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Earlier this year I broke-up with Instagram, and it felt bittersweet in every sense.
Now I’m wondering if the platform is a necessary evil.
I won’t reiterate the reasons I originally left (you can read them here); instead, what I’d like to do is consider how I can safely and effectively make my return.
Why go back?
“It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist.”
― Austin Kleon, Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
Before deciding how, I first need to understand why.
My biggest pull to the platform is having an audience with which to sharemy passion for beer and the value I’ve gained from minimalism. I’m developing as a person merely through writing on this blog; however, throwing posts into the deep space of internet is like adding a single grain of salt to a soup in the hopes of it adding flavor – oh, and the soup is ocean-sized.
I can optimize SEO to my hearts content, but building an audience without the help of social media is unlikely to happen without a miracle.
Those reasons seem sane enough, but am I instead lying to myself in order to get another hit of the Instagram drug? Is this actually about coping with loneliness and fulfilling a fantasy of fame?
I hope not.
How to go back?
Now that I have a concept of why, let’s enter into the how.
Previously on Instagram, I spent too much time, for the wrong reasons, in order to distract myself from valuable endeavors. So is there a way to spend less time, for the right reasons, on valuable work?
I hope so.
Here are three ways I believe Instagram could be implemented more effectively for me:
1. Purposeful Planned Time
I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
― Henry David Thoreau
I used to set time limits on the platform with the hope of reducing wasted time, but I now realize this was reactive instead of proactive. Instead of merely setting a time limit, I want to set specific tasks which are to be done on specific days for limited amounts of time.
By sticking to intentional, specified time, it’s putting the control back into my own hands.
2. Value-Adding Content
“Focus your efforts on adding value rather than on promoting your achievements.”
― Frank Sonnenberg, Listen to Your Conscience: That’s Why You Have One
I originally joined Instagram with the goal of building an audience around my podcast. It was effective, but when I ended the show, that purpose faded into a vague desire for building connections in the beer space. Needless to say, that foggy compass lead to a load of wasted time.
I trust that if I bring clarity back, I can more effectively use the platform. More importantly, I want to orient my posts toward value addition rather than self-promotion.
3. Limited Scrolling
“Simply put, humans are not wired to be constantly wired.”
― Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
The doom scroll is real. You know it, and I know it, yet we all let it take over our lives. This point goes beyond purposefully planned time by acknowledging the tendency toward wasting time on meaningless scrolling. This includes the like-for-like phenomena (of which I’m guilty) – “If I like their picture, they’ll like mine back and will grow my reach.”
What utter bullshit. Success won’t be gained through liking other people’s posts or mindlessly scrolling – it will only be won through hard work and provision of value.
Will I go back?
If you’re reading this, the answer is yes.
Find me here.
Will I stay?
If I can utilize the positive aspects of Instagram while avoiding the negatives, then yes.