This is a topic I’ve wanted to address for 2+ years.
Do you passively follow social media accounts or do you actively engage in that community?
2 MAJOR QUESTIONS
1) Is it really THAT important to “like” a photo?
ANSWER: Yes. Why? In the world of social media, bloggers, etc., many rely on it as either part of their income or ENTIRELY their income. The case for me (@lilsipper) my entire income is generated from sponsored posts. I have nothing to hide and feel super honored and grateful I get opportunities to share things I truly 100% stand behind and personally use. (See THIS POST about social media endorsed posts and why I only partner with some – A MUST READ if you really want to know).
The Epidemic Of Sponsored Posts
What happens when a photo isn’t liked? Engagement goes down, you stop seeing posts, and most importantly, brands that are looking to potentially partner with that person (AKA: the source of income for bloggers) are turned off by the lack of “likes” and engagement. – I’m not just talking about myself but tons of other accounts in the same position. THIS IS THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
It’s not how many followers a person has but the “likes” and engagement they have that determines things.
“I always see your posts, read your posts, but never “like” them” – a regular message I see slide into my DMs
Of course, I only partner with products I truly use in my personal life and have turned down many offers in the past in my days and stay true to who I am – but there have been times where I really wanted to work with amazing brands with clean ingredients and they turned me down because my engagement wasn’t good enough. Sad but true. And some months I make more than others and have to budget for the months I don’t make as much. It’s a scary world working for yourself at times, basically leaving things in the hands of YOUR OWN following. So a simple “like” really does make a difference in the account you follow (ever watch a Youtube video and wonder why they ask you to give it a “thumbs up” if you appreciate the video they created? It helps them out and makes a way for them to continue creating those types of videos). So if you truly love an account, appreciate the informative info they give out, the recipes they spend hours creating, photographing, etc. then be sure to show them that you do care.
Not only does this help them financially, but it also lifts their mood and inspires them to continue creating.
I’ve thought many times about quitting this IG world, but then open up messages and see that I’ve helped yet another person with their digestion issues or just made their day buy just giving some encouragement and I simply cannot just “leave” – I really want to help! So the struggle (for me at least) is the desire to help people but also needing to pay rent. You feel this?
DID YOU KNOW?
You can quickly double tap a photo (no need to hit the ♥) and that actually is the lazy way of “liking” a photo. LOL
2) Will the person behind the account really notice you if you like + comment?
ANSWER: I can only speak for my own account and say “yes” you are noticed. I spend about 6+ hours a day on Instagram (note: this is only because it’s my job and I take it as if I was working in an office 8 hours a day, otherwise I would not be on my phone as much) and 4+ hours creating and shooting a recipe, writing up captions, editing, answering comments, DMs, and answering emails all in one single day.
It’s a about a 12 – 13 hour a day job (at least for me).
I know many other bloggers, content creators, etc. that put in a lot of time an energy into their account and truly care about their community as well, and I know others that don’t. So it all depends on the person you follow if they notice. My goal is to build a community where we can communicate, share, and grow together. I personally love following other accounts that AREN’T JUST FOOD because I love following a story and it makes me enjoy the food posts even more since I know the person behind the recipe.
Final Note
The point of this blog post was to:
• Express my gratitude for my current following and let you know you are noticed.♥
• Express the importance of supporting any blogger you follow (shoutout to all those hard working bloggers out there who rely on this as their main income! Keep at it!)
• How you can support them
• Share that you do matter in this world
In a time where we think we don’t matter, remember you do. I always look forward to creating new posts, busting the food industry with facts, and also busting out some fun dance moves in my Instagram stories. See you there!
