The Most Instagramable Palm Springs Girls Trip ever! | #momsdopalms

First off if you've only come here for the instagramable hot spots in PS, scroll down.  I've included my top 5 Instagram worthy places in Palm Springs (with locations) for you at the end of this post. 

Totally oversharing my girls trip to Palm Springs with 9 bloggers in the most epic Air BNB.  This will give you all the vacation envy and maybe even inspire you to book your own girls trip!  I talk about all the hot spots, places to eat, and I even share my top 5 most instagram worthy places in PS.

Growing up in Manhattan Beach meant warm nights, long summers and living in my bathing suit.  I'm a salty hair, sandy toes and sunburned skin type of girl!  I've been to Palm Springs too many times to count.  Because PS was only a two-hour drive from home it became my go-to staycation spot.  My typical agenda when I visit is to stay at my hotel and lay by the pool as much as possible.  I normally stay at the Parker, and if you've ever been, you know there is no reason to ever leave the hotel, it insane. But this time, of all the times I've ever been was one of my most memorable times ever.  I went to test out my Big Brother skills and planned a vacation with 8 other women I'd never met.  I'm already starting my audition reel for the 2018 season. Jk.

We all decide to make time for US, and we somehow found a way to book a 4-day trip without our kids.  Say what? How did we do that?  Well, you basically book a flight, ask your husband to watch the kids and you just go. It's that easy.

We stayed in the cutest Air BNB with 8 influencers and the most adorable little 6 month old ever.  I'd never met these women IRL but the moment I walked in the door, I felt like I was vacationing with my besties. I've been in a comment pod on Instagram with these women for over year (for those who don't know what a comment pod is, don't worry... it's basically a group text with people you don't know).   So, I guess I kinda knew them going into it, as much as you can know someone through a daily group text, I guess.

Paige's details on her blog The Love Designed Life

My outfit deets: Hat: Inlakesh Hand woven hat | Sunnies: Diff eyewear Astro in Matte black | Top: Anthropologie (similar)| Shoes: Loeffler Randall lace up flats (similar)

This blogging world can sometimes be isolating because you're sharing your innermost self with people behind a screen.  Meeting these beautiful women IRL was necessary after we've exchanged 100's of texts with each other.  So what did I do with 8 of my closest social media friends on a Wednesday in Palm Springs? Here it goes.

We stayed at @thewkndhouse in the heart of Palm Springs and this just may replace my typical hotel stay from now on.  It was so, so good for so many reasons. Number 1- it's super close to downtown. Number 2- the rooms were perfection.  And Number 3- just the right size with the most perfect Instagramable walls.  We are all bloggers so, duh.

We ate tacos (pretty much every day we were there) , we drank rosé (you guessed it, every single day), and we took lots and lots of pictures.  We went on this trip with no plans, other than couch hangs & pool time with no kids, visiting a few instgrammable hot spots and late night chats about balancing motherhood and blogging.  And honestly, that's pretty much all we did.

I got the best room. Shhhh! Don't tell the anyone else.  If you decide to go, just plan get there early and snag the flamingo room for yourself! That wall, and It's closest to the potty (bathroom for you non-parents reading this, lol) and the kitchen for those late night snack runs!

The master suite has pretty much the most perfect wallpaper ever.

Pineapples are legit they

STAND TALL

WEAR A CROWN

and they are

SWEET ON THE INSIDE

And of course the other rooms make you wanna go wallpaper your entire house too.

The front and back of the house also come with even more instgrammable moments. There's a ping-pong table, cornhole and pool floats.  We took advantage of only one of those fun things; I'll let you figure out where we spent most of our time. 👇🏻

Hat: GigiPip Eve Nora felt brim hat | Sunnies: Diff eyewear Astro in Matte black | Suit: Kortni Jeane Swing too + Rouched bottoms

If you know me, you know I'm that girl who's always jumping in the pool.  I've been known to take a few people with me and at times, I may push a few people in fully clothed for fun.  I even jumped in the pool at our hotel after my own wedding still in my wedding dress. [true story]   I thought it would be fun after this photo shoot to actually get a few pics of us jumping in the pool.  I didn't have any takers and it took some convincing but I got these two knuckleheads to agree to jump in with me ('so I thought...)

