Instagram: Please Help

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Okay, I started an Instagram account (TheGnomeLover). Finally. I am a dinosaur. New technology terrifies me. I hate social media. I know. The irony. But I don’t like the thought of everyone’s business being seen by the whole world in a constant stream of information. I like to take time to contemplate things. I like to think things over. Scrutinize the importance of what I am putting out there. Look for boogers in pictures. The idea of “instant” is scary. Sometimes it takes me a year to edit a story. I like to wait at least a week to publish an outfit post.

This is me being a risk taker.

I’m outta control.

My friend has been telling me that I need an Instagram account for my blog forever. But I was resistant. Then I thought the other day, what if Gnomelover gets taken? What if one day I actually want an Instagram Account, but I can’t get my name??? Panic set in. I tried to register it. Well, it was all ready taken. Sigh. So, I took TheGnomeLover. As in the one and only. Because I like to be as obnoxious as I possibly can.

But, anyway, I kind of don’t understand Instagram. What do you post? When you hashtag, do you use spaces? I just learned the word hashtag last month. And I use the word “learned” loosely. If my kids learned the alphabet like I learned the word “hashtag,” they would still be in kindergarten and my heart would still be whole.

How do you find people to follow? Is there a home page? Is there a search feature?

What are “likes”?

How often is too much posting to Instagram? What are the etiquette rules for Instagram? What if I like to take food pictures?

Am I ready for this?

Am I overthinking this?

If I have a booger or cellulite hanging out, will you let me know?

Gosh. Do I want to know?

Wait. Are these questions even more terrifying than pictures I could post?

I realize I could probably find these questions somewhere online, but it took me a half an hour just to find the button to sign up for an account. I am hoping you might be able to guide me in the right direction.

I think I will post stuff not on the blog and on the blog. Like yesterday I posted a picture from my house that won’t make it to the blog. And a blog picture. Maybe I will post pictures of blog posts coming up. Ollie. Murphy (who is sick. Please send good thoughts his way).

Thank you for your help! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some cave drawings that need to get done before the T-Rex comes around.

31 thoughts on “Instagram: Please Help

  1. JENNI!!! You have no idea how pleased I am that you’ve joined instagram. It is my crack. I’ve already found you and followed you. Now, let me see…

    You search for people by going to your profile, the little head icon that is. That opens up a search bar at the top, between your name and the magnifying glass.

    Likes are just if you press the heart button underneath someone’s picture. Then, it becomes a red heart, and you have liked their picture.

    You can post as often as you like, and of whatever you want! Food pictures are actually a very popular thing on instagram, by the way.

    If you put a hashtag after a picture, that lets people who search instagram for that word or combination of words see your picture. Unless you have set your account to private, and I know you haven’t since I just started following you (hehe), they can then “like” and comment on your picture. For instance, if you post a picture of yourself with Patrick Rothfuss and hashtag it #patrickrothfuss, his other fans can search for him and see it. Personally, I like to make up sarcastic hashtags that mean nothing, but that’s just me. 😉 Exclamation marks and question marks will not make it as part of your hashtag, by the way,

    Of course I will let you know if you have booger hanging out, or anything else for that matter! 😉 I could even add sweet, sensitive hashtags like #nicebooger and #howsithanging…? Nah, not really, haha!

    FINALLY… I am bummed that Murphy is sick. Poor fluffy fur-baby! I am crossing my fingers for him. He’s not that old, is he? Though I guess it’s hard to know since he was a rescue dog, I’m assuming the vet could give you a ballpark estimate of his age? I’ve known poodles and poodle mixes to get really old. They are such resilient little dogs. So hang in there, Murphy!

    • Thank you! Thank you for the information Gwen! You are awesome! I am still a little overwhelmed with it. I wish it was not a big screen. I like to see what else is going on. I am going to have to play around with it some more to see what happens. It seems really hard!

