CredibleInk is on instagram! Yes. Blatant, unashamed, self promotion alert.

Go here: instagram.com/credibleinkmark and follow me!

Why should you follow? Because you’ll get to find out more about me, my writing woes, and you’ll see how to do Instagram for writers!

Here’s my top tips for Writers using Instagram (scroll down if you want to see my strategy!):

 

Tip 1: Find hashtags first

Find lots of hashtags which will connect you to:

• your market (for sales/reviews/reads), and/or
• audience (other writers/friends/connections – who may not ever purchase your book!)

All my Instagram posts use the same hashtags:

#skatefiction #yawriter #yafiction #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #writer #author #novelist #fictionauthor #writing #creativewriting #cafewriter

As well as any other hashtags which pop up in the description! Without using hashtags people won’t be able to find you.

Tip 2: The picture is not everything!

Instagram is photo first network, but that’s not all you need! People will come for the photo, but stay for the descriptions. Be honest, personable, emotive, and ask questions (which your network can reply to in the comments!). Don’t make the mistake of asking questions which you already know the answer to!

Tip 3: Comment more than you post

Comment on others. Search your hashtags, find people like you or you can help and speak to them. You can have an instagram account with zero photos but lots of followers if you comment and help other people. So definitely practice that.

Tip 4: Limit your likes

‘Liking’ something yields almost zero rewards for the writer. Sure it’s a quick response to something you’ve seen, but a comment is 100x more effective than hitting the ‘like’ button. Comment more!

Tip 5: Frugal follow

Don’t follow everyone; follow great people! You’ll only know who is great by spending time eavesdropping and enjoying other people’s feeds and conversations. Don’t care about getting your follower count up, focus more on valuable people!

 

My strategy for posting is as follows:

Use Instagram to document my writing progress. How I do this…

• Post a photo of my view (usually my laptop!) every time I write. Why? Because I don’t want to waste time worrying about a photo.
• Write an interesting, honest description. Why? Because writers (my audience) enjoy reading, and they get to know more about me.
• Include hashtags of my audience (not my market). Why? To allow my audience to find me.
• Follow no-one. Why? Because I don’t want to be distracted–by Instagram–following other people’s feeds.

In future my strategy will change, but for now this is working for me.

That’ll do for now – I’m supposed to be writing! If you have an instagram channel which you want to tell people about, share it in the comments!

Mark