Micro Blogging and Instagram

Before we begin, I Love Instagram!

It is quick, addictive, fast moving, an amazing platform that I am totally hooked too.

Well, I was not like this always. In fact, when Instagram came around, I dismissed it off as an "other social platform" and advised all my friends to stop asking me to add Instagram account just cause they had one. That way I dismissed many such platforms and still do, but Instagram is an exception, a beautiful exception.

Instagram as Microblogging website

Life is Busy and Instagram makes Blogging easy! #HauteKutirSays

In spite of taking select blogging assignments and initiatives, Time is a luxury that I have to often look for. This took a toll on my posts and I have to let go of many of them given time's scarcity [ to assemble the post with words, pictures etc]. Using Instagram, I could now quickly post about different things including the products that I would be reviewing, Places I am currently visiting, Food updates and many more, all "Instantly" and "concisely" through the pictures.

Instagram as a Visual Twitter

I started on twitter quite early but was a laggard user until a few months back. While I shall cover my thoughts on Twitter on another post, just wanted to suggest here is Twitter for me is best explained as a "sound byte" tool and an instant tool for "Mass Promotion.

Yes, I used TwitPic for a while but gave it up soon as I started exploring my photography [read visually] interest via Instagram. So for me, Instagram is a "Visual Twitter" wherein my picture comes first and then words are weaved around for instant sharing and vast reach. Needless to say, without doing any marketing exercise, I have a plethora of Twitter Followers across the Globe. Guess that is the power of #Hashtag reach and content.

A Picture is worth Thousand words

Bingo! The screens have converged and it is "mobile" mobile" world wherein from our communications to entertainment, information, concierge and other relevant requirements have been amassed inside this handful device with a big, HDMI screen. With the advent of the superior quality of mobile cameras and also "social media camera by Samsung", clicking and posting hi-definition pictures have become even easier, faster and enticing. If you recall the Facebook wave when everyone was posting pictures from their "exotic" holidays, dinners etc, relaying "I am such a style Diva/ Dude" messages, a lot of beautiful clicks were shot via Instagram filters [and you thought someone was gifted]

Time upgraded itself and almost everyone who is at Facebook is slowly moving to Instagram. Beauty is, you can "share" your Instagram update on Facebook but cannot do Vice Versa :)

Facebook and Instagram

In my humble opinion, Instagram could be sued to post a couple of pictures either pre-blogging about them or post blogging. Instagram like any other platform has a certain "DOs and DON'Ts". You can use a targeted picture to tell your story at Instagram but when you have more than 2 pictures, you would use Facebook page to stream those set of pictures. Insta is more appropriate for a targeted highlight story and has wider reach unless your profile has been marked "Private".

A word of caution here, be careful as to what are you posting on Instagram like you do for other social media platforms. I believe in showcasing the real than the extreme glorious and photo-shopped. Similarly, do not take everything on face value as posted there. You see using "regram" is an art too and unless you want your followers to be spammed with so many non-exclusive contents, remain true to the point and do not post "misleading" images or facts just to show yourself in high light.

Lifestyle Bloggers and Instagram
Lifestyle is a lot about visual appeal. Blogs are often detailed, sponsored and can have a tendency to dilute the subject, given the fact that a lot of bloggers publish "sugar-coated" stuff about the inferior products to be in good books of certain PRs or write along a load of things without giving away a real view. Sometimes it is not possible to keep track of all things they post or are currently reviewing. I find Instagram a useful tool to sum up the overall feeling and as the word goes, it gives a whole lot of perspective on the lives and times of many bloggers who write for personal purposes than mere business branding. Hope you know what I mean. They use Instagram to build an audience while staying in touch with the latest happenings at other person's life. In better words, I call it- Sharing myself.

Haute Kutir on Instagram

I am a converted Instagram-ist and I love microblogging on my Insta Page. There are a lot of stuff that I would like to capture and showcase but often do not wish to write about them or struggle for time. So, I use Instagram there. Unlike my blogs, I update my InstaBlog on a regular basis. You can Follow my handle- @ektakhetan

More about "Why to Follow Bloggers including Haute Kutir on Instagram" will follow in the successive post

Does Instagram really ruin your Blog?

If you ask me, the answer is NO! 

Your blog can go in for hiatus for many reasons and being active on Instagram need not be one. I would rather use Instagram to up my blog's ante and publish without much ado. 

Off course it is a much easier format to share your review, feedback, and updates without having to type and edit many pictures. Indeed it is quick and one of the best way to get connected.

It has changed way at which we looked at content. The next wave of change and subject matter for my interest would be- Monetizing My Instagram. If you have any thoughts on that, do share with me either here in comments below or in the "contact us" page in the blog sidebar or you can shoot a mail to the back-end team at hautekutir@gmail.com

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My handle is- HauteKutirBlog