Do It Yourself INSTAGRAM
Last year I started my home decor instagram feed with the sole intent of posting my DIY’s so they wouldn’t clutter up my personal account. I did not understand at the time the community that was out there for instagrammers, other than my close friends who I had followed for years.
Months passed and I was amazed at the growth that came to some feeds and not to others. I saw influencers working with companies and business’s growing. So I started to ask a lot of questions.
- Were they buying followers or gaining them organically?
- Why did it matter anyway if I have a large following?
- Did growing have a purpose other than getting a pat on the back for having lots of followers?
- Do I have to create a full time job for myself just to keep up with it all?
I had to ask myself “Why Do I Want To Grow?” and needed to find answers to my questions so I could reevaluate my journey on instagram. I wanted to make sure the goals I had as an individual were in alignment with my goals on social media.
It really hit home to me when one of my mentors on IG left the IG community. She had grown tremendously with her home decor feed and made amazing friends as well as collaborations. But the time it took for this to happen was not in alignment with the goals she wanted for herself and her family. Ultimately she decided to be true to herself she needed to remove herself from the hustle and bustle of IG. I respected deeply her journey for an authentic life and it inspired me to hunker down and do the same.
Have you ever felt this same way?
I started doing research. Lots of it. I wanted to know the ins and outs so I could best answer the questions I asked myself. As I grew I realized there was an ART to IG, and that it is constantly changing. “IG Land” is a huge world of information and skill. Keeping up with system required me to learn from the masters – individuals who have created an amazing journey in social media, who’s opinions I trusted.
Today’s blog post is the start of my research. I will be honest. Social Media can be intense. It has been a lot of work. You can ask people’s opinions, but ultimately you need to find out the information and process it according to your own needs and intentions. I am still in that phase, but the information I have gathered has helped me tremendously in reassessing my purpose and intent on Instagram.  None of these mentors have sponsored me to write this post – all the opinions are of my own.
Here is what I have found. I took many webinars, online courses and youtube sessions. There is SO much information out there and I am still collecting new favorites all the time. But the following IGer’s are the ones who have gotten me started. Each one has a unique skill set that they bring to the table in teaching you how to manage “IG Land.” Let me introduce you to my favorites so far:
1. Hilary Rushford
Hilary’s was the very first webinar I took.  Her feed came across mine through a sponsored post to take her free webinar on IG and I figured “what have I got to lose?” I was amazed that someone was so educated about social media! Her tips on images, photography, name choice and profile description helped me realize there is so much more to IG (if you want to grow) than just putting photos on your feed. She sparked in me a stronger desire to learn.
She has created an amazing team called Dean Street Society. She offers many free webinars and then more in depth training for a fee. I haven’t taken her paid courses yet but it is on my To Do list! Here are her links for you to check out:
My first Hilary Rushford Free Course
Dean Street Society Instagram Course
Hilary Rushford Instagram Account
From these links you will find all sorts of gold nuggets from Hilary – explore her site and you will learn so much from her and her team!
2. The Design Twins
These two cute sisters were one of the first home decor accounts I followed. They are authentic and genuine (even chatting back with me personally when I have questions!). I immediately knew I wanted to learn more from them. Their blog – The Design Twins – is full of creative ways to decorate your home, inspirational ways to live your life, and IG Land learning.
They have posted over 30 blog articles on instagram. They range from photo editing, growing your following, understanding IG, becoming an influencer and more. I have read them all and continually reference myself back to their feed for support and guidance. I am attaching some of my favorites here – so you might want to grab some hot cocoa and bundle up on the couch before you get started. Their blog with keep you busy (in a super good way) for hours. Additionally, you can hire them for a private assessment of your feed – also on my to do list!
How to Master Instagram Collaborations
There are so many more that will benefit your IG journey – sign up for their newsletter for their most up to date posts.
3. Decor Newbies
These two gals are a powerhouse team when teaching about Instagram details. It is PERFECT for someone who is just starting out who wants to know about posting, archiving, editing, giveaways, follow trains and so much more. I have been following them since I started IG and wish so much this course would have been available then. I took it when I had 10K following and STILL LEARNED SO MUCH.
They literally hold your hand during the process through facebook groups, articles and youtube videos.  You get to interact with them constantly through personal connection as well as all the IGers in your class. It costs a FRACTION of the price as other trainings. I recommend it for anyone who needs lots of questions answered about Instagram or is just starting out.  It will save you so much time and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
You can message them on IG to get enrolled into their course.
HomeWithKelly with Kelly Instagram Account
ACleanPrismLife with Jenny Instagram Account
4. Ashley Diana
This is the newest class that I took and I am hooked.  Its called Infinite Influence and once again it was a sponsored post that popped up on my IG feed and I clicked on it. She offers a free webinar to teach you some of her ideas, then offers a full blown course for a fee. I signed up for this course and am in the middle of taking it now. I will keep you posted on my progress once I graduate!
She shares her passion for IGers and their ability to become influencers. As I contemplated my goals, this is where I ultimately decided where I wanted to be. Her knowledge (and ability to pass it along to her readers) is fabulous.
Here is her free webinar link – its so good! It will also offer you a discount for her intense class if you sign up through my affiliate link – so check that out here!
Here are some of her links that will help you:
Ashley Diana’s Infinite Influence Program
Ashley Diana’s Instagram AccountÂ
5. Tailwind
Ok, I am just scratching the surface to this amazing tool. My friend Leslie from the 100YearOldHome blog invited me to learn more about it a few months ago and I am loving it! They offer so much information on Instagram and Pinterest that I don’t know where to start. Once you sign up you will get newsletter that keep you up to date on so many instagram features and abilities. I have yet to read them all and think it will take me a bit more time to get seasoned with the APP and all its abilities. But I am looking forward to learning more with it.
A great feature is that you can join “tribes” for pinterest. This really helps grow your instagram and pinterest pages and you meet lots of new feeds. Thats a whole new post and discussion that we will save for another day. Grab these links to get started!
I am a part of three tribes: Farmhouse, Farmhouse Decor, and Home Decor Bloggers – come join them for great support!
6. Jenna Kutcher
For my final share of this post – its Jenna Kutcher. If you haven’t found her yet on IG, its time. For me, she keeps IG REAL. She is very up front and personal, doesn’t beat around the bush, and is constantly sharing her knowledge. She also has an amazing podcast called Goal Digger, where she shares amazing mentors and experiences.
The thing that really hits home to me about Jenna is her openness to her readers. She talks real life and how she lives it.  Her wisdom about IG Land and the business side that can come from it is priceless. She is such a great feed to digest if you want to take your IG to a level of income, business and branding. She offers a free guide to Take the Stress Out of IG – who doesn’t need that?! I sure did and it was the first webinar I took from her. If you head to her blog you can sign up for it.
Jenna Kutcher Instagram Account
Her reality really hits home that life isn’t about Social Media. Social Media can be a tool to enhance knowledge and goodness, but it does not run our lives. She’s amazing.
So that’s it! These are my starting steps to how I am educating myself on Instagram. The rules, regulations, and strategies can be really hard to navigate. It’s impossible to figure it out on your own. Hopefully some of these mentors of mine will assist you in figuring out what road you want to take in IG Land and help you get there.
P.S. Please message us if you have mentors that have inspired and uplifted you on your IG journey, we would love to learn about them!
Love,
Kelly
I have absolutely asked myself these same questions. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing these resources, I look forward to checking them all out. Have a great week!
I am so glad you stopped by Rebecca and I hope you find them useful!!!