Hello - this is Part Two of how I use Instagram as a Writer and it’s all about how I use Instagram Stories. You can find Part One here which is all about how I use the main Instagram feed.
I’ve been on Instagram now for four or five years and the platform has changed massively over that time. We have an algorithm, our engagement and reach is a lot less than it used to be and there is the introduction of adverts into our feed.
Yet - despite all of that I still think Instagram is a great place to be as a writer or an author.
Instagram has encouraged me to call myself a writer, it has driven me to ‘up my writing game’, it has created opportunities, given me confidence to try new things (like YouTube and Patreon) and introduced me to a wonderfully supportive community.
Instagram Stories is a more recent addition and it is one I embraced from the beginning. I love it. It has been a huge encouragement for me to try different creative things on the Internet and without it I doubt if I would have tried IGTV, YouTube and Patreon.
I love it’s roughness but I also love the chance to provide mini stories of my day throughout the day. It may be less edited than my main feed but I don’t just throw anything up there - I think about what I’m saying and try to give each collection of stories a narrative arc.
I think it’s a really useful tool as a writer or creative to create a community around your work. To allow your audience to get to know you and trust you. I think this is so important if, at some point, you hope to sell your writing as a book or an article or even just want your audience to leave the Instagram app and pop over to read your blog.
This is the video where I share five ways in which I use Instagram Stories as a writer.
