potentially make. That’s why your shares, likes, follows and comments are worth so much!
Why I’m Not Posting on Instagram
Y’all, it totally began to affect me. The pressure to produce a picture-perfect square every day or even every week, had me in what I felt was an unhealthy head space. IG says they don’t prioritize those perfect images over others, but the algorithm is designed to do just that. So you scroll and scroll and scroll through perfectly filtered perfection. And in order to “grow” followers , you have to spend a LOT of time on the gram liking and commenting. It began to feel so inauthentic.
In all honesty, my pulse would rise just logging into the app. And when I did manage to post a picture that I actually felt was a decent photo- the feeling I got wasn’t one of satisfaction at all. It felt empty.
Don’t get me wrong here- not throwing any shade at all. There are bloggers and creators on IG that are insanely creative and I love to see their work. They post the most beautiful images that truly inspire me and there’s nothing wrong with the Instagram platform (I mean- no more than any other social media platform).
But what I was doing, just didn’t feel like me. It didn’t feel like reality. I had to carve it out like a rotted piece of vine.
What Happened When I left Instagram?
The relief I felt was almost instant (a great way to know you’ve made the right choice, lol). I made the choice to work on my other platforms, which have a different feel to them and were driving most of the traffic to my blog anyway. For my blogging business, it honestly hasn’t hurt me as much as I expected. In terms of followers I was still a tiny speck on the IG stage, so making the decision was easier. I have to hustle harder to get collaborations with brands, since I’m only here on my blog, Facebook , LTK and Pinterest. But the ones I do get are much more authentic and mean so much more to me and hopefully to you.
Going Forward….
I never want anyone to come to my space here and feel “less than” or like they NEED more , etc. I want to cultivate a space that has true value for you. Y’all know I love talking about all the fun, “girly” stuff on here-the outfits, makeup and hair products…….I love that stuff! But at the end of the day- that’s all just “stuff” and it’s my hope to leave you with something that will help, even in the tiniest way, to improve your day and make life a little easier.
Will I ever get back on Instagram? Who knows. I don’t plan to delete my account, but for now this really feels right. I’m thinking of starting a private Facebook Group for this blog, which I think could be a lot of fun- I love it when we can share things, interact and learn tips and hacks from each other. I’m also totally enjoying the new changes to the LTK app as a good way to share.(Update your app if you haven’t recently, it’s gotten really good- and I’d love for you to follow me there.) I LOVE that app for shopping and sharing!
In Closing
I felt like I needed to share why I’m not on Instagram anymore, because many of you followed me on there and I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that, as well as your sweet messages! So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around my little space here. For reading what I write, for looking at the images I create. Your presence here means the world to me. I’ll still talk about all the fun, girly stuff and the things that will make our days easier, but I’ll strive to do that with a giant dose of reality- because that’s where we all actually live.
In whatever capacity you follow me, thank you so much for being a part of this community! Love y’all loads!
You may enjoy this post on The Best Drugstore Makeup for Women Over 40 or this post on Styling a Summer Hat.
Well, for what it’s worth, I just don’t get IG. I suppose if I tried hard enough I could get the appeal but I don’t want to be a slave to it as I see with many who follow IG accounts.
As a rule I don’t comment on public FB posts but would likely participate in a private group.
Love your picture above….Denver?
Thank you so much Dawn. I appreciate your thoughtful comment so much! And I definitely appreciate your support, always! the pic was on a trip to San Antonio!
~Melissa xx
Oh I so understand. I have pretty much stayed off IG for a long time and I feel the same as you, it just isn’t who I am. Everytime I think I need to post it feels like a chore, not something fun which is what it should be.
I left, twitter and facebook several years ago too and havn’t missed them either. I wasn’t comfortable sharing with people who really didn’t know me. And I just think those places are a breeding ground for, ignorance, unkindness and sometimes pure evil. Ha ha.
Now my blog, well that is my baby. It’s a safe place where people who visit want to be. I have never had anything but kindness and sisterhood shared on my blog in all it’s 8 years. My blog is my art and I am in complete control, it belonds to me. That is where almost all my sales come from as far as affiliate links, some comes from Liketoknow.it directly (which so far I like and admire their ethics a lot). I don’t even consider collabs anymore.
I worry about those who depend souly on social media for their earnings. At the drop of a hat IG could cut them off and where would they be? Many don’t have blogs or have abondonded their blogs. I am sure Facebook/IG has zero amount of caring about any one individual.
Thanks for sharing!
Peace!
Cheryl
Thank you Cheryl! I share your views and it’s nice to hear what your experience has been as well. I enjoy your blog! And I completely feel the same- this is the space where I can be creative and share what is hopefully interesting, helpful or useful here. I am enjoying the newer LTK changes so far and I’m trying to cultivate a more interesting feed over there.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
~Melissa xx
There was a time I felt like that too, Melissa, so I totally understand. That’s when I decided to just care less about the numbers (which was hard for a competitive person like me) but concentrate more on the women. I feel like most days, we are checking in on each other, and I find some fun challenges and inspiration. But when it doesn’t feel right, it’s smart to get out.
I do try to spend more time on my blog since it really is MINE.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I totally get it and feel the same about IG. It has become a chore and all focused on numbers. Also it does not matter how much you engage IG algorithm keeps reducing the engagement. Recent IG invention is extending the time that it take to post a comment. Every time I comment on someone’s photo it can take anything between 5 second and 1 minute for that comment to be posted which makes almost impossible to engage unless I will do it 24/7 which is not my intention. I wish there was another more genuine platform xx
It looks like a lovely place to visit, so vibrant! Thank you for sharing xx
Elegant Duchess xx
https://www.elegantduchess.com/