For starters, I’d like to state that this post is in no way a tutorial on how to bookstagram since I’m kind of trying to figure that out myself!
Since there’re a lot of book bloggers and also normal readers too who now have joined the bookstagram fun, I thought it’d be nice to hear (read?) what you think about this topic.
So, as I was saying, since I didn’t get very serious about my IG account until recently, I’m still always searching for inspiration, for advice posts and any help I can get to orientate myself better. As some of you may know the main advice everyone tells you is get a theme and stick to it.
Why this works?
- It looks pretty
- It looks professional (if that’s what you’re going for)
- People know what to expect from you
- You can get creative with it!
Why it doesn’t work
- Some people aren’t good with sticking to things (ahem…)
- It limits the kind of pics you can upload
- For some people, it can get boring
There’s no denying, though that the end result of a bookstagram account with a well-defined theme is a beautiful thing to behold.
However,
I favor consistency instead of theme
Maybe it’s just a matter of words, but I’m pretty picky with words. I think even the ones that may seem like they’re the same thing are actually not.
For me, a theme is all those things I mentioned above, and while it works for some people, I now know it’s not really for me. I see an instagram theme as something beautiful and organized that remains beautiful and organized to viewers but that for the instagrammer, there’s a chance it can become a cage.
So, what would consistency be then? I think of consistency as a much more relaxed strategy.
- Being consistent with your subject matter, in this case books.
- Being consistent with your background -if you want
- Being consistent with the time at which you take the pictures -if you want. (but this is actually recommended, according to the photography savvy awesome people.)
- Being consistent with the angles at which you take the pictures, for example, only flat lays, only vertical shots… -if you want
What the hell, Pam? In case you haven’t noticed, that’s pretty much the same as a theme.
Well, that’s the thing!
It’s almost very much the same, but, the difference is the feelings that word provokes. In my case, theme sounds like a lifetime comittment, and I’m scared I may get cold feet 😉
But if I analyze it from a consistency POV, I can choose which things will remain consistent throughout my feed, and which won’t.
Some people who claim to not to have a theme, at least if they post a lot of pics of books, they’re consistent in that way!
At the end of the day, I will have managed to actually come up with a theme, but approaching it differently. Hopefully. I really hope I can figure this out. For now, I’m liking my white background and try mixing it up with other things, but to take pictures from more angles and in other places, I’ll need to get more white things :/
For my bloggers friends who aren’t really in the bookstagram circles, think of it in terms of blog graphics. There are some people who use the exact same format for all of their graphics, and they get a wonderful effect because that helps so much with recognition and branding! And there are other people who play with varying degrees of consistency.
What do you think? Do you believe in the power of thinking about something from a different POV in order to feel different about it?
To an extent, I totally agree. I use my IG for “everything”, needless to say I’m using it to brag about what’s happening in my school library, what I’m doing on a day-to-day basis, and I’ll often also post what I’m currently reading, because I do have some book bloggers who follow me. I guess I go for the range of consistency, it’s not great because sometimes I can go days without anything exciting happening in my life, but I do like to post what I’m currently reading in case somebody out there might be looking for recommendations. In fact, just last week I was approached by a co-worker and she told me it is really nice to see my bookish posts *snaps for me* lol
– Krys
Krys recently posted this awesome thing…Review: Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
That’s awesome! My IG used to be more liberal as well. I used to post pics of books, but also of my life, my friends, food, and all the things. I think that’s something people can make work too!
I barely do Bookstagram at all, and when I do, I’m not particularly consistent. This is great advice on how to get a bit more consistent without feeling like I’m boxing myself in too much!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted this awesome thing…Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods – Review
I believe I’ve mentioned this before on one of your previous bookstagram posts, but I actually started there THEN started blogging. So, I’ve actually experimented a lot xD I think themes are popular. I notice people who have themes usually have more followers & likes. I usually have a “theme” but it changes still. Like you said, I’m one of those people who get bored with it. So, for a period of time I had a darker brown background, then I had a white background with mostly flat lays, now I am taking my photos outside.
When looking for new IGs to follow, I don’t actually look for people who have a theme. I look to see if they have nice photos. They can all be in different locations, different times of day, but if it looks like they’ve put thought and effort into it, I like it. For me, that’s what is important. If it doesn’t look like the person cared at all, I don’t really care. If that makes sense.
Great post!
Molly @ Molly’s Book Nook recently posted this awesome thing…Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer // A great plot, a bad MC
I used to try going for a theme but realized I kept getting bored with whatever I was going with after short periods of time. I switched to a more consistent feed instead by having a white background and polkadot background that alternate every other post. I love it because it gives me more creative freedom to play around angles and colors while still feeling consistent. Thanks for such an awesome post!
Anissa recently posted this awesome thing…If You Like This, Try This! Book Recommendations!
You’re welcome! Glad you found something that is working for you!
To be honest, I have neither consistency nor a theme to my bookstagram posts. Yet. My instagram is a personal thing – it’s not geared towards my blog, and I post a lot of food photos. But – I’m building one, I hope. This is definitely food of thought for me. I think I might veer towards consistency instead of theme. Thank you for this!
Ara @ Open Pages recently posted this awesome thing…review; scarlet
Oh, that’s cool! Food as in meals, or as in desserts or just everything? I love accounts with yummy food pics <3