We all held hands, and we all agreed to jump on the count of three. I think it's safe to say, the joke was on me.  I guess that's payback for all the times I did this to other people. #karmasabitch. Yes, that splash is mine.  And yes, those two girls don't know how to count to three.

Oh I will be getting you two back @_ashley_noel_ and @helloerinv. I know where you live.

Of course we needed to really spend some QT together at the house so we did a grocery store run and decided to only eat out a couple times.  We got fruits, bread, eggs and stuff for Taco Tuesday, ya know... the important stuff. We spent a lot of time at the house because it was so great and we loved getting to know each other.

We spent 3 nights curled up and snuggled together on the couch catching up on Bachelor in Paradise and one night we had a game night which included a real hysterical game of heads up and an even more hysterical game of the PG version of cards against humanity.  This is when I had to face the reality of being the oldest girl there when I referenced Coming to America [bark like a dog, a big dog] and nobody knew what I was talking about. (insert laughing & rolling eye emoji here).

Meet Ollie, hands down the easiest and cutest baby ever. Because of my crazy baby fever, having Ollie with us was really helpful for those 'I'm missing my kids' moments. I know we all really tried to take our mom hats off and make time fully for ourselves but I think we all enjoyed having this little nugget with us while we were away. From our own babies. If you want more Ollie, go visit @annehilldesign. She's the best and she lives in Alaska so you'll probably get a few moose of grizzly bear pics too!

We had to visit the two coolest hotels in Palm Springs so we had brunch at the Parker, and spend more time taking photos than we did enjoying our $17 mimosas. The Parker is where I had my bachelorette party, where I've spent numerous "first dates" with my husband and if I ever ran away from life, that's where you can find me.

This might be my all time favorite IRL blogger mama I've met. She really should be a stand up comedian, the most hilarious mama I know. Meet @helloerinv

This girl right here traveled all the way from Canada to be with us, at 31 weeks prego, on a red eye..If that doesn't make you love her, I don't know what will! Meet my favorite Canadian @britthavens.

Hat: GigiPip Eve floppy hat | Sunnies: Diff eyewear Astro in Matte black | Dress: Michelle Jonas | Shoes: Joie leather sandals | Necklace: House of Harlow gold locket | Watch: Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Rose gold | Bracelet: Gorjana Howlite calming bracelet

We had dinner at The Saguaro and to be honest we went on a Wednesday and when we pulled into the parking lot we thought it might be closed.  Needless to say, mid week in Palm Springs is less than lively.  But, on a positive note, it was happy hour all day!! So we got thee best tacos ever for $2 a piece! There was 9 of us and the bill wasn't even $100! So that was a huge score!  We were bad bloggers and didn't get any pictures at this dinner,  but we made up for it the next day when we visited the cactus garden and of course that famous pink door. #thatpinkdoor.

Sunnies: Diff eyewear Astro in Matte black | Dress: Amuse Society | Shoes: Christian Louboutin espadrilles wedges | Necklace: House of Harlow gold locket | Watch: Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Rose gold

The Moorten Botanical Gardens are a perfect girls trip adventure.  It's $5 to enter and this place is insane you guys.  It took about 5 minutes to walk through the whole thing, and about 20 minutes to get some plant-lovers dream photos.  The picture above is inside the cactarium, and it was beyond gorgeous and hot!  It was about 108 degrees outside that day and it felt like 120 degrees inside the green house.  But, it was soooo worth it for a photo like this one.

My friend in real life for over 3 years now, and one of my favorite mamas around Paige @thelovedesignedlife. Her blog is insane, please check it out. The Love Designed Life

So I hear that you aren't a real blogger in Palm Springs until you get a picture in front of That Pink Door.  Kidding, but we seriously had to make a trip there to snap a couple fun pics.  There was a group of young German girls and a car of Asian tourists waiting their turn for pictures too (on a random Thursday afternoon) and if it weren't for the other eager groups of people, we may have passed the door.  It's in a residential area and yes, someone really lives there!  We had Ollie with us, and the sun was blazing hot, so we didn't stay long, but it doesn't take long to become a real life blogger when you stand in front of this cute pink door. [mom, I've made it!]