      Poor Murphy. He started getting sick on Saturday. He wanted to lay on me. Not near me but on me. He went to the vet and was really dehydrated. They ran a bunch of tests and we should get the results tomorrow. I am hoping it is just a passing sickness. We think he is 8 but he could be as old as 12. We have had him for almost seven years. It is hard to tell because he is a rescue. But Bichons usually live to be 15-17. And he does not look old. Fingers crossed. We are worried.

      And thank you again! Have sweet dreams!

      Jenni

  2. OMG, I can so relate! I started an Instagram account a few years ago, and it remains untouched. I wouldn’t even remember how to log in so I’d probably have to start over. I just think the way people like to get their social media is a personal preferance. For me, I like blogs and Facebook so that is what I do. Tweeting and Instagram are foreign to me but I often wonder if I am missing out on readers because I don’t do them. I just don’t have the time, and I do fear “duplicating” the same information.

    Anyway, thanks for the kind comments. Yeah for the great deal on the Fireflicker cardigan!!!

    • Thank you Heather! I am overwhelmed with it. Since I do not really do any other platform besides the blog, I figured this might be more doable than Facebook. We will see. I still do not quite understand it. And I still do not know exactly what to post. I don’t want to bore people.

      You are so lucky to get to wear your cardigan. I think it will be awhile before I get to mine.

      Have a wonderful rest of the week!

      Jenni

  3. So glad you finally got an instagram account. I use mine all the time. So many of the camera apps let you post there and it is fun to see what others are doing. I like to follow my daughter, friends, and LOTS of other bully owners. That is where the hashtags come in. Just look at things like #anthropologie or #bulldog to see what others are posting. If you like their posts, you can follow them. You can also elect to post your photos from instagram to FB. I am following you now, and you can follow me if you want…@babsarella. Hoping Mr.Murphy is feeling better.

    • Thank you Barbara! I am loving your pictures of your bulldog! So sweet! I appreciate your ideas for searches. I will try that tomorrow. Poor Murphy. He had to get a shot for nausea yesterday and fluid. We will find out the results tomorrow or Friday at the latest from the tests they did. I am so hopeful that this is just a passing little sickness. And that Ollie does not get it!

      Have a gorgeous Thursday!

      Jenni

  4. You are so funny. I think you will love Instagram. I use it for almost all of my photo postings on facebook. It has really nice filters and it is easy to post on both. I already followed you! My user account is private since I post so much of my kids, but just follow me. I will gladly accept your invite 🙂
    You will figure it all out. I bet you can even post a t-rex drawing 😉

    • Thanks Alicia! : ). I have not done any filters yet, that seems beyond my capabilities. I am going to do at least one picture a day, but I am unreasonably scared of it. So silly! A t-rex drawing might be exactly what is needed! : )

      Have a lovely rest of the week!

      Jenni

  5. I just followed you, I’m Jo_etcetcetc.

    Search is the button that looks like a star. You can search for people’s names or hashtags (hashtags are like this: #freepeople). Hashtags are so your photos are ‘labeled’ & will come up in a search.

    Photos of my breakfast (oatmeal) are the most popular thing I post (weird). And yes, I post photos of my food.

    • Thank you Jo! I had no idea what that star was for! I cannot wait to start searching this weekend. I wanted to do it tonight but I had not folded laundry in two weeks. So, that had to get done. Not fun! I love oatmeal! : ). And cream of wheat!

      Have a happy Thursday!

      Jenni

  6. Glad you joined instagram. I don’t know how to work it either , but ill try to find you if I can figure it out. What’s wrong with Murphy?
    Love ya!

    • Thank you Mandi! I am still not sure of it. Murphy got sick over the weekend. He would not eat and kept following me around (even more than usual). We took him to the vet and they gave him an anti-nausea shot and a shot of fluids for dehydration. They did all sorts of lab work. We will get the results back tomorrow or Friday. He seems a little better. So I am hoping it was just a passing sickness.

      Love ya, too! Sweet dreams!

