Let's Talk life babes

​Let’s talk life babes. I needed a break from Instagram. For many, Instagram doesn’t play a large role in their life, and the content they create isn’t a make or break to their finances. ⁣
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But as a blogger, Instagram and creating content is my job. And it has quickly become a source of income for me as a podiatry student. I’ve established incredible connections on this app, worked with big brands, met amazing people and have had opportunities extended to me that I only once dreamed of. ⁣
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But it’s much harder to grow now on Instagram, and it’s even harder to grow as a Black and Native content creator. POC creatives are paid much less than their counterparts, and our content is often stolen without credit. Instagram buries creatives, and no longer shows post in a chronological order. So unless you have a large following well over 50,000 you probably won’t see likes over 1,000 unless you hustle for those likes or share your content on another platform. And the people that followed me weren’t really interacting with my content in the way that I wanted them to.⁣
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I know I post stellar content. But with the growth of influencer culture - which I am not a part of - fashion bloggers and other niche bloggers aren’t succeeding. They aren’t growing, and I became frustrated with my lack of growth. So I purged my following and removed nearly 400 followers that never interacted with my content and didn’t have content similar to mine, and took a break. Crazy right? ⁣
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I’m feeling refreshed after my break and ready to create quality content over quantity. I’ll probably drop under 2,000 followers by the end of the day. But I’m starting to care less and less about my follower count. I’ve even hidden the likes of other accounts so I compare myself less to other content creators. Surprisingly, it’s helped me enjoy Instagram more over the last several months. ⁣
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So whether you engage with my content or not, I’m still going to create what I like, regardless of the “likes” I get. I refuse to create reels for growth or hire a manager to tell me how to post. Or whatever else they’re saying we have to do to grow now. I’d rather just be me, freely. #themodlittlemelanin