Oh hey cuties! Paige @thelovedesignedlife Courtney @courtneynicoleramsey + Britt @britthavens

Sunnies: Diff eyewear Astro in Matte black | Dress: Amuse Society | Shoes: Christian Louboutin espadrilles wedges | Necklace: House of Harlow gold locket | Watch: Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Rose gold

In short, or long... life happens only once and you need to make the most of it.  Motherhood can be challenging, isolating and one of the biggest life reflecting times on who you are as person.  But, finding time to be that person that you were before babies, really is important.  I'm not sure these mamas know just how much those 4 days in Palm Springs refreshed me and those memories will stay with me, thank you for the laughs and fun times ladies! Let's do it again next year!

We put this trip together all on our own to meet each other in real life but some fabulous brands helped all our vacation house and pool dreams come true.  Thank you to our sponsors:

The Weekend House  

Kortni Jeane Swimwear

Diff Eyewear

Gigi Pip Hats

Big Mouth Pool Floats

5 most instragram worthy spots in Palm Springs:

1. The Wknd House. Scroll through this post and you'll see why.  If the front yard, the backyard, the pool and the wallpaper are enough, the living room and family room will bring all your bright, colorful, mid century dreams come true.  The best thing about my #1 spot is that you don't even have to leave the house to get the perfect shot. @thewkndhouse

2. That Pink Door.  Yes, it's someone's house, and yes there are always random people parked in front ready to capture that instagram worthy moment in front of that pink door.  The door has its own instagram account if you believe me. @thatpinkdoor

3. Cactus Garden.  It's actually the newest blogger go-to spot and it's fairly close to that pink door.  The Moorten Botanical Garden Showplace is a must go to place even if you don't wanna take an instagram worthy picture.  It's pretty small and it cost $5 to get in, but I will be visiting this place on all my upcoming Palm Springs trips! | Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium 

4. The Parker. If you've been to this swanky hotel, you know about the lemonade stand, the cutest yellow pool, and of course the oversized chese game on the gorgeous grounds of the hotel, that is if you make it past the lobby.  From the massive white brick wall showering the giant signature orange doors when you arrive, to the drugs sign and the hanging wicker chairs in the first glimpse of the hotel, this place is perfection.  This hotel is a bloggers playground.  If you've never been, you must go, this place screams, I'm super cool. The Parker Palm Springs 

5.  The Saguaro.  Admittedly, I've only been here for the tacos.   But if bright, bold, fun colors are you thing, than the Saguaro is totally going to be your jam.  Those purple and pink doors have filled my IG feed numerous summers so, if your looking for a pop of color and a good time, head straight to this hotel. The Saguaro Palm Springs

There are some affiliate links in this post, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Photography Tips for a Cohesive feed || #Themomblogcollective Week 3

Welcome to the third installment of The Mom Blog Collective: Tips for better photography. If you're new here, here's the scoop. Every other week, our group of amazing and inspiring mamas will answer the same set of questions to do with blogging, Instagram, photography, collaborations, sponsored posts, balancing it all with motherhood, and more. We each have different perspectives and different opinions, so this is a fun way to learn from one another. We hope you'll join along! Check out the hashtag #themomblogcollective to see everyone on Instagram, and I will also link you to all of the amazing blog posts here at the bottom of my post!

So, I seriously feel like I'm the furthest person who's qualified for this weeks installment of #Themomblogcollective because I generally hide behind my lack of professional looking photos with my lengthy yet genuine and honest, raw, heartfelt captions.  Yes, I do stick to a color pallet and I try and use the same few core filters in each of my images but I'm not a professional by any means. I feel like in order to get professional looking feed, you need to be a professional...right? Nope.  Either hire a professional who actually knows what they are doing or marry someone and convince them to quit their day job, learn photography and follow you around all day. Haha right? And if that doesn't work for you...  Here are a few tips that may help you fake it like I do.   I'll be sharing a few tips, talking about what camera I use, and giving all the details on what apps I use.

Top Three Tips:

1. Make sure your images are straight

I always make sure my photos are straight. People tend to like photos that are symmetrical.   My husband hates it because when I ask someone to take our photos because I always direct them to take them straight on.    "Can you please stand over there and please don't cut me feet off, thanks!" Maybe it's just me but I like things to be straight vs a weird angle or from the side of a scene. 

