I’ve had a personal Instagram account for years, but it was only recently that I created an account for my writing and poetry.
It’s been a little over a year since I became what is known as an ‘Instapoet’.
If you’re a writer or poet on Instagram, chances are you’ve at least heard the term. But what does it mean? What does it look like? Much like every social media platform, there are the things you should do…and the things you shouldn’t.
Here, we’ll talk about the things you should do as a poet on Instagram.
(These things can be interchangeable with writers as well. It isn’t just limited to poetry, though I will be referring to poets primarily.)
Before we get into the tips, let’s back up.
What is an ‘Instapoet’?
The term, Instapoet, was established alongside the rise in popularity of Rupi Kaur and her poetry on the platform. Instapoetry is essentially poetry that is written for social media, namely (of course) Instagram. Since its emergence, the number of poets that have flocked to the platform has skyrocketed, making it very difficult to stand out in an over-saturated community of budding poets.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been an Instapoet for a little over a year. However, I spent the first 6 months or so trying to do my own thing…with no significant results. I mistakenly believed my poetry alone would bring loyal followers in droves.
I couldn’t understand why what I was doing wasn’t working.
But the poet gods smiled down on me and I was given the opportunity to be a part of an amazing group chat. This chat consisted of poets with thousands of followers, beautiful aesthetics, and poetry that made me realize how much I had to learn.
So I buckled down. I took a good look at what those poets were doing that I loved as a reader (and fan), then looked at my page.
From someone who was where you might be right now, these are things you SHOULD do as a poet on Instagram.
1.Make sure text doesn’t crowd the image.
One of the biggest mistakes I see poets make is trying to cram a long poem on one slide. (Don’t worry, I did it too.) However, one of the most important things to remember on any social media platform in this day and age is this:
You only have a few seconds to capture a person’s interest. Make it count.
It may seem simple but, if you think about how quickly people scroll – particularly on a visual platform like Instagram – it makes you think about how important your images look.
Generally, people don’t want to read a block of text so break up longer poems to fit on several slides. Not only will it be more visually-appealing, but it may even enhance your poem’s elements.
2.Keep the background clean and simple.
Another big mistake poets make is choosing background images that are too busy or distracting, or just aren’t relevant to the poem they’re posting.
Images can be ‘too busy’ or ‘distracting’ if there is a lot going on. For example, choosing an image with a crowd of people and laying a long poem on top of it may lead people to scroll right past your content.
You only have a few seconds and, if people have to stop to process the image, chances are they won’t. If they do, the added visual chaos means they have to spend more time to read your poem.
The same is true for images that aren’t relevant to the poem. With Instagram’s platform, the visual aspect is always assumed to have some kind of relevance. After all, it is images you’re posting.
The most popular Instapoems can have a few different appearances:
- Plain background (i.e. white, cream, tan, or other soft color) with a simple font
- Simple illustration on a plain background with a simple font
- Handwritten poem
- A picture of a poem in a notebook
- Handwritten digitally (usually with a soft background and possibly an illustration)
- Nature or person background with text
- Typewriter poem
- Staged poem: handwritten or typed poem on a simple background with a few objects (i.e. flowers, crystals, etc) for aesthetic
3.Be unique but be you.
As the community of Instapoets grows, it can be harder to establish your own unique style of presenting your poems. However, it mostly comes down to you.
Do you have something that’s unique? Incorporate it.
Every poet has their own style, even if you don’t realize it. Don’t believe me? Then try this:
Take a poem that has already been written and re-write it as if you were the original poet.
I promise your poem and the original will be different. It could be the way you word your poem, the images you use, how you break up your lines/stanzas – no two poets are the same. The same is true for Instapoets.
Ultimately, your poems are what matter, but you want to make sure you can get them noticed by the millions of people who use Instagram first.
Whether you have been an Instapoet for a few days or a few years, it’s still a good idea to think about how you might be able to present your poems differently. If you have an idea, try it out! Instagram is constantly evolving and so should you.
But what if nothing comes to mind? How do you set yourself apart from other Instapoets?
4.Start simple.
If you are just starting out, or if you want to re-create yourself as an Instapoet, start simple. Don’t get sucked into the intimidating idea of doing what all the popular poets are doing.
The main thing with this to develop yourself – your poetry style, your name/brand as a poet, your way of presenting your poetry. Once you’ve figured it out, then you may find you’ve already started implementing things in your Instapoetry that have begun to pave the way to your unique presence on Instagram.
It’s like learning to ride a bicycle, starting a new job, or teaching yourself a skill – it takes time to get the hang of it. Stay patient and stick to mastering the basics first.
5.Engage, engage, engage.
Unless you have a substantial following on another platform, you aren’t likely to gain followers quickly. Posting poems is only one part of being an Instapoet.
One thing to establish early on is connections with other poets on Instagram. How do you do that?
First, interact with their posts. Leave a like, comment, share, and save posts that you like.
I’ve found that, while Instagram’s algorithm changes every so often, people still appreciate comments over a like. Start there.
