Creating Content for Bookstagram

In class this week, the discussion was centered around creating good content for social media platforms. While it is definitely important to create new and exciting content, sometimes it's tough enough as it is to create any kind of content at all. Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick have some constructive advice in their book, The Art of Social Media. Tips such as BE BOLD and BE INTERESTING sound inspiring, but it can be stressful trying to figure out how to be bold and interesting.

These are the steps/tips I took when I first started my bookstagram account and was trying figure out how to create content for it. Not all of these tips are content-focused, but I think that they definitely influence successful content creation.

1. Research the community.

I think this step is important no matter what market is being discussed. When I first discovered the bookstagram community, a good bit of my time was spent searching through the bookstagram hashtag to see what other users were posting and creating. I noticed that many of the photos being posted were of very popular, newly released books, rather than older titles. Doing this in-depth sleuthing of sorts, was good for me to do because it let me know what the community was interested in and producing at the time. 

2. Experiment with style and materials.

Using what I learned from the research I did, I then started posting similar content to what I had seen. This might have meant featuring the same novel, or using similar props, etc. As my follower count increased though, I also began to throw in some original content. For example, I began to feature a few novels from a small press in the UK. Those photos were different from the usually popular titles or photo styles that I had been using at the time, but since I had built up my profile, it was okay to experiment a little. 

3. Consistency is key.

Now I must admit, this step is pretty difficult sometimes. However, the way to attract and retain my audience is to make sure they see my content regularly. I may be able to post a super great photo, but if my posting schedule as become inconsistent, my followers may not see or appreciate the hard work I've done. This tip kind of hinges on what Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick say: BE ACTIVE. If I'm not creating and sharing content on a consistent basis, it won't matter if the content is the best ever, not many people will appreciate it.

4. Utilize monthly challenges.

Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick mention a tip about using holidays to promote popular content. This works for the bookstagram community too, only more so in the form of monthly hashtag challenges. Often hosted by popular users, each day is given a prompt to inspire the photo for the day, then other users post their photos using the hashtag. This pushes both classic and new content out to a broader audience. What is also super cool to see, is how even though everyone is using the same prompt, all of the photos are different and have their own style. Monthly challenges help create fun content while also discovering other users.

5. Listen to the audience.

While I may have some new, great idea that I think people will absolutely love, that may not wind up being true. Sometimes the audience is not really looking for new content. They like what is familiar. For me, I've found that my followers like photos that are similar to the ones I've posted previously on my profile. Photos where I've used my deck as a prop or a string of lights are some of my most liked photos. I go back to content like that every now and again, because I know my audience likes to see it. I think this tip is one of the most important, because it's easy to get concerned with creating new content when that may not necessarily be what the audience wants.  

Hopefully these tips are helpful in some way, even outside of the bookstagram realm. 

The Best Websites to Order Books Online

     Since books have always been a large part of my life, I've had to learn how to be smart and budget my money efficiently. In the past this meant borrowing books from the library or finding copies at thrift shops and yard sales. Once I got my first job though, my extra income allowed me to actually buy brand new books. I still wanted to avoid paying full price though, so I began searching around to look at all the options. These four websites are the best I've found so far for buying books at a good price. The first two are great for buying new copies, while the last two are good if the buyer doesn't mind used copies. 

image from www.today.com

Amazon (but we already knew that, didn't we?)

     Amazon is an awful trap for a college student with an addiction to retail therapy. Not only are the prices great, but paying a little extra for Amazon Prime cuts down on shipping time. Sometimes I think my mail delivery guy thinks I'm crazy. One of the huge positives I've discovered with Amazon is the pre-order policy. I can pre-order a book before its release, and if the price drops before the release date then I'm given a refund for the lower price. Amazon is one my favorite ways of ordering my books, especially if I want them in my hands as soon as possible. 

Book Depository

     This is one of my newer discoveries, which I found when I was trying to figure out how to order books with UK cover designs. There was this one book I'd been wanting to order, Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, but there was a particular cover I wanted (who decides to release different covers, and why do they think that's a good idea?) so I began searching around to see if I could find it. Book Depository is actually based in the UK so that's how it's able to send out UK editions. The prices are very affordable too, which makes it another good site to keep in mind. 

