My 1st Instagram

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for…I joined Instagram! @NatalieLipka07 I know! Finally! It’s only been around since 2012. This social media enthusiast is just a bit of a late bloomer sometimes in the social media world. As you may remember from my blog, “Social Media For Those Looking Beyond Facebook & Twitter,” I took you on the journey with me as I got to better understand Google+, Pinterest and Vine and why these sites are good for actors. As I continue on my navigation through social media, I wanted to share my latest Instagram experience and why I love it.

Truth
I enjoy sharing pictures on social media, but for the longest time, did not feel it was necessary to be on Instagram. After countless industry people telling me to join, I decided to check it out. I am now addicted and check it just as much, if not more, than Twitter and Facebook. Seriously, I just checked it in the middle of writing this blog. I am also constantly singing the song from the brilliant CollegeHumor Nickelback parody “Look at this Instagram.”

In case you’ve been living under a rock
Instagram is an app that can be downloaded on most smart phones that allows you to share pictures and videos instantly. Before posting, you have the option to change up the tone of the picture or video by adding a filter. Instagram also gives you the opportunity to share to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.

Why I love it
Instagram gives you a place to tell your story through photos and videos and share it with others. You don’t have to think about what you want to say because the picture does that for you. All you need to do is create hashtags (which are one of my #favorite things about #socialmedia) so that it can be found by others. Another reason I love Instagram is because, in this business, we are constantly running around and may not catch up with friends and family as much as we would like. This is a quick and easy way to stay in touch, until you can make that next phone call or trip back home. You can keep your loved ones up to date with what is going on in your world and they can do the same.

Why it’s good for actors
It is a good place to expand your reach. It seems that more people that are not currently in my network are liking and commenting on my pictures. As actors we need to broaden our approach of making it in this industry and this is a way to share another side of yourself and your artistic side from behind the camera. Also, Instagram allows videos up to fifteen seconds. That’s nine more seconds than Vine. Just think of what story you can tell with the additional time! Actors are creating short web series and uploading them to Instagram. A perfect example of this are Hollywood Close-Up’s past guests, Heather Lee Moss and Anna Borchert, who are the creators and stars of the faux Instagram reality show, Daughters of POP.

How do you feel about Instagram?