2. Add some negative space

Before you push the trigger, take three steps back.  Give your audience a little glimpse into the scene you are in.  It's easier for people to see the emotion behind the photograph if they actually see the scenery instead of just your face.  It's so typical that you hand your friend the camera and say can you take a picture of me and they get in real close to just capture your face.  Right?  Trust me on this, .take three steps back!  This way you get an idea of what's actually happening around you and allows the subject of the photo, which is usually you or your kids to be the main focus without being distracted by being too close.   So when I take my pictures I tend to make sure that I have some sort of sky or ceiling or some sort of space above my head and that you can definitely see my shoes or the sidewalk or something below me.  Here's my go to- make sure you get my shoes, even if I'm not wearing any because it helps leave some space.

3. Lighting is key

The time and space that you take your pictures in can be make all the difference.  The best time to shoot is the "magic hour"  which i think you've all heard before.  Right after the sun sets when the suns rays aren't to bright to cause a glare.  Also the best place to take a photo is out of the direct sunlight.  Try taking your photos in shade but still outside in the light. When you position yourself try and get the light towards you vs behind you.

BONUS TIP:

Take numerous pics at the same time

True story, my cell phone currently has 53,000+ photos in my camera roll.  The best way to get a good snap is to take lots of pictures!  I know that sounds simple but the truth is for me, I probably take at least 100 photos of the same scene to get the perfect shot.  Some people are effortless, but for me, I need lots of options.   One way I keep my feed cohesive is to post photos from the same photo shoot on the same day with the same lighting periodically throughout my feed.  

Besides what I use to take my photos, two of my most asked questions are, what do you use to take your photos?  & what apps do you use to edit your photos and plan your posts?

What do you use to take most of your photos?

I have a mixture of iPhone and I recently got the Sony a6000 with a 1.8/50mm lens.  It has built in wifi so I can transfer my images even when I'm not connected to the internet.  It's super fast and easy.  The camera itself comes with amazing features, that makes it easier to just shoot and post, however, I did spend some time watching You tube videos about the camera.  If I do adjust the settings, I mostly adjust the background defocus and the brightness. It's easier to let the camera do the work and edit the images to fit my feed later. 

What apps do you use for your editing?

My favorite apps for editing are Color Story &  VSCO.  I've downloaded so many photo editing apps but these two are by far my favorite.  Easy to use, and they have the best pre set filters ready for you.  Color Story has the flashes of delight bundle that is really all you need.  My favorites are Carrie & Valerie.  I sometimes add some brightness and a little fade depending on what the lighting was like in my original photo.  For VSCO, I use the basic package, A6 filter and then use tons of exposure and a little brightness.  Download those apps, and play with some of the filters to find your own aesthetic.  

If there is anything to take away from me this week, it's more about the stories I tell through my images and my captions, to hopefully turn all your followers into real life friends.
As my girl @helloerinV once said, "You take the picture and you just post it."  It's sometimes as simple as that.

Here are this weeks contributors: 

mrsseacannon.com | @mrsseacannon

britthavens.com | @britthavens

koleimpressions.com | @steph__pollock

cultivatemotherhood.com | @cultivatemotherhood

www.ashleynoel.life | @_ashley_noel_

hellobabybrown.com | @hellobabybrown

darlingnightingale.com | @darlingnightingale

www.a-blessed-nest.com | @blessednestblog

thelovedesignedlife.com | @thelovedesignedlife

GUESTS: 

http://www.helloerin.com | @helloerinv
http://www.hopefeathersphotography.com | @hopefeathers
http://www.psimfromthemidwest.com | @hollynbaron

How to Establish Your Brand and Build Your Online Community | #Themomblogcollective Week 2

Welcome to the second installment of The Mom Blog Collective: How to Build and Online Community and Define Your Brand. If you're new here, here's the scoop. Every other week, our group of amazing and inspiring mamas will answer the same set of questions to do with blogging, Instagram, photography, collaborations, sponsored posts, balancing it all with motherhood, and more. We each have different perspectives and different opinions, so this is a fun way to learn from one another. We hope you'll join along! Check out the hashtag #themomblogcollective to see everyone on Instagram, and I will also link you to all of the amazing blog posts here at the bottom of my post!

