If you spent an afternoon at lotus823, there are a few comments directed towards me that you will most likely hear:
1. “Christine can you put on some upbeat music?”
2. “No, Christine, no one wants to see another photo of Brian Stelter and Jamie Shupak’s wedding.”
3. “Did you find this on Instagram?”
Before I begin my case on why Instagram is my hub for everything from news to gossip, I have to set a few things straight regarding the above.
1. Florence and the Machine and The Beatles ARE upbeat.
2. I’m sorry you don’t understand the beauty of Jamie Shupak’s flower crown.
3. Instagram is heaven.
Now onto the Instagram gossip. Truth is, I get more from Instagram nowadays than any other news source – gossip or not. Who knew that a stream of photos could do all of that? Here’s why Instagram is my number one source for everything:
1. News Done Right
Do you follow @nowthisnews? If not, stop everything and do that right now. It’s the top news of the world in 0:15 bits that are published as soon as the news is breaking. I watch something on their channel on a Tuesday and on Thursday, people in my office are talking about it.
2. Celebrities Worth Following
Social media has their own group of celebrities within each network and Instagram isn’t short of their own starlets. Where else can I follow #thestelters wedding? NOWHERE, that’s where. Then you have everyone else from Gabby Bernstein to Bonnie Fuller to Candace Bure…it’s endless. Best part? Everyone is posting real content – a mix of family, work, inspiration and daily struggles.
3. Shopping
I told my co-workers this week that Instagram is where I found the last three items that were shipped to my house this week. Instagram, mind you, lives in an app and has no links within individual posts. That means the content was compelling enough for me to look up the item and buy. Latest finds? Mulberry Press Co., LTD Jewels, The Shine Project and Plated. The best part? Most of them I found through a fellow Instagram user within my network. Social media marketing at its finest!
4. Inspiration
Instagram is known for inspirational posts from quotes to sunsets to artsy photos of food from brands and users alike. Instagram just doesn’t inspire me each day personally, but it also pushes me to create better content for the brands I work with. Alex and Ani, for example, has some of the best inspirational content out there for a brand.
Who are your guilty pleasures on Instagram? Share with us below!