Simple ‘I love this!’ or ‘This is an amazing poem!’ comments don’t always have a prominent effect on the poet you’re complimenting. They could get vague comments like that every day. Of course, that isn’t to say they don’t enjoy getting compliments, it just means you’re not likely to stand out from the crowd.
Be detailed. Find something in the poem or in the way the poet presents it and say something positive about it.
Second, follow people you want to see content from. Following poetry accounts simply because they post ‘poetry’ may seem like a good idea at first but over time, you could unfollow them.
Ignore follower counts when you do this. If you like what the poet is producing, follow them.
After you’ve followed someone, send them a message. Say hello, pick out at least one thing that you like from their page, and tell them you’re looking forward to reading more of their poetry.
Budding Instapoets should feel free to say they’re new to Instagram and even ask for tips or advice. Often, seasoned poets on the platform love to share what they’ve learned!
6.Hashtags can be your best friend.
One of Instagram’s most underrated features is the use of hashtags. When used correctly, hashtags can show your posts to poets and poetry lovers worldwide.
Hashtags are both under- and over-used at times so knowing how to use them to maximize your post’s reach can be a balancing act.
I want to introduce the term ‘hashtag spamming’ first.
Hashtag spamming is a consistent, excessive use of hashtags in a single post or by one account. Instagram’s algorithm will recognize this and it could result in getting banned or your posts not being shown to your potential audience.
(I will be making a separate post on hashtags.)
A trick I learned is to add a mix of popular and less common hashtags to your posts. There are numerous articles on Google that also suggest rotating hashtags.
To find out which hashtags are used more or less often, search them on Instagram. The platform will tell you how many posts use that hashtag.
Most importantly, when using hashtags, make sure they are relevant to your post in some way.
Relevancy can help you build a solid presence by showing your audience you will post content of a certain type and on a consistent basis.
7.Have a readable name and profile picture.
A username and profile picture that are easily identifiable will help you in the long run. As you post, engage, and build your audience, this becomes even more important.
You want people to spread the word about you and your poetry.
If you have a username that is hard to read or understand, or one that’s irrelevant to what you’re posting, it can be confusing to your audience. Having a random profile picture that isn’t related to your content is similar to this.
Depending on if you want to present yourself as a serious poet, your picture can easily reflect that – as with your username.
For example, if you have a picture of yourself or a professional-looking logo, people are more likely to see you as a ‘serious poet’. By serious poet, I mean someone who wants to publish poetry books. Posting poems for the sake of sharing your work would be what I consider a ‘casual poet’.
Your profile picture and username are some of the things your potential audience will pay attention to.
Some common examples of usernames for serious poets are:
- Initials (ex. jkr, abg, etc) – generally accompanied by a logo as a profile picture
- Adding ‘poet’ or ‘poetry’ (ex. bgpoetry, poetbg, etc)
- Including ‘author’ if you’ve published a book (ex. authorbrookeg, etc)
Whether you already have a username or haven’t created your account yet, think about which you would like to be considered as – a casual or serious poet. Once you have built up your audience, changing it could have a negative impact on your engagement.
8.Your bio is limitless (but also limited).
On every social media platform, you have the option to include a bio for your account. But, on Instagram, there is a severe limit to what you can include in this since there is a character limit.
Keep it simple and use a bullet point or list format.
Remember, like your posts, you don’t have long to capture your potential audience’s attention. Below are some things you can include in your bio:
- Book reviewer
- Beta reader
- Proofreader/editor
- Published author and/or the title of the book you’ve published
- A specific type of poetry you write (i.e. love or heartbreak poems, poems about mental health, etc)
Relevancy is important, whether you are a serious or casual poet. Your bio is another chance to make connections with other poets and your potential audience.
9.Links are your lifeline.
When building your audience on Instagram, you need utilize every part of your account. This includes any links you have to external sites.
Instagram gives you the option to include one link that will show up underneath your bio.
If you have several social media accounts, a website, an online store – this is where it can get difficult because you want to include all of these links.
Websites like Linktree can hold all of your links under one URL. I highly recommend using it!
Aside from social media accounts, personal websites, and stores, you can include a link to a service you offer or a book you’ve published. But keep it relevant to the content you’re posting.
10.Be consistent.
You may not realize it but consistently posting means your audience knows when to expect your content. This reliability builds a good reputation with people who become loyal to you.
If you consistently post every day then don’t post for four days, Instagram won’t show your posts to as many people. Not only that, but if happens on a varying basis, your audience may begin to ignore when you post.
Of course, this isn’t always the case. You should still avoid being inconsistent.
Produce quality posts on a consistent basis and you have a good recipe to succeed as an Instapoet.
Beginners and seasoned Instapoets can benefit from using all of these tips.
Ultimately, you need to remember these three things:
- Honesty
- Consistency
- Quality
Be yourself, have a consistent schedule, and post content you’re proud of. Each social media platform is different but if you utilize the features of Instagram, you can be on your way to becoming a successful Instapoet!
Brooke Goodwin 