Saturday 7 January 2017

Geek Latte | 2016 Instagram Best Nine + Growing your Insta in 2017

Best Nine 2016 @pinktealatte Instagram pictures

It is no secret that my favourite social media platform is Instagram. I am a highly visual individual and have an interest in photography; therefore, Instagram happens to be a good fit for me! 2016 whizzed by really quick, so I love scrolling back through my Instagram to see all the adventures and memories I have made. Thank you to all my lovely followers and readers for all of the love and encouragement you have given more over the years! Instagram would not be as fulfilling if it were not for all your kind words and interest. I always giggle in excitement when one of you leaves me a comment on a picture because it gives me an opportunity to reply back to you! 

Looking back on the year 2016, there was a HUGE controversy in regards to Instagram altering their algorithm which unfortunately changed our feeds from chronological order to what the computer "thinks" is the images we will like most to show at the top of our feed. Personally, I liked the chronological feed as it did not favour some accounts over others; therefore, everyone had the opportunity to be at the top of their followers' feeds. The search browse tab could be as algorithm heavy as it wants as I am wanting to see content that interests me, but not my feed because of course I am interested in all those pictures because that is why I follow those accounts! I hate how my feed now tells me what pictures are more better and so sometimes I see the same few accounts I follow and do not get to see pictures by other users. 

Did the algorithm affect engagement of @pinktealattte ?
I certainly did see a drop in engagement once the algorithm kicked in. There was a small decrease in the number of likes on the new pictures I uploaded and I also saw the number of comments also dip. Also, when someone new follows @pinktealatte, they are less likely to see my images at the top of their feed as they have not been engaging with my content as much as their prior followings, thus new followers does not necessarily correlate with increase of engagement. 

I hope Instagram gives us the option to change our feeds to either chronological order or what the algorithm depicts we like more. The chronological order was unbiased and is what I prefer. 

Stepping away from the drama that Instagram sparked in 2016, it is really neat to see which pictures garnered the most engagement from my audience. It is also a really great way to see what type of content my followers want to see more of in 2017!

Going from Left to Right, Row by Row:

1. The big winner of 2016 was Lucky's Doughnuts' Coconut Bismarck with the beautiful toasted meringue swirl. Beautiful food is a guaranteed win on Instagram, but I also think me shooting the picture from eye level gave a different perspective. It also works well with this doughnut because it lends itself to be photographed well from this angle. 

2. Big leaf at Capitano Suspension Bridge. A lot of my followers are Vancouverites and we LOVE the outdoors, so this resonates with us all. 

3. Stacked Earnest Pints. I have no clue as to why this picture did well. I am just going to assume Earnest is just something Vancouverites really like and so it is the brand that pushed this simple picture to third place. 

4. Paella by Chambar. This Paella was the BEST Paella I have ever had and a beautiful plate of food will always speak to everyone. 

5. Garden Party Flowers from my Birthday. This picture for me falls under the "lifestyle" category. I have a lot more pictures like this planned for 2017, so I am happy to see my audience enjoys them!

6. Pastry from Thierry. This pastry is so darn delicious to eat and equally if not more beautiful to look at. 

7. Beta 5 Ice Cream Sundae. This is the fifth and final food image out of my top nine. Is it fair to say I love food and we all love food, so no duh I am going to keep posting pictures of mouth watering food!

8. Mini pumpkins on Pacific Design Lab Wood slice. This picture has a lot of balance and as human beings, we find balance beautiful. I like this image because it is simple yet striking. 

9. ME grabbing the rainbow mural! I am glad you guys like me too! Haha, but I think the gorgeous mural is what really caused people to gravitate towards this image. 

Findings? Conclusion?
  • 5/9 Beautiful mouthwatering food! Can never go wrong with some delicious food!
  • 2/9 Branding. Earnest and Lucky's Doughnuts I believe were huge factors for these pictures. Going with the norm and being a part of the current trends is going to strike interest from your followers.
  • 2/9 Beautiful backgrounds. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a stunning backdrop for captivating pictures while the Rainbow Mural is just beautiful and has been Instagrammed by numerous Vancouverites. 
  • 2/9 Lifestyle! Pink Tea Latte is a lifestyle blog and brand; therefore, it is awesome to see that I have followers who like seeing lifestyle pictures. 
I cannot wait to see what I photograph in 2017. Everyday my photography skills are improving and I am only just starting to find my "style" of photography. There is still going to be lots of food, pretty backgrounds and lifestyle pictures, but I also hope to see my photography evolving into my own style! 

Would love to hear in the comments below what you think of my top nine 2016 Instagram pictures. Also, what more do you think I should shoot? 

BYES

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