This weeks topic is: How to Establish Your Brand and Build Your Online Community

Those two things go hand and hand in my opinion.  In order to grow an authentic community of followers, you need to have a true brand all your own.  You need to establish what your brand is, and make sure that you continue to create a curated feed with your brand image in mind with every single post.  I believe most people follow me for a specific reason; either they love my photography style or aesthetic, they have a common connection with me like where I live or kids the same age, or when they read my posts I say something that resonates with them on a deeper level and inspires them in some way.  If I can connect with someone through my feed in one of those ways, I will gain them not only as a follower, but hopefully I'll engage with them enough and they will eventually join my community of followers who interact daily with me and possibly even meet IRL one day... (IRL=in real life).

Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't think I'm an expert on this topic by any means.  We've all been there, where it just feels like it takes a small miracle to get someone to click that 'follow' button or even just double click your picture, right?  I struggle daily watching that little number go up and down. I gain a few followers and then I lose just as many each day.  So, in this week, I'll be talking mostly about how I use my brand image to get my followers to stay with me, double tap my images, how I encourage comments, and eventually how I get them to join my community.

Here are my 6 key steps to start building your brand + community now!

Step 1: Create 5 key words to describe your brand image

Step 2: Get your colors and photography style consistent

Step 3: Define your core topics

Step 4: Plan out your posting schedule

Step 5: Ask followers to join your community

Step 6: Engage using specific hashtags

 -You can't be everything to everyone-

View fullsize

Step 1: Create 3-5 key words to describe the feeling you want for your feed.  What vibes, emotions, impressions do you want to leave with someone when they visit your page? Do you want your feed to emulate romantic, classic, bold, colorful, soft, whimsical, minimal, adventurous, playful, moody, or humorous?

In my opinion, the first step to creating your brand should be to figure out who are you really speaking to.  For me, I needed to create my own brand identity that would speak directly to my ideal follower.  I wanted my feed to be a true visual representation of myself through an authentic voice and consistent images so I could reach my true people.  Some words that describe my brand are authentic, bright, beachy, mom-friendly and organic, how would you describe yours?

 

 

-Create a clear identity through your photos-

Step 2:  Get your colors and photography style consistent.  When someone sees a picture of yours, they should clearly know it's your photo either by the style or the colors or both.  Based on the recommendation from @jennakutcher, and her Instagram Lab Course, I created a brand mood board/color theme.  It included my top 5 branding words and my top 5 colors of my feed, which helped me focus on my true brand image.  Canva is this awesome app you can use to get your "colors" by using a screen shot of your feed.   Here's mine:

When I take photos or edit photos, I try and stick to these 5 colors.

You can try it for your own feed here.  Just take a screen shot of your Instagram feed and it will pull out your top 5 colors for you.

(Our next post in this series is all about photography and editing your photos, so don't worry...more details on this to come!)

CANVA COLOR PALETTE GENERATOR

 -Have a focused approach-

Step 3: Define your categories:  I talked a little about this in my last post.  The more you can narrow your focus, the easier it will be for someone to connect with you. I try and define my brand into 5 categories and concentrate my posts around those topics. Family + Marriage, Motherhood, WAHM Life, Beauty + Fashion, Home Decor.  This helps me be consistent and authentic in each and every post and differentiate myself from other bloggers out there.  Using your top categories you defined above, try to create a diverse but defined feed that flows and touches on each topic throughout the week.  Maybe Mondays are WAHM life, and then Tuesdays you try and post about home decor, etc.  This way, you always have something to talk about, and you aren't trying to come up with a witty caption every time you have a great image to post.  It gives you and your feed a more defined focus, which will, in turn, help people to connect with you and keep coming back for more each week because they know what to expect.

-Establish your top posting schedule-

Step 4: Define posting schedule and best times to post. 

You need to ask yourself how often you are willing to spend time on Instagram and how often you really have the time to create a post that will speak to your followers, create hashtags that flow with that photo and make time to engage with your followers who comment.   It's important to make a plan and stick to it so that your followers see you consistently.  Is it once a week?  Once a day? 3x a day?  What does it take to grow your community....that's entirely up to you!  

I recently switched over to a business account and found out that the majority of my followers are actually from Southern Cal and most of them are most active on Tuesday- Saturday.  These insights can help you determine a posting schedule that will create the most engagement on your photos.  If you find that most of your followers are in a different time zone, you should adjust your posting time to fit when they are most active.

For me, I started with once a day, about 4x a week.  Now I try and post before 9 am or after 6 pm 5x a week.  I generally take off the weekends because I have found my better engagement times are during the week.  If you don't want to switch to a business account, there are lots of other sites to view your analytics.  Once of the most popular is

- Include a call to action-

Step 5:  Think of your call to actions like a personal invite into your community.   Occasionally include a call to action; double tap if you love tacos as much as me, comment with your favorite place to buy children's clothes, click the link in my bio to see my tips on how to meal prep, etc.   The goal is to get people to engage on your posts.  People may not feel compelled to comment unless you ask them to, and they may not even respond to your question when you do, but you want them to get engaged any way you can.  Trust me it works.  One of my most engaged posts I ever had was about a postpartum struggle I was experiencing after my first baby.  It was a hard & honest post for me to write, but I was vulnerable and I asked for help or ideas from my followers on how to fix it.  So many people commented that they struggled with the same thing and how they dealt with the issue.  You can read about that here if you want more details, but trust me having a call to action will help your engagement and lead to more true followers.

Remember, your followers want to see you!  Not only in your real genuine voice but images of you!  That creates a connection better than any other.  I bet you if you scroll through your feed, you'll see your most liked photos are not the most perfect flat lay, or the most beautiful sunset, but they are ones you are in, and ones you have written a heart felt or authentic caption about yourself.  Try and do that at least once a week and I promise you, your have a community faster than you know it.

 -Engage using specific hashtags-

Step 6:  One of the best ways to find a new audience is through hashtags.  Using your categories above, search for your niche hashtags and include them in every post.  

I have my hashtags grouped into my categories and saved in my planning app.  (I use Planoly but there are a ton of planning apps out there).  You are allowed 30 hashtags a post, and I use every single one.  If you have a photo that gets great engagement you may end up in the top 9 photos of that hashtag and you will be seen by tons of new faces.  My goal is to get my post in at least 3 of my hashtags top 9 photos to gain followers in my specific niche.  Out of the 30 I am allowed, I'd say 10 are always the same, and then for the rest, I switch it up and use some hashtags that have TONS of posts on them and some that have under 2 thousand posts on them.  I use some that are more specific to my location or subject matter and then some that are broader or used more often.  There is some chatter about using hashtags in your caption or in your comments, and getting "shadow-banned" but I haven't noticed enough of a difference in either to comment on that.  I think we will end up having a more detailed week on this subject where I can expand more on the hashtag subject, but if you have specific questions, please feel free to comment here or on my IG.

-Time + patience are key- 

I leave you with this, you can spend all your time creating the perfect brand and image but if you don't spend time engaging with others, you will not be successful in building a community.  People want to know they are seen and heard, and not just another like on your images.  In between all the curating, planning, and writing you need to include time in your day to reach out to both current and potential followers and comment and like on their pages as well. Respond to your comments on your posts, and search your niche hashtags and engage consistently.  I know that takes TIME, and TIME is the key word here. In order to grow organically, you need to have patience and show yourself some grace if it isn't happening as fast as you'd like.  Remember in order to grow organically, you need to engage, and you'll see a return from your hard work.  That engagement takes time and patience.
In June of 2016, I had 916 followers, today I have over 8 thousand.  I found that as I posted more authentic and vulnerable posts and the more I engaged with my followers and potential followers, the more my community was growing. 

Each month we feature different guest bloggers in addition to our core 10. While we will all be answering the same questions and writing about the same topics, it will give each of you a wide variety of perspectives. We each have a different blogging style, photography style, schedule and more so it will be a great opportunity to read everyone's posts and gain a little insight from each one. 

Here are this weeks contributors: 

mrsseacannon.com | @mrsseacannon

britthavens.com | @britthavens

koleimpressions.com | @steph__pollock

cultivatemotherhood.com | @cultivatemotherhood

www.ashleynoel.life | @_ashley_noel_

hellobabybrown.com | @hellobabybrown

darlingnightingale.com | @darlingnightingale

www.a-blessed-nest.com | @blessednestblog

thelovedesignedlife.com | @thelovedesignedlife

GUESTS: 

kristlesclarity.com | @hereyeswereolivegreen

@amylouhawthorne

If you have a topic you'd love to get an answer to in our series, search the hashtag #TheMomBlogCollective on Instagram and comment on any one of our photos under that hashtag to let us know! You can also leave comments on our blog posts.

Top 5 Tips when Starting a Blog or Instagram Account | #TheMomBlogCollective WEEK 1

I'm so excited to share a new series I am starting here on my blog called #TheMomBlogCollective. Twice a month, I've teamed up with 10 other influencers and we will be sharing a blog post on the same topic -- related to blogging, instagram, working with brands, making money, photography, motherhood and more. More than almost anything else, each of us get asked how we started blogging, what tips we have for someone looking to start, how to work with companies for sponsored posts and more, so those questions are the starting point for our series. 

Each month we will feature different guest bloggers in addition to our core 10. My favorite part is that while we will all be answering the same questions and writing about the same topics, it will give each of you a wide variety of perspectives. We each have a different blogging style, photography style, schedule and more so it will be a great opportunity to read everyone's posts and then figure out what works best for you. And if you have a topic you'd love to get an answer to in our series, search the hashtag #TheMomBlogCollective on Instagram and comment on any one of our photos under that hashtag to let us know! You can also leave comments on our blog posts.

A little about me.  

After I left my crazy busy, 80hr a week, 15 year career in fashion and moved to the Bay Area of Northern California I needed to find something to do with my time.  I had no job, I was new to the area so I had no community of friends and I was newly married with a husband who traveled a ton. When I would talk to my friends about my life changes, and my transition from sales manager power house to unemployed house wife and my future goals of having babies and doing yoga daily, they would listen intently and they would all say, "you should start a blog!"  

I didn't have the first clue about how to be a blogger and it scared the crap outta me to start something new when there was already so many other influencers out there doing it in such a successful way.  I mean, do people really want to hear my story?  Speaking truthfully, I wasn't quite sure what my actual story was even going to be focused on but, I knew I had a story to tell.  I wanted to share my passion for newly married life, fashion, trying for babies, life changes from leaving my career and just life in general so, that's when I started my Instagram acct just for insta-blogging.   Now, I feel like I need to admit that I'm still kinda lost when it comes to SEO, affiliate links and everything else involved with the actual blog part of social media but, I do know I've learned a tremendous amount in the past 2 years of being an Instagram influencer.  

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So, besides the typical first steps that you may already know about being an influencer like choosing your account name, or finding the perfect photo filter, or choosing between square space of Wordpress for your domain, here are my top 5 tips when starting a blog or Instagram account (but really it's just what I follow when I think about my own personal Instagram process and I hope it helps you)!

1. Progress over Perfection.

Here's the truth, when I first started my Instagram, my posts sometimes would take me up to an hour to write.  I constantly found myself being too wordy, and then not knowing how to edit.  What do people really want to hear, or not hear?  And then the images, are they the right color or brightness?  Does it fit in my aesthetic? Is my picture good enough to make people stop scrolling?  When I first started, this was my problem, constantly over thinking everything! I would find myself not posting for days because I was waiting for the perfect post, or the perfect time, or the perfect image.  If it wasn't perfect enough to post, I wouldn't post anything.  But, I quickly found out that progress is better than perfection.  The more your engaging and sharing your heart, the more followers will find you.  If you want to start a blog or become an influencer, just start now.  What are you waiting for?   I promise someone out there needs to hear your story because they can relate in some way.  If you are true to yourself, and you share images that make you happy, I am sure it will make others happy too.  Just start somewhere, don't think too hard about it and just begin.  

2. Be Authentic.   

It is all too easy to get caught in the comparison game when scrolling aimlessly through influencers feeds and blogs.  It's important to always be yourself and not try and be what you think people want you to be.  There are so many gorgeously curated feeds out there with mamas who have the perfect top knot, clean kitchens, with fresh flowers cut on the table and the cutest baby in tow...but honestly, that's not always real life.  One thing that I know helped me grow is to stop following people that I compare myself to or made me feel less than. Believe it or not, when you are scrolling through other peoples feeds, these images are making a huge impression on you.  Those images you stop and double top or screen shot can start to have an effect on your own content.  It can start to affect what you post or don't post, they can affect your confidence in your own creativity and it can even affect the way you are feeling about your life.  As they say, Comparison is the thief of joy and I believe that is true in this process.  If you try to stay focused on your own creative journey and be authentic in that journey, it will bring you joy and success.

3.  Know who you are.

Finding your own voice and your own vision and staying true to that is super important for growth.  Staying focused on your brand and image with every single post has a huge effect on your success.  My number one thing is to make sure you are sharing your full self, but also try not to be everything to everyone.  If I asked your closest friends to describe you in 5 words what would they say? What part of you do you really want to share?  Your fashion style, your foodie outings, your mama tips, etc.  Instead of sharing every single thing you like, which makes it hard for people to connect with you, focus on a couple things and really expand on those topics.  When people come to my page, I want them first to see that I'm a mom, second, I'm a wife, third I'm a sweatpant loving momtrepreneur who works from home and is struggling to balance work/home/parenting life. I try and use those few things as anchors in each of my posts.  If my posts don't talk about one of those things, then I am missing sharing my real brand image and finding my true community.  I find people connect with other people for a specific reason; whether it's because they love their home style, or they are vegan, or because they are working from home moms, etc... So let your account reflect a few things about you so people can really find something to relate to on your page. Finding your niche is going to be an ongoing process but the idea is to post images, ideas, and stories that resonate with your true community, and if you can do that, you are totally winning.

4.  Be ready for change.  

In order to monetize your Instagram feed, it's important to keep up with these constant changes.  What worked for me when I first started has changed so much with each day, week, and month.  As this little app evolves, and algorithms change, you have to be ready for that.  You need to make sure you find time to keep up with the changes and always be on the lookout for how you can evolve and do things better.  It's a never ending battle to keep growing despite the ever changing process of it all. I remember when I first hit that 1k, and then 5k, and now I'm stuck at 8k and it's killing me. But honestly, I'm sure once I hit 10k, I'll just want more.  And with that comes hard work and new ideas of how to make it all happen.  I use my community to stay up to date with things and we are constantly sharing other techy blog posts that keep us informed of changes on Facebook or Instagram.  There are tons of influencers out there who are willing to share their knowledge, you just need to take the time to research it.
 

5. Join a community of creatives like you.

When I first started this journey, one of my main goals was so to find a community of like minded people and love them hard.  Ya know, like find your tribe and you will thrive thing?  Having a community of other momtrepreneurs, or creatives I can bounce ideas off of or share a win with is exciting and necessary for my continued success in this influencer journey.  Yes, I have my friends and my husband I can talk to about it but, it's not the same.  Don't get me wrong, Jason loves a good celebratory dance session when I get a check in the mail for a collab, but does he really love hearing how my photo just got 500 likes for the first time ever, or how this huge brand just reposted my photo, probably not.  I know he supports me, but does he really get it?  I've met some amazing friends through this journey and we chat daily.  I have to say, these conversations can mean the difference of me feeling completely lost at sea or confident in my ability to do this.

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I'm gonna end it with this.  HAVE FUN!!  Don't take things too seriously and try and have a good time.  If posting in your feed becomes a stressful part of your day, take a break, and I promise your true followers will be there when you get back.

Please leave me comments below or questions so I know I'm not just only talking to my computer screen. 

You can find all the other blog posts linked below:

A Blessed Nest | @blessednestblog

Ashley Noel | @_ashley_noel_

Britt Havens | @britthavens

Cultivate Motherhood | @cultivatemotherhood

Kole Impressions Blog | @steph__pollock

Hello Baby Brown | @hellobabybrown

Mrs Seacannon | @mrsseacannon

The Love Designed Life | @thelovedesignedlife

All photos in this post were sponsored by someone I am happy to have in my community of creatives.  Amelia Protiva is wonderful and amazing and just got her doula certification and is based in Silicon Valley.  If you are expecting or if you just want some gorgeous family photos, you must reach out to this beautiful and creative soul.