Thriftbooks and Abebooks

     These sites are really great if you don't mind getting used books. The prices are extremely low, and the only downside is having to pay for shipping (which is typically low anyway). Just a few months ago I wanted to find The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab. It was her first published novel, and it's no longer in print. I was able to find a copy on Abebooks for under $5. It's such a satisfying feeling to see how many books I can put in my cart for under twenty dollars. It's a game I like to play occasionally ;) 

Hopefully this post has been informative in some way. These sites have been extremely helpful for growing my personal book collection. 

Online Disinhibition in The Cinderella Pact

People can present an image of themselves online that differs from who they are in reality. This might consist of literal images that have been photoshopped or making slight changes to how they speak with people when they can hide behind the computer screen. The problem is that someone can fall so deep into this state of disinhibition that his or her real life may conflict with the constructed life he or she has created. 

One fictional example of this happening is given in the novel, The Cinderella Pact. The novel was also adapted for the screen in 2010 and given the title, Lying to be Perfect.

The main character, Nola Devlin, is an editor for a popular magazine, but her co-workers don't respect her and she doesn't have the confidence to stand up for herself. Nola thinks that the problem is her weight, that if she could only be skinny and sexy, people would have to treat her better. 

In her free time, Nola runs an advice column online, but under a different name, Belinda Apple. Almost the complete opposite of Nola with the help of Photoshop, Belinda is skinny, confident, and as an added plus, British. At first it's easy for Nola to keep her two identities separate, but then her friends decide to follow Belinda's encouragement to lose weight, and Nola is forced to follow her own advice. 

To Nola's surprise, Belinda's column gains popularity and the opportunity for a book deal comes up. Soon it becomes more difficult to keep her life organized. As the truth begins to unravel, Nola's love life and her friendships are threatened and may suffer if her secret is revealed.

Nola looking at the image she created of Belinda Apple.

This situation is a great example of what Suler mentions in his article, The Online Disinhibition Effect. He says that, 

          "the opportunity to be physically invisible amplifies the disinhibition effect. People 

          don’t have to worry about how they look or sound when they type a message. They 

          don’t have to worry about how others look or sound in response to what they say." 

This is exactly what happens when Nola creates Belinda Apple as her online personality. 

Of course, Nola's story is resolved in such a way that both identities are able to combine and work together. However, the goal of the story is to show the possible complications online disinhibition can have on an individual and his or her relationships with others. While it may be fun and harmless at first, there are plenty of ways the situation could go wrong.

My Bookish Persona

At first it seemed like an odd idea to create a separate Instagram account for the sole reason of featuring my writing and photos of books. After some thought though, I wondered why I hadn't taken that step sooner. In the past I had tried posting pictures of the books I was reading on my personal Instagram, but not many of my followers really appreciated them, mostly because they were friends from school or just not really into the whole "reading" scene. Since my books and reading lifestyle are important in my day-to-day life, I decided to join the #bookstagram community. Now I can interact with other readers and discuss what books are interesting at the moment, and make recommendations to my followers. 

It could be very easy to portray myself differently on my various social media platforms, but personally I've found that the only element that really differs from platform to platform is the content I choose to post. Sometimes I find myself questioning if my captions on my #bookstagram account make me sound too sweet or bubbly, which I definitely don't seem like in real life. Other times I wonder if my followers would think I'm the same person in person as I portray online. I try really hard to stay consistent with who I really am, and what I share on my various profiles. I may sound a little more talkative online, but my views, interests, and character are all the same. 

In a way, I think that having a themed Instagram has helped me settle into a more consistent persona in real life too. Just knowing that people do actually care about what I have to say has helped me become more confident when interacting with people in the real world. I know that others may struggle more in striking a balance with creating their social media personas. My personal experience has been easier because I'm not trying to create a new "me," but rather find an audience who appreciates my content.