      Jenni

  7. I love love IG! Huge fan! You should download either webstagram or iconosquare to be able to use the search feature on your computer! Likes are similar to facebook likes – if you like a post, you either double tap on the picture (on your phone screen) or if you are viewing the image on your computer you click on the heart button! You can also leave comments. You will get used to it in no time!!

    • Thank you Deniz! I am awful at Facebook, too. I will check out those sites or apps. I think they are apps, right? I am excited and scared! I am going to go on it a few times a day to try and get used to it.

      Have a gorgeous rest of the week!

      Jenni

  8. I am with you. Everything you said, I feel the same way. Is this what we should be doing as bloggers? I really do not know. I know that I need a more clear goal for this blogging thing. Would you say you have a goal all ready in place? I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
    Sending Murphy well wishes and I hope he is enjoying the October sun,
    Stacey

    • Thank you Stacey. I think it is what bloggers need to do. Or at least be active in a second social media. I do not have a clear goal for the blog. I just know what I am posting usually a week in advance and I like to use it to write stories. My ultimate goal was to get a book published. My focus has always been on short stories. Those are my favorite things to post.

      Thank you for the well wishes for Murphy! I will know tomorrow what is ailing him.

      Have sweet dreams!

      Jenni

  9. If you are a dinosaur I don’t know what that makes me. I think I just have my head stuck in the sand. I have refused to participate in Instagram. I have social media overload. I can barely keep up with blogging. My Facebook account and Twitter account are really only active because when I blog it automatically updates them. Otherwise they would never be updated and I’m rarely on them. Half the time I don’t even know where to go there still.

    So no…I cannot help you one bit. Good lucky lady! : ) and let me know how it goes.

    Sending healing vibes for your furry baby.

    bisous
    Suzanne

    • I am the same way with Facebook and Twitter Suzanne. I realized I have to do another avenue too. I will let you know how it goes. It is actually super fun to get to see the people that comment pictures and keep in touch. I am enjoying it so much more than I thought. It is sweeter than I had imagined. Like a community.

      Thank you for the healing vibes. I think he is feeling a little better today. He is always so clingy so it is hard to tell.

      Have a marvelous rest of the week!

      Jenni

    • Thank you Gwen! I almost bid on them and then I saw all of the shipping fees! Yikes! I also am not buying much this month. We are saving our money for our trips planned next year. I really want to go to New Orleans with my hubby. And the kids have their own ideas for our family vacation. I allotted myself a certain amount this month that I spent all on one dress. Just one dress! It was so expensive. I am still deciding if I want to keep it.

      Thank you for thinking of me! : )

      Have a fun day!

      Jenni

    • Thank you Brynne! I hope so, too. We will find out tomorrow when the lab tests come back.

      I am thinking of you every day!

      Sweet dreams!

      Jenni

  10. Grr. Again, only part of my reply posted.
    I am following you on IG. I don’t have much on IG but you can follow me at nana2jos.

    • Thank you Brynne! I think I followed you back. I am in so over my head with this. I hope I get it! : )

      I also hope you are doing well.

      Have a beautiful day!

      Jenni

    • Thank you Liana! I hope I followed you back! I think I did, but please let me know if I am wrong. I don’t know what that little person button is on the right.

      Have a lovely rest of the week!

      Jenni

  11. Feel better little doggie!!

    I am on IG and am still confused about how to convert my likes into readers of my blog. You can’t post links in it. I like playing with the filters. Honestly, I would just have fun with it and be casual about it. That’s my game plan since I was stressing out about it too much.

    • Thank you Cynthia! I am stressing out about it too much. I agree. I am going to take your advice and just have fun. That is my motto after all. You made me feel better. Thank you!

      Happy Thursday!

      Jenni

  12. Yay! I’m excited to find you on IG! I’ll go look now… I’m @4lovesthesun if you want to find me 🙂 I think you’ll like it – just don’t stop blogging if you start to really like it!

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