How do you choose who to follow on social media?

How do you decide who to follow on Instagram or other such media?

When I have someone follow me, and Instagram suggests I follow them back, I have a quick look at their photos and almost instantly make a decision – are these photos I want to see or not?

Pinocchio goes to Thailand (Phuket)

Life is too short to engage with photos that don’t interest me for many reasons.  It may sound judgemental, but it’s nothing to do with the person posting, making a judgement as to how I want to spend my time.  So, here are the photos I do like to see.

Florida well caught

• Travel photos that show the culture that person is exploring; travel photos that are natural – that is, no filters or colour enhancers – I want to see what your eyes saw – not a camera adjustment!  Selfies, or photos of you, doing yoga or muscle poses, (for example) in exotic places – for me that does not make it a travel photo.  It is self-promotion, and although I’m sure many people love to see them, it’s just not my cup of tea.
• I don’t follow Instagram pages that have numerous quotes, sayings, homilies, and the stream.  If I see one or 2 that’s fine, but not screeds of them.
• If they are family photos and I don’t know you, I’m not interested.

What a curmudgeonly old woman I sound, but one of the beauties of life is that you don’t have to, and I don’t have to, follow or please everybody by posting the photos they want to see.  We all take and post the photos we want to post

• So what photos do you like to see,
• What ones don’t you want to see
• Or, do you just follow everybody if they are following you?

It’s not about right or wrong, it’s just about our taste – or lack of taste you might think  🙂

Proboscis monkey -this photo is on my wall. Malaysian Borneo

I’m looking forward to hearing how you choose who to follow or not on Instagram, Facebook, or any other social – let’s face it, each of our opinions is totally valid.  Is that old adage says, one man’s meat is another man’s poison – or your junk is my treasure.

Cycle trip on Phuket. Thailand

What’s your junk? Your treasure?

red pohutukawa & red vase – on the Chatham Islands, NZ

 

Tips on how to be a good social media friend.

How to be a good Facebook, social media, friend, or blog follower is quite simple. It’s called ‘netiquette’ an online version of etiquette. Basically, it’s just being a good social networking friend to both the person blogging, or posting on Facebook, and to your other friends too.

So how to be that good friend?

Just like all those funny, or cat video clips we watch and repost, it’s really helpful to your writing friend, or photographer, or artist, to repost their work too. Artists and writers need people to read their work or consider the artwork whether this is by pencil, paint or camera.

Another way is to comment on the piece, or ask a question, or tag a friend telling them, “hey Pat you will enjoy this” or “how about we go here on our next weekend break Peter”. Your other friends will value the fact you were thinking of them, and are introducing them to artists or writers or bloggers will no doubt trust your taste, after all you’re friends so will have much in common.

If you have read one of my books, could you also add a wee comment about it on Amazon. Links to my blogs, Facebook pages (four of them!) and other social media pages are on my webpage for easy access.  www.kiwitravelwriter.com

So see, it is really easy to be a good friend to your writing friend, your favourite photographer, or local artist – and that tiny commitment will make a huge difference to them. Sitting at home, creating without any feedback, can be difficult, and for travel writers like me, it’s often the interaction I have with my followers that shows tourist destinations or activities that yes, this is a person we should invite to our city, country, or event. The more they can see that people follow me and enjoy my writing the more likely I am to get invitations or commissions to write.

One word of warning though, if you are anything like me, you need to do this instantly you see the blog or Facebook post or it will be gone forever, lost in all the other daily activity and busy minds! This doesn’t have to be a big chore, once a day would be wonderful.

And, if you repost blog links (or posts) to my pages on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media like StumbleUpon or Instagram, add a hashtag # (eg #kiwitravelwriter or #travel or #goodblog) I’d be really grateful: so, ‘thank